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Alternative Energy - Micro Hydro |
Micro Hydro, An Untapped Resource
The currents in streams and rivers are a largely untapped resource in today's hydro market. Most of the sites, where, normal hydro is very profitable, have already been tapped. Though these sources of hydropower are changing with the ever-increasing costs of electricity specifically and, energy generally. This means that new hydropower sites are becoming economically viable. Traditional hydro requires the tremendous cost and environmental impact of building a dam and possibly flooding an area. Water currents are sources of energy that are untapped because there are few methods of harnessing this resource. While some of this has been improved on in the last ten or so years, there remains a significant untapped resource at our disposal.
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When is hydropower micro?
The definition of micro hydropower varies in different countries and can even include systems with a capacity of a few megawatts. One of the many definitions for micro hydropower is: hydro systems up till a rated capacity of approximately 300 kW capacity. The limit is set to 300 kW because this is about the maximum size for most stand alone hydro systems not connected to the grid, and suitable for "run-of-the-river" installations.
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Micro-Hydro Can Power Your Home
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a source of running water near their homes. But for those with river-side homes or live-on boats, small water generators (micro-hydro turbines) are the most reliable source of renewable energy available. One relatively small water turbine will produce power non-stop, as long as running water is available, no matter what the weather.
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Many choices are available including micro-hydro water turbines, including LVM's AquaGen and Ampair's Aquair UW submersible propeller turbines, Harris Pelton and Stream Engine impulse turbines, and a comprehensive line of small reaction turbines including the LH1000, Nautilus, Neptune, Niade and Power Pal micro-hydro power systems.  For people with a good source of year-round running water, one or two water turbines may be all they need to power their homes. However, for those with seasonal, winter-only streams available, a small water generator may be the perfect back up for a solar system's off-peak season. Read More..
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Darrieus Water Turbine
Introduction of the Freestream Darrieus Water Turbine to the commercial market is a major step in small waterpower technology.
Alternative Hydro Solutions Ltd. believes that the Darrieus turbine is the best choice for small and medium river sites. The advantages that Darrieus turbines have over propeller type turbines include: Read More..
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Turgo Micro Hydro Generator
Energy Systems and Design hydroelectric battery chargers use a cast bronze turgo runner to drive a long-life, brushless permanent magnet alternator. A simple change of wiring in the junction box allows this turbine to charge 12, 24 and 48 volt battery systems. These turbines can use nozzles with jet sizes up to 1", allowing a very large flow in low head situations. They can operate on heads as low as 5 feet with a flow of 40 GPM. Read More.. |
| Gorlov's Helical Turbine
Jamais Cascio
 Wind and solar power will certainly be part of the bright green future, but they may be overshadowed by hydrokinetic power -- electricity generated from the movement of water. Tides, waves, even the flow of rivers can be harnessed to produce electricity, and most such sources are far more consistent than the wind and sun. And while dams have a variety of environmental drawbacks, newer forms of hydropower -- so called "free flow" hydro -- don't block the flow of water (and its inhabitants), and don't require the inundation of acres of land. Read More.. |
Vertical Axis Turbine
These are a far more intriguing device compared to a horizontal axis type, whose principle of operation may not be immediatly apparent, but under consideration is a fair bit neater than that of a horizontal axis type. Once again, they work similarly to their wind powered counterparts and again it is the properties of water and hydrodynamics that will dictate their size and shape. Principle of operation: near vertical blades rotate eccentrically about an axis. If the blades are moving with some rotational velocity, then the resultant velocity as seen by the blades at certain azimuthal positions as they complete their orbit will generate hydrodynamic forces which may be resolved normal and tangentially to the blade path, and be seen to provide a tangential forcing in the direction of blade movement. As long as the cumulative thrust of the blades Read More..
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Microhydro Electricity Basics
By Paul Cunningham & Ian Woofenden
Hydropower is based on simple concepts. Moving water turns a turbine, the turbine spins a generator, and electricity is produced. Many other components may be in a system, but it all begins with the energy already within the moving water.
Water power is the combination of head and flow. Both must be present to produce electricity. Consider a typical hydro system. Water is diverted from a stream into a pipeline, where it is directed downhill and through the turbine (flow). The vertical drop (head) creates pressure at the bottom end of the pipeline. The pressurized water emerging from the end of the pipe creates the force that drives the turbine. More flow or more head produces more electricity. Electrical power output will always be slightly less than water power input due to turbine and system inefficiencies. Read More.. |
Power From A Stream Of Water
Over the last 10 years, small-scale hydropower technology has taken a quantum leap thanks to the invention of the microturbine. Inside a metal case that is smaller than a bread box, a miniature water wheel, not much bigger than a cinnamon roll, is coupled to a pickup truck generator.
When the wheel is spun by a jet of pressurized water, electricity is created. The design is simple yet sophisticated, a triumph of appropriate technology. Progress has also been fueled by the dramatic evolution of solid-state inverters and load controllers—the brains in the Benzingers' system. A decade ago, inverters, which transform direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), and con trollers, which govern electrical production, were dumb, unreliable, and inefficient beasts.
Tamed with computer chips, they now perform the same tasks in a much more intelligent, reliable, and energy-efficient manner. Together, these advances have revolutionized the world of homeowner hydro. Because a microturbine requires only a few quarts or gallons of water per second, it's now possible for even a slender stream to provide all the electricity a house or modest farm requires. Read More.. |
How Much Power Can Be Generated? Flow and Head
The first step in assessing the feasibility of any hydroelectric system is to determine the amount of power that you can obtain from the stream at the site. The power available at any instant is primarily a product of the flow volume and "head." Flow volume is typically measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) or gallons per minute (gpm). Higher flow means more available power.
Head is a measure of the pressure of falling water, and is a function of the vertical distance that water drops and the characteristics of the channel, or pipe, through which it flows. Read More..
MicroHydro Power In Developing Countries
.PDF Report
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