Litostroj Power successfully handed over model tests for the Lay Dam HPP, Alabama, USA. The acceptance tests has taken place in our Hydraulic Laboratory in Blansko, Czech Republic.
The Lay Dam HPP is a gravity-dam run-of-river power plant scheme with 6 units of 30 MW where 4 units are foreseen to be upgraded in the near future. All units are of Kaplan type with fixed runner blades known as propeller-type Kaplan turbines. As the most important component foreseen to be completely replaced during planned upgrading, are propeller-type runners. Litostroj Power received order to perform development of new propeller-type runner to comply with future operating plans and requirements. The CFD based numerical development was to be validated by fully homologous model tests in Hydraulic Laboratory according to IEC 60193 code.
Development of new runner for the Lay Dam HPP comprised several challenges. Based on extensive numerical calculations, Litostroj Power selected two most promising hydraulic shapes for model testing. It is worth to mention that one runner was developed with focus on high efficiency, while the second one was developed with focus on wide operation range including higher maximum output. This detail is very interesting in the perspective of recent trends on energy market, where extremely large operation flexibility of hydropower units is highly welcome in the green energy cocktail due to its contribution in power supply stability. Both runners significantly exceed expected and guaranteed performance guarantees and both of them were accepted.
The successful model acceptance tests once again showed high competence, knowledge and excellence of Litostroj Power’s hydraulic design department.