Hi everyone! As part of my Master's thesis in Industrial Engineering, I noticed a major gap in the engineering software landscape: while there are great open-source tools for wind turbines (like QBlade) and propellers, finding free, open-source software for preliminary design in hydraulic turbomachinery (especially for reversible pump-turbines like the Deriaz turbine) is surprisingly difficult.
To solve this, I built KaplanDeriaz3D, a fully open-source Python and MATLAB application designed to parameterize, compute, and model the 3D geometry of Kaplan and Deriaz turbine blades from fundamental fluid mechanics and Euler’s turbine equation.
Key features:
Hydrofoil Generation: Custom options including standard NACA profiles, anti-cavitating profiles, and reversible hydrofoils for pump-turbine operation.
3D Parametric Export: You can adjust rotational speed, net head, volumetric flow, and mesh resolution, then instantly export the full solid runner geometry as an STL file. (Fun fact: I 3D printed a working physical scale model of the Deriaz runner with rolling bearings, it acts almost like a functional fidget spinner!)
Fully Documented: Includes my complete 100-page master's thesis explaining all mathematical models and equations.
If you are into fluid dynamics, clean energy systems, or want to check out the source code, everything is available on GitHub. I also recorded a full video walkthrough explaining the theory, the UI, and how to export STLs for prototyping:
🔗 Video Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/9rINCHj3ucU
💻 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/KaplanDeriaz3D/kaplanderiaz3d-python
I'm actively looking for contributors, feedback from fellow engineers, and help with roadmap items (like adding CFD validation or Francis turbine support). I'd love to hear your thoughts or answer any technical questions!