Necessity is the mother of inventions. The menace to the turbine parts caused by silt laden Himalayan rivers has forced us to innovate new features and also improve the eXisting designs. To increase the availability of hydel plants BHEL has adopted a holistic approach, starting with equipment right from the penstock valve to the main inlet valve, turbine and cooling water system. This paper discusses the features which enhance the life of parts prone to erosive wear and further innovations in this field which postpone the replacement of parts thus increasing the availability of turbine.
