Title of Invention	TURBINE FOR A HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION
Abstract	There is provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power installation. The turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, with the rotor being arranged in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction), The pitch angle of the blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable. As the rotor is arranged in front of the guide apparatus (in the flow direction) the flow meets the rotor first and only thereafter meets the guide apparatus, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor.

Title of Invention

TURBINE FOR A HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION

Abstract

There is provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power installation. The turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, with the rotor being arranged in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction), The pitch angle of the blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable. As the rotor is arranged in front of the guide apparatus (in the flow direction) the flow meets the rotor first and only thereafter meets the guide apparatus, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor.

Full Text	Bremen 8th July 2005 Our ref: WA 3211-01DE MAG/mwu Direct dial: 0421/36 35 12 Applicant/Proprietor: WOBBEN, Aloys Office ref: New application Aloys WOBBEN Argestrasse 19, 26607 Aurich Turbine for a hydroelectric power station The present invention concerns a turbine for a hydroelectric power station for generating electrical energy as well as a hydroelectric power- station having a corresponding turbine. Hydroelectric power stations or hydroelectric power installations with turbines are known, which are divided substantially into three levels. The first level generally represents a support apparatus with which the turbine is held in its position in a passage. There is further provided a guide apparatus which is usually arranged in front of the rotor. Finally the rotor itself is arranged with the blades therebehind. That means that a flow in respect of a turbine of that kind is influenced at those three levels or locations. 'Wasserkraftanlagen' ['Hydroelectric power installations'], 3rd edition, Springer Verlag 2003 by Jürgen Giesecke and Emil Mosonyi shows a number of hydroelectric power installations. Shown here for example is a Kaplan tube turbine. That turbine has an inlet shaft, the turbine and a suction hose, which are disposed very substantially in a line and are horizontal or slightly inclined relative to the horizontal. That has the advantage of avoiding a plurality of changes in the direction of flow, to the favour of a higher energy output. The turbine has support blades, guide blades and a rotor arranged therebehind, with corresponding blades. Straight-flow turbine units are also known, wherein a generator is arranged concentrically outside the flow tube so that the generator is not 2 disposed in the interior of the housing vessel. The rotor comprises a hub, rotor blades and a rotor ring, these being typically produced in the form of a welded structure to form a unit. A support cross arrangement is arranged in the flow direction upstream of the guide blades and the rotor with the rotor blades. The guide apparatus arranged in front of the rotor is used by rotation of the guide blades or support blades to shut down the turbine by the blades being so set that they bear against each other and thus close the passage. Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a turbine and a hydroelectric power installation having a corresponding turbine which is of a simplified structure and affords greater power output. That object is attained by a turbine as set forth in claim 1 and by a hydroelectric power station as set forth in claim 6. There is thus provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power installation. The turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, wherein the rotor is arranged in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction). The pitch angle of the blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable. By virtue of the fact that the rotor is arranged in front of the guide apparatus (in the flow direction), the flow encounters the rotor first and only thereafter encounters the guide apparatus, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor. The fact that no separate support apparatus is provided means that the losses of a flow around the support apparatus are completely eliminated, thereby affording an increased level of efficiency in comparison with the state of the art. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention the rotor has a spherical hub for connecting the turbine blades to the rotor. The spherical configuration of the hub makes it possible to adjust the pitch angle of the turbine blades over a great extent. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention the turbine blades bear in positively locking relationship against the spherical 3 hub so that it is possible to avoid disadvantageous flow conditions as the turbine blades join the hub. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the pitch angle of the turbine blades can be adjusted in an angle of -20° to 140° so that the rotor can be decelerated or accelerated if the pitch angle of the turbine blades is appropriately selected. Further aspects of the present invention are subject-matter of the appendant claims. The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the first embodiment, Figure 1b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the first embodiment, Figure 1c shows a front view of a turbine according to the first embodiment, Figure 2a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the second embodiment, Figure 2b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the second embodiment, Figure 2c shows a front view of a turbine according to the second embodiment, Figure 3a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the third embodiment, Figure 3b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the third embodiment, and Figure 3c shows a front view of a turbine according to the third embodiment. Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine in accordance with a first embodiment. Figure lb shows a further view of the turbine as shown in Figure 1a. Figure 1c shows a front view of the turbines of Figures 1a and 1b. The turbine has a rotor 4 with turbine blades 1 which are connected to a hub 3 which is of a substantially spherical configuration, The rotor 4 with 4 the turbine blades 1 is disposed in front of a guide apparatus 6 in the flow direction. The present turbine is thus an upstream rotor turbine. In other words, the guide apparatus 6 is behind the rotor 4 and at the same time supports the rotor in the passage so that an additional support apparatus can be omitted. The guide apparatus 6 thus also has a mounting arrangement. Accordingly the flow firstly meets the rotor 4 in an undisturbed condition so that a maximum amount of energy can be taken from the flow before the flow encounters the guide apparatus 6. In that respect the guide apparatus 6 is designed in such a way that an optimum discharge flow of the water is ensured by reducing swirl losses, thus preventing a build-up accumulation and a collapse in the level of efficiency that this entails. The guide apparatus has support blades 5. In the first embodiment there are seven support blades 5. The support blades 5 are preferably not designed to be adjustable. The blades 1 of the rotor 4 are variable in a range of -20° to 140°, preferably from -10° to 120°, so that pitch adjustment of the turbine blades 1 is possible. In that way the blades of the rotor can be displaced into any position without a gap being formed between the turbine blades 1 and the rotor as the turbine blades 1 bear in positively locking relationship against the hub by virtue of the spherical shape thereof. By adjustment of the blades 1 through 90° the blades are turned into what is referred to as the 'feathered position', that is to say the water flows past the blades and through the guide apparatus 6 without causing the rotor 4 to move. As a result water can flow away through the turbine passage even when the turbine is not in operation and the passage does not have to be shut off in order to decelerate and possibly stop the rotor. Adjustability of the support blades is not required by virtue of the adjustment of the blades of the rotor 4 and by virtue of the fact that the rotor 4 can be stopped by virtue of the fact that the blades can be rotated into a feathered position. Figures 2a to 2c show a turbine in accordance with the second embodiment. In this case the structure of the turbine of the second 5 embodiment substantially corresponds to the structure of the turbine of the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment there are seven support blades 5 in the guide apparatus. As a departure from the first embodiment however there are four blades on the rotor. Figures 3a to 3c each show a turbine in accordance with the third embodiment. The structure of the turbine of the third embodiment substantially corresponds to the structure of the turbine of the first and second embodiments. In contrast to the turbines of the first and second embodiments there are five support blades 5 in the guide apparatus. In the three embodiments shown hereinbefore the blades 1 of the rotor 4 are adapted to be adjustable so that the turbine can be shut down by adjustment of the blades. That means that adjustability of the blades of the guide apparatus is not necessary, for interrupting the flow in the passage. In the three embodiments shown hereinbefore the rotor is connected to a shaft 10 which in turn can be coupled to an electrical generator in order to convert the rotational movement of the shaft 10 into electrical energy. The turbine according to the invention is thus an upstream rotor turbine, that is to say the guide apparatus is disposed behind the rotor. The guide apparatus is both the support and the mounting arrangement for the turbine. The blades 1 of the rotor 4 are adapted to be adjustable in an angle of from -20° to 140°. The hub 3 of the rotor 4 is of a substantially spherical configuration so that the blades 1 of the rotor 3 can be set to any desired angle without a gap being present. The flow thus first encounters the rotor 4 before it is further passed into the guide apparatus 6, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor 4. The turbine according to the invention thus has only two levels, that is to say the rotor and the guide apparatus. 6 CLAIMS 1. A turbine for a hydroelectric power installation for generating electrical energy comprising a rotor (4) and a plurality of turbine blades (1), and a guide apparatus (6) arranged after the rotor, wherein the pitch angle of the blades (1) of the rotor (4) is adapted to be variable. 2. A turbine according to claim 1 wherein the rotor (4) has a spherical hub (3) for connecting the blades (1) to the rotor (4). 3. A turbine according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the blades (1) are connected in positively locking relationship to the hub (3). 4. A turbine according to one of the preceding claims wherein the guide apparatus (6) is provided for supporting and mounting the turbine. 5. A turbine according to one of the preceding claims wherein the pitch angle of the turbine blades (1) is adapted to be adjustable from -20° to 140°. 6. A hydroelectric power installation having at least one turbine according to one of claims 1 to 5. There is provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power installation. The turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, with the rotor being arranged in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction), The pitch angle of the blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable. As the rotor is arranged in front of the guide apparatus (in the flow direction) the flow meets the rotor first and only thereafter meets the guide apparatus, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor.

Full Text

Bremen 8th July 2005
Our ref: WA 3211-01DE MAG/mwu
Direct dial: 0421/36 35 12
Applicant/Proprietor: WOBBEN, Aloys
Office ref: New application
Aloys WOBBEN
Argestrasse 19, 26607 Aurich
Turbine for a hydroelectric power station
The present invention concerns a turbine for a hydroelectric power
station for generating electrical energy as well as a hydroelectric power-
station having a corresponding turbine.
Hydroelectric power stations or hydroelectric power installations with
turbines are known, which are divided substantially into three levels. The
first level generally represents a support apparatus with which the turbine
is held in its position in a passage. There is further provided a guide
apparatus which is usually arranged in front of the rotor. Finally the rotor
itself is arranged with the blades therebehind. That means that a flow in
respect of a turbine of that kind is influenced at those three levels or
locations.
'Wasserkraftanlagen' ['Hydroelectric power installations'], 3rd
edition, Springer Verlag 2003 by Jürgen Giesecke and Emil Mosonyi shows
a number of hydroelectric power installations. Shown here for example is a
Kaplan tube turbine. That turbine has an inlet shaft, the turbine and a
suction hose, which are disposed very substantially in a line and are
horizontal or slightly inclined relative to the horizontal. That has the
advantage of avoiding a plurality of changes in the direction of flow, to the
favour of a higher energy output. The turbine has support blades, guide
blades and a rotor arranged therebehind, with corresponding blades.
Straight-flow turbine units are also known, wherein a generator is
arranged concentrically outside the flow tube so that the generator is not

2
disposed in the interior of the housing vessel. The rotor comprises a hub,
rotor blades and a rotor ring, these being typically produced in the form of
a welded structure to form a unit. A support cross arrangement is arranged
in the flow direction upstream of the guide blades and the rotor with the
rotor blades.
The guide apparatus arranged in front of the rotor is used by rotation
of the guide blades or support blades to shut down the turbine by the
blades being so set that they bear against each other and thus close the
passage.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a turbine
and a hydroelectric power installation having a corresponding turbine which
is of a simplified structure and affords greater power output.
That object is attained by a turbine as set forth in claim 1 and by a
hydroelectric power station as set forth in claim 6.
There is thus provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power
installation. The turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, wherein the
rotor is arranged in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction). The
pitch angle of the blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable.
By virtue of the fact that the rotor is arranged in front of the guide
apparatus (in the flow direction), the flow encounters the rotor first and
only thereafter encounters the guide apparatus, thus affording optimum
flow conditions for the rotor.
The fact that no separate support apparatus is provided means that
the losses of a flow around the support apparatus are completely
eliminated, thereby affording an increased level of efficiency in comparison
with the state of the art.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention the rotor has a
spherical hub for connecting the turbine blades to the rotor. The spherical
configuration of the hub makes it possible to adjust the pitch angle of the
turbine blades over a great extent.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention the
turbine blades bear in positively locking relationship against the spherical

3
hub so that it is possible to avoid disadvantageous flow conditions as the
turbine blades join the hub.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the pitch angle
of the turbine blades can be adjusted in an angle of -20° to 140° so that
the rotor can be decelerated or accelerated if the pitch angle of the turbine
blades is appropriately selected.
Further aspects of the present invention are subject-matter of the
appendant claims.
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with reference
to the drawings in which:
Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the
first embodiment,
Figure 1b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according
to the first embodiment,
Figure 1c shows a front view of a turbine according to the first
embodiment,
Figure 2a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the
second embodiment,
Figure 2b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according
to the second embodiment,
Figure 2c shows a front view of a turbine according to the second
embodiment,
Figure 3a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine according to the
third embodiment,
Figure 3b shows a further diagrammatic view of a turbine according
to the third embodiment, and
Figure 3c shows a front view of a turbine according to the third
embodiment.
Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic view of a turbine in accordance with
a first embodiment. Figure lb shows a further view of the turbine as shown
in Figure 1a. Figure 1c shows a front view of the turbines of Figures 1a and
1b. The turbine has a rotor 4 with turbine blades 1 which are connected to
a hub 3 which is of a substantially spherical configuration, The rotor 4 with

4
the turbine blades 1 is disposed in front of a guide apparatus 6 in the flow
direction. The present turbine is thus an upstream rotor turbine. In other
words, the guide apparatus 6 is behind the rotor 4 and at the same time
supports the rotor in the passage so that an additional support apparatus
can be omitted. The guide apparatus 6 thus also has a mounting
arrangement.
Accordingly the flow firstly meets the rotor 4 in an undisturbed
condition so that a maximum amount of energy can be taken from the flow
before the flow encounters the guide apparatus 6. In that respect the guide
apparatus 6 is designed in such a way that an optimum discharge flow of
the water is ensured by reducing swirl losses, thus preventing a build-up
accumulation and a collapse in the level of efficiency that this entails.
The guide apparatus has support blades 5. In the first embodiment
there are seven support blades 5. The support blades 5 are preferably not
designed to be adjustable.
The blades 1 of the rotor 4 are variable in a range of -20° to 140°,
preferably from -10° to 120°, so that pitch adjustment of the turbine blades
1 is possible. In that way the blades of the rotor can be displaced into any
position without a gap being formed between the turbine blades 1 and the
rotor as the turbine blades 1 bear in positively locking relationship against
the hub by virtue of the spherical shape thereof.
By adjustment of the blades 1 through 90° the blades are turned into
what is referred to as the 'feathered position', that is to say the water flows
past the blades and through the guide apparatus 6 without causing the
rotor 4 to move. As a result water can flow away through the turbine
passage even when the turbine is not in operation and the passage does
not have to be shut off in order to decelerate and possibly stop the rotor.
Adjustability of the support blades is not required by virtue of the
adjustment of the blades of the rotor 4 and by virtue of the fact that the
rotor 4 can be stopped by virtue of the fact that the blades can be rotated
into a feathered position.
Figures 2a to 2c show a turbine in accordance with the second
embodiment. In this case the structure of the turbine of the second

5
embodiment substantially corresponds to the structure of the turbine of the
first embodiment. As in the first embodiment there are seven support
blades 5 in the guide apparatus. As a departure from the first embodiment
however there are four blades on the rotor.
Figures 3a to 3c each show a turbine in accordance with the third
embodiment. The structure of the turbine of the third embodiment
substantially corresponds to the structure of the turbine of the first and
second embodiments. In contrast to the turbines of the first and second
embodiments there are five support blades 5 in the guide apparatus.
In the three embodiments shown hereinbefore the blades 1 of the
rotor 4 are adapted to be adjustable so that the turbine can be shut down
by adjustment of the blades. That means that adjustability of the blades of
the guide apparatus is not necessary, for interrupting the flow in the
passage.
In the three embodiments shown hereinbefore the rotor is connected
to a shaft 10 which in turn can be coupled to an electrical generator in
order to convert the rotational movement of the shaft 10 into electrical
energy.
The turbine according to the invention is thus an upstream rotor
turbine, that is to say the guide apparatus is disposed behind the rotor. The
guide apparatus is both the support and the mounting arrangement for the
turbine. The blades 1 of the rotor 4 are adapted to be adjustable in an
angle of from -20° to 140°. The hub 3 of the rotor 4 is of a substantially
spherical configuration so that the blades 1 of the rotor 3 can be set to any
desired angle without a gap being present. The flow thus first encounters
the rotor 4 before it is further passed into the guide apparatus 6, thus
affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor 4. The turbine according to
the invention thus has only two levels, that is to say the rotor and the
guide apparatus.

6
CLAIMS
1. A turbine for a hydroelectric power installation for generating
electrical energy comprising
a rotor (4) and a plurality of turbine blades (1), and
a guide apparatus (6) arranged after the rotor,
wherein the pitch angle of the blades (1) of the rotor (4) is adapted
to be variable.
2. A turbine according to claim 1 wherein the rotor (4) has a
spherical hub (3) for connecting the blades (1) to the rotor (4).
3. A turbine according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the blades (1)
are connected in positively locking relationship to the hub (3).
4. A turbine according to one of the preceding claims wherein the
guide apparatus (6) is provided for supporting and mounting the turbine.
5. A turbine according to one of the preceding claims wherein the
pitch angle of the turbine blades (1) is adapted to be adjustable from -20°
to 140°.
6. A hydroelectric power installation having at least one turbine
according to one of claims 1 to 5.

There is provided a turbine for a hydroelectric power installation. The
turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades, with the rotor being arranged
in front of a guide apparatus (in the flow direction), The pitch angle of the
blades of the rotor is adapted to be variable.
As the rotor is arranged in front of the guide apparatus (in the flow
direction) the flow meets the rotor first and only thereafter meets the guide
apparatus, thus affording optimum flow conditions for the rotor.

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Patent Number

263350

Indian Patent Application Number

20/KOLNP/2008

PG Journal Number

43/2014

Publication Date

24-Oct-2014

Grant Date

21-Oct-2014

Date of Filing

01-Jan-2008

Name of Patentee

WOBBEN PROPERTIES GMBH

Applicant Address

DREEKAMP 5,26605 AURICH,GERMANY

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	ROHDEN ROLF	WALLSTER LOOG 10, 26607 AURICH
2	HOLTKAMP DIRK	HILGENBUSCH 37, 26605 AURICH

PCT International Classification Number

F03B 13/10

PCT International Application Number

PCT/EP2006/006719

PCT International Filing date

2006-07-10

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	102005032381.2	2005-07-08	Germany