Inspection of Eq. (14.23) indicates that at high heads for a given speed and power output, a low-specific speed machine such as an impulse wheel is required.
On the other hand, an axial-flow turbine with a high n_s is indicated for low heads.
An impulse turbine may, however, be suitable for a low-head installation if the flow rate (or power requirement) is small, but often under such conditions the required size of the impulse wheel is prohibitive.
Impulse wheels have been used for heads as low as 15 m if the capacity is small, but they are more commonly employed for heads greater than 150 or 300 m.
The limiting head for Francis turbines is about 450 m because of possible cavitation and the difficulty of building casings to withstand such high pressure.
By choosing a high speed of operation and, hence, a high-specific-speed turbine, the runner size and thus first cost are reduced.
However, there is some loss of efficiency at high specific speeds.
In the selection of a turbine or turbines at a given installation, options are available with respect to the number and type (n_s) of turbines.
Generally it is considered good practice to have at least two turbines at an installation so that the plant can continue operation while one of the turbines is shut down for repairs or inspection.
The head h is determined and characteristics of the reservoir.
Some of the factors influencing the choice of turbines are apparent in the following example.
Illustrative example 16.4 Two or more identical turbine are to be selected for an installation where the net head is 106 m and the total flow is to be 17 m^3/s.
Select turbines for this installation assuming 90 percent efficiency
The total available power (Eq. 4.16) is