Considerations regarding the use of polymers for the rapid prototyping of the hydraulic turbine runners designed for experimental research on the model

摘要: The manufacturing of hydraulic turbine runners designed for experimental research on the model is carried out, usually, by precision casting or CNC machining. These processes involve technological difficulties, high manufacturing times and high production costs, which are generated by the complex geometry and the small dimensions of the runner. Rapid prototyping technologies allow the manufacturing of mechanical components at a high precision and for a significantly lower manufacturing time and production costs compared to the conventional technologies. The use of components made of polymers, through rapid prototyping, in experimental research, may be limited by the properties of the polymer and the mechanical stress occurred. In order to verify the possibility of using polymers in the manufacture of turbine component models, a Pelton runner was made through rapid prototyping. The stress-strain state that occurs on the runner blade was analyzed and experimental investigations were performed on a micro-turbine equipped with the polymer runner.