S-shaped characteristics of pump turbine with large guide vane opening by experimental and numerical analysis

Pumped storage hydropower is perhaps the most reliable solution to the energy crisis, but its development and application are limited by hydraulic instability, such as S-shaped characteristics. In this paper, based on the S-shaped region pressure fluctuation test of a model pump turbine, the connection between the guide vane opening and S-shaped pressure fluctuation is established, and a guide vane opening of 28 mm is selected for numerical analysis to expand the discussion of the S-shaped pressure fluctuation characteristics to large guide vane openings. The frequency components of the vaneless space are extracted by fast Fourier transform analysis, and the rotational stall frequency is identified. Among them, the blade passage frequency and its multiplier are induced by the rotor–stator interaction, and the low-frequency component of pressure fluctuations is induced by the rotational stall and vortex rope. Based on this, the internal flow and flow rate along the S-shaped characteristic curve and their correlation with the rotational stall are analyzed. In addition, the percentage of and variation in the entropy production rate in the S-shaped region are also analyzed.