MD-Francis kicks off

Last month, the kick-off meeting for MD-Francis took place in Quebec City, Canada. CDIF members Alexandre Presas and Mònica Egusquiza attended the event as one of the four universities participating in the project, together with Université Laval, Polytechnique Montréal, ÉTS, and six industrial partners (ANDRITZ Canada, EDF, GE Vernova, Hydro-Québec,  Vattenfall and Voith Hydro). The 5-year project is funded by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and the Quebec provincial government through InnovÉÉ.

MD-Francis aims to characterize and model the impact of different anomalies in Francis turbines, as well as to develop advanced diagnosis strategies applicable to hydro turbines operating over an extended range. A scale model of a 130 MW Francis turbine operated by Hydro-Québec has been installed in the Heki lab (Université Laval) and will be modified to replicate specific anomalies and examine their impact on the turbine’s fluid-structure dynamics. The new prediction methods and tools resulting from this project will help improve turbine operational life and, ultimately, optimize the efficiency and reliability of hydropower.