Abstract: A hydraulic turbine has a distributor located between the scroll of the turbine and its runner. The distributor has upper and lower stay ring portions with stay vanes extending therebetween. A plurality of movable wicket gates control flow of liquid through the distributor. The lower and upper stay ring portions have built up fish friendly projections adjacent sweep areas defined where the wicket gates sweep across the lower and upper stay ring portions. The projections also extend outwardly of the upper and lower stay ring portions adjacent the sweep areas and act as barriers preventing fish from being trapped between the wicket gates and the stay ring. Each projection has a sill portion projecting outwardly at least coextensive with, and adjacent to, one sweep area and a first apron portion extending from the sill portion to an appropriate one of the upper and lower stay ring portions.

Abstract: A method and system for analyzing hydraulic turbine noise vibrations involves recording the noise of a hydraulic turbine either during operation or intentionally produced for testing from a remote site. A standard laptop computer is utilized by personnel at the turbine site to record the sound at different power outputs as specified by turbine experts with a standard Windows sound recording program that produce sound files. The sound files are compressed at the site and sent to the expert office location via Email. Once received at the expert location, the sound files are uncompressed and analyzed immediately by the turbine experts without the experts having had to travel to the remote site. The analysis is done with a software sound analyzer. The analyzed signals are used to diagnose the machine and address any unusual recorded noise.

Abstract: Reaction hydraulic turbine that includes a draft tube having side wails arranged to define an inlet and an outlet and an elbow arranged to position the outlet substantially perpendicular to the inlet. A turbine runner is positioned adjacent the inlet and the outlet is arranged to define a flow exit, and a splitter vane is mounted within the draft tube to partially extend across a width of the draft tube. In this manner, flow is redirected about the elbow of the draft tube. The splitter vane includes opposing side edge surfaces that are spaced from the side walls, such that swirl flow is permitted around the splitter vane within the draft tube.