Conversion of Water Energy

1. The Water Wheel

The ancient Greeks were the first recorded society to successfully develop a form of hydropower (the
water wheel). The Greek water wheel was designed as a work of art rather than science, and was highly
inefficient. However, the torque from the simple water wheel was successfully used to grind wheat into
flour. The original Greek water wheels later become known an undershot water wheel.
By 1700s, water wheels were used extensively for milling. Efficiency became a key issue in the
development if the waterwheel. New types of water wheel designs were invented which include the
overshot water wheel and the breast shot water wheel.

Efficiency
Flow rates
Head difference

Undershot
22%
0.5 to 0.95
0.5 to 2.5

Breast shot
50%
0.35 to 0.65
1.5 to 4

Overshot
63%
0.1 to 0.2
2.5 to 10

Development of water wheels into turbines

The main shortcoming of the water wheel was size. Introduction of the tangential water wheel which
utilized water from a pipe at a high pressure led to a breakthrough of inventing smaller water wheels.

The design of the blades and the way water hits the blades also was another area to be explored in the
development of turbines. Because of these intelligent designs up to an efficiency of 95% could be got.
This led to the development of new types of turbines like the Francis turbines (mixed flow and airfoil
blade design), Kaplan (axial flow and airfoil blade design)
Turbine Overview
`They are two types of turbines; the impulse turbine and the reaction turbines
Impulse turbines

Reaction turbines

Differences between Impulse and Reaction Turbines:

S.No
Impulse Turbine
1
In Impulse Turbine all hydraulic energy is
converted into kinetic energy by a nozzle
and it is is the jet so produced which
strikes the runner blades.
2
The velocity of jet which changes, the
pressure throughout remaining
atmosphere.
3
Water-tight casing is not necessary.
Casing has no hydraulic function to
perform. It only serves to prevent
splashing and guide water to the tail race.
4
Water is admitted only in the form of
jets. There may be one or more jets
striking equal number of buckets
simultaneously.
5
The turbine doesn't run full and air has a
free access to the bucket.

The turbine is always installed above the

tail race and there is no draft tube used.

Flow regulation is done by means of a

needle valve fitted into the nozzle.

Reaction Turbine
In Reaction Turbine only some amount of
the available energy is converted into
kinetic energy before the fluid enters the
runner.
Both pressure and velocity changes as fluid
passes through a runner. Pressure at inlet is
much higher than at outlet.
The runner must be enclosed within a
watertight casing.

Water is admitted over the entire

circumference of the runner.

Water completely fills at the passages

between the blades and while flowing
between inlet and outlet sections does work
on the blades.
Reaction turbine are generally connected to
the tail race through a draft tube which is a
gradually expanding passage. It may be
installed below or above the tail race.
The flow regulation in reaction turbine is
carried out by means of a guide-vane

Example of Impulse turbine is Pelton

wheel.

Impulse Turbine have more hydraulic

efficiency.
Impulse Turbine operates at high water
heads.
Water flow is tangential direction to the
turbine wheel.
Needs low discharge of water.
Degree of reaction is zero.

10
11
12
13
14

Impulse turbine involves less

maintenance work.

Choice of turbines
Depending on the head and capacity

Depending on efficiency and specific speed

assembly. Other component parts are scroll

casing, stay ring runner and the draft tub.
Examples of Reaction Turbine are Francis
turbine, Kaplan and Propeller Turbine,
Deriaz Turbine, Tubuler Turbine, etc.
Reaction Turbine have relatively less
efficiency.
Reaction turbine operate at low and
medium heads.
Water flows in radial and axial direction to
turbine wheel.
Needs medium and high discharge of water.
Degree of reaction is more than zero and
less than or equal to one.
Reaction turbine involves more
maintenance work.

Other factors also include

Cost
Damage to silt

Power utilization
Demand survey
The following data collected during this survey include
-

Socio-economic data e.g number of households and public facilities in supply area, availability of
local industries, solvency of local people for electricity, acceptability of local people to the
electrification scheme

REFERENCES
B.J Lewis, J.M CImbala, and A.M Wouden, (2014), Major historical developments in the design of water
wheels and Francis hydroturbines, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Y.A Cenge and J.M Cimbala, (2013), Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications 3rd edition,
McGraw Hill, New York, USA
Micro Hydro Power Scout Guide (2010), Germany