Increasing the Overall Efficiency of Hydro Power Plants by Using Virtual Prototyping in the Design of High-Performance Hydromechanical Assets

Resumo

Intake racks play a very important role in the prevention of accidents and premature failures in
Hydroelectric Power Plants. As a primary function, the racks act as filters, preventing the passage of large
particulates and debris to the hydraulic turbine. However, intake rack designs, historically, do not take into account
extensive analysis, and there are many cases of failures in these structures, which despite appearing simple, require
adjustments to the actual operating conditions, in addition to the operational complexity of these devices. Thus,
the use of novel techniques, virtual prototyping focused on numerical simulations of CFD (computational fluid
dynamics), FEA (finite element analysis) and FSI (fluid structure interaction), allows the development of
optimized designs for these assets. In conjunction, the use of FEA allows the evaluation of the new intake rack
geometry considering, through FSI coupling, the dynamic pressure exerted in each specific region of the
component, and no longer average values as used by standard but for the entire component, allowing a more global
and assertive view of the mechanical stresses induced by its operation.