Meet HydroFlex PhD Candidates:

Marija Lazarevikj (UKiM)

Marija Lazarevikj is a PhD student at “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, where she also completed her postgraduate studies. She works as a teaching assistant at the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Automation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – Skopje. Her field of interest is fluid mechanics, hydraulic turbines and computational fluid dynamics.

PhD Project: Optimization of guide vanes system in Francis turbine with dynamic loads and stress analysis

Marija Lazarevikj conducts research in Task 3.2 under WP3. The PhD research focuses on:

  • Optimization of guide vane geometry considering shape and orientation of the guide vanes using parametric design tool so as to produce the hydraulic and mechanical design of the guide vanes system of the Francis turbine. The aim is to provide an optimal guide vane geometry suitable for turbine operating with variable speed.

  • Fluid structure interaction (FSI) analysis to determine the equivalent stresses on the guide vanes, possible deformations, Eigen frequencies, modes shapes etc. by using the finite element method. This includes:

    • stress analysis under various operating conditions, taking into account the variable speed that the high head Francis turbine is expected to run with. High number of start-stops should also be modeled.
    • pressure distribution on guide vanes, as a crucial factor for Finite element method (FEM) analysis.
    • Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of the spiral case, stay vane, guide vane, runner vane and draft tube at different operation points will be studied first. The result of the pressure distribution on guide vanes will be analyzed by fluid-structure interaction.
    • life estimation and fatigue will be addressed.