Hydraulic Machines Practice Test: Pelton Turbine — Flashcards

Pelton Turbine topics include: Pelton turbine velocity diagrams, pelton turbines work, pelton turbine efficiency and pelton wheel design.

A Pelton turbine is a type of hydroelectric turbine that converts water's kinetic energy into mechanical energy. Lester A. Pelton invented it in 1880 during the gold rush. 

Pelton turbines are used in hydroelectric plants to generate electricity. They are suitable for sites with heads greater than 300 meters and when water energy is available at high head and low flow rate. 
Pelton turbines are characterized by their spoon-shaped buckets that capture the momentum of high-velocity water jets. The turbine has a simple design, consisting of a large circular disk mounted on a rotating shaft with cup-shaped blades, called buckets, evenly spaced around the wheel. Nozzles are arranged around the wheel to introduce water to the turbine. 

Here's how a Pelton turbine works:
The water jet enters the buckets in large parts perpendicular to the bucket.
The impulse energy of the water jet exerts torque on the bucket-and-wheel system, spinning the wheel.
The water jet does a "u-turn" and exits at the outer sides of the bucket, decelerated to a low velocity.
In the process, the water jet's momentum is transferred to the wheel and hence to a turbine.
The energy extracted from the kinetic energy of the water is used for the rotation of the impeller.