1D numerical study of a multistage centrifugal pump during transient operation

Abstract Hydropower plants (HPPs) are acknowledged to be fundamental assets provide generation flexibility power systems hosting substantial amount of stochastic renewable energy sources. Within this context, providing enforces HPP units cross-over transient operating conditions or operate in off-design conditions. The evaluation the impact that such transients have on hydraulic machines is a step assess costs terms lifetime reduction machine structural integrity. When these assessments performed experimental test-rigs featuring machine’s reduced scale models, testing regimes may potentially trigger harmful pressure profiles along piping system as well resonant phenomena test-rig. Simulating how several state variables evolve during tests allows for prediction damaging circumstances and, eventually, prevent performing detrimental In regard, paper illustrates numerical method able reliably reproduce test-rig behavior while preserving consistency scaled similarities with respect specific case study HPP: Veytaux I pumped-storage hydropower plant located Switzerland. Moreover, paper, developed 1D model EPFL Technological Platform Hydraulic Machines presented since some characteristic sequences studied simulated and compared prototype results.