IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i2p394-d1569460.html

A Brief Review of Recent Research on Reversible Francis Pump Turbines in Pumped Storage Plants

Author

Listed:
  • Xiuli Mao

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery, Ministry of Education, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
    Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan)

  • Jiaren Hu

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Zhongyong Pan

    (School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
    National Research Center of Pumps, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Pengju Zhong

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Ning Zhang

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

Abstract

As the core for energy conversion in pumped storage plants, the pump turbine is also a key component in the process of building a clean power grid, owing to its fast and accurate load regulation. This paper introduces the current status of research and development of pump turbines from the perspectives of significance, design and optimization, operational performance, advanced research methods, etc. Internal and external characteristics such as transient flow evolution, structural vibration, flow-induced noise, etc., not only reflect operational performance (hydraulic, cavitation, sediment abrasion, and stability performance, etc.) but also directly affect the safe and efficient operation of the system. It is worth mentioning that the space-time evolution of internal and external characteristics is an emerging research direction, the results of which can be used to predict the operational conditions of pump turbines. Moreover, the development and application of intelligent condition monitoring and fault diagnosis aim to prevent failures and accidents in pumped storage plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiuli Mao & Jiaren Hu & Zhongyong Pan & Pengju Zhong & Ning Zhang, 2025. "A Brief Review of Recent Research on Reversible Francis Pump Turbines in Pumped Storage Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:2:p:394-:d:1569460
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/394/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/394/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Qin, Yonglin & Li, Deyou & Wang, Hongjie & Liu, Zhansheng & Wei, Xianzhu & Wang, Xiaohang, 2022. "Multi-objective optimization design on high pressure side of a pump-turbine runner with high efficiency," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 103-120.
    2. Qilian He & Xingxing Huang & Mengqi Yang & Haixia Yang & Huili Bi & Zhengwei Wang, 2022. "Fluid–Structure Coupling Analysis of the Stationary Structures of a Prototype Pump Turbine during Load Rejection," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Lai, Xinjie & Li, Chaoshun & Zhou, Jianzhong & Zhang, Nan, 2019. "Multi-objective optimization of the closure law of guide vanes for pumped storage units," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 302-312.
    4. Tao, Ran & Xiao, Ruofu & Wang, Fujun & Liu, Weichao, 2018. "Cavitation behavior study in the pump mode of a reversible pump-turbine," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 655-667.
    5. Zhou, Xing & Hu, Xinyi & Huang, Quanshui & Wu, Hegao & Tang, Xiaodan & Cervantes, Michel J., 2024. "Optimization design of an innovative francis draft tube: Insight into improving operational flexibility," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    6. Hu, Jinhong & Zhao, Zhigao & He, Xianghui & Zeng, Wei & Yang, Jiebin & Yang, Jiandong, 2023. "Design techniques for improving energy performance and S-shaped characteristics of a pump-turbine with splitter blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 333-349.
    7. Lai, Xi-De & Liang, Quan-Wei & Ye, Dao-Xing & Chen, Xiao-Ming & Xia, Mi-Mi, 2019. "Experimental investigation of flows inside draft tube of a high-head pump-turbine," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 731-742.
    8. Zhou, Ling & Hang, Jianwei & Bai, Ling & Krzemianowski, Zbigniew & El-Emam, Mahmoud A. & Yasser, Eman & Agarwal, Ramesh, 2022. "Application of entropy production theory for energy losses and other investigation in pumps and turbines: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    9. Arthur Favrel & Nak-joong Lee & Tatsuya Irie & Kazuyoshi Miyagawa, 2021. "Design of Experiments Applied to Francis Turbine Draft Tube to Minimize Pressure Pulsations and Energy Losses in Off-Design Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, June.
    10. Rezghi, Ali & Riasi, Alireza & Tazraei, Pedram, 2020. "Multi-objective optimization of hydraulic transient condition in a pump-turbine hydropower considering the wicket-gates closing law and the surge tank position," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 478-491.
    11. Jin, Faye & Luo, Yongyao & Wang, Zhengwei, 2024. "Research on the starting-up process of a prototype reversible pump turbine with misaligned guide vanes: An energy loss analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    12. Vinod, J. & Sarkar, Bikash K. & Sanyal, Dipankar, 2022. "Flow control in a small Francis turbine by system identification and fuzzy adaptation of PID and deadband controllers," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P2), pages 87-99.
    13. Yuan, Zhiyi & Zhang, Yongxue & Zhang, Jinya & Zhu, Jianjun, 2021. "Experimental studies of unsteady cavitation at the tongue of a pump-turbine in pump mode," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 1265-1281.
    14. Trivedi, Chirag & Agnalt, Einar & Dahlhaug, Ole Gunnar, 2018. "Experimental study of a Francis turbine under variable-speed and discharge conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 447-458.
    15. Joy, Jesline & Raisee, Mehrdad & Cervantes, Michel J., 2023. "Experimental investigation of an adjustable guide vane system in a Francis turbine draft tube at part load operation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 737-750.
    16. Yang, Jun & Pavesi, Giorgio & Liu, Xiaohua & Xie, Tian & Liu, Jun, 2018. "Unsteady flow characteristics regarding hump instability in the first stage of a multistage pump-turbine in pump mode," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 377-385.
    17. Lu, Zhaoheng & Tao, Ran & Yao, Zhifeng & Liu, Weichao & Xiao, Ruofu, 2022. "Effects of guide vane shape on the performances of pump-turbine: A comparative study in energy storage and power generation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 268-287.
    18. Zhu, Baoshan & Wang, Xuhe & Tan, Lei & Zhou, Dongyue & Zhao, Yue & Cao, Shuliang, 2015. "Optimization design of a reversible pump–turbine runner with high efficiency and stability," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 366-376.
    19. Shahzer, Mohammad Abu & Kim, Jin-Hyuk, 2024. "Investigation of role of fins in a Francis turbine model's cavitation-induced instabilities under design and off-design conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    20. Rossi, Mosè & Renzi, Massimiliano, 2018. "A general methodology for performance prediction of pumps-as-turbines using Artificial Neural Networks," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(PA), pages 265-274.
    21. Zhang, Fangfang & Fang, Mingkun & Pan, Jiale & Tao, Ran & Zhu, Di & Liu, Weichao & Xiao, Ruofu, 2023. "Guide vane profile optimization of pump-turbine for grid connection performance improvement," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    22. Kan, Kan & Binama, Maxime & Chen, Huixiang & Zheng, Yuan & Zhou, Daqing & Su, Wentao & Muhirwa, Alexis, 2022. "Pump as turbine cavitation performance for both conventional and reverse operating modes: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guo, Junxun & Zhou, Daqing & Zhang, Yuquan & Wang, Haobo, 2025. "Energy loss characteristics of pump-turbine from startup to no-load before synchronization based on PID control," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhou, Xing & Zhang, Yuhaomai & Cheng, Li & Huang, Quanshui & Cervantes, Michel J., 2026. "Improvement of S-shaped instability and power performance of a reversible pump-turbine runner," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    2. Hu, Zanao & Cheng, Yongguang & Zhang, Pengcheng & Li, Wenxin & Zhang, Jian & Ma, Yanmei & Hu, Zhaohua & Li, Gui fen, 2025. "Runner modification optimization design method for pump-turbine runner considering hydraulic transient guarantee parameter constraints," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    3. Xue, Song & Cheng, Yongguang & Li, Wenxin & Guan, Ziwu & Zhang, Jian, 2025. "Enhancing operational stability of an ultra-high-head pump-turbine using guide-vanes with horizontal blades," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    4. Song, Xijie & Luo, Yongyao & Wang, Zhengwei, 2024. "Mechanism of the influence of sand on the energy dissipation inside the hydraulic turbine under sediment erosion condition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    5. Xu, Lianchen & Zhang, Yuquan & Xu, Junhui & Wang, Yirong & Feng, Chen & Yang, Yuxuan & Liu, Demin & Liu, Xiaobing & Zheng, Yuan, 2025. "Towards the integration of new-type power systems: Hydraulic stability analysis of pumped storage units in the S-characteristic region based on experimental and CFD studies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    6. Pei, Ji & Shen, Jiawei & Wang, Wenjie & Yuan, Shouqi & Zhao, Jiantao, 2024. "Evaluating hydraulic dissipation in a reversible mixed-flow pump for micro-pumped hydro storage based on entropy production theory," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    7. Hu, Jinhong & Zhao, Zhigao & He, Xianghui & Zeng, Wei & Yang, Jiebin & Yang, Jiandong, 2023. "Design techniques for improving energy performance and S-shaped characteristics of a pump-turbine with splitter blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 333-349.
    8. Hu, Jinhong & Yang, Jiebin & He, Xianghui & Zeng, Wei & Zhao, Zhigao & Yang, Jiandong, 2023. "Transition of amplitude–frequency characteristic in rotor–stator interaction of a pump-turbine with splitter blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 663-677.
    9. Wang, Kaijie & Wang, Shuli & Meng, Puyu & Wang, Chengpeng & Li, Yuhai & Zheng, Wenxian & Liu, Jun & Kou, Jiawen, 2023. "Strategies employed in the design and optimization of pump as turbine runner," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    10. Dehghan, Amir Arsalan & Shojaeefard, Mohammad Hassan & Roshanaei, Maryam, 2024. "Exploring a new criterion to determine the onset of cavitation in centrifugal pumps from energy-saving standpoint; experimental and numerical investigation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    11. Han, Shuangqian & Qin, Yonglin & Zhu, Baoshan, 2025. "Multi-objective optimization design of a pump-turbine runner based on machine learning method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    12. Xiaobo Zheng & Yaping Zhao & Huan Zhang & Yongjian Pu & Zhihua Li & Pengcheng Guo, 2022. "Optimization and Performance Analysis of Francis Turbine Runner Based on Super-Transfer Approximate Method under Multi-Energy Complementary Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Pan, Qiang & Wu, Yuehu & Zhang, Desheng & Shi, Weidong & van Esch, B.P.M., 2024. "Coordination of energy loss and fish friendliness for a low-head tubular-pump blade based on a multi-objective optimization model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PB).
    14. Chen, Xiaoping & Zhang, Zhiguo & Huang, Jianmin & Zhou, Xiaojie & Zhu, Zuchao, 2024. "Numerical investigation on energy change field in a centrifugal pump as turbine under different flow rates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    15. Qin, Yonglin & Li, Deyou & Wang, Hongjie & Liu, Zhansheng & Wei, Xianzhu & Wang, Xiaohang & Yang, Weibin, 2023. "Comprehensive hydraulic performance improvement in a pump-turbine: An experimental investigation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    16. Xu, Zhe & Zheng, Yuan & Kan, Kan & Pavesi, Giorgio & Rossi, Mosè & Xu, Lianchen & Yan, Xiaotong, 2025. "Vortex evolution and energy loss of an axial flow Pump-As-Turbine (PAT) with the influence of upstream waves," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    17. Venturini, Mauro & Manservigi, Lucrezia & Alvisi, Stefano & Simani, Silvio, 2018. "Development of a physics-based model to predict the performance of pumps as turbines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 343-354.
    18. Jin, Faye & Luo, Yongyao & Zhao, Qiang & Cao, Jiali & Wang, Zhengwei, 2023. "Energy loss analysis of transition simulation for a prototype reversible pump turbine during load rejection process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    19. Li, Deyou & Qin, Yonglin & Wang, Jianpeng & Zhu, Yutong & Wang, Hongjie & Wei, Xianzhu, 2022. "Optimization of blade high-pressure edge to reduce pressure fluctuations in pump-turbine hump region," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 24-38.
    20. Diamantis Karakatsanis & Nicolaos Theodossiou, 2022. "Smart Hydropower Water Distribution Networks, Use of Artificial Intelligence Methods and Metaheuristic Algorithms to Generate Energy from Existing Water Supply Networks," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-21, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:2:p:394-:d:1569460. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.