Design and analysis of blade parameters in screw turbine to improve efficiency

Archimedean screws have only ever been employed for water pumping. In recent decades, there has been an increasing interest in using them as hydro turbines to generate energy. Helical blades (or flights) mounted to a long cylindrical hub often adorn the runner of an Archimedean screw turbine (AST). The runner can be veiled by being secured within a cylindrical tube, or it can be set in a steel or concrete trough. The runner is supported by two bearings in each scenario. The runner creates a horizontal angle while it is in motion. At the runner’s upper input, water enters the device and collects in the empty area between the blades to create so-called buckets. The water buckets on the blades’ tangential components of the hydrostatic forces provide a moment that spins the runner. The water in the buckets ultimately drains from the runner at its bottom exit as it spins. To improve the electrical power generation, we have to increase the rotational input to the generator. In this project, we work on designing and analyzing of a tapered screw design with improved blade parameters which could lead to increase in electric power output. The study focuses on analytical comparison of proposed design with existing screw design using CFD analysis tools under various flow conditions.