Performance Characteristics of Hero's Turbine Using Hot Water as a Working Fluid

Abstract

From the viewpoint of energy conservation and the development of new energy resources, it is important to utilize geothermal resources and waste heat from factories. Among energy conversion device, there is a radial outflow reaction turbine, i.e., Hero's turbine. Performance characteristics of Hero's turbine are analytically and experimentally clarified for flashing expansion of initially subcooled hot water. It is found that: (a) there is an optimum number of revolutions at which maximum turbine efficiency can be obtained; (b) Hero's turbine internal efficiency can be expressed as an algebraic equation and (c) nozzle loss accounts for almost 90% of the total turbine loss.