Fatigue assessment of hydraulic turbine runners: from design to quality assurance

IEC 63230:2026 applies to runners of reaction turbines, regardless of their size and capacity. These can include radial turbines such as Francis turbines, axial turbines such as Kaplan and propeller turbines, as well as diagonal turbines, in all possible configurations. In the case of turbine runners with adjustable blades, the internal mechanical components of the blades' adjustment mechanism are excluded from this document. Pelton turbines, storage pumps and pump-turbines are not covered in this first edition, even though several topics are applicable to these types of hydraulic machines. Specificities and applicability to Pelton turbine and pump-turbines will be discussed in a later revision of the standard

This document outlines the methodologies for conducting a fatigue assessment of turbine runners. It encompasses several key aspects, such as defining the load events to be considered during the assessment, determining stresses for each of these load events, as well as the detailed approaches for assessing fatigue of new and existing runners. Additionally, it includes manufacturing and quality assurance requirements to be complied with to achieve the desired material fatigue