Waterpower Laboratory - Hydro Power Laboratory - Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT)
Waterpower Laboratory
About the Waterpower Laboratory
The Waterpower Laboratory at NTNU combines 100 years of experience with state-of-the-art facilities that are unique in Europe. It has played a leading role in the development of global hydropower, including efficient design of hydro turbines.
Its modern facilities include test rigs for Francis, Pelton and pump turbines. The laboratory offers a high pressure pumping system, a long conduit to investigate discharge measurement techniques and several other test facilities for basic research in fluid mechanics.
The laboratory offers research for master’s degree, PhD, postdoctoral and international researchers. Experimental, numerical (CFD and FSI) and analytical studies are conducted. The laboratory also provides a unique opportunity for PhD and postdoctoral researchers to design and develop a turbine their own way using in-house codes.
Highlighted research projects
Hydroflex
The goal of the HydroFlex project is to develop new technology permitting flexible operation of hydropower plants. The project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme for the four year starting from May 1 2018, and the budget is 5.7 million Euro. Hydroflex collaborates with several academic and industrial partners from Norway, Sweden, Germany and UK. NTNU is the coordinating university for this project.
Francis-99
Francis - 99 is a series of three workshops, which provides an open access of the complete design and data of a model Francis turbine. It provides an open platform to the hydropower researchers and it gives the possibility to explore their capabilities and enhance their skills.
HiFrancis
HiFrancis is an industrial research project, where the focus is basic and applied research within hydraulic turbine. Research questions are: How do the pressure waves originating from the rotor-stator interaction propagate in the turbine? What is the best practice guideline to produce credible numerical results? What is the relation between damping and the flow velocity in the turbine?
Turbines and Generators
Turbines and Generators (part of FME HydroCen) aims to develop the future generation of hydraulic turbines. The turbines will enable flexible power generation through variable-speed operation. Fatigue loading and related damage during the transient operating conditions such as, load variation and start-stop will be reduced.
100-year jubilee celebration
Find us
Address:
NTNU Vannkraftlaboratoriet
NO-7491 Trondheim