Development of Sediment Wear Test System for Pelton Turbines

Pelton turbines encounter significant sediment erosion issues when they operate in sandy river environments. Due to the absence of a sediment abrasion test system for Pelton turbines in China, a specialized system has been developed. The system comprises a pipeline and water supply infrastructure, sand pool with sediment mixing capabilities, hydraulic turbine testing unit, data acquisition, measurement, and control systems. It is capable of conducting sediment abrasion and performance tests on Pelton turbines with a maximum head of 800 m, maximum flow rate of 300 m³/h, and maximum turbine rotational speed of 2 500 r/min. It utilizes programmable logic controller (PLC) and LabVIEW software to control water pump operation, turbine speed, and performance testing. The programmable logic controller (PLC) and LabVIEW software facilitate water supply pump start/stop, turbine speed adjustment, and automatic pipeline valve control. Additionally, key parameters include turbine speed, head, and flow rate are monitored in real-time. The tests results show that the sediment abrasion test system exhibits high precision (up to 0.3%), a high level of automation, stable operation, simplicity, and a user-friendly interface.