Numerical Investigation of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Characteristics of a Preloading Spiral Case and Concrete during Load Rejection

During the transient process of load rejection, the hydraulic pressure applied to the pump-turbine and plant concrete changes dramatically and induces high dynamic stress on the spiral case. The preloading spiral case has been widely used in large-scale pumped-storage power stations due to its excellent load-bearing capacity. However, studies on the impact of preloading pressure on the structural response during load rejection are still few in number. In this paper, 3D flow domain and structural models of a prototype pump-turbine are designed to analyze the hydraulic characteristics and flow-induced dynamic behavior of the preloading steel spiral case under different preloading pressures during load rejection. The results show that the asymmetric design of the logarithmic spiral lines ensures an axially symmetric potential flow within the spiral case domain with uniform pressure distribution. Higher preloading pressure provides larger preloading clearance, leading to greater flow-induced deformation and stress, with their maximum values located at the mandoor and the inner edge, respectively. The combined effect of the asymmetrical shape, internal hydraulic pressure and unbalanced hydraulic force leads to an asymmetrical preloading clearance distribution, resulting in an asymmetrical distribution along the axial direction but a symmetrical characteristic near the waistline of the structural response. Stress variations at sections and between sections share similar characteristics during load rejection. It follows the same trend as the hydraulic pressure under lower preloading pressures, while there is a delayed peak of stress due to the delayed contact phenomenon when the preloading pressure reaches the maximum static head. The conclusions provide scientific guidance for optimizing the preloading pressure selection and structural design for the stable operation of units.