Investigating the Effect of Pressure Head on the Efficiency of Pelton Wheel and Francis Turbine

When designing these hydraulic machines, flowrate and pressure head should be carefully examined because of their impact on efficiency of the machine and overall performance on hydro power plants. This paper investigates the effect of pressure head on efficiency of Pelton wheel and Francis turbine. The experiment was conducted at five different pressure head (1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 and 2 kg/cm2) for both turbines. The results reveal that the Francis turbine was poorly designed, as its efficiency was less than 50%. Pelton turbines function admirably, with an efficiency of over 75%. At the lowest pressure head, it uses less water and is more efficient.