The Vattenfall turbine test stand is located in Älvkarleby 110 km north of Stockholm Sweden. This test facility allows the study of hydraulic efficiency, cavitation, runaway speed, thrust measurements, pressure pulsations and guide vane and runner torque on model turbines with vertical shafts. The laboratory fulfills the requirements and uses of the international test codes IEC 60193, (Hydraulic turbines, storage pumps and pump-turbines – Model acceptance tests) and uses both IEC60193 and IEC 62097 (Hydraulic machines, radial and axial – Performance conversion method from model to prototype) for step up procedures from model to prototype. In 2019 the turbine test stand is upgraded to allow testing of transient operation such as start and stop and ramping of loads. Both R&D tasks and commercial testing takes place in the Vattenfall turbine test stand.

The model scale is chosen to fit the capacity of the test rig and to fulfill the test codes. Therefore will the turbine runner diameters often be in the range of 340-400mm. The facility has a water reservoir of 300 m³ and a 80 m³ calibration tank for calibration of flowmeters and achieves a maximum pump flow rate up to 1.8 m³/s at a pressure of 20m head.The dynamometer is a direct current machine capable of operating in all four quadrants (i.e. can be operate in brake or motor mode in both directions). The brake power is 140 kW for speeds between 600 and 2 500 rpm.

Vattenfall is a partner of the AFC4Hydro, and the main contribution is to accommodate for improvement and testing of AFC4Hydro technologies using the Älvekaleby turbine test stand.  The learnings from and technology development that will take place in Älvkarleby will be important before final validation and verification of AFC4Hydro technologies at the Porjus and Oksla hydropower plants.