IP Library Granted Patent US 12,428,967
Granted Patent B2
US 12,428,967 · App. 18/838,094 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Guide vane

Inventors: Markus Oswald (Marchtrenk, AT); Rudolf Peyreder (Linz, AT); Simon Weissenberger (Ottensheim, AT)
Assignee: ANDRITZ HYDRO GMBH
F01D9/041F01D9/042F05D2230/00F05D2240/12F05D2240/121F05D2240/122
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,428,967
App. No.
18/838,094
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Guide vane for a guide wheel of a pump or turbine having a guide vane body with two end faces, a guide vane leading edge, a guide vane trailing edge, and first and second flow-guiding side faces connecting the vane leading and trailing edges and forming different flow profiles along an axial extension. Each flow profile has a chord, a mean camber line, and a mean camber curve end angle between the mean camber line and the chord at the vane trailing edge. The guide vane is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation defined by two pivot pins. Along the axial extension, the guide vane has at least one flow profile with a positive mean camber curve end angle and at least one flow profile with a negative mean camber curve end angle. The guide vane leading edge is tilted relative to the axis of rotation.

Claims (32)

1. A guide vane for a guide wheel of a pump or turbine, comprising:

a guide vane body having two end faces, a guide vane leading edge, a guide vane trailing edge, and a first flow-guiding side face and a second flow-guiding side face, which connect the guide vane leading edge and the guide vane trailing edge and form different flow profiles along an axial extension; and

each of the flow profiles has a chord, a mean camber line, and a mean camber curve end angle at which the mean camber line is positioned to the chord at the guide vane trailing edge,

wherein the guide vane is mountable for rotation about an axis of rotation,

wherein, along the axial extension, the guide vane has at least one flow profile with a positive mean camber curve end angle and at least one flow profile with a negative mean camber curve end angle, and

wherein the guide vane leading edge is tilted relative to the axis of rotation.

2. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the guide vane has a flow profile with a mean camber curve end angle of more than 2 degrees.

3. The guide vane according to claim 2 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle of the flow profile is 5 degrees to 20 degrees.

4. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the guide vane has a flow profile with a mean camber curve end angle of less than minus 2 degrees.

5. The guide vane according to claim 4 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle of the flow profile is 5 degrees to minus 20 degrees.

6. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle switches signs exactly once along an axial extension of the guide vane.

7. The guide vane according to claim 6 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle is negative in a region of the guide vane that is at the top during intended use, and is positive in a region that is at the bottom during intended use.

8. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle changes by more than 5 degrees along an axial extension of the guide vane.

9. The guide vane according to claim 8 , wherein the mean camber curve end angle changes by 10 degrees to 40 degrees along the axial extension of the guide vane.

10. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein, along an axial extension, the guide vane has at least one profile with a positively curved mean camber line and at least one profile with a negatively curved mean camber line.

11. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the guide vane leading edge is tilted relative to the axis of rotation, by a tilt angle of 1 degree to 20 degrees.

12. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the guide vane trailing edge is tilted relative to the axis of rotation, by a tilt angle of 1 degree to 20 degrees.

13. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the guide vane comprises a closing edge corresponding to a side face, so that a closing edge of a guide vane can touch a side face of a guide vane arranged adjacently thereto in a closed state of the guide vanes.

14. A guide wheel for a pump or turbine, comprising:

multiple guide vanes, wherein the guide vanes are embodied according to claim 1 .

15. The guide wheel according to claim 14 , wherein the guide wheel has a diameter of more than 2 m.

16. A method for designing a hydroelectric power system having a guide wheel which comprises guide vanes comprising:

varying design parameters to form different variants and determining flow conditions achievable by implementing individual variants,

whereupon, depending on the determined achievable flow conditions, one of the individual variants is selected, and

wherein at least one of the individual variants comprises a guide wheel which is embodied according to claim 14 .

17. A method for producing a hydroelectric power system, wherein the hydroelectric power system is produced in accordance with a design determined using the method according to claim 16 .

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the hydroelectric power system comprises a pump or turbine.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the turbine comprises a Kaplan or Francis turbine.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the flow conditions are determined by flow simulation or by tests.

21. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the selected one of the individual variants obtains an efficiency optimum.

22. The guide wheel according to claim 14 , wherein the turbine comprises a Kaplan or Francis turbine.

23. The guide vane according to claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation about which the guide vane is rotatable is defined by two pivot pins.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2024
From: OSWALD, MARKUS; PEYREDER, RUDOLF; WEISSENBERGER, SIMON
To: ANDRITZ HYDRO GMBH
Reel/Frame 068277/0775 →
Priority Claims (1)
AT A 50303/2022 · May 3, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250146420A1 · May 8, 2025
References Cited (11)
US 1607773A · Moody · 1926 [cited by examiner]
US 5441384A · Gokhman · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 20210285414A1 · Lenarcic · 2021 [cited by applicant]
DE 458024 · 1928 [cited by applicant]
EP 3791059 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
FR 372975 · 1907 [cited by applicant]
WO 9510705 · 1995 [cited by applicant]
Kawajiri et al., “Design Optimization Method for Francis Turbine”, 2014, IOP Science, iopscience.iop.org (Year: 2014). [cited by examiner]
Int'l Search Report (SR) (Form PCT/ISA/210) conducted in Int'l Appln. No. PCT/AT2023/060037 (May 4, 2023). [cited by applicant]
Int'l Written Opinion (WO) (Form PCT/ISA/237) conducted in Int'l Appln. No. PCT/AT2023/060037 (May 4, 2023). [cited by applicant]
Int'l Prelim. Report (IPER (Form PCT/IPEA/409) conducted in Int'l Appln. No. PCT/AT2023/060037 (May 1, 2024). [cited by applicant]