Simulation of a water wheel

The project was part of a development of different concepts of a water wheel some time ago. The filling of the rotating waterwheel was to be calculated via a CFD simulation.  

Optimal filling of the blades was to be achieved via the inlet conditions and the rotational speed of the waterwheel. The calculation was carried out with moving grids, taking into account two phases (water, air) and free surfaces. 

In the test, one model showed high efficiency losses, but the cause could not be eliminated. At the inlet, the problem could be identified more precisely with the help of the simulation. The inflow at the design point was not optimal, which had led to corresponding losses. 

Optimization tests with different blade variants and blade shapes enabled the blade filling to be optimized and the splash losses to be reduced. 

Here, too, there has been considerable progress in simulation possibilities in the meantime. On this subject, please also take a look at the complexity of modern methods in our gear oiling simulation. Moving grids and free surfaces meet the most complex geometry here.