Water Turbine Related Studies Small Scale Flood Water Turbine Generator in CAMANAVA (Baldicaño, Cabalitan, & Garcia, 2013) The design of a small scale flood water turbine generator driven in power system as an Alternative Source of Energy study focuses more on designing a small scale turbine generator that will collect flood water and then let the water flow using booster and sump pump from a pumping station through the turbine to generate electricity out of water flow. This study measures how fast the reservoir collects water at a certain time and then how much electricity to be converted. (CONCLUSIONS)Based from the results, the system produces small amount of electricity due to the size of the miniature turbine. If the turbine is enlarged, the output electricity will become larger depending on its actual size. The miniature turbine can also be used for battery charging particularly in cell phone charging, and other loads that use a DC source for at least 12V and below. The turbine can also be applied at running water such as rivers by which it will operate to produce electricity. All of the objectives are met. The design for the turbine produces electricity that will be sufficient for the connected load. The flood will be coming from the pumping station in the specified location, which will be pumped to the design’s reservoir. The design also lessens the flood since it will be stored in the reservoir with a small orifice for releasing the water to the turbine. (RECOMMENDATIONS)The actual turbine size must be larger to produce more electricity. The meter must have an increased range or change it into a digital meter for more accurate measurement. The maximum volume of the reservoir must be in the range of the analog meter to maximize the electricity produced. The design must be enclosed to lessen losses. The system therefore will be much easier to install indoors such as buildings. This design will be safer compared to the previous design. The Full Wave Rectifier at the metering can be filtered by using a combination of capacitor and resistor. In this way, the output will have a stable DC output. Adding a filter will make the design better but normally, it is not needed for a hydropower design.
FLOATING TYPE WATER WHEEL FOR PICO HYDRO SYSTEMS IN SRI LANKA (L.H.L.T.P.Kumara, 2014) A theoretical analysis of the water wheel was done based on 6 blades straight type wheel. The performance testing of water wheels in open channel were carry out for three types of blades and two different numbers of blades (6 and 12).Based on the results It shows that 5% deviation between theoretical and experimental values of power and 36% deviation between theoretical and experimental values of R.P.M. 2 Also results obtained by testing of water wheels showed that experimental results of 12 blades water wheels were more powerful compared with 6 blades
water wheels. It is approximately 2.5-3 times factor. Based on this results calculations were carried out for 6 blade water wheel and predictions were done for a twelve wheel inclined blade wheel type considering the factors that affect the performance of the wheel. According to the test results, the average power output of the 12 blade curved type water wheel was 9.5 W. Solid works software was used to carry out the simulation to determine the stability and properties of blade. It should be reliable with high impact forces and also environmental changes such as flooding situation. Also, its deform characteristics during the operation should be minimum to minimize power loss. Weight of the blades should be minimized. It should keep its curve shape for long time. Floating structure should be light weighted and strong enough to bear dead load and impact forces. Also it should be exist in wet environment with minimizing corrode. Piston type water pump can be used to reduce the material cost. According to analysis, floating type water wheel was found to be economical for rural areas because the cost of building a plant is US$ 340 (≈Php 17,000) and it is cheaper than other methods.
Low head simple reaction water turbine (Abhijit Date, 2009) In this thesis, two new innovative designs of simple reaction water turbine are presented and the performance characteristics of their prototypes are investigated experimentally and graphically presented. The theoretical analysis of the simple reaction turbine presented in this thesis highlights the potentials and intrinsic characteristics of simple reaction turbine. The theoretical analysis predicts the centrifugal pumping effect that allows additional mass of water to flow through the turbine as it starts to rotate faster. Thesis further illustrates the experimental test rig and its instrumentation used for testing the prototypes of the new turbine designs. The experimental investigation presented in the thesis shows the centrifugal pumping effect through the additional flow rate measured as the turbine speed increases. The fluid frictional power loss characteristics of simple reaction turbine are experimentally estimated for stationary and rotary conditions and presented as k-factor in this thesis. A case study of the potential low head hydro site in Victoria, Australia is presented with detail turbine sizing and water intake system for small creek using natural stone weir. In the conclusion of this research, an optimized low cost and high performance simple reaction turbine design has been developed and presented to be used for electricity production from low head hydro sources.
MICRO HYDRO GENERATING STATION ON THE INVERAILORT DEER FOREST ESTATE (Brown, 2006) This thesis examines the possibility of the construction of a micro hydro generating plant on the Inverailort Deer Forest Estate. This is conducted in the form of a feasibility analysis of the attainable water and the ground characteristics within a potential area of the estate. Two possible sites were considered for the study; the first of these was at an altitude of 45-50m above sea level and the second site at an altitude of approximately 75m. From this, the objective was
to find which site had the maximum attainable power output that could be utilized in an environmentally sustainable manner and to produce projected costs for the construction of the proposed scheme. This study has confirmed that a micro hydro generating plant is financially feasible for a total estimated cost of approximately £133,000 (≈Php 8.5 M) and would have a simple payback period of 4.2 years. The proposed scheme would require the construction of an overflow type dam, through which a 400mm diameter penstock would supply a modular standardized Crossflow turbine rated at 100kW, connected to the Estates’ own locally distributed network, providing power to the local housing or the near-by fish hatchery. This feasibility study has shown that there is sufficient rainfall over a sizeable area, through a single outlet at an appropriate height to warrant the possibility of a micro hydro generating station constructed on the Inverailort Deer Forest Estate.
Water Wheel Pump Related Studies
Coil Pump Design for a Community Fountain in Zambia (Thompson et al. 2011) A team of engineering students from Seattle University designed a waterwheel and coil pump to provide 30 liters of water per minute to a safe gathering area 30 meters onshore and at an elevation of 10 meters above the river. The team also sized a water storage system and designed a series of washbasins for the site. Local residents were able to improve the design and construction of the pump, and it has performed for up to two months without maintenance. The coil pump has the potential to provide crop irrigation for many neighboring communities. For this to be a sustainable technology, the pump’s rotating joint must be carefully fabricated. The coil pump was a suitable solution for the community because it could be powered by the river, made from local materials and easily maintained by the residents. The pump was also able to meet the daily water needs of up to 200 residents and was proven to be capable of delivering over 30 L/min of water under pressure heads of up to 12-m. The $3000 (≈Php150,330.00) cost for the pump may be a barrier for adoption by poorer communities. However these costs could be lowered with economies of scale if many pumps are manufactured. For the coil pump to be truly sustainable over time, special care must be taken to fabricate the rotating joint. Daily monitoring of the pump and anchor system for the build-up of river debris must also be performed.
