Question

A hydro power plant is designed with a volumetric flowrate of 1m^3 s^−1 in the penstock of 1.5 meter
diameter. A penstock is an enclosed channel that delivers water from the uptake to the turbine in a
hydro power plant.

(a) Calculate Reynold’s number for the flow in the penstock.

(b) Laminar flow conditions in the penstock and other channels in the power plant are targeted in
the design to minimise kinetic energy dissipation. Is this requirement satisfied? If not, what
measures can be recommended to meet the target design requirements? Quantify numerical
ranges of pertinent design and operational parameters that result in laminar flow conditions in
the penstock.

Answer 1