The home of the contra-rotating hydraulic turbine.
A one stop shop for the following services:
- Trouble shooting and problem solving
- Process systems engineering
- Small scale process development
- Vibration analysis
- Metallurgy
- Failure analysis
- Hydraulic turbine design and development
- Hydropower development
- Hydropower feasibility studies
- LowFlows modelling
- Weld development
- Heat treatment design
- Waterwheel design
- Low-head hydropower design
- Pelton turbine design
Novel chain waterwheel under test, designed by Bob Cattley for Beck Mickle Hydro, (shutter speed 1/30 second)
Simplified CAD model of part of a Kaplan turbine hub designed by Bob Cattley for a private developer.
Segmented Pelton Runner invented by Bob Cattley showing basic components, buckets and hub halves (Gilkes’ patent)
Segmented Pelton Runner invented by Bob Cattley showing method of construction (Gilkes’ patent)
Segmented Pelton Runner invented by Bob Cattley with hub closed up (Gilkes’ patent, Multiblock™)
A runner of segmented design (Gilkes Multiblock™) was put into service at Alcan’s Lochaber refinery in March 2003 and has produced the design power, 1.4 MW, continuously since then with no problems.
A selection of hooped Pelton runners designed by Bob Cattley for a wave energy power conversion project. One bucket design, many different very high strength runners make this a unique design. This design allows the use of hitherto impossibly high heads and the associated runaway speeds to be utilised safely.
Contra-rotating Hydraulic Turbine nomenclature and a simple embodiment
The contra rotating turbine is suitable for low and medium heads and is considerably cheaper to make than a Kaplan, Deriaz or Francis turbine. As a spiral case is not utilised in this design the power house is much smaller and cheaper. A licensing and design service is available for this machine. The contra-rotating turbine could find application in tidal power projects as it can easily operate under variable heads and is much cheaper to make than a Kaplan turbine.
Zuppinger style waterwheel designed for Sheffield City Council.
CAD image of a 4.5 m diameter high breast-shot waterwheel designed for a private developer
Weld in cast aluminium bronze (AB2) showing basket weave structure, etched in alcoholic ferric chloride, weld procedure to ASME IX and heat treatment schedule developed in house
Weld in cast aluminium bronze (AB2) after heat-treatment, etched in alcoholic ferric chloride, weld procedure to ASME IX and heat treatment schedule developed in house
Aluminium rich corner of the Aluminium-Magnesium-Silicon ternary phase diagram calculated solvus and solidus surfaces, used to develop heat treatment schedule for post weld heat-treatment of 6082 aluminium alloy