Impact of Snow Mass Passage Through the Rotor of an Open-Type Cross-Flow Hydraulic Turbine in an Irrigation Canal on Power Generation Performance

Small-scale hydraulic power generation in snowy regions faces unique challenges due to snow masses transported by irrigation canal flows. This study investigates the interaction between snow masses and an open-type cross-flow hydraulic turbine to enhance turbine resilience. Field experiments were conducted using a 600 mm diameter turbine with varying rotor-to-bed clearances and spherical snowballs of different sizes. Results show that snowballs smaller than the blade spacing cause only brief power reductions, while larger snowballs can obstruct rotor motion, leading to temporary shutdowns. These findings highlight the critical influence of snow mass size on turbine performance and inform future design improvements for snow-resilient turbines.