By: Agni Kumar Maleku.

  Article 3rd 
BIE/062/02,   Email address: agnikmaleku@yahoo.com 

Penstock Design considerations:

Abstract:
As water conduit penstock is one of the most required part that are designed in different
stage and consideration but the most important phase is the definitive design in which
final design is done on the basis of data available, alignment, layout and plant operating
characteristics. The detail design is based upon the economical consideration hence it is
done with the care of economical diameter of the penstock, where installation cost and
cost of power revenue is considered for the economical diameter. The scope of this article
is to consider the most important fact that must be considered during the design with the
aim of saving the unwanted cost with the help of accurate design and economical
diameter. Hence the accurate design must consider the selection of the best suited
material incorporated to minimize the life cycle cost of the water conduit.

Keywords: economical diameter, water conduit, definitive design, installation cost. 
 

Introduction:

In the penstock design the available data of layout of terrain, geology, geography and
other hydrological data the preliminary design are executed for approximate penstock
design for another step of accurate design in definitive design. In this phase the detail
calculation of penstock thickness, diameter and total cost of installation of conduit is
done with the care of material selection, specification of different test (NDT, DT and
Hydrostatic test) , welding type, handling, shipment cost and other direct and indirect
factors so, that cost affective and long lasting penstock pipe can be designed.

Economic diameter:

The diameter of the penstock is calculated with the care of the energy cost and economic
criteria as well as the cost for the selected steel material and probable construction costs.
Hence economic diameter is defined as the diameter of the conduit with the minimization
of the installation cost and power revenue cost. At last in design the minimum required
thickness of penstock is compared with the thickness required to resist the internal
pressure and external loads.
Submitted to:  Er. Govinda Chalise. 
                                                                                                Butwal Power Company Ltd. 
                                    Baneshwor, Ktm. 
By: Agni Kumar Maleku.  Article 3rd 
BIE/062/02,   Email address: agnikmaleku@yahoo.com 

Selected concept:

On the basis of the preliminary design of the penstock and best suited configuration of
the penstock the material selection and the design that minimize the life cycle cost is
evaluated in this phase. This phase include the selection process in which different factors
are considered such as preliminary design which includes layout, geology, configuration
of the terrain and other factors and with the help of adaptability material selection,
welding type selection and other factors are selected.

Definitive design:

It is the most important phase in which final design related jobs are carried out with the
help of preliminary data and data are compiled with the finalization of the conduit
alignment and layout and confirming the final plant operating characteristics. And other
most important factor i.e. the characteristics of turbine, generator, governor and closure
valve must be determined which influences the water hammer effect. Definite design is
carried out for the following aim:

¾ Physical layout, conduit alignment, supports and anchor block.

¾ Material selection for the penstock, tunnel liners and appurtenances.
¾ Design and service loads.
¾ Special consideration for manufacturing and field installation.
 

Conclusion:

Hence in the definitive design phase the data related with the design are compiled for the
detail design with the care of layout, geology, terrain and other factors from which
economically viable penstock configuration is designed with the help of data of velocity
of water through turbine, head, discharge, density of water and material of the conduit
and other constant factors.

Submitted to:  Er. Govinda Chalise. 
                                                                                                Butwal Power Company Ltd. 
                                    Baneshwor, Ktm.