General overview of the AxialT project: a partnership for low head turbine developments

An overview of the AxialT project is presented. Initiated in 2007 by the Consortium on Hydraulic Machines, the aim of this four years project is to contribute to the study of time-dependent hydraulic phenomena in a propeller turbine. The geometry of the entire turbine is generously shared by all partners. Numerical simulations carried out by all partners are confronted with experimental measurements carried out at the LAMH laboratory in Laval University. A mix of 2D LDA, 3D PIV and unsteady pressure measurements are adapted to yield precise measurements at eight strategic locations within the turbine and for nine operating points. Phase resolved analysis is performed wherever applicable. An illustration of potential analysis accessible with the database is shown for the identification of a vortex in the runner at part load.