Curillinque: CFD and model tests assist a challenging refurbishment

The machinery at the Curillinque run-of-river plant in Chile has faced persistent vibration and pressure pulsation issues since it began operation in 1993, limiting its operational range and affecting the Maule river cascade. This paper describes a comprehensive refurbish- ment project under taken at the plant, which included a new runner and guide vanes that were designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and validated through model testing. The upgraded unit, commissioned in 2023, has significantly enhanced Curillinque’s capacity, and lifted operational restrictions on neighbouring plants, representing a transformative impact on the entire river cascade.