First, let's define the operating principle and types of small hydroelectric power plants. The flow of a river or a falling water stream rotates the turbine blades and a hydraulic pipeline, which is connected to an electric generator - the latter generates electricity. Modern compact hydroelectric power plants have automatic control with the ability to instantly switch to manual mode in case of emergency situation. The designs of modern factory hydroelectric power plants make it possible to minimize construction work during equipment installation.
Mini power plants include generating devices with a capacity from 1 to 3000 kW. Fundamentally, the thermal power plant consists of:
Type water resources mini hydroelectric power stations used for generation are:
Dam types of stations are characterized by high power, but the construction of a dam is expensive, and in this case it is impossible to do without permits. Getting involved with officials in our country is not just complicating your life, but calling into question the implementation of the best intentions, so we will abandon this idea right away.
The principle diagram of the operation of a hydroelectric power station can be chosen from several options:
The photo shows a mini hydroelectric power station based on a water wheel
Before building a mini hydroelectric power station with your own hands, you need to determine the power you can count on. There is a reference relationship between the speed of water flow and the power that can be removed from the shaft in kW with a screw diameter of 1 m.
The speed of the flow is determined by measuring the time it takes for a chip thrown into water to travel a certain distance. Having made simple calculations, we obtain the flow speed in meters per second. If in in this case speed is less than 1 m/sec, then the construction of a hydroelectric power station will not be economically feasible.
At a flow speed of 2.5 m/s, the power will be 0.86 kW, at 3 m/s - 1.24 kW, at 4 m/s - 2.2 kW. The relationship is described by the dependence: the power of a hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the water flow velocity. If the flow velocity at the proposed construction site is low, you can try to increase it by installing a difference in flow heights or by installing a drain pipe with a variable diameter at the outlet of the reservoir. The smaller the outlet diameter of the pipe, the higher the flow rate.
The operating principle is small homemade hydroelectric power station can be understood using the example of a bicycle with a headlight and a dynamo (generator).
Drawing of one of the options for constructing a mini hydroelectric power station
An example would be a small hydroelectric power station for a farm with a capacity of 3-5 kW from scrap materials:
The total manufacturing costs will be about 10-15 thousand rubles. The main expense item is the wages of the welder and worker who help make and assemble the structure.
The main advantages of such equipment are the low cost of electricity, environmental safety, inexhaustibility of the energy source and simplicity of design.
Ecology of consumption. Science and technology: Do-it-yourself home hydro generators are comparable in power to solar panels and wind turbines, but produce a much larger volume of electricity.
Since electricity tariffs in Lately began to grow, renewable sources of electricity are becoming increasingly important among the population, making it possible to obtain electricity almost free of charge. Among such sources known to mankind, it is worth highlighting solar panels, wind generators, and home hydroelectric power plants. But the latter are quite complex, because they have to work in very aggressive conditions. Although this does not mean that it is impossible to build a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands.
To do everything correctly and efficiently, the main thing is to choose the right materials. They must ensure maximum durability of the station. Do-it-yourself home hydro generators, whose power is comparable to that of solar panels and wind turbines, can produce a much larger amount of energy. But although a lot depends on the materials, everything does not end there.
There are a large number of different variations of mini-hydroelectric power stations, each of which has its own advantages, features and disadvantages. The following types of these devices are distinguished:
A garland hydroelectric power station consists of a cable on which rotors are attached. Such a cable is pulled across the river and immersed in water. The flow of water in the river begins to rotate the rotors, which in turn rotate the cable, at one end of which there is a bearing, and at the other - a generator.
The next type is a water wheel with blades. It is installed perpendicular to the water surface, submerging less than half. As the flow of water acts on the wheel, it rotates and causes the generator for the mini-hydroelectric power station on which this wheel is attached to rotate.
As for the propeller hydroelectric power station, it is a wind turbine located under water with a vertical rotor. The width of the blades of such a windmill does not exceed 2 centimeters. This width is enough for water, because it is this rating that allows you to produce the maximum amount of electricity with minimal resistance. True, this width is optimal only for flow speeds up to 2 meters per second.
As for other conditions, the parameters of the rotor blades are calculated separately. And the Darrieus rotor is a vertically positioned rotor that operates on the principle of differential pressure. Everything happens similarly with an airplane wing, which is affected by lift.
If we consider a garland hydroelectric power station, then it has a number of obvious shortcomings. Firstly, the long cable used in the design poses a danger to others. Rotors hidden under water also pose a great danger. Well, in addition, it is worth noting the low efficiency indicators and high material consumption.
As for the disadvantages of the Darrieus rotor, in order for the device to start generating electricity, it must first be spun up. True, in this case, power is taken directly above the water, so no matter how the water flow changes, the generator will generate electricity.
All of the above are factors that make hydraulic turbines for mini-hydroelectric power plants and water wheels more popular. If we consider the manual construction of such devices, they are not so complicated. And in addition, when minimum costs such mini-hydroelectric power plants are capable of producing maximum efficiency indicators. So the criteria for popularity are obvious.
The construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands should begin with measuring the speed indicators of river flows. This is done very simply: just mark a distance of 10 meters upstream, pick up a stopwatch, throw a chip into the water, and note the time it takes for it to cover the measured distance.
Ultimately, if you divide 10 meters by the number of seconds taken, you get the speed of the river in meters per second. It is worth considering that there is no point in building mini-hydroelectric power stations in places where the flow speed does not exceed 1 m/s.
If you need to figure out how mini-hydroelectric power stations are made in areas where the river speed is low, then you can try to increase the flow by organizing a height difference. This can be done by installing a drain pipe into the reservoir. In this case, the diameter of the pipe will directly affect the speed of water flow. The smaller the diameter, the faster the flow.
This approach makes it possible to organize a mini-hydroelectric power station even if there is a small stream passing near the house. That is, a collapsible dam is organized on it, below which a mini-hydroelectric power station is installed directly to power the house and household appliances. published
Option #1
A homemade Cable Garland mini-hydroelectric power station is an excellent solution for obtaining affordable and inexpensive electricity if there is a small river near your place of residence.
The design of a garland cable mini-hydroelectric power station is based on the rotation of the cable in the river bed.
The first designs of an autonomous simple hydroelectric power station were implemented long ago by individual craftsmen half a century ago. Back in the 50s, Radio magazine published information about a garland hydroelectric power station, made in tin cans and with a generator from a car!
Fig.1. Appearance of a cable garland of a mini-hydroelectric power station made by hand.
How to make a cable garland hydroelectric power station with your own hands?
The figure below shows a diagram of the design of a simple cable garland mini-hydroelectric power station with a turbine-cable hydraulic drive, which rotates from the flow of the river.
Fig. 2 Scheme and principle of operation of the Garlyandnaya mini-hydroelectric power station
1. Bearing, 2. Support, 3. Metal cable, 4. Hydrowheel (turbine),
5. Electric generator, 6. Upper river level, 7. River bed.
As hydraulic wheels (rotors), in a cable hydraulic drive of a mini-hydroelectric power station, you can use several “impellers” made of a thin metal sheet, about half a meter in diameter, similar to a children’s toy - a propeller made of a square sheet of paper. It is advisable to use a regular shaft as a flexible shaft. steel rope with a diameter of 10...15 mm.
Approximate calculations show that from such a cable hydroelectric power station, you can get up to 1.5...2.0 kW from one hydrowheel, with a river flow of about 2.5 meters/sec!
If supports 2 with bearings 1 and an electric generator 5 are installed on the bottom of the river, and the bearings with the generator are raised above the river level, and this entire structure is placed along the flow axis, then the result will be practically the same. This scheme is appropriately used for very “narrow rivers” but with a depth of more than 0.5 meters. Thermal energy in such a hydroelectric power station can be obtained by connecting electric heaters to an electric generator.
The rotors of a hydroelectric power plant garland are, as a rule, located in the core of the flow (at 0.2 depths from the surface in summer and 0.5 depths from the ice surface in winter). The depth of the river at the site where the hydroelectric garland is installed does not exceed 1.5 m. If the river depth is more than 1.5 m, it is quite possible to use rotors arranged in two rows.
The emergence of dachas and even farms on waste lands remote from the power grid, the galloping rise in prices for fuel and electricity have brought to life the old ideas of autonomous power supply with the widespread use of natural energy from the sun, wind and water. In particular, interest in mini- and micro-hydroelectric power stations has increased.
Two of these hydroelectric power stations are acceptable for building on your own: a micro-hydroelectric power station with your own hands and a floating, dam-free mini-hydroelectric power station. Next in line are designs, the prototype of which was the free-flow (model 1964) garland hydroelectric power station of V. Blinov.
Dudyshev V.D.
Option No. 2
The hydroelectric power plants that will be discussed are free-flow, with a rather original turbine made of so-called Savonius rotors, strung on a common (maybe flexible, composite) working shaft. Dams and other large-scale hydraulic structures they do not require for their installation. They are able to work with full efficiency even in shallow water, which, combined with the simplicity, compactness and reliability of the design, make these hydroelectric power stations very promising for those farmers and gardeners whose plots of land are located near small watercourses (rivers, streams and ditches).
Unlike dams, free-flow hydropower plants are known to use only the kinetic energy of flowing water. To determine power there is a formula:
N=0.5*p*V3*F*n (1),
N - power on the working shaft (W),
- p - density of water (1000 kt/m3),
- V - river flow speed (m/s),
- F - cross-sectional area of the active (submersible) part of the working body of the hydraulic machine (m2),
- n - energy conversion efficiency.
As can be seen from formula 1, at a river speed of 1 m/s, per square meter of cross-section of the active part of the hydraulic machine, ideally (when n=1) there is a power equal to only 500 W. This value is clearly small for industrial use, but is quite sufficient for a farmer’s or summer resident’s subsidiary plot. Moreover, it can be increased through the parallel operation of several “hydroenergy garlands”.
And one more subtlety. The speed of the river in its different sections is different. Therefore, before starting the construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station, it is necessary to determine the energy potential of your river using a simple method. Let us only recall that the distance covered by the measuring float and divided by the time it passes will correspond to the average flow speed in this area. It should also be noted: this parameter will change depending on the time of year.
Therefore, design calculations should be made based on the average (over the planned period of operation of the mini-hydroelectric power station) river flow speed.
Fig.1 Savonius rotors for homemade garland mini-hydroelectric power plants:
a, b - blades; 1 - transverse, 2 - end.
Next, you need to determine the size of the active part of the hydraulic machine and its type. Since the entire mini-hydroelectric power station should be as simple as possible and uncomplicated to manufacture, the most suitable type of converter is the Savonius rotor of the end design. When working with complete immersion in water, the value F can be taken equal to the product rotor diameter D by its length L, and n=0.5. The rotation frequency f is determined with an accuracy acceptable for practice using the formula:
f=48V/3.14D (rpm) (2).
To make the hydroelectric power plant as compact as possible, the power specified in the calculation should be correlated with the actual load, the power supply of which should be provided by a mini-hydroelectric power station (since, unlike a wind turbine, the current will be continuously supplied to the consumer network). As a rule, this electricity is used for lighting, powering the TV, radio, and refrigerator. Moreover, only the latter is constantly put into operation throughout the day. The rest of the electrical appliances work mainly in the evening. Based on this, it is advisable to focus on the maximum power from one “hydroenergy garland” of about 250-300 W, covering the peak load with a battery charged from a mini-hydroelectric power station.
The transmission of torque from the working shaft of a hydraulic power plant to the pulley of an electric generator is usually carried out using an intermediate transmission. However, this element, strictly speaking, can be excluded if the generator used in the micro-hydroelectric power station design has an operating rotation speed of less than 750 rpm. However, you often have to refuse direct communication. Indeed, for the vast majority of domestically produced generators, the operating rotation speed at the start of power output lies in the range of 1500-3000 rpm. This means that additional coordination is needed between the shafts of the hydropower plant and the electric generator.
Well, now that the preliminary theoretical part is behind us, let’s look at specific designs. Each of them has its own advantages.
Here, for example, is a semi-stationary free-flow mini-hydroelectric power station with a horizontal arrangement of two coaxial, rotated 90° relative to each other (to facilitate self-starting) and rigidly coupled Savonius rotors transverse type. Moreover, the main parts and components of this homemade hydropower plant are made of wood as the most affordable and “obedient” building material.
The proposed mini-hydroelectric power station is submersible. That is, its supporting frame is located across the watercourse at the bottom and is strengthened with guy ropes or poles (if, for example, there are walkways, a boat dock, etc. nearby). This is done in order to avoid the structure being carried away by the watercourse itself.
Fig.2 Submersible mini-hydroelectric power station with horizontal transverse rotors:
1 - base spar (beam 150x100, 2 pcs.), 2 - lower cross member (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 3 - middle cross member (beam 150x120, 2 pcs.), 4 - riser (round timber with a diameter of 100, 4 pcs. .), 5 upper spar (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 6 - upper cross member (board 100x40, 4 pcs.), 7 - intermediate shaft (stainless steel, rod with a diameter of 30), 8 - pulley block, 9 - constant generator current, 10 - “gander” with a porcelain roller and a two-core insulated wire, 11 - base plate (200x40 board), 12 - drive pulley, 13 - wooden bearing assembly (2 pcs), 14 - “hydroenergy garland” rotor (D600, L1000 , 2 pcs.), 15 disk (from boards 20-40 mm thick knocked into a shield, 3 pcs.); metal fastening elements (including braces, hubs of outer disks) are not shown.
Of course, the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station should be less than the height of the support frame. Otherwise, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to avoid water getting into the electric generator. Well, if the place where the mini-hydroelectric power station is supposed to be located has a depth of more than 1.5 m or there is a large amount of water and flow speed that varies greatly throughout the year (which, by the way, is quite typical for snow-fed watercourses), then it is recommended to equip this design with floats . This will also allow it to be easily moved when installed on a river.
The supporting frame of a mini-hydroelectric power station is a rectangular frame made of timber, boards and small logs, fastened with nails and wire (cables). Metal parts of the structure (nails, bolts, clamps, angles, etc.) should, if possible, be made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant alloys.
Well, since the operation of such a mini-hydroelectric power station is often possible in Russian conditions only seasonally (due to the freezing of most rivers), then after the expiration of the operation period, the entire structure pulled ashore is subject to thorough inspection. Rotten ones are replaced in a timely manner wooden elements, rusted metal parts, despite the precautions taken.
One of the main components of our mini-hydroelectric power station is a “hydroenergy garland” of two rigidly fixed (and forming a single unit on the working shaft) rotors. Their disks can be easily made from boards 20-30 mm thick. To do this, making a shield out of them, use a compass to build a circle with a diameter of 600 mm. After which, each of the boards is cut according to the curve obtained on it. Having knocked the workpieces together on two strips (to give the required rigidity), they repeat everything three times - according to the number of required disks.
As for the blades, it is advisable to make them from roofing iron. Or better yet, from suitable sized and cut in half (along the axis) cylindrical stainless containers (barrels), in which agricultural fertilizers are usually stored and transported, others aggressive materials. In extreme cases, the blades can be made of wood. But their weight (especially after a long stay in water) will increase significantly. And this should be remembered when creating mini-hydroelectric power stations on floats.
Spiked supports are attached to the ends of the “hydroenergy garland”. Essentially, these are short cylinders with a wide flange and an end slot for a key. The flange is attached to the corresponding rotor disk with four bolts.
To reduce friction, there are bearings located on the middle crossbars. And since ordinary ball or roller bearings are unsuitable for working in water, they use... homemade wooden ones. The design of each of them consists of two clamps and insert boards with a hole for the passage of a tenon support. Moreover, the middle bearing shells are positioned so that the wood fibers run parallel to the shaft. In addition, special measures are taken to ensure that the insert boards are firmly fixed against lateral movement. This is done using tightening bolts.
Fig.3 Sliding bearing assembly:
1 - crimp bracket (St3, strip 50x8, 4 pcs.), 2 - middle frame cross member, 3 - crimp insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.), 4 replaceable insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.) , 5 - M10 bolt with Grover nut and washer (4 sets), 6 - M8 stud with two nuts and washers (2 pcs.).
Any automobile generator is used as an electric generator in the micro-hydroelectric power station under consideration. They produce 12-14 V DC and can be easily connected to both a battery and electrical appliances. The power of these machines is about 300 W.
The design of a portable mini-hydroelectric power station with a vertical arrangement of a “garland” and a generator is also quite acceptable for self-production. Such a hydroelectric station, according to the author of the development, is the least material-intensive. The supporting structure of the installation, which fixes its position in the river bed, is a hollow steel rod (for example, from pipe sections). Its length is chosen based on the nature of the bottom of the watercourse and the speed of the flow. Moreover, such that the sharp end of the rod, driven into the bottom, would guarantee the stability of the mini-hydroelectric power station and its non-disruption by the current. Additional use of stretch marks is also possible.
Having determined the active surface of the rotor using formula (1) and measuring the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station, it is easy to calculate the diameter of the Savonius rotors used here. To make the design simple and self-starting, it is advisable to make a “hydroenergy garland” of two rotors connected so that the blades of the first are offset by 90° relative to the second (along the axis of rotation). Moreover, to increase operating efficiency, the structure on the side of the oncoming flow is equipped with a shield that plays the role of a guide vane. Well, the working shaft is mounted in the sliding bearings of the upper and lower supports. In principle, for a short period of operation of a mini-hydroelectric power station (for example, on a hiking trip), large-diameter ball bearings can be used. However, if there is sand or silt in the water, these units will have to be washed in clean water after each use.
Rice. 4 Mini-hydroelectric power stations with vertical arrangement end-type rotors:
1 - support rod, 2 - lower bearing assembly, 3 - "hydroenergy garland" disk (3 pcs.), 4 - rotor (D600, 2 pcs.), 5 - upper bearing assembly, 6 - working shaft, 7 - transmission, 8 - electric generator, 9 - “gander” with a porcelain roller and two-core insulated wire, 10 - generator mounting clamp, 11 - movable guide panel; a, b - blades: the braces at the upper end of the support rod are not shown.
The supports are bolted and welded to the rod, depending on the weight of the “hydroenergy garland” and the need to disassemble it into parts. The upper end of the working shaft of the hydraulic machine is also the input shaft of the multiplier, for which (as the simplest and most technologically advanced) a belt can be used.
The electric generator is again taken from a car. It is easy to attach it to the support rod with a clamp. And the wires themselves coming from the generator must have reliable waterproofing. In the illustrations, the exact geometric proportions of the intermediate transmission are not shown, as they depend on the parameters of the specific generator you have. Well, transmission belts can be made from an old car inner tube, cutting it into strips 20 mm wide and then twisting it into bundles.
For power supply to small villages, a garland mini-hydroelectric power station designed by V. Blinov is suitable, which is nothing more than a chain of barrel-shaped Savonius rotors with a diameter of 300-400 mm, attached to a flexible cable stretched across the river. One end of the cable is attached to the hinged support, and the other through a simple multiplier to the generator shaft. At a flow speed of 1.5-2.0 m/s, the chain of rotors makes up to 90 rpm. And the small size of the elements of the “hydroenergy garland” makes it possible to operate this micro-hydroelectric power station on rivers with a depth of less than one meter.
It must be said that before 1964, V. Blinov managed to create several portable and stationary mini-hydroelectric power plants of his own design, the largest of which was a hydroelectric power station built near the village of Porozhki (Tver region). A pair of garlands here drove two standard automobile and tractor generators with a total power of 3.5 kW.
MK 10 1997 I. Dokunin
Option No. 3
Homemade hydroelectric power station (HPP) on a small river without a dam.
It is known that electricity is generated by a generator whose shaft rotates the engine. The hydroelectric power plant engine is designed simply: racks with two crankshafts A and B are mounted on a frame made of logs (see Fig. 3).
Each shaft has three elbows, the angles between which are 120°. The crankshafts are connected by rods to which the blades are attached. In Figure 1 you see that at the moment all the blades of rod B are at the bottom, they are immersed in water and under its pressure they move back (to the right). The blades move the rod, and the rod, in turn, turns the crankshafts. As soon as the knees connected by this rod begin to rise up, the blades of the rod G are immersed in the water. Now they begin to work. Then the blades of rod D will begin to work. By this time, the blades of the first rod B will pass above the surface of the water and sink into the water again. This is how the engine of the Login power plant will work.
If you attach a pulley to the end of one of the crankshafts and connect it with a belt drive to the pulley of a DC generator, the generator will begin to generate electricity. And if you attach a connecting rod to the drive pulley and connect it to the pump, the engine will pump water to the school plot, to your garden.
Engine power depends not only on the speed of water flow, but also on the number and area of the blades, that is, on geometric dimensions the engine itself. And it can be made of any size, proportionally increasing or decreasing the size of its parts.
Rice. 1 Basic dimensions of parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam.
We provide drawings of an engine that, at a water flow speed of 0.8-1 meter per second, will rotate a generator from a passenger car. The voltage generated by the generator is 12 V, and the power is up to 150 W.
Fig.2 The main components of a homemade hydroelectric power station without a dam.
Before you start building a hydroelectric power station, pick up a generator in a workshop or store that sells car parts. Prepare materials: boards, small diameter logs, steel wire, fasteners. Select the location where the power plant will be located. It is advisable that this be a straight section of the river. Here you need to determine the flow speed. It's done like this. On a selected area 15-20 meters long, mark two transverse sections. After this, using a small float, such as a piece of wood, determine the speed of the water flow. The float should be thrown into the water slightly above the upper target and, watching it, use a stopwatch to count the time the float passes from the upper target to the lower one. You need to make 10-15 such measurements, throwing the float further, sometimes closer to the shore, and based on the measurement results, calculate the average speed of the river flow. If it lies within 0.8-1 m/s, feel free to start construction.
Fig.3. Crankshafts of mini hydroelectric power stations without a dam.
How to make the most complex parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam. Mini Gas crankshaft without dam.
It can be made from a solid steel rod with a diameter of 16-20 mm. But it is easier to make it prefabricated (Fig. 3). First, cut parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the rod. Make the cheeks of the knees from a steel strip 5 mm thick. Saw squares at the ends of the rods, and square holes in the cheeks. After connecting the parts, the squares are riveted. First, assemble parts of the crankshaft “a” and “b” (see Fig. 3). Then you need to mark and cut out squares on the free ends of rods 2 and 3 so that the middle bend (after assembly) is located at an angle of 120° with respect to the outer ones.
Rods with mini-hydroelectric blades without a dam.
Transmission device for mini-hydroelectric power station without a dam.
The crankshaft, and therefore the drive pulley, will rotate at a speed of approximately one revolution every two seconds. The generator can produce electricity at 1000-1500 rpm. To obtain such a number of revolutions on the generator, you need a transmission of pulleys of different diameters (see figure).
Grooved pulleys are made of 5 mm thick plywood. For each pulley, cut out five circles. They are knocked down with nails or tightened with screws. The drive pulley, which is firmly attached to the end of the crankshaft, must have a diameter of at least 700 mm. Two intermediate ones are nailed to each other and loosely put on the axle. They should rotate easily on this axis. If the rotation speed of the drive pulley is 30 revolutions per minute, then the diameter of the small intermediate pulley can be taken equal to 140 mm, and the large one - 600 mm. Then the generator pulley (60 mm in diameter) will rotate at a speed of 1500 rpm. At other speeds of the drive pulley, the diameters of the intermediate pulleys will be different. A labor teacher will help you calculate their sizes.
Drive belts for mini-hydroelectric power plants without a dam.
The transmission pulleys are connected by drive belts. To ensure that the belts are always well tensioned, make them from a rubber band. Cut an old car inner tube into long strips. Twist each ribbon into a rope and glue the ends together rubber glue and tie tightly with twine.
Adjustment of mini-hydroelectric power station without a dam.
After assembling the mechanism, check whether the rods rotate freely. While turning the drive pulley by hand, notice which rod is preventing the crankshafts from rotating. After this, remove the barbell and enlarge one of the holes for the neck of the knee so that it becomes slightly oblong.
V. Kivonosov, V. Slashilina
Option No. 4
Small, inexpensive, damless hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) can be built on most rivers. The power of such power plants is small, but sufficient to electrify a home or even a small village.
On rivers with a flow speed of 0.8 meters per second or more, a new type of damless hydraulic motor can be installed. The operating principle of this engine is clear from the attached drawings and diagrams.
Under the pressure of water, the blades move the rods, the movement of which causes the crank to rotate. A pulley sits on its shaft.
The rotation of the pulley is transmitted to the generator. Engine power depends on the speed of water flow.
In places where the flow speed is low, it is necessary to narrow the river bed. The design of a hydraulic motor, for example 3.5 kilowatts, is so simple that it can be made in any school club or workshop.
M. Login
Damless all-season hydroelectric power station
A damless all-season hydroelectric power station (BVHPP) is proposed, which is designed to generate electricity without constructing a dam by using the energy of gravity flow.
Due to the manufacture of various standard sizes for different flow speeds, as well as cascade installation, BVGES installations can be used both in small farms and for industrial electricity production, especially in places remote from power lines.
Structurally, the rotor of a hydroelectric power station is installed vertically, the height of the rotor is from 0.25 to 2.5 m... The structure is fixed on rivers with freeze-up at the bottom of the channel, and in an open (non-freezing channel) __ on a fixed catamaran.
The power of the installation is proportional to the area of the blade and the flow speed in the cube. The dependence of the power received at the shaft of the BVGES on its size and flow speed, as well as the estimated cost of the hydraulic unit is presented in the following table:
BVHPP power, kW depending on flow speed and installation size
The payback period of the installation does not exceed 1 year. A prototype of the BVGES was tested at a full-scale water test site.
Currently available technical documentation for the production of industrial designs according to customer specifications.
Pressure micro and small hydroelectric power stations
Hydraulic units for small hydroelectric power plants are designed for operation in a wide range of pressures and flow rates with high energy characteristics.
Microhydroelectric power stations are reliable, environmentally friendly, compact, quick-payback sources of electricity for villages, farmsteads, holiday villages, farms, as well as mills, bakeries, small industries in remote mountainous and hard-to-reach areas where there are no power lines nearby, and building such lines is now feasible longer and more expensive than purchasing and installing micro hydroelectric power stations.
The delivery set includes: a power unit, a water intake device and an automatic control device.
There is successful experience in operating equipment at the drops of existing dams, canals, water supply systems, and drainage systems of industrial enterprises and municipal facilities, treatment facilities, irrigation systems and drinking water pipelines. More than 150 sets of equipment have been delivered to customers in various regions of Russia, CIS countries, as well as Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Sweden and Latvia.
The main technical solutions used to create the equipment are at the level of inventions and are protected by patents.
1. MICROHYDRO POWER PLANTS
with propeller impeller
— power up to 10 kW (MGES-10PR) for a pressure of 2.0-4.5 m and a flow rate of 0.07 - 0.14 m3/s;
— power up to 10 kW (MGES-10PR) for a head of 4.5-8.0 m and a flow rate of 0.10 - 0.21 m3/s;
— power up to 15 kW (MGES-15PR) for a head of 1.75-3.5 m and a flow rate of 0.10 - 0.20 m3/s;
— power up to 15 kW (MGES-15PR) for a pressure of 3.5-7.0 m and a flow rate of 0.15 - 0.130 m3/s;
- power up to 50 kW (MGES-50PR) for a head of 4.0-10.0 m and a flow rate of 0.36 - 0.80 m3/s;
with diagonal impeller
- power 10-50 kW (MGES-50D) for a pressure of 10.0-25.0 m and a flow rate of 0.05 - 0.28 m3/s;
— power up to 100 kW (MGES-100D) for a head of 25.0-55.0 m and a flow rate of 0.19 - 0.25 m3/s;
2. HYDRO UNITS FOR SMALL HYDRO POWERS
Hydraulic units with axial turbines with a power of up to 1000 kW;
-hydraulic units with radial-axial turbines with a power of up to 5000 kW;
-hydraulic units with bucket turbines with a power of up to 5000 kW;
DELIVERY TIME
Micro hydroelectric power station 10 kW; 15 kW is delivered within 3 months after signing the contract.
Micro hydroelectric power station 50 kW; delivered within 6 months after signing the contract.
Micro hydroelectric power station 100 kW; delivered within 8 months after signing the contract.
Hydraulic units are delivered within 6 to 12 months after signing the contract.
The company’s specialists are ready to help you determine the optimal option for installing micro and small hydroelectric power plants, select equipment for them, assist in the installation and commissioning of hydraulic units, as well as provide after-sales service for the equipment.
during its operation.
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Micro-hydroelectric power station 10 kW
Micro-hydroelectric power station 50 kW
InzhInvestStroy
Small hydroelectric power station or small hydroelectric power station (SHPP) is a hydroelectric power station that generates a relatively small amount of electricity and consists of hydroelectric power plants with an installed capacity of 1 to 3000 kW.
Micro hydroelectric power station designed to convert the hydraulic energy of a fluid flow into electrical energy for further transmission of the generated electricity to the power system.
The term micro means that this hydroelectric power station is installed on small water bodies - small rivers or even streams, technological streams or differences in elevation of water treatment systems, and the power of the hydraulic unit does not exceed 10 kW.
SHPPs are divided into two classes: micro-hydroelectric power plants (up to 200 kW) and mini-hydroelectric power plants (up to 3000 kW). The former are used mainly in households and small enterprises, the latter - in larger facilities.
For the owner country house or small business, the former are obviously of more interest.
Based on the principle of operation, micro-hydroelectric power plants are divided into the following types:
Water wheel. This is a wheel with blades, mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water and half immersed in it. During operation, water puts pressure on the blades and causes the wheel to rotate.
From the point of view of ease of manufacture and obtaining maximum efficiency at minimum cost, this design works well.
Therefore, it is often used in practice.
Garland mini-hydroelectric power station. It is a cable thrown from one bank of the river to the other with rotors rigidly attached to it. The flow of water rotates the rotors, and from them the rotation is transmitted to a cable, one end of which is connected to the bearing, and the other to the generator shaft.
Disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency.
Rotor Daria.
This is a vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. In fact, SHPPs of this design are identical to wind generators of the same name, but are located in a liquid medium.
The Daria rotor is difficult to manufacture; it needs to be untwisted before starting work.
But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction. Like its airborne counterpart, the efficiency of the Darrieus rotor is inferior to that of propeller-type small hydroelectric power plants.
Propeller.
This is an underwater “windmill” with a vertical rotor, which, unlike an air one, has blades minimum width only 2 cm. This width provides minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed and was chosen for the most common flow speed - 0.8-2 meters per second.
Propeller SHPPs, as well as wheeled ones, are easy to manufacture and have relatively high efficiency, which is the reason for their frequent use.
Classification by power output (areas of application).
The power generated by a micro hydroelectric power station is determined by a combination of two factors, the first is the pressure of water flowing onto the blades of the hydraulic turbine, which drives the generator generating electricity, and the second factor is the flow rate, i.e.
the volume of water passing through the turbine in 1 second. Flow is the determining factor when classifying a hydroelectric power station as a specific type.
Based on the generated power, small hydroelectric power stations are divided into:
Classification by design
Classification by installation location
This classification implies that the power plant operates at different speeds, and a number of measures are taken to stabilize it mechanically, because
the flow rate depends on the pressure.
The power generating installation of a small hydroelectric power station consists of a turbine, a generator and an automatic control system. Some of the system elements are similar to solar or wind generation systems. Main elements of the system:
Designed to generate alternating current. Attached to the turbine shaft. The parameters of the generated current are relatively unstable, but nothing similar to power surges occurs during wind generation;
Rising electricity tariffs and the lack of sufficient capacity make urgent questions about the use of free energy from renewable sources in households.
Compared to other sources of renewable energy sources, mini hydroelectric power stations are of interest, since with equal power to a windmill and a solar battery, they are capable of delivering much more energy in an equal period of time.
A natural limitation on their use is the lack of a river
If a small river, stream flows near your house, or there are elevation changes on lake spillways, then you have all the conditions for installing a mini hydroelectric power station. The money spent on its purchase will quickly pay for itself - you will be provided with cheap electricity at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions and other external factors.
The main indicator that indicates the efficiency of using SHPPs is the flow rate of the reservoir.
If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then it is necessary to take additional measures to accelerate it, for example, make a bypass channel of variable cross-section or organize an artificial height difference.
The advantages of a mini hydroelectric power station for the home include:
There is no effect on the properties and quality of water. Reservoirs can be used both for fishing activities and as sources of water supply for the population;
The electric current they generate meets GOST requirements for frequency and voltage;
The main disadvantage of micro-hydroelectric power stations is the relative danger for the inhabitants of aquatic fauna, because Rotating turbine blades, especially in high-speed flows, can pose a threat to fish or fry.
general information
Micro hydroelectric power plant (Micro HPP) is designed to provide power supply to a consumer isolated from the power grid.
The complete supply of micro-hydroelectric power plants is shown in Table 1
Terms of Use:
— air temperature, 0 ° C
— at the power point from -10 to +40;
— at the location of electrical cabinets from 0 to +40;
— altitude above sea level, m up to 1000; (When installing a micro-hydroelectric power station at an altitude of more than 1000 m, the maximum power must be limited)
— relative air humidity at the location of electrical cabinets does not exceed 98% at t = + 250 ° C.
The warranty period for micro-hydroelectric power stations is 1 year from the date of its launch, but not more than 1.5 years from the date of dispatch, installation of control and commissioning of work with the participation of the company and compliance with the rules of transport, storage and operation of experts.
Complete supply of micro-hydroelectric power plants
Table 1
technical data
MicroHP specifications are shown in Table 2
table 2
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parameter |
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Head (net), m |
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Water consumption, m3/s |
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Output power, kW |
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Rotation speed, rpm |
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Voltage, V |
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Current frequency, Hz |
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Disc diameter, mm |
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Feed diameter, mm |
Requirements for the network and consumer load (the load is determined as a percentage of the actual input to the micro-hydroelectric power station):
- characteristics of local, four-phase, three-phase;
— power of each engine,% not more than 10;
Total motor power, if additional compensation capacitors are installed, % not more than 30.
DESIGN
The power supply is designed to generate electricity and consists of a hydraulic turbine and asynchronous motor, which is used as a generator.
It is designed to absorb excess active power of micro-hydroelectric power plants. BNN is a cabinet containing thermoelectric heaters.
The automatic control device is designed to control and protect the drive. It provides excitation of an asynchronous generator and automatic control of the produced voltage and frequency.
UAR provides protection against overload, overvoltage and short circuits
The water supply device is made in the form of a network box, inside of which there is a water supply hose with a closing housing.
The water supply device is designed in such a way that floating residues do not enter the drive.
Complete, assembly and connecting dimensions shown in Figure 1.
installation requirements
For the operation of a micropower plant, the presence of pressure (difference in water levels) is a precondition (see Figure 2).
The head may be obtained due to the difference in watermarks between:
- two rivers;
- lake and river;
- on the same river, due to the flattening of the curve.
Pressure is also possible during dam construction.
Figure 2 shows the installation of micro HP according to the barrier design diagram. To create pressure on the turbine along the river, which has many slopes and rapids, an outlet pipeline is installed.
A small rock dam dissipates to increase the pressure.
The piping must provide water for the installation with minimal loss of head.
The length of the pipeline is determined by local conditions.
Before the power supply, the inlet and main valves required to start and stop the micro HPW must be installed on the pipeline.
Rice. 1
In general, the installation and connection dimensions of Micro HPP 10Pr.
1 - drive,
2 - block ballast load BBN,
3 - Automatic control device UAR
Low power cogeneration plants (review)
Cogeneration plants for individual houses — micro-CHP,« Micro-CHP (microCHP)" is an abbreviation for " heat and power combined” (combining heat and electricity) is an installation designed for heating individual housing) is one of the most interesting areas of development of heating technology.
Micro-CHP(microCHP) have already found thousands of users and will be included in manufacturer catalogs in the coming years.
Various technical solutions are implemented in manufactured and designed structures - from the traditional internal combustion engine (Otto engine), to steam turbines and piston engines, as well as the engine external combustion Stirling. When promoting this equipment, manufacturers make arguments of both economic and environmental nature: high (more than 90%) total Efficiency micro-CHP ensures a reduction in energy supply costs and harmful emissions, in particular carbon dioxide, in atmosphere.
Company Senertec GmbH, part of Baxi Group, which has sold about one and a half ten thousand installations to date Dachs(Badger) with an internal combustion engine.
Electric power - from 5 kW, thermal power - from 12.5 to 20.5. Senertec offers an energy center for an individual home, and when using several modules, for a large commercial facility. In addition to the compact cogeneration module, it includes, as standard, a buffer storage tank with a capacity of up to 1000 liters with a heat station mounted on it, combining all the piping elements necessary for heating and domestic hot water.
Additionally there is also an external condensation heat exchanger. Various models of Dachs units operate on natural, liquefied gas, and diesel fuel.
There is a Dachs RS model designed to run on biodiesel fuel made from rapeseed oil. The estimated cost of the gas model is 25 thousand euros. 
Micro-CHP (Mini-BHKW) ecopover German company PoverPlus Technologies(included in Vaillant Group) is already sold on the European market.
Her electric power modulated in the range from 1.3 to 4.7, thermal - in the range from 4.0 to 12.5 kW. The total efficiency of the installation exceeds 90%; its fuel is natural or liquefied gas.
The estimated cost of the model is 20 thousand euros.
At the end of last year the company Otag Vertribes A pilot batch of floor-mounted gas micro-CHP was released lion
®-Powerblock electrical power 0.2-2.2, thermal - 2.5-16.0 kW.
It uses steam two-cylinder engine with a double freely moving piston: steam alternately enters the left and right cylinders, driving the working piston.
The steam generator of the apparatus consists of a forced-air burner and a steel coil; steam temperature - 350 °C, pressure - 25-30 bar. Its condensation is carried out directly in the apparatus.
As expected, lion ® on pellets will be available in April 2010.
Company Microgen(UK), one of the leaders in production mini-CHP, first developed Stirling's engine so small size that it can be built into a boiler autonomous system heating.
by the company Baxi Heating UK announced its intention to bring to the UK market in 2008 a compact (wall-mounted) micro-CHP with an electrical power of 1 kW and a thermal power of up to 36 kW. The installation was developed jointly with Microgen Energy and is a combination of a compact single-piston Stirling engine created by it with a Baxi condensing boiler.
The model is equipped with two burners: the first - forced-air modulation - ensures the operation of the electric generator and produces 15 kW of thermal power, the second - satisfies the additional heat demand of the facility. A prototype of the installation was presented at the ISH-2007 exhibition.
Microgen, in collaboration with Dutch natural gas supplier Gausine and De Dietrich Remeha Group, producing boilers Remeha, develops a complete solution for heating and electricity generation.
De Dietrich-Remeha Group plans to produce and sell wall-mounted condensing boiler with built-in Stirling engine. It has already been exhibited at the ISH-2007 and 2009 exhibitions. The boiler will be produced in single- and double-circuit versions. Some specifications boiler: His thermal power will be 23 kW, in the second case - 28 kW; electric power - 1 kW; Stirling heat output – 4.8 kW, efficiency at 40/30°C - more than 107%, low CO2 and NOx emissions, noise level - less than 43 dB(A) per 1 m.
Dimensions: 900x420x450 mm.
The most important advantage of the HRE boiler is that part of its high output of up to 107% (thanks to condensing technology) is used to generate electricity. The cost of electricity, as well as emissions of harmful substances, are reduced by 65% compared to thermal power plants using traditional fuel.
For an average home, the “Remeha-HRE” boiler produces 2500 – 3000 kW per year, which is 75% of average consumption, thereby saving approximately 400 euros per year. When heating and generating electricity, emissions of harmful substances are reduced by 20%. 8 boilers are being tested in Holland. An additional 120 boilers are currently being launched for larger testing. Commercial production is expected to begin in 2010.
In Japan, more than 30,000 homeowners have installed micro-CHP Honda with quiet, efficient internal combustion engines housed in a sleek metal body.
KOHLER® Automated Gas Generating Units made in the USA with a power of 13 kVA, intended for use in residential buildings.
They have optimal compactness and excellent sound insulation.
Gas generators are designed for outdoor installation and do not require a special room. Both natural main gas and liquefied gas in cylinders or gas holders are suitable for their operation.
The automatic emergency control system makes their use safe and comfortable.
This equipment allows you to most effectively solve the following, unfortunately, not uncommon problems with power supply that owners of country houses face:
You will never lack energy!
Your home needs energy.
KOHLER® generator sets are made with professional quality, but designed for home use so you can continue your activities and enjoy comfort even during a power outage. KOHLER® generator sets are compact, noise-insulated and turn on automatically in the event of a power outage, ensuring normal life in your home can continue and complete peace of mind.
Have confidence in your KOHLER® generator set.
It will start working if there is a power outage, no matter whether you are at home or not, and will provide your home with electricity, for example, in order to:
KOHLER® generator sets are permanently installed outside the home and turn on automatically to generate energy if the mains power supply is interrupted.
Power failures can cause damage to electrical equipment (plasma displays, electronic temperature controlled refrigerators, computers, etc.).
Hydroelectric power stations in Russia
KOHLER® generator sets provide backup power that meets European residential standards. The KOHLER® generator set will not damage expensive electronic equipment!
KOHLER® generator sets restore power within seconds. They have automatic system weekly testing to keep the unit in working order when used infrequently.
Gas generator sets have low emissions, making them more environmentally friendly, quieter and require less frequent maintenance.
The choice is yours.
Characteristics of the gas generator SDMO RES 13
Power plants and generators
To main
Small hydroelectric power plants are usually divided into two types: “mini” - providing a unit of power up to 5000 kW, and “micro” - in the range from 3 to 100 kW. The use of hydroelectric power plants of such capacity is not new for Russia, but it is a well-forgotten old thing: in the 50s and 60s, thousands of small hydroelectric power plants operated.
Currently, their number almost reaches hundreds of pieces. Meanwhile, the constant rise in prices for fossil fuels leads to a significant increase in the cost of electricity, the share of which in production costs is 20% or more. In this regard, a small hydroelectric power station received a new life.
Modern hydropower, compared to other traditional types of electricity, is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce electricity.
A small hydroelectric power station continues in this direction. Small power plants make it possible to preserve the natural landscape and environment not only during the operation phase, but also during the construction process.
It does not have a negative impact on water quality in the future: it completely retains its original natural properties.
In rivers of canned fish, water can be used for aquatic species plants. Unlike other clean renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, small hydroelectric power plants are virtually independent of weather conditions and can provide a stable supply of energy to economical consumers. Another benefit of using little energy is saving money.
At a time when natural sources of energy - oil, coal and gas - are being depleted, constant growth is more expensive, the use of cheap, accessible renewable energy sources, especially small ones, allows for the production of cheap electricity. In addition, the construction of small hydroelectric power plants is cheap and quickly pays for itself. Thus, the construction of a small hydroelectric power station with an installed capacity of about 500 kW, the cost of construction work is about 14.5-15.0 million rubles.
The combination table is put into operation project documentation, construction of equipment, construction and installation of small hydroelectric power stations for 15-18 months. High frequency electricity from hydroelectric power stations is no more than 0.45-0.5 rubles per 1 kWh, 1. This is five times lower than the costs of electricity actually sold by the power system.
By the way, in the next year or two years they intend to increase the electric power systems by 2-2.2 times, so construction costs will be repaid in 3.5-5 years. The implementation of such a project will not harm the environment from an environmental point of view.
In addition, it should be noted that reconstruction, previously deducted from the operation of a small hydroelectric power station, will cost 1.5-2 times less.
Many Russian scientific and industrial organizations and companies are engaged in the design and development of equipment for such hydroelectric power plants.
One of the largest is the intersectoral scientific and technical association “INSET” (St. Petersburg). INSET specialists have developed and patented original technical solutions for automated control systems for small and micro hydroelectric power plants. The use of such systems does not require the constant presence of maintenance personnel on site - the hydraulic unit operates reliably in automatic mode. The control system can be implemented on the basis of a programmable controller, which allows you to visually monitor the parameters of the hydraulic unit on a computer screen.
Hydraulic units for small and micro hydropower plants produce MNTO "inline" designed to operate over a wide range of flows and pressures with high energetic properties and manufactured using propeller, radial and axial turbine blades.
The scope of supply generally includes a turbine, generator and automatic control of the hydraulic unit. The flow rates of all turbines are based on a mathematical modeling method.
Low energy is the most effective solution to energy problems for areas belonging to areas of decentralized power supply, which accounts for more than 70% of the territory of Russia. Providing energy to remote regions and energy shortages requires significant costs.
And here it is far from useful to use the capabilities of the existing federal energy system. The economic potential in Russia is significantly higher than the potential of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar energy and biomass taken together. In the national energy program, the INSET company is developing the “Concept for the development and installation of small hydroelectric power plants in the Republic of Tyva”, according to which a small hydroelectric power station will be put into operation this year in the village of Kyzyl-Khaya.
Currently, INSET hydroelectric power plants operate in Russia (Kabardino-Balkaria, Bashkortostan), the Commonwealth of Independent States (Belarus, Georgia), as well as in Latvia and other countries.
Eco-friendly and economical mini-energy has long attracted the attention of foreigners.
Micro INESET operates in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Guatemala, Sweden, Poland.
If there is a river or even a small stream flowing near your home, then with the help of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. Perhaps this will not be a very large addition to the budget, but the realization that you have your own electricity costs much more.
Well, if, for example, at a dacha, there is no central power supply, then even small amounts of electricity will be simply necessary. And so, to create a homemade hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are required - the availability of a water resource and desire.
If both are present, then the first thing to do is measure the speed of the river flow.
This is very simple to do - throw a twig into the river and measure the time during which it floats 10 meters. Dividing meters by seconds gives you the current speed in m/s. If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then a productive mini hydroelectric power station will not work.
In this case, you can try to increase the flow speed by artificially narrowing the channel or making a small dam if you are dealing with a small stream.
As a guide, you can use the relationship between the flow speed in m/s and the power of electricity removed from the propeller shaft in kW (screw diameter 1 meter).
The data is experimental; in reality, the resulting power depends on many factors, but it is suitable for evaluation. So:
The power of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the flow velocity.
As already indicated, if the flow speed is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.
There are several main options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants. 
This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water.
The wheel is less than half immersed in the flow. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for liquid flow. But these are quite complex designs, more factory-made than home-made.
It is a vertical axis rotor used to generate electrical energy.
A vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. This design was patented by Georges Jean-Marie Darrieux, a French aeronautical engineer in 1931. Also often used in wind turbine designs.
Garland a hydroelectric power station consists of light turbines - hydraulic propellers, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river.
One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other rotates the generator rotor.
In this case, the cable plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational motion of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.
Also borrowed from the designs of wind power plants, a kind of “underwater wind turbine” with a vertical rotor. Unlike an air propeller, an underwater propeller has blades of minimal width. For water, a blade width of only 2 cm is sufficient. With such a width, there will be minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed.
This width of the blades was chosen for a flow speed of 0.8-2 meters per second. At higher speeds, other sizes may be optimal. The propeller moves not due to water pressure, but due to the generation of lifting force. Just like an airplane wing. The propeller blades move across the flow rather than being dragged in the direction of the flow.
The disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station are obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency.
The Garland hydroelectric power station is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in uninhabited, remote areas with appropriate warning signs.
Permission from authorities and environmentalists may be required. The second option is a small stream in your garden.
The Daria rotor is difficult to calculate and manufacture.
At the beginning of work you need to unwind it. But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction - this is a plus.
The most widespread designs for the construction of home-made hydroelectric power plants are the propeller and water wheel.
Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, they require minimum payments and are implemented at minimal cost, have high efficiency, easy to set up and operate.
The simplest hydroelectric power station can be quickly built from an ordinary bicycle with a dynamic headlight.
Several blades (2-3) must be prepared from galvanized iron or thin sheet aluminum. The blades should be the length from the wheel rim to the hub and 2-4 cm wide.
These blades are installed between the spokes using any available method or using pre-prepared fasteners.
If you are using two blades, place them opposite each other.
If you want to add large quantity blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at equal intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of the wheel with blades in the water. It is usually one-third to one-half immersed.
The option of a traveling wind power plant was considered earlier.
Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists perfectly - the main thing is the presence of a stream or rivulet - which is usually the place where the camp is set up.
A mini hydroelectric power station from a bicycle will be able to illuminate a tent and charge Cell Phones or other gadgets.
Source
homemadefree flow
Regular increases in electricity prices make many people think about the issue of alternative sources of electricity. One of the best solutions in this case is a hydroelectric power station. The search for a solution to this issue concerns not only the scale of the country. More and more often you can see mini-hydroelectric power plants for the home (dacha). The costs in this case will only be for construction and Maintenance. The disadvantage of such a structure is that its construction is possible only under certain conditions. A water flow is required. In addition, the construction of this structure in your yard requires permission from local authorities.
For the construction of a hydroelectric power station, even a small stream flowing through the site is sufficient. Owners of houses with central water supply should not despair.
One of the American companies has developed a station that can be built into the water supply system of a home. A small turbine is built into the water supply system, which is driven by the flow of water moving by gravity. This reduces the flow rate of water, but reduces the cost of electricity. In addition, this installation is completely safe.
Even mini-hydroelectric power stations are being built in sewer pipe. But their construction requires the creation of certain conditions. Water through the pipe should flow naturally due to the slope. The second requirement is that the pipe diameter must be suitable for the installation of the equipment. And this cannot be done in a separate house.
Mini-hydroelectric power plants (the houses in which they are used are mostly in the private sector) most often belong to one of the following types, which differ in the principle of operation:
The prevalence of these options is due to the fact that they do not require the construction of a dam.
This is a classic type of hydroelectric power station, which is most popular for the private sector. Mini-hydroelectric power plants of this type are a large wheel that can rotate. Its blades descend into the water. The rest of the structure is located above the riverbed, causing the entire mechanism to move. The power is transmitted through a hydraulic drive to a generator that produces current.
On the frame in a vertical position there is a rotor and an underwater windmill, which is lowered under water. A windmill has blades that rotate under the influence of water flow. The best resistance is provided by blades two centimeters wide (with a fast flow, the speed of which, however, does not exceed two meters per second).
In this case, the blades are driven by the resulting water pressure rather than by it. Moreover, the direction of movement of the blades is perpendicular to the direction of flow. This process is similar to wind power plants, only it works underwater.
This type of mini-hydroelectric power station consists of a cable stretched over the riverbed and secured in a support bearing. Turbines of small size and weight (hydraulic rotors) are hung and rigidly fixed on it in the form of a garland. They consist of two half-cylinders. Due to the alignment of the axes when lowered into the water, a torque is created in them. This causes the cable to bend, stretch and begin to rotate. In this situation, the cable can be compared to a shaft that serves to transmit power. One of the ends of the cable is connected to the gearbox. The power from the rotation of the cable and hydraulic propellers is transmitted to it.
The presence of several “garlands” will help increase the power of the station. They can be connected to each other. Even this does not greatly increase the efficiency of this hydroelectric power station. This is one of the disadvantages of such a structure.
Another disadvantage of this species is the danger it creates for others. This kind of station can only be used in deserted places. Warning signs are required.
A mini-hydroelectric power station for a private house of this type is named after its developer, Georges Darrieus. This design was patented back in 1931. It is a rotor on which the blades are located. The required parameters are selected individually for each blade. The rotor is lowered under water in a vertical position. The blades rotate due to the pressure difference resulting from water flowing over their surface. This process is similar to the lift that makes airplanes take off.
This type of hydroelectric power station has a good efficiency indicator. Threefold advantage - the direction of flow does not matter.
The disadvantages of this include a complex design and difficult installation.
Regardless of the type of design, mini-hydroelectric power plants have a number of advantages:
You can build it yourself to generate electricity. For a private home, twenty kilowatts per day is enough. Even a mini-hydroelectric power station assembled with your own hands can cope with this value. But it should be remembered that this process is characterized by a number of features:
Therefore, if you do not have experience and certain knowledge in this area, it is better to abandon this kind of idea. It may be cheaper to purchase a ready-made station.
If you still decide to do everything yourself, then you need to start by measuring the speed of water flow in the river. After all, the power that can be obtained depends on this. If the speed is less than one meter per second, then the construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station in this location will not be justified.
Another stage that cannot be omitted is calculations. It is necessary to carefully calculate the amount of costs that will go into building the station. As a result, it may turn out that hydroelectric power is not the best option. Then you should pay attention to other types of alternative electricity.
A mini-hydroelectric power plant can be the optimal solution for saving energy costs. For its construction, there must be a river near the house. Depending on the desired characteristics, you can select a suitable hydroelectric power station option. With the right approach, you can even make such a construction with your own hands.
