NDEJJE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

FEASIBITY STUDY FOR THE DESIGN OF A MICRO HYDRO POWER SCHEME

FOR THE NGITE FALLS

Final year project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of a degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil
Engineering of Ndejje University
By

KIRAMBI ARAMATHAN

10/328/042/D/1

…………………………………

Eng. Dr. ALBERT RUGUMAYO

UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR

May 2014

a
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the information in this report related to “Design of the micro hydro power
plant at Ngite falls in Bundibugyo district” is as a result of my own research carried out and it
has never been submitted to any university or institution of higher learning before for the award
of an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Science in Civil engineering

I therefore present this report as part of requirement for partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the award of a degree of Bachelor of Science in civil engineering of Ndejje University.
Signed by
………………………….
KIRAMBI ARAMATHAN
10/328/042/D/1

i
DEDICATION
I dedicate this report to the God almighty for his loving grace given and to my dearest family and
masselink family for the continued support financially, morally, spiritually, and all other aspects
of life.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With gratitude, love and respect my would like to thank:

Eng.Dr.Albert I Rugumayo the Dean Faculty of Engineering for his encouragement, guidance
and confidence in me. It was his hard work that converted the ideas of this report that we
compiled.

The management of Directorate of water resources management Entebbe and Mr Kazibwe

Ronald for the hydrological data and the guidance provided to us while conducting research and
compiling of this report.
The many friends who were most helpful in one or another way in compiling this report.
My family for the love and the incentive plan they always have for me.
May God bless you and reward you abundantly.

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ABSTRACT
Energy is an essential requirement for economic development in Uganda. Uganda has an
abundant variety of potential energy resources which range from solar, biomass, hydro,
petroleum, wind, to geothermal energy.

Uganda has however suffered from inadequate power supply since the 80‟s. The shortage has
especially become acute in the recent years as a result of a slowed construction process for new
power schemes like the Bujagali and the Karuma projects.

This project report analyzes the socio-economic, technical and hydrological data to determine the
power potential and the design of the civil components for the Ngite micro hydropower scheme
with an aim of satisfying the power demand in Bundibugyo district.
The field data used to design the civil components of the micro hydro project were derived from
secondary data collected directorate of water resources management and the District Community
development office.

The Civil components such as intake structure, headrace canal to divert the water from the
source, forebay tank, settling basin and the penstock assembly were all designed and their
sketches are shown in the appendix

The design flow for the Ngite micro hydropower scheme was determined as 0.860m3/s at the
gross head of 35 m, the length of the penstock is 60m.
River Ngite has power potential of 0.266 MW of electricity that can be generated

The project is estimated to cost about $ 1,214,200 and the costs beneficiaries will pay $ 0.046 per
kW/h.

Further studies are recommended on assessment of hydro power potential for different streams in
Bundibugyo district through establishment of gauging stations.

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
HPP Hydro Power Plant
Kg Kilogram
Km Kilometre
kW Kilowatt
L Litre
Q discharge
m3/s cubic metres per second
m Metre
MHP Micro Hydro Project
MHS Micro Hydropower System
MW Megawatt
S Seconds
VDC Village Development Committee
IGC Induction generator controllers
DCP Dynamic cone penetrometer
BECS Bundibugyo Energy Cooperative Society
DWRM Directorate of water resources management

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1 Common Classification of Hydro Power Plants (HPP) based on capacity generation .. 3
Table 2-2 Recommended side slopes, maximum headrace canals velocities and roughness
coefficients of materials ................................................................................................................ 12
Table 2-3 Differences in Penstock Pipe material .......................................................................... 18
Table 2-4 Factors affecting the selection of the Turbine for MHS ............................................... 20
Table 3-1 Average monthly flow (m3/s) for river Mpanga ........................................................... 23
Table 3-2 calculated river flow (m3/s) for Ngite ........................................................................... 24
Table 3-3 showing the percentage of exceeded/ times of equaled for river Ngite ....................... 24
Table 4-1 showing the river flow for mpanga .............................................................................. 27
Table 4-2 calculated river for Ngite .............................................................................................. 28
Table 4-3 percentage of times equaled for river Ngite ................................................................. 29
Table 4-4 Calculation for the power potential .............................................................................. 31
Table 4-5 the critical dimensions of various components. ........................................................... 42
Table 4-6 projected cost ................................................................................................................ 44
Table 4-7 Evaluations of the bearing capacities ........................................................................... 46
Table 4-8 showing the basic operation check to be carried out during the maintenance of the
Ngite micro hydropower scheme project ...................................................................................... 46
Table 4-9 Items and frequency of periodic inspection.................................................................. 48

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 A typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System) configuration (Pandey B., 2006) ........... 4
Figure 2.2 General Layout of the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) and its principal components
(Pandey 2006) ................................................................................................................................. 6
Figure 2.3 A typical De-Sanding Basin (Harvey, 1983) ................................................................. 7
Figure 2.4 A typical spillway in MHS (Micro Hydropower System) (Pandey 2006) .................... 8
Figure 2.5 Design of a Typical Forebay in MHS (Micro Hydropower System) (Sanchez &
Rodriguez, 2011)............................................................................................................................. 8
Figure 2.6 Components of the penstock assembly (Pandey, 2006) ................................................ 9
Figure 2.7 Direct Coupled Drive System (Chitrakar, 2004) ......................................................... 11
Figure 4.1 flow duration curve for the Ngite ................................................................................ 30

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. iii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................... v
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1
1.0 Background ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Project area............................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................ 1
1.3 Study Objectives ................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Justification ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Study Scope .......................................................................................................................... 2
1.6 Site Location ......................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 3
2.1. Overview of Hydropower Systems and their Classification ................................................ 3
2.1.1. Power generation capacity ................................................................................................ 3
2.1.2. Types of Storage ............................................................................................................... 3
2.1.3. Types of Grid System ....................................................................................................... 4
2.2. General Principle of Micro Hydro Power system (MHS) ................................................... 4
2.2.2 AC direct Systems.............................................................................................................. 5
2.2.3. Grid Connected ................................................................................................................. 5
2.2.4. Hybrid Systems ................................................................................................................. 5
2.3. Principal Components of a Simplified MHS (Micro Hydropower System) ........................ 6
2.3.1. Civil Work Components ................................................................................................... 6
2.3.2. Powerhouse Components .................................................................................................. 9
2.4. Design Parameters of a MHS (Micro Hydropower System) ............................................. 11
2.4.1. Design of the of Intake Weir ........................................................................................... 11
2.4.2. Headrace Canal Design ................................................................................................... 12
2.4.3. Spillway Design Parameters ........................................................................................... 15

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 2.4.4. Design of Settling Basin ................................................................................................. 16
2.4.5. Design of Forebay Tank.................................................................................................. 17
2.4.6. Factors to be considered in Penstock Selection and Design ........................................... 18
2.4.7. Selection of Turbines and its Components ..................................................................... 20
2.4.8. Generators ....................................................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 22
3.1 Data collection .................................................................................................................... 22
3.2 Site visits ............................................................................................................................. 22
3.3 Power potential ................................................................................................................... 22
3.4 Determining design flow..................................................................................................... 22
3.5 Head Measurement ............................................................................................................. 25
3.6 Scheme components............................................................................................................ 25
3.7 Other activities .................................................................................................................... 25
3.8 Topography ......................................................................................................................... 25
3.9 Geotechnical investigation ............................................................................................. 25
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF SCHEME COMPONENTS .......... 27
4.1 Determining design flow..................................................................................................... 27
4.2 Power potential ................................................................................................................... 31
4.3 Design of the Civil Components ......................................................................................... 31
4.3.1 Design of orifice for side intake....................................................................................... 31
4.3.2 Design of headrace canal ................................................................................................. 32
4.3.4 Design of spillway ........................................................................................................... 36
4.3.5 The design of settling basin ............................................................................................. 37
4.3.6 Design of penstock pipe ................................................................................................... 38
4.3.7. Design of the forebay tank .............................................................................................. 41
4.3.8 Selection of Turbine and basic design of other powerhouse components ....................... 42
4.3.9 Results .............................................................................................................................. 42
4.3.8. Project Costing ................................................................................................................ 44
4.3.9. Power demand ................................................................................................................. 44
4.3.10. Cost benefit analysis ..................................................................................................... 44
4.5. Maintenance and Operational plans ................................................................................... 46
4.5.1. Operation Work .............................................................................................................. 46

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 4.5.2 Maintenance ..................................................................................................................... 48
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION ................................................. 49
5.1. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 49
5.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 50
APPENDIX A: The sketch map of the catchment area of the proposed river Ngite ................ 52
APPENDIX B: Moody Chart (Fox, 2004) ................................................................................ 53
Appendix C: Photographs ............................................................................................................. 54
Appendix D Drawings .................................................................................................................. 55

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
Energy is an essential requirement for economic development in Uganda. Uganda has an
abundant variety of potential energy resources which range from solar, biomass, hydro,
petroleum, wind, to geothermal energy. The hydro power supplied from the grid is owned by the
state and are supplied by mainly two hydro dams a long River Nile.
Only 9% of Uganda‟s population is supplied with grid electricity and approximately 20% of the
urban population is connected to the national grid compared to 3% of the rural population.
(Alioni lekini Bosco).
1.1 Project area
Bundibugyo district is located on the mountainous region of western Uganda. It is approximately
410 km from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Bundibugyo district is divided into two
counties and fifteen sub-counties. It has population of 158909 according to the 2002 Uganda
Population and Housing Census report. Due to her poor geographical location, Bundibugyo has
suffered low rate of development characterized by poor road network, insurgency from the D.R.
Congo and insufficient supply of power to run the small scale industries in the area.
However, Bundibugyo has picked up a slight pace of economic development. This development
rate is attributed to the opening up of cross border trade with Democratic Republic of Congo.
This is evident from the upcoming small to medium scale economic activities like hotels,
supermarkets, roads network development like the fort portal-Bundibugyo- lamia road that is at
its final stage.
According the Bundibugyo Energy Cooperative Society, only 15% of households in the district
is connected to the power supply from the mpanga micro power scheme. This means that most of
small scale economic activities currently rely on fuel run generators to meet their energy
requirements.
The economic development rate in Bundibugyo district can thus be further accelerated by
development of micro hydro-power scheme generated from the run-of- rivers to boost the power
supply in the district.
1.2 Problem Statement
Due to power shortage characterized by load shedding and uneven power supply coverage in the
rural areas of Bundibugyo district has considerably hindered the rate of economic and social
development.
The absence of the power/electricity supply and utilities greatly impacts the lives of Ugandan
rural community. Without power many communities struggle to obtain the resources necessary
to lift themselves out of the static state. These communities need power to use relatively small
quantities in order to engage in income generating activities, practice modernized health care and

1
increase the available light to extend work and leisure time. This would also reduce on
environmental impact resulting from the uses of fuels as source of energy.
1.3 Study Objectives
Main Objective
To design a decentralized power system that provide power from clean renewable energy in
order to promote agro-processing, small scale industries, social services like education, health
care and provision of portable water
Specific Objectives
 To analyze technical, a socio-economic and hydrological data
 To design the intake and spillway.
 To design the forebay, penstock and selection of the turbines
 To prepare the cost estimates, Bill of quantities, Economic analysis and operation and
maintenance plan.
1.4 Justification
Uganda‟s low industrialization growth rate is mainly attributed to the insufficient power supply.
Only 9% of Uganda‟s population is supplied with grid electricity and approximately 20% of the
urban population is connected to the national grid compared to 3% of the rural population (Alioni
lekini Bosco)

The absence of the electrical utilities greatly impacts the lives of many Ugandans. Without
electricity many communities struggle to obtain the resources necessary to lift themselves out of
a static state.
Rural communities have a genuine and justified need for the electricity. These communities want
to use electricity in relatively small quantities in order to pump water, engage in income
generating activities, practice modernized healthcare, and increase available light to extend work
and leisure hours.
Therefore an efficient renewable source of energy naturally recycled within a short period of
time with low operation and maintenance cost and with negligible negative effect to the
environment is highly demanded.
1.5 Study Scope
The study is therefore limited to preliminary hydraulic and hydrological design aspects
concerning the project.
1.6 Site Location
The project area is located 3 km off Kirindi Trading Centre, Harugale sub-county, 10 kilometers
from Bundibugyo Town along on the Bundibugyo-lamia road.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Overview of Hydropower Systems and their Classification
In a hydropower system, the energy present in water is converted into mechanical or electrical
energy by the use of hydropower plant. Generic hydro power systems can be categorized in
many different ways. Some of the methods of classification are based on how the electricity is
generated by the plant, what kind of grid system is utilized for the distribution of electricity, the
type of load capacity and the type of storage used by the system. (Pandey, 2006)
2.1.1. Power generation capacity
Although various categorizations exist based on different locality and nationality, the generally
accepted classification of hydro power plants based on the ability to generate power is provided
in table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Common Classification of Hydro Power Plants (HPP) based on capacity generation

Power Generation Capacity Type of Hydro Power Plant

(Watts)

<100 kW Micro

100-1000 kW Mini

1MW-10 MW Small

10MW-300 MW Medium

>300 MW Large

Source:(Bhattarai, 2005)
Generally, hydropower plants (HPP) generating less than 100kW of electricity are termed as
micro HPP; those generating 100 to 1000 kW are termed as mini HPP; those anywhere between
1 MW to 10 MW are termed as small HPP; between 10 MW to 300 MW are termed as medium
HPP and those with the power generating greater than 300 MW are termed as large HPP.
Although variations in definitions exist; this is the most commonly accepted definition (Bhattarai,
2005).
2.1.2. Types of Storage
Based on the type of storage used in hydro power plants they can be classified into storage type
or "run-of-the- river" type. The major difference between these types of hydro power plants is
that in the former, a dam is constructed to act as reservoir of water sources and has the ability to
continuously supply the water in undulating manner. However in the latter, "run-of-the river"
type, it is constructed by directing the water source to the turbine and the water source may vary

3
according to seasons. Storage type are used generally in small to large hydropower plants
whereas "run-of-the river" type are more common in micro, mini and small hydro power plants
(Bhattarai, 2005). In this study, “run-of-the-river type” of micro hydro plant is designed at a later
stage.
2.1.3. Types of Grid System
Based on the type of grid system, hydro power plants can be classified into local grid and
extensive grid systems. In the local grid system, the electricity is generated and distributed only
for the small locality, without use of any sophisticated electromechanical distribution systems.
In contrast, in an extensive grid system, the electricity generated by the HPP (Hydro Power
Plant) is loaded in a form of extensive grid such as the national grid system. Generally larger
HPP (Hydro Power Plant) are of these types but in this study, focus is paid to the local grid
system. Similarly, based on the load of the distribution system HPP (Hydro Power Plant) have
been classified into base load plant and peak load plant but it is beyond the scope of this study;
as the system designed in this thesis does not consider these factors.
2.2. General Principle of Micro Hydro Power system (MHS)
Micro hydro power plants are designed to generate electrical or mechanical power based on the
demand for energy of the surrounding locality. In a typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System)
the water from the source is diverted by weir through an opening intake into a canal ( Fox, 2004).
A settling basin might sometimes be used to sediment the foreign particles from the water. The
canal is designed along the contours of the landscape available so as to preserve the elevation of
the diverted water. The water then enters the fore-bay tank and passes through the penstock
pipes which are connected at a lower elevation level to the turbine. The turning shaft of the
turbine is then used to operate and generate electricity (Simoes, 2004). The machinery or
appliances which are energized by the hydro scheme are called the load. A typical MHS (Micro
Hydropower System) layout is provided in Figure 2.1. The detailed description of the principal
components will be given at a later stage.

Figure 2.1 A typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System) configuration (Pandey B., 2006)

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2.2.1. Micro Hydro Systems
The focus of this study is to design a Micro Hydro Power System (MHS) at a later stage.
Therefore, after classifying the generic hydro power systems in section 2.1.1, this section will be
focused on describing different types of MHS (Micro Hydropower System). The factors that
affect the choice of MHS (Micro Hydropower System) are the needed capacity from the project,
the anticipated demand for power from the locality and also the profile of the project. The major
factor that needs to be assessed beforehand are whether the MHS (Micro Hydropower System)
will be connected to some grid system for delivering electricity or just be a standalone system
which is not connected to any electrical grid system. When the MHS (Micro Hydropower
System) is planned to be at a remote site, it could either be battery based or AC direct system.
However, if it is to be connected to the electrical grid then AC direct systems are more
appropriate. The final choice will ultimately be influenced by many other factors which are
going to be explained in the following section.
2.2.2 AC direct Systems
This type of MHS (Micro Hydropower System) is designed to supply the load directly, as it does
not use battery as storage. This is the most common system that can be found in normal use and
is most suitable for grid connected sites and remote standalone sites. The smallest available fully
integrated system of this kind is 200W which can work with the head. When the larger unites are
required due to capacity or site profile, they are manufactured and assembled accordingly.
2.2.3. Grid Connected
When there is already a grid supply available it is possible to still install a system and obtain
electrical power from both the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) and the grid supply. It is
possible to supply the excess power generated from MHS (Micro Hydropower System) to the
grid through “net metering” (Greacen, 2004). A single meter measures the electricity purchased
from the utility and turns backward when the small power producer feeds electricity into the
grid. The net-meter measurement determines the amount of electricity charged to the user. Net-
metering programs are in various stages of development in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba
and Ontario. Each utility has its own policy for grid connections.
2.2.4. Hybrid Systems
Hybrid system is a system where different sources of power are used to generate electricity. It
could include any combinations of wind, photovoltaic system and MHS (Micro Hydropower
System) There are several advantages of hybrid systems over single type of system, because it is
possible to offset the low peak period of one source by high peak period of the alternate source.
For example, when wind and photovoltaic sources are installed together, wind speeds might be
low in summer but then sun shines brightest and longest at the same period of time, making it
possible to generate power when it is required (Fennell, 2011).

5
2.3. Principal Components of a Simplified MHS (Micro Hydropower System)
A typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System) is arranged as depicted in Figure 2.2

Figure 2.2 General Layout of the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) and its principal components (Pandey 2006)

The principal components that are used in the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) could be
further classified into civil components, powerhouse components and transmission and
distribution networks. All of these components are again elaborated in the following sections.
2.3.1. Civil Work Components
This section describes the components of the typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System) that
could be classified as civil works components. The civil components described in this section
are those major components such as the intake, headrace canal, de- Sanding basin, spillway,
forebay tank, penstock pipes and tailrace (BPC Hydroconsult, 2006).

Intake
Intake is the primary means of conveyance of water from the source of water in required quantity
towards the waterways of HPP (Hydro Power Project). Intake could be of side intake type or the
bottom intake type. Usually, trash racks have to be placed at the intake which acts as the filter to
prevent large water born objects to enter the waterway of the MHP (Micro Hydro Project)
(Harper, 2011).

Headrace Canal
Once the water enters through the intake, the headrace canal conveys the water to the forebay.
Sometimes, pipes can also be used in place of the canals. The materials to be used in
constructing the canal depends upon the geographical condition of the site and other obvious
factors such as the availability of labor and materials. Most usual types of canal are built from
combination of cement and mortar, only soil, mixture of stone and mud, mixture of stone
masonry with cement and other different types of possible combinations (Pandey, 2011). When
pipes are used, they are generally of HDPE (High Density Polythene) types. The length of the

6
headrace canal can be anywhere from few meters to over a kilometer long. The most important
thing to consider while constructing head race canal is to make the slope of the canal only
slightly elevated because higher slope can lead to higher velocity of water which can then cause
erosion in the headrace canal surface.

Settling Basin
Specially, in the case of Nepal, rivers generally carry high amount of sediments due to erosion
activities in hills and mountains. In order to reduce the sediment density, which has negative
impact to other components of the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) de-sanding basins are used
to capture sediments by letting the particles settle by reducing the speed of the water and clearing
them out before they enter the canal. Therefore, they are usually built at the head of the canal.
They are equipped with gate valves for flushing the settled undesirable sediments. De sanding
basin is capable of settling particles above 0.2-0.3 mm of size (Harvey, 1983). Figure 2.3 shows
the typical de-sanding basin.

Figure 2.3 A typical De-Sanding Basin (Harvey, 1983)

Spillway
Specially in the case of Nepal, where flooding of water source is typical, spillways need to be
designed to remove the excess water due to floods, in order to minimize the adverse effects to
the other components of the MHS (Micro Hydropower System). Spillways are often constructed
in de-sanding basin and the forebay, from which the excess water is safely diverted to the water
source. Figure 2.4 shows the typical method of construction of the spillway

7
 Figure 2.4 A typical spillway in MHS (Micro Hydropower System) (Pandey 2006)

Forebay Tank
Forebay tank is basically a pool at the end of headrace canal from which the penstock pipe draws
the water. The main purpose of the forebay is to reduce entry of air into the penstock pipe, which
in turn could cause cavitation (explosion of the trapped air bubbles under high pressure) of both
penstock pipes and the turbine (Masters, 2004). It is also necessary to determine the water level at
the forebay because operational head of the micro hydro power plant is determined through this
factor. A forebay again requires two sets of additional construction. As the water speed is
lowered at the forebay, it can cause sedimentation of particles, which requires the construction of
spillway as mentioned before. Similarly, installation of trash racks to filter the fine sediments
might be required before the water from the forebay gets inside the penstock pipes. Figure 2.5
illustrates a typical forebay tank in MHS (Micro Hydropower System).

Figure 2.5 Design of a Typical Forebay in MHS (Micro Hydropower System) (Sanchez & Rodriguez, 2011)

Penstock Pipes
Penstock pipes are basically close conduct pipes that helps to convey the water from the forebay
tank to the turbine. The materials used in penstock are usually steel, HDPE (High Density
Polythene) and increasingly PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride). It is one of the most important

8
components of the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) because it is at this point that the potential
energy of the water is converted into kinetic energy. The velocity of water at the penstock is
typically 3m/s and is often located at a slope over 45 degrees (Sanchez & Rodriguez, 2011). Due to
the risk of contraction and expansion of penstock pipes due to fluctuation in seasonal
temperature, sliding type of expansion joints are placed between two consecutive pipe lengths.
Anchor block, which is basically a mass of concrete fixed into the ground, is used to restrain the
penstock from movement in undesirable directions. Figure 2.6 shows the configuration of
penstock pipes in typical MHS (Micro Hydropower System).

Figure 2.6 Components of the penstock assembly (Pandey, 2006)

Tailrace
Tailrace is very similar to headrace canal described previously in this section. The only
difference with that of the headrace canal is that it is situated at the end of the civil components
and is used to convey the water back to the source after use in the micro hydro plant.
2.3.2. Powerhouse Components
It is at this stage that the conversion of mechanical energy of water into electrical energy takes
place. Basically, powerhouse consists of electro-mechanical equipment such as turbines,
generator and drive systems which will be explored further in the following sections

Turbine
In a MHS (Micro Hydropower System) hydraulic turbine is the primary component which
converts the energy of the flowing water into mechanical energy through the rotation of the
runner. The choice of particular turbine depends upon technical parameters such as design head
and discharge at which the turbine is to operate as well as other practical considerations such as
the availability and cost of maintenance personnel. The optimum speed of the turbine is the
particular speed of its rotor at which the turbine performs its best. The turbine needs to operate
at this optimum speed in order to get maximum possible output at all loading conditions. Based

9
on its functionality, turbines have been generally differentiated into two groups: impulse turbine
and reaction turbine. (Simoes, 2004)
Under impulse turbine; Pelton, turgo and cross-flow turbine are included. They are different
from the reaction turbine in that their rotors are not submerged in the water but are allowed to
rotate freely in the atmospheric pressure (Khatri & Uprety, 2002). The bucket that is mounted on
the periphery of the runner is affected by the impulse force of the high velocity water which
rotates the runner and shaft of the turbine. When the water passes through its free jet type
nozzle, the pressure energy in the water is converted into kinetic energy.
Reaction turbine are different from impulse turbine in that the turbine‟s rotor is submerged in
water and the water acting on the wheel is greater than the atmospheric pressure. It derives its
name partly because it runs by the reaction force of the exiting water. At the outlet, a draft tube
is fitted in the turbine. The runner utilizes both the potential as well as kinetic energy of the
water (Fennell, 2011).

Generators
Although this study is not overly concerned with the selection, and uses of generators in the
MHS (Micro Hydropower System) it is, however, relevant to describe the basic types of
generators and how they are integrated in the MHS (Micro Hydropower System). There are
basically two types of generators in use for hydroelectricity generation; either synchronous or
induction generators. Synchronous generators are the primary types of generators which are
used extensively in large scale power generation. When the power output levels are generally
low (less than10 MW), induction generators are extensively used. Induction generators are also
the preferred type of generators in MHP (Micro Hydro Project) because they can operate at
variable speeds with constant frequency, are available cheaply and requires less maintenance
than the synchronous generators. Both of these generators have the possibility to be used
connected to the grid or just standalone operation (Upadhayay, 2009).

Drive systems
The main purpose of the drive systems is to transmit the power from turbine to the generators at
a stable voltage and frequency at a required direction and required speed. Like any normal drive
systems, in a MHS (Micro Hydropower System) also, drive systems comprise of generator shaft,
turbine shaft, bearings, couplings, gearboxes and belts and pulleys. The different types of drive
systems common in MHS (Micro Hydropower System) are direct drive, “V” or wedge belts and
pulleys, timing belt and sprocket pulley and gearbox drive systems. A direct drive system is one
in which the turbine shaft is connected directly to the generator shaft. In contrast, “V” or wedge
belts and pulleys are the most commonly used type of drive systems in MHS (Micro
Hydropower System). However, in very small systems (less than 3 kW) where efficiency is
critical, timing belt and sprocket pulley are commonly used. Gearboxes are suitable in large
machine where drive belts are not efficient. Due to high maintenance and alignment costs of

10
gearboxes, they are less frequently used in MHS (Micro Hydropower System). Figure 2.7 shows
a typical direct coupled drive system.

Figure 2.7 Direct Coupled Drive System (Chitrakar, 2004)

Electrical Load Controllers

All MHS (Micro Hydropower System) will have to have switchgear in order to separate the
power flow when necessary and also to control the electrical power flow. There are several
different kinds of switches used in an MHS (Micro Hydropower System) such as isolators which
are manually operated, switch fuses which additionally can provide fuse for current limiting,
MCCB (Molded case circuit breakers) which are used for protection from over current or short
circuits and so on. The choice of electronic load controller is largely dependent upon the type of
generator installed in MHS (Micro Hydropower System). For instance, when the induction
generator is used in the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) it is necessary to install Induction
generator controllers (IGC). Additionally, transmission network are also a major component of
the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) if the output is fed into some other grid system; however,
detailed description of electrical load controller is beyond the scope of this thesis as it is
concerned primarily with the design of the civil works components.
2.4. Design Parameters of a MHS (Micro Hydropower System)
In this section, the design parameters that are needed to design a MHS (Micro Hydropower
Systems) are reviewed. These parameters will be utilized at a later stage while designing the case
micro hydro system.
2.4.1. Design of the of Intake Weir
Especially in situations like that of mountainous, it is very important that the water that enters
through the intake is optimum both during the high river flow (rainy season) or the low river
flow dry seasons. The weir may be of natural or of artificial construction. One important design
parameter for the construction of intake weir is that its height should be kept at minimum but
enough to channel the required flow of water. Similarly, most often natural construction such as

11
boulders created intake are most appropriate as they minimize the entry of river borne materials
and help to keep the level of the water flow at optimum.
There are several steps to construction of the intake weir. First of all, it is necessary to design
the orifice for the side intake. Side intake is the most common type of structure used to divert
the river flow towards the headrace channel. If the orifice is to be submerged then the design
discharge or the flow of water needed for the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) from the side
intake is calculated by the following equation (BPC hydro consult, 2006):

Q= √
Where,
Q = discharge through the orifice (m3/s)
V = velocity through the orifice (m/s)
A = area of the orifice (m2)
hr - hh = difference between the river and the headrace canal water levels C = coefficient of
discharge of the orifice
The value of “C” or coefficient of discharge varies according to the materials used to develop the
structure of the intake. Since, in this study the probable material used for the structure is going
to be masonry orifice, the value of “C” is given to be 0.6. It can usually range from 0.6 to 0.8,
when the structure is very meticulously finished. [hr - hh] usually varies according to the
discharge in the river. Similarly; the limit of velocity that is to enter from the side intake in
masonry orifice is given as 3 m/s. For MHS (Micro Hydropower System) the recommended
velocity is somewhere between 1.0 - 1.5 m/s (Monition, 1984).
2.4.2. Headrace Canal Design
The canal dimensions and cross section while designing the headrace canal are governed by
various factor such as capacity, velocity of the water, slope of the side, head loss and seepage
and the type of sediment disposition in the canal. The recommended side slopes while designing
the headrace canal and the maximum headrace canal velocities are given in table 2.2 since the
type of canal that is feasible mostly is stone masonry type, only the parameters for masonry
canal are given in the table 2-2.
Table 2-2 Recommended side slopes, maximum headrace canals velocities and roughness coefficients of materials

Material used in the Canal Side Slope(N=h/v) Maximum recommended

velocity for canals (V)
>0.3m depth >1m depth

12
 Material used in the Canal Side Slope(N=h/v) Maximum recommended
velocity for canals (V)
>0.3m depth >1m depth

Stone masonry with mud 0.5-1.0 1.0 1.0

mortar

Stone masonry with cement 0-1.5 1.5 1.5

mortar

Rough ness Coefficients for Masonry Canals

Brickwork Roughness coefficient

“n”=0.015

Masonry Canals Normal Masonry with cement 0.017

mortar

Coarse rubble masonry 0.020

Source (BPC Hydro consult, 2006.)

The first step in designing a headrace canal is to choose the type of canal depending upon the
conditions of the site where the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) is to be designed. As mentioned
before, the design parameters for the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) to be designed in this
case is limited to masonry types whose recommended parameters were given in Table 2. Based
on this table, a suitable type of velocity (V) for a type of canal is chosen. The roughness
coefficient (n) can also be determined from the Table 2.2 (BPC Hydro consult, 2006). After the
selection of appropriate type of canal structure, the next step is to calculate the cross sectional
area of the headrace canal given by:

A=
Where,
Q is the design flow,
V is the velocity
After determining the cross section area, side slope N is determined which is the ratio of the
horizontal length of the headrace canal divided by the height of the side wall, that is N= h/v (it
can also be determined from Table 2. After all these parameters are determined the next step is to
calculate the optimum height of the canal (H) by:

X= √[( )]
Then the water depth (H) in the canal is given by

13
H=√

Where χ is the factor used to optimize the shape of the canal. If the optimum canal shape is not
possible given the condition of the site, other factors such as the width or the height of the canal
should be chosen first based on the site conditions and then other dimensions calculated based on
that measurement.
Followed by calculation of the optimum width of the canal bed (B) by:
B = H*X,
And finally the optimum width of the top of the canal (T) by:
T = B + (2HN)
In order to make sure that the water flows in a stable and uniform manner, the velocity of the
water should be less than 80% of the critical velocity Vc which is given by:

Vc =√

As given before, “A” refers to cross sectional area and “T” refers to optimum width of the top of
the canal. In case the canal velocity is greater than 0.8V, the calculations should be repeated in a
hit and trial manner with lower velocity until it satisfies the condition. Based on all these
information, the wetted perimeter (P) of the headrace canal can be calculated by using the
following equation;

√
Where in special case of the rectangular canal,
P= B+2H
This is followed by the calculation of the hydraulic radius (R) by;

R=

The only dimension now left to be calculated is the slope (S) of the headrace canal which is
given by Manning‟s equation. The manning equation is the most commonly used equation to
calculate open channel flows. It simulates water flows in channels where the water is open to
atmosphere and is not flowing under any other forms of pressure (Pandey B., 2006). The
Manning‟s equation can be stated as,

S= ( )
With this all the dimension needed for the design of the headrace canal are known. However if
the slope of the canal varies depending upon different sections of the canal it is necessary then to

14
calculate the head loss for all of these sections and to sum them up. Head loss in the head race
canal can be calculated by;
Head Loss = L× S
Where L is the length of the canal section and S is given by Manning‟s equation (Fox, 2004)

( ) ⁄ √
Q =[ ]
⌊ * √( ) ⁄ ⌋

However, in order to allow for the uncertainties in the design of the headrace canal it is necessary
to allow for a “free board” of 300 mm if the water flow is less than 500 l/s and 400 mm of
freeboard for water flow is in between 500 - 1000 l/s (liter/second). It is also necessary to
consider the size of the particle that can possibly be carried in the headrace canal which is
undesirable. The maximum particle size in diameter that can be transported in the head race
canal can be calculated by,
d = 11 RS
Where, “R” is the hydraulic radius as given before and S is again given by the Manning‟s
equation given
2.4.3. Spillway Design Parameters
The dimension of the spillway are given by,
( )
L spillway = ( )

Where,
Lspillway = length of the spillway (m)
Qflood = flood flow via intake (m3/s)
Qdesign= design flow in headrace canal (m3/s)
hflood = height of the flood level in the canal (m)
hsp = height of the spillway crest from canal bed (m)
hovertop = hflood - hsp
In addition to this parameter a coefficient while determining the spillway profile Cw needs to be
determined. Literature (ENTEC AG, 2001) agrees that for a MHP (Micro Hydro Project) broad
round edged profile where Cw = 1.6 is easy and reliable to be constructed. Similarly the value
used for Cw is 1.6. Therefore, the value taken while designing spillway for the case project is
also 1.6.

15
 The basic process for designing the spillway is to first calculate the intake during floods. Then
the maximum height of the water level in the canal during a flood should be calculated followed
by the dimensions for the spillway crest.
2.4.4. Design of Settling Basin
For the design of the settling basin, the first step is to choose a suitable width of the basin (W).
Rule of the thumb dictates that the width of the settling basin should be two to five times larger
than that of the headrace canal trying to make it as bigger as possible depending upon the
available width in the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) location (Pandey, 2006). After determination
of the width, the next process is to calculate the length of settling basin (Lsettling) by using the
equation:

Lsettling =

Where,
Q = design flow (m3/s)
Vvertical = fall velocity (For the settling particles of 0.3 mm diameter the fall velocity is taken as
0.03 m/s)
By this equation the length of the settling basin is determined, but it is very important to check at
this time that the length of the settling basin is around four to ten times its width. After
determination of the length of the settling basin, it is necessary to calculate the silt load (S load) of
the settling basin, which is given by:
Sload = Q × T × C
where,
Sload = silt load (kg)
Q = discharge (m3/s)
T = silt emptying frequency in seconds. In MHP (Micro Hydro Project), 12 hours or 43,200
seconds is used (Pandey B.2006).
C = silt concentration of incoming flow (kg/m3) [If there are no silt concentration data,
0.5 kg/m3 can be safely used (Pandey B 2006).
After determination of these dimensions it is necessary to finally calculate the volume of the silt
load by:

Vo silt =

Where,
Vosilt = volume of silt stored in basin

16
Sdensity = density of silt (2.600 kg/m3 is generally used)
Pfactor = packing factor of sediments submerged in water (50% is generally used)
After calculating the volume of the silt it is then necessary to calculate the average depth
required for the settling basin (Dcollection) which can be given by:

D collection =

2.4.5. Design of Forebay Tank

Having discussed the construction of the settling basin it should be noted here that the
construction of the forebay tank is very much similar to the design of the settling basin. The
only difference between the construction of the forebay tank and the settling basin is that the
forebay tank is connected to the penstock pipes.
While constructing the forebay tank, the first step is to calculate the submergence head which is
the depth of water above the crown of the penstock pipe. It should be carefully designed because
if the submergence head is too small air can enter into the pipe causing variations in the penstock
flow as well as causing explosion of penstock pipe due to entry of unwanted air in the pipes.
(ENTEC AG, 2001)The basic rule of the thumb while calculating the submergence head is given
by the equation:

Where V= velocity in the penstock

Hs = submergence head
The next step is to calculate the storage depth. It is generally recommended to be 300 mm or
equal to the penstock pipe diameter. Since, in condition, where the forebay tank is cleaned
manually the minimal size and structure of forebay tank should allow a normal person to enter
and clean the tank. Therefore, the minimum clear width recommended is 1 meter, and so
designed, that 15 seconds of design flow, is stored in the tank above minimum submergence
head. A gate valve is often situated at the entrance of the penstock which allows the water flow
in the penstock pipe to close for maintenance work in the turbine (Khatri & Uprety,
2002).However, rapid closure of valve can cause vacuum inside the pipe causing its collapse. To
prevent such a situation, air vent are usually placed in the forebay tank which let the air to enter
the air vent rather than the penstock. The dimension of the air vent is given by the equation:

d2airvent = √( ) ( )

Where,
dairvent = internal diameter of air vent (mm)

17
Q = maximum flow of water through turbine (l/s)
E= Young‟s modulus for the penstock (N/mm2)
teffective = effective penstock wall thickness at upper end (mm)
F= safety factor (which is generally considered to be 5 for buried penstock pipe and 10 for the
exposed pipe)
2.4.6. Factors to be considered in Penstock Selection and Design
The factors that need to be considered in designing and selecting the penstock material are
briefly described in this section. The most important factor to be considered while designing the
penstock pipe is the material to be used as a penstock. Usually mild steel and HDPE pipes are
used in MHP (Micro Hydro Project). There are several factors to be considered when selecting
material to be used in the penstock pipe. Table 2.3 illustrates the possibilities of using different
kinds of material based on various factors. The more the number of “stars” the more favorable is
the material type under different characteristics. For example, if friction loss was the major
concern in selection, uPVC type of penstock would clearly be the first choice.
Table 2-3 Differences in Penstock Pipe material

Material Friction Weight Corrosion Cost Jointing Pressure

Loss

Mild Steel *** *** *** **** **** *****

uPVC ***** ***** **** **** **** ****
Concrete * * ***** *** *** *
Ductile Iron **** * **** ** ***** ****
Source (Adam Harvey 1993)
After selecting the material for the penstock pipe, it is necessary to determine its diameter. The
most important design parameter in this selection is that the velocity of the water should be in
between 2.5 m/s to 3.5 m/s. If the velocity is lower or higher it can cause loss in the power
output and thus be uneconomical in the longer run. The equation for determining the diameter of
the pipe (Fox, 2004) is given by:

dpipe = √

Where,
dpipe = inside diameter of the pipe (m)
Q = design flow (m3/s)
V = average velocity in the pipe (m/s)

18
After selecting the material and the diameter of the penstock pipe it is necessary to calculate the
head loss in the pipe length which is given as;
Total head loss = major head loss (hf) + minor head loss (Hminor) where, Major Head loss (hf)
(Fox, 2004) is equal to:

hf =

And,
Minor head loss (h minor) = V2 (Kentrance + Kbend + Kcontraction + Kvalve)/2g
Where,
F = friction factor for pipe material, dimension less
L = length of pipe in meters
V = Average velocity inside pipe, m/s dpipe = the inside pipe diameter in meters KS =
Coefficients for pipe shape geometry (dimension less)
After selection of the material, calculation of the diameter and head loss it is also necessary to
calculate the thickness of the penstock pipe. The thickness of the pipe depends on the pipe
diameter, the material and the type of turbine selected. Since, the most likely turbine that are
selected in MHP (Micro Hydro Project) in cases of Nepal are Pelton turbine, the equation for
calculating the pressure wave velocity, a

a=
√( )

Where,
E = the value of Young´s Modulus (Fox, 2004) for mild steel is 210 X 109 N/m2 and for HDPE is
0.2 - 0.8 x 109 N/m2 d = pipe diameter in mm
T = the wall thickness in mm
Then, the velocity V in the penstock is given by:

V=

And therefore the surge head (hsurge) is a V

19
Total head (htotal) = hgross + hsurge
Additionally, the critical time (T) also needs to be calculated via following equation:

Tc =

Where, Tc = the critical time in seconds L = the length of penstock in m a = wave velocity
As a precaution it is also necessary to calculate the safety factor (SF) of the penstock pipes. The
equation of the safety factor (SF) is given by:
( )
SF = ( )

Where,
S = the ultimate tensile strength of the pipe material in N/m2 d = the internal diameter of the pipe
in mm
After all these calculations, the optimum thickness of the penstock pipe can be determined.
2.4.7. Selection of Turbines and its Components
The parameters that help in the choice of turbine are tabulated below in table 2.4. It is primarily
the head measurement that determines the selection of a suitable turbine for a particular MHS
(Micro Hydropower System). For example, in cases where the head measurement is more than
50 meters, Pelton or Turgo types of turbines are chosen over others. Similarly, when the head
measurement is in between 10 meters and 50 meters, cross-flow, turgo or multijet Pelton types of
turbine are preferred. In cases where the head measurement is lower than 10 meters, cross flow
turbine is preferred. The selection for reaction type of turbines is also made in a similar way, and
these criteria are summarized in table 2-4.
Table 2-4 Factors affecting the selection of the Turbine for MHS

Head Classification Type of Turbine

Impulse Reaction

High (>50m) Pelton, Turgo

Medium (10-50m) Cross flow, Turgo, Multijet Francis (spiral case)

Pelton

Low (<10m) Cross flow Propeller, Kaplan, Francis

(Open Flume)

20
 Source: (Adam Harvey 1993)

2.4.8. Generators
Synchronous generators are used in most MHP (Micro Hydro Project) because it has the ability
to establish its own operating voltage and maintain frequency while it is operating in a remote
location. (Harper, 2011)

21
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Data collection
The river flows for river mpanga was collected from the Directorate of water resources
Management which was used to calculate the river flows for Ngite.

The Population data was obtained from the Office of Uganda national Bureau of statistics in
Entebbe.

3.2 Site visits

A visit was paid to the project site to obtain information like the head at the falls, the area terrain
and topography, average width of the river, photographs, locally available materials, land use
and identification of the possible locations for the different scheme components at the site.
A site visit was also paid to a completed hydro power scheme construction site at hydro power
project in the Kasese to get an impression of a hydro power scheme.
3.3 Power potential
Electricity is generated from water dropping through a height. As the water falls through a height
its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy that drives a turbine giving it rotational energy.
The turbines, through a drive shaft also drive generators that convert the rotational energy into
electrical energy.
The Power potential of dropping water is estimated using the power equation below;
P=
Where,
P = electrical or mechanical power produced, W
g = acceleration due to gravity, m/s2
H = elevation head of water, m
Q = flow rate of water, m3/s
η = overall efficiency of MHs (Micro Hydropower system)
3.4 Determining design flow
The river Ngite flows were obtained using the catchment area coefficient method.
The monthly average flow data for R. Mpanga was collected from Directorate of water resources
management –Entebbe as show in table 3-1

22
 Table 3-1 Average monthly flow (m3/s) for river Mpanga

Months YEARS
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
January 15.09 12.50 18.40 25.47 21.46 21.70 30.66
February 21.46 12.03 16.75 21.93 20.99 18.16 24.29
March 25.94 17.92 14.86 22.64 18.40 32.08 22.64
April 21.46 15.57 15.33 23.11 23.82 26.65 20.99
May 21.46 20.99 17.69 20.05 26.18 39.86 21.93
June 36.79 16.27 20.75 24.53 23.11 38.92 26.18
July 58.49 16.75 22.64 23.82 20.05 41.51 28.07
August 60.00 24.29 33.02 33.49 20.75 36.79 42.45
September 52.12 23.11 36.32 26.42 22.17 46.70 52.12
October 33.96 22.41 32.31 32.78 21.46 48.35 38.21
November 25.00 20.28 33.49 27.83 21.23 47.88 47.17
December 19.81 19.10 28.54 27.36 23.82 36.32 44.58
Source: DWRM 2012
River mpanga has catchment area of 401 sq.km when determined at gauge station 84212 R.
Mpanga at Kampala - Fort portal Road.
The catchment area for the river Ngite was determined using the latitudes and longitudes
coordinates. The latitudes and longitudes for the Ngite river were determined using a hand held
GPS and the coordinates were used to draw the catchment area. The sketch map of the catchment
area attached in the appendix A.
The catchment area determined as 17.01 sq.km.
Thus the catchment area coefficient or catchment area factor was determined using the formula
below

Catchment area coefficient =

Catchment coefficient =

Catchment area coefficient = 0.0424

23
The catchment area factor/ catchment area coefficient is multiplied by the river mpanga flows to
obtain the R.Ngite flows as show in the table 3-2 below
Table 3-2 calculated river flow (m3/s) for Ngite

Months YEARS Arithmetic average

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

January 0.64 0.53 0.78 1.08 0.91 0.92 1.30 0.88
February 0.91 0.51 0.71 0.93 0.89 0.77 1.03 0.82
March 1.10 0.76 0.63 0.96 0.78 1.36 0.96 0.94
April 0.91 0.66 0.65 0.98 1.01 1.13 0.89 0.89
May 0.91 0.89 0.75 0.85 1.11 1.69 0.93 1.02
June 1.56 0.69 0.88 1.04 0.98 1.65 1.11 1.13
July 2.48 0.71 0.96 1.01 0.85 1.76 1.19 1.28
August 2.54 1.03 1.40 1.42 0.88 1.56 1.80 1.32
September 2.21 0.98 1.54 1.12 0.94 1.98 2.21 1.57
October 1.44 0.95 1.37 1.39 0.91 2.05 1.62 1.39
November 1.06 0.86 1.42 1.18 0.90 2.03 2.00 1.35
December 0.84 0.81 1.21 1.16 1.01 1.54 1.89 1.21

The average monthly river flows for each month in a year were re-arranged in descending order
as show in the table below
A flow duration curve was then developed for the scheme using Microsoft Excel, as shown in the
table 3-3 which is a plot of the re-arranged flow rate on the vertical axis against duration on the
horizontal axis.
The flow rate at 95% equaled or exceeded was selected as the design flow for the scheme. This
flow rate is available during at least 95% of the year and is thus reliable for power production.
Table 3-3 showing the percentage of exceeded/ times of equaled for river Ngite

Month Flow at River, m3/s ranking Percentages of times

Equaled or exceeded.
September 1.57 1 8.3
October 1.39 2 16.7
November 1.35 3 25
August 1.32 4 33.3
July 1.28 5 41.7
December 1.21 6 50

24
 Month Flow at River, m3/s ranking Percentages of times
Equaled or exceeded.
June 1.13 7 58.3
May 1.02 8 66.7
March 0.94 9 75
April 0.89 10 83.3
January 0.88 11 91.7
February 0.82 12 100

3.5 Head Measurement

The head is defined as the vertical height in meters from the level where the water enters the
penstock to the level where the water leaves the turbine housing. Altimeter is used to calculate
the “head” during the field survey
3.6 Scheme components
Using all the above (3.1 to 3.5), all aspects of the scheme components were designed using
standard formulae, tables and graphs as Detailed in Chapter four
3.7 Other activities
Project Costing was carried out and the cost-Benefit aspects analyzed together with the costs to
be incurred by consumers per unit of electricity consumed.
3.8 Topography
The area under study experiences bimodal rainfall pattern. The first rains are shot and occur
during March - May, and the longer rains from August - November. Annual rainfall ranges from
800mm to 1600mm and is greatly influenced by altitude.
3.9 Geotechnical investigation
i. Geology

The geology of this site is entirely dominated by ancient (Pre Cambrian) metamorphic rocks.
Laminated shales and phyllites (some slate like) with veins of quartz and beds of quartzite are
the main rock types along site location. These rocks are intruded by slightly younger granitic
rocks.
Bedrocks are typically overlain by scattered deposits of laterite and quartz gravels. Weathering
of the granitic gneiss sometimes produces several meters of silty coarse sand and gravel
materials close to the ground surface.
ii. Determination of the bearing capacity
The method used to determine the bearing capacity was dynamic cone penetrometer test.
The DCP consisted of a cone fixed to the bottom of the vertical rod. A weight of 8kg was
repeatedly lifted and dropped onto coupling at mid-height of the rod to deliver standard impact

25
or blow to the cone and driven into the soil. A vertical scale alongside the rod was used to
measure the depth of penetration of the cone. The penetration per blow “the penetration rate”
was recorded as the cone was being driven into the soils and then used to calculate the strength
of the soil through which it was passing. A change in the penetration rate indicated a change in
the strength between the soil layers thus allowing the DCP test at each test point(trail pits)

26
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF SCHEME
COMPONENTS
Based on this primary survey, as a secondary data source and the design parameters discussed in
the theoretical overview, these information has been utilized in the design of various system
components of the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) as show below
4.1 Determining design flow
The river Ngite flows were obtained using the catchment area coefficient method.
The monthly average flow data for R. Mpanga was collected from Directorate of water resources
management –Entebbe as show in the 4-1
Table 4-1 showing the river flow for mpanga

Months YEARS
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
January 15.09 12.50 18.40 25.47 21.46 21.70 30.66
February 21.46 12.03 16.75 21.93 20.99 18.16 24.29
March 25.94 17.92 14.86 22.64 18.40 32.08 22.64
April 21.46 15.57 15.33 23.11 23.82 26.65 20.99
May 21.46 20.99 17.69 20.05 26.18 39.86 21.93
June 36.79 16.27 20.75 24.53 23.11 38.92 26.18
July 58.49 16.75 22.64 23.82 20.05 41.51 28.07
August 60.00 24.29 33.02 33.49 20.75 36.79 42.45
September 52.12 23.11 36.32 26.42 22.17 46.70 52.12
October 33.96 22.41 32.31 32.78 21.46 48.35 38.21
November 25.00 20.28 33.49 27.83 21.23 47.88 47.17
December 19.81 19.10 28.54 27.36 23.82 36.32 44.58
Source: DWRM 2012
River mpanga has catchment area of 401 sq.km when determined at gauge station 84212 R.
Mpanga at Kampala - Fort portal Road.
The catchment area for the river Ngite was determined using the latitudes and longitudes
coordinates. The latitudes and longitudes for the Ngite river were determined using a hand held

27
GPS and the coordinates were used to draw the catchment area using ArcGIS and ArcMap. The
sketch map of the catchment area attached in the appendix A.
The catchment area determined as 17.01 sq.km.
Thus the catchment area coefficient or catchment area factor was determined using the formula
below

Catchment area coefficient =

Catchment coefficient =

Catchment area coefficient = 0.0424

The catchment area factor/ catchment area coefficient is multiplied by the river mpanga flows to
obtain the R.Ngite flows as show in the table 4-2 below
Table 4-2 calculated river for Ngite

Months YEARS Arithmetic average

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
January 0.64 0.53 0.78 1.08 0.91 0.92 1.30 0.88
February 0.91 0.51 0.71 0.93 0.89 0.77 1.03 0.82
March 1.10 0.76 0.63 0.96 0.78 1.36 0.96 0.94
April 0.91 0.66 0.65 0.98 1.01 1.13 0.89 0.89
May 0.91 0.89 0.75 0.85 1.11 1.69 0.93 1.02
June 1.56 0.69 0.88 1.04 0.98 1.65 1.11 1.13
July 2.48 0.71 0.96 1.01 0.85 1.76 1.19 1.28
August 2.54 1.03 1.40 1.42 0.88 1.56 1.80 1.32
September 2.21 0.98 1.54 1.12 0.94 1.98 2.21 1.57
October 1.44 0.95 1.37 1.39 0.91 2.05 1.62 1.39
November 1.06 0.86 1.42 1.18 0.90 2.03 2.00 1.35
December 0.84 0.81 1.21 1.16 1.01 1.54 1.89 1.21
The average monthly river flows for each month in a year were re-arranged in descending order
as show in the table 4-3 below

28
A flow duration curve was then developed for the scheme using Microsoft Excel, as shown in the
figure 4.1 which is a plot of the re-arranged flow rate on the vertical axis against duration on the
horizontal axis.
The flow rate at 95% equaled or exceeded was selected as the design flow for the scheme. This
flow rate is available during at least 95% of the year and is thus reliable for power production.
Table 4-3 percentage of times equaled for river Ngite

Month Flow at River, ranking Percentages of

m3/s times equaled or
exceeded.
September 1.57 1 8.3
October 1.39 2 16.7
November 1.35 3 25
August 1.32 4 33.3
July 1.28 5 41.7
December 1.21 6 50
June 1.13 7 58.3
May 1.02 8 66.7
March 0.94 9 75
April 0.89 10 83.3
January 0.88 11 91.7
February 0.82 12 100

A flow duration curve was then developed for the scheme using Microsoft Excel, which is a plot
of the re-arranged flow rate on the vertical axis against duration on the horizontal axis.
The flow rate at 95% equaled or exceeded was selected as the design flow for the scheme. This
flow rate is available during at least 95% of the year and is thus reliable for power production.
The following flow duration curve was generated using Microsoft Excel as shown in figure 4.1
below

29
 Figure 4.1 flow duration curve for the Ngite

In this design, a flow rate of 0.860 m3/s will be considered for the scheme.

30
4.2 Power potential
The Power potential of the river Ngite was estimated using the power equation below;
P=
Table 4-4 Calculation for the power potential

DESIGN FLOW (available during 95% DURATION) =0.860 m3/s

GROSS HEAD =35m

POWER OUTPUT (with Pelton flow turbine, with = 0.86 * 9.81 * 35 × 0.90
efficiency of 90%)
= 266 kW

= 0.266 MW

ANNUAL POWER OUTPUT =0.266 × 24 × 3600 × 365 × 0.95

Assuming 24 hour supply at 95% duration of the year = 7,969,147MW

4.3 Design of the Civil Components

Based on this primary survey, as a secondary data source and the design parameters discussed in
the theoretical overview, these information has been utilized in the design of various system
components of the MHP (Micro Hydro Project) as show in this section.
4.3.1 Design of orifice for side intake
From the data analysis the design flow of Ngite river, Q = 0.86 m3/s as shown on the flow
duration curve above. It has also been determined from survey that normal water level in the
river, hr = 0.7 m and the design flood level is about 0.5 m above the normal level water
.Therefore it can be calculated that the design flood level hf,
hf = normal water level + design flood level
hf = 0.7 m + 0.5 m = 1.2 m. (This is necessary in order limit the excess of flows during the flood
season.)

31
For the design purpose the velocity of water to pass through the orifice is taken as, V = 1.4 m/s.
This value was so taken because for MHS (Micro Hydropower System) the recommended
velocity through the orifice during normal flow is 1.0 - 1.5 m/s). Based on this premise, it is
possible now to calculate the, Area of orifice,

A= = = 0. 614 m2

The water level at the headrace canal hh is chosen to be 0.4 m. It is taken as such in order to
submerge the orifice under the headrace canal. It is also known from the previous discussion of
design parameters for side intake that;

Q= A.V=AC√⌊ 𝑔 [ 𝑕 𝑕 ⌋
Letting C = 0.6 because the orifice is planned to be of the roughly finished masonry type, whose
value is normally taken to be 0.6, from table

Q =0.614 x 0.6√ ( )
Q = 0.894 m3/s
From the survey that Q required = 0.860m3/s and the calculations of side intake shows that it can
deliver 0.894m3/s , the design is considered acceptable during the normal seasons.
However it is also necessary to consider, whether the design will work during the rainy season
(flood season) when the water floods by taking into consideration the value of discharge through
the orifice during flood flow (Q flood).

From Q= AV=AC√⌊ [ 𝑕 𝑕 ⌋
Letting C=0.6 (for roughly finished masonry)

Q flood = 0.12 x 0.6√⌊ [ ⌋

Q flood =1.460 m3/s

This value will be important at the later stage when designing the spillway since the orifice is
only designed to take 0.860m3/s

4.3.2 Design of headrace canal

The canal type chosen was stone masonry with the cement mortar where the design discharge
from flow duration curve Q = 0.860 m3/s.
From the table 2-2, the roughness coefficient and the side slope of the canal can be easily
determined as: roughness coefficient of normal masonry with cement mortar (n)
n = 0.017

32
Similarly for this type of canal the side slope (N) is selected to be=0.5

N=

N=

N = 0.5.
Given that Q =0.860 m3/s
Then cross sectional area of the headrace canal,
A= Q/V

A= = 0.72 m3/s Since the maximum recommended velocity for stone masonry with
cement mortar is 1.5 m/s, the velocity is arbitrarily taken to be 1.2 m/s
The optimum height of the canal (H), width of the canal bed (W) and the width of the canal top
(T).
It is necessary to find x which is also the factor used to optimize the canal shape and is given by

X= √[( )]

X= √[( )]
X= 1.236
Then the water depth (H) in the canal is given by

H=√ = √

H= 0.41 m
Bed width (B) of the canal is given as
B = HX,
B= 0.41 x 1.236
B= 0.51 m
The top width of the design water level (T)
T = B + (2HN)
T = 0.51 + (2 x 0.41 x 0.5)

33
T = 0.92 m
Check for the design conditions
V < 0.8 Vc To ensure that the water flows in a stable and uniform flow in the headrace canal the
velocity of water must be 80% less than the critical velocity where critical velocity (Vc) is,

Vc = √

Vc = √ = 2.77 m/s

0.8 Vc = 0.8 * 2.77

Vc = 2.216 m/s
Therefore the velocity of the water (1.2 m/s) in the headrace canal is less than 80% the critical
velocity (2.216 m/s). Therefore it can be considered that the design of this headrace canal is
acceptable.
After determining that the design is acceptable, and calculating the internal canal dimensions
now it is necessary to calculate the wetted perimeter of the headrace canal which is given by

P = B + 2H √( )

P = 0.51+ 2 x 0.41√( )
P = 1.427 m
It also necessary calculate the hydraulic radius “R”

R=

R=

R = 0.505 m
The final dimension “bed slope” “S” needs to be calculated in order to design the headrace canal
and this is given by the Manning‟s equation.

S= ⌈ ⌉

S= ⌈ ⌉
S = 0.00103

34
It was is necessary to calculate the head loss in the headrace canal which is given by:
Head Loss = Lx S
Head Loss = 350 * 0.00103
Head loss = 0.361 meters
Since the actual slope of the canal varies, it is important now to calculate the head loss for each
of the parts and to add them up repeatedly for different velocities. In this case, the optimum
height for the canal bed can be determined by hit and trial method in Manning‟s equation for the
value of H or,

( ) ⁄ √
Q =[ ]
√( ⁄
⌊ * ) ⌋

Where bed width of the headrace canal (B) as 0.51 m, N, the slope of the canal of cement mortar
type (N) chosen as 0.5, the roughness coefficient of same canal (n) as 0.017 and design flow (Q)
as 0.860 m3/s

( ) ⁄ √
Q =[ ]
* √( ) ⁄
⌊ ⌋

By trial and error method the equation is balance when H~1.106 m

Therefore, in this case, the flood flow occupies 50% of freeboard, and therefore the head of the
spillway or hovertop will be 250 mm.
Now it is necessary to check for the size of the largest particle that can travel through the canal.
This is necessary because beyond a certain size of particle, it is not desirable that they would
pass through the canal,
d = 11RS
= 11 x 0.505 x 0.00103 = 0.00572 m = 5.72mm
The particle larger than 5.72 mm would settle in this headrace canal. Therefore, to avoid
deposition upstream of the settling basin, the gravel trap must be designed to remove all particles
greater than 5.72 mm.

35
4.3.4 Design of spillway
It was already pointed out in the section discussing design parameters that the design of the
spillway can be made with calculations of its different dimensions.
The dimension of the spillway are given by,
( )
L spillway = ( )

It is known by calculating dimensions of the stone masonry with cement mortar headrace canal
that it can let the design flow of water (Q design) of 0.860 m3/s during normal season. Similarly,
during the flood season the flow of water (Q flood) might reach to 1.460 m3/s. This was
determined when the orifice for side intake was calculated. By design of convention h overtop is
taken as 250 mm. It is also known that the height of the flood level in the canal is 1.2 meters.
This value calculated previously during the design of orifice for the side intake. The only other
value needed in the equation to determine the length of the spillway is C w or the coefficient for a
road crested weir with round edges. This is generally used for the construction of MHP (Micro
Hydro Project) and its value is considered to be 1.6 (Pandey B., 2006).
For the design of the spillway it is first necessary to consider what would be the length required
if the design flow was 0 m3/s, Because the material for spillway was chosen as crested weir with
round edges profile, Cw = 1.6
Q flood = 1.460 m3/s Q design = 0 m3/s
hovertop (h flood – hsp) = 250 mm by convention, In this case the length of the spillway would be,
( )
L spillway =
( )

L spillway =
( )

L spillway = 7.3m
However, it is also necessary to calculate the length of the spillway considering the actual flow
of water that enters through the orifice and the head race canal. In that case, Cw = 1.6
Q flood = 1.460 m3/s, Q design = 0.860 m3/s
H overtop (h flood – hsp) = 100 mm by convention, In this case the length of the spillway would
be,
( )
L spillway =
( )

Lspillway =
( )

36
Lspillway = 3 m
In order to satisfy both of these conditions, it is desirable that the spillway of length 7.3 m be
constructed.
4.3.5 The design of settling basin
For the design of settling basin, the first step is to choose arbitrarily the suitable width of the
settling basin. The rule of thumb says that it should be two to five times the width of the
headrace canal; we know that the width of the headrace canal from calculations before is 0.51 m.
The width of the settling basin (W) was chosen as 2.0 m which is about four times the width of
the headrace canal and is therefore allowed, So we have W=2.0 m, (Q or Q gross) or the design
flow is 0.860 m3/s.
It is known that in order to calculate the settling length (L settling) of the settling basin the
following equation is given,

L settling = ( )
V vertical refers to the fall velocity taken as 0.06 m/s
The value (W) is arbitrarily chosen to be 2.0 m; Q gross = 0.860 m3/s and V vertical = 0.06 m/s
With this, following information can be obtained;

L settling =( )
L settling = 14.3 m
Therefore the length of the settling basin is 14.3 m. As the design parameter showed, the length
of the settling basin should be four to 10 times of its width.
Here length = 14.3 m which is 14.3 / 2.0 =7.12; which is almost eight times the width.
Hence, the design is acceptable.
We calculated the expected silt load, Sload of the settling basin which is given by
S load = Q x T x C
Where T = silt emptying frequency in seconds = 12 hours = 12 x 60 x 60 = 43,200 seconds and
C or the silt concentration of the incoming flow was given as 0.5 kg/m3
S load = Q x T x C = 0.860 x 43200 x 0.5 = 18576 kg
We calculated the volume of the silt load. It given by the following equation

Vo silt =

37
Where
Sdensity = density of the silt. It‟s recommended that in absence of reliable data the safe parameter
is 2600 kg/m3 is used.
Pfactor = packing factor of the sediments submerged in water = 0.5(50%)
Then the volume of the silt load now is given as

Vo silt =

Vo silt = 14.3 m3
We calculated the average collection depth of the required in the settling basin which is given as

D collection =

D collection =

D collection = 0.5 m
4.3.6 Design of penstock pipe
In the design of the penstock pipe, the first step is to choose the material for the penstock pipe.
For that, the best choice in Ngite condition is thought to be of mild steel, as they can withstand
high pressure, are cheap to get and in case where several joints are required they are the easiest
to manage (Chitrakar, 2004.)
After selecting the material for the penstock pipe, which was chosen as mild steel, it is necessary
to determine its diameter. The most important design parameter in this selection is that the
velocity of the water should be in between 2.5 m/s and 3.5 m/s. If the velocity is lower or higher
it can cause loss in the power output and thus be uneconomical in the longer run. The equation
for determining the diameter of the pipe is given by

dpipe = √

In this specific case, since the pipe is a long set type, V= 3.0 m/s was chosen to minimize the
head loss. (From design parameters it was recommended that velocity of water V be somewhere
between 2.5m/s and 3.5m/s to optimize the velocity

dpipe = √( ) =√

dpipe = 0.6 m 600 mm

38
Calculation for the head losses in the length of the pipe is given as;
Total head loss = major head loss (hf) + minor head loss (hminor)
Major Head loss (hf)

.hf =

Given that L = 60 m,
f = 0.0014 (from Moody Chart: ) Average velocity inside pipe is chosen as 3 m/s and the
diameter of the pipe from calculation were found out as 600 mm or 0.6 m, therefore;
Major head loss hf

.hf = = 0.064m

The minor head loss is given as

.h minor =

Minor head loss (h minor) = V2 (Kentrance + Kbend + Kcontraction + Kvalve)/2g

Since the material for the penstock is mild steel this is also a pipe with seven vertical bend
Kentrance = 0.2
Kcontraction = 0 (not available in this case)
Kvalve = 0 (not available in this case
Kbend = 0.34 for θ 23°,
Kbend = 0.20 for θ 40°,
Kbend = 0.06 for θ 12°,
Kbend = 0.18 for θ 37°,
Kbend = 0.04 for θ 8°,
Kbend = 0.13 for θ 26°,
Kbend = 0.04 for θ 80°
Minor head losses, hminor = [V2/2g] (Kentrance + Kbend + Kcontraction + Kvalve)
( )
.hminior =

39
.hminior = 0.48 m
The total head loss can be calculated as
.hf + hminior = 0.064 + 0.48
Total head losses = 0.544 m
% head loss = 0.544 / 35 = 0.0091% 5 %. This shows that the diameter of the penstock could be
actually made a smaller.
Determination of the wall thickness (T).
The wall thickness of the pipe depends on the pipe diameter, the material and the type of the
turbine selected. Since, the most likely turbine that are selected in MHP (Micro Hydro Project)
are Pelton turbine, the equation for calculating the pressure wave velocity “a” (Fox, 2004).

a=
√( )

It is necessary to calculate the thickness required at the downstream end of the penstock.
hstatic = h gross = 35 m and d= 0.6m
Using trial and error method.

a=
√( )

Try T=10 mm
Young´s Modulus for mild steel (E) is 210 x 109 N/m2

a=
√( )

a = 1106.8 m/s
Calculate for the velocity, head surge and total head
Given Q = 0.860 m3/s and
Diameter (d) = 600 mm or 0.6 m

V= ( )
V=( ) ( )

40
V=3.04 m/s
Therefore the actual velocity of the water in the penstock pipe would be 3.04 m/s

hsurge = 171.5 m
htotal = hgross + hsurge = 60 +171.5. = 231.5m
Calculate effective thickness for the steel pipe,

teffective =( )
teffective = 6.58 mm
Calculate the safety factor (SF) of the penstock pipe, following equation was used;
( )
SF =
( )

( )
SF=
( )

= 3.7
The safety factor condition shows that the design of penstock pipe assembly is acceptable.
4.3.7. Design of the forebay tank
The forebay tank is similar to the settling basin except that the outlet transition is replaced by a
trash rack and the forebay tank has an opening to penstock pipes. The most important element to
be calculated in the design of the forebay tank is the submergence head. The submergence head
or the depth of water above penstock pipe, should fulfill the criteria (Submergence head)

1.5

Where, V refers to the velocity of water in the penstock, which in this case is 3.04 m/s;
Therefore,

1.5

0.710 m

41
In other words, the submergence head of the forebay tank should be 0.710 meters.

Construct the diameter of the air vent or dairvent,

d2airvent = √( ) ( )

In this case, it has been chosen as 10 because our design will consists of exposed pipes.
Therefore,

d2airvent = √( )( )

d2airvent =5167.5 mm2.

dairvent = 71.9 mm

The diameter of the air vent to be constructed is therefore 72 mm.

4.3.8 Selection of Turbine and basic design of other powerhouse components

Since, the gross head of the MHS (Micro Hydropower System) is 35 m and the design discharge
is 0.860 m3/s, the appropriate turbine for this situation proposed is Pelton flow turbine, with
efficiency of 90%.

4.3.9 Results
Based on the field data, the study dealt with designing the major civil components for the Ngite
Micro Hydro project. Based on the design parameters, the calculations carried out helped to
determine critical dimensions of the civil components of the Ngite Micro Hydro Project. The
critical dimensions of various components are summarized in Table 4-5

Table 4-5 the critical dimensions of various components.

Components Critical Dimensions

Orifice for side Intake Design flood level = 1.2 m

42
Components Critical Dimensions

Area of Orifice = 0.614m2

Delivery discharge = 0.894 m3/s

Flood discharge = 1.460m3/s

Headrace Canal Cross sectional area = 0.72 m2

Optimum Canal Height = 0.41 m

Canal bed width = 0.51 m

Canal top width = 0.92 m

Critical Velocity = 2.216 m/s

Wetted Perimeter = 1.427 m

Head Loss = 2.86 m

Hydraulic Radius = 0.505 m

Canal Bed Slope = 0.00103

Size of largest particle = 5.72 mm

Settling Basin Length = 14.3m

Expected silt load = 18576 kg

Volume of Silt Load = 14.3 m3

Average collection depth = 0.4 m

Spillway Length = 7.3 m

Dimensions of penstock assembly Material = Mild steel pipe

Length = 60 m

Pipe diameter = 600 mm

Total head loss = 0.518 m

Forebay Submergence head >0.710 m

Diameter of air vent = 72 mm

43
4.3.8. Project Costing
Table 4-6 projected cost

ITEM UNIT QUANTITY RATE $ TOTAL

COST $
Access Road M 3000 50 150,000
Site Clearing SM 500 3 1,500
Penstock M 60 400 24,000
Turbines No. 2 80,000 160,000
Generators No. 2 100,000 200,000
Control and Switch equipment No. 1 20,000 20,000
Transformers No. 2 100,000 200,000
Settling basin M 15 600 9,000
Trash Rack M 4 250 1,000
Control Gates No. 6 500 3,000
Weir M 3.5 1000 3,500
Forebay M 10 12,00 12,000
Power canal SM 300 500 150,000
Sub-total 934,000
Contingency % 20% 186,800
Administration % 15% 93,400
TOTAL COSTS $ 1,214,200
4.3.9. Power demand
According to the 2002 population and housing census, the population of Bundibugyo district was
158909 out of which 76,112 (48.3%) were males and 82,796 (51.7%) was females with 35670
with average household size of 5 people. The population growth rate is 4%.
According the manager of Bundibugyo Energy Cooperative Society (BECS) only to 15 % of the
household in Bundibugyo district are connected to power supply. And average consumption of
the power is 15 kW/day per household.
Therefore the power demand in bundibugyo district.
Power demand = 15 x
= 535050 kW
Annually power demand = 535050 x 365= 195,293,250kW
4.3.10. Cost benefit analysis
Annuity costs,
( )
A=
( )

Where

44
 is the total cost of the project
r is the discount rate is the expected payback period of the project
Discounting at 20% for a payback period of 20 years,

( )
A = $1,214,200 x
( )

A =$ 249,343

Unit cost of energy

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 + 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 + 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 = 20% 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 20% x $ 249,343 =$49,869

𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 = 10% 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 10% x $249,343 =$ 24,934

Total annual cost = $324146

𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 = 0.221 × 24 × 3600 × 365

= 6,969456 MW

Unit cost of energy =

= 0.046$ kW/h

Cost of construction per kW

= $ 4565 per kW

The cost of construction per kW is $4565 less than $5,000, which is within the recommended
economical range (Sigma Engineering).

45
4.4. Geotechnical investigations
The geotechnical investigations carried out the determination of the bearing capacity using the
Dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) test as shown the in the “Guide to practical Geotechnical
engineering in southern Africa 1995”
The maximum pressure that soils are capable of resisting have been estimated from the N- values
using empirical relations and the results are show in the table 4-7
Table 4-7 Evaluations of the bearing capacities

Trail pits Depth (m) Approx. „N‟ Allowable Consistency

Bearing
Capacity(kPa)
TP 1 0.3 14.5 162.7 stiff
0.6 25.2 282.8 stiff
0.9 27.1 304.1 stiff
1.2 29.0 325.4 stiff
1.5 31.8 356.9 stiff
TP 2 0.3 24.3 272.7 stiff
0.6 31.8 356.9 hard
0.9 31.0 347.9 hard
1.2 32.0 359.1 hard
1.5 33.0 370.3 hard

The results generally shows that the soil has consistency ranging from stiff to hard
4.5. Maintenance and Operational plans
4.5.1. Operation Work
The operation of micro-hydropower plants is to not only generate electric power, but also to
control generation equipment, supply stable, high quality electricity to consumers, and maintain
the condition of all facilities
Table 4-8 showing the basic operation check to be carried out during the maintenance of the Ngite micro hydropower
scheme project

Facilities and
Checking Points Measures
Equipment

46
Facilities and
Checking Points Measures
Equipment
Suspended Trash at screen Remove the debris.

Water leakage from weir and

Record it and make repairs
gate
Intake and Waterway
Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary.

Deformation or Crack in
Record and make repairs
structure
Sedimentation Basin Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary.
Suspended materials along canal Remove the debris.

Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary.

Headrace Leakage, deformation and

Crack in structure
Land slide along headrace
Suspended Trash at screen
Record it and make repairs if necessary.
Remove the sand and rocks after
confirming the safety.
Remove the debris.

Reduce water intake if overflow of water

Overflow from Spillway
is too great.
Head tank (Forebay) Water leakage Record it and make repairs if necessary.
Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary
Deformation or Crack in
Record it and make repairs if necessary.
structure
Penstock Leakage and deformation Record it.
Strange sound and vibration Record it and make repairs if necessary.
Turbine
Leakage from housing Record it and make repairs if necessary.
Strange sound and vibration Record and make repairs if necessary.
Generator Temperature Record it
Belt Damage Replace if necessary

47
4.5.2 Maintenance
In order to maintain long-term optimal operating conditions of the micro hydropower plants,
waterway facilities, and electric equipment, and transmission and distribution lines should be
adequately maintained
Daily Maintenance
Operators should conduct daily maintenance if they find equipment abnormalities during their
daily patrol. Daily maintenance is usually conducted without stopping the water turbine and
dewatering the pipe. During the daily maintenance, the operators should be careful of rotating
parts, moving parts, live parts, and so on. The operators shall engage in the following duties as
daily maintenance.
Cleaning equipment
Retightening valves and volts
Maintenance for the trouble and failure
If the operators find any trouble and/or failure, they should confirm present conditions and take
countermeasures to prevent the spread of accidents. The operators should also record their
present condition and the countermeasures being taken. This record will serve as valuable data
for the implementers.
Periodic Maintenance
Operators (and maintenance staff) should conduct maintenance periodically as preventative
measures.
Table 4-9 Items and frequency of periodic inspection

Facilities and
Checking Points Frequency Measures
Equipment
Supply grease to bearing Six months
Turbine Bearing replacement Three years
Bolt connection One year Repair
Supply grease to bearing Six months
Bearing replacement Three years
Generator Winding insulation resistance Six months Replace the generator
Bolt connection One year Repair
Damage of belt Six months Replace if necessary
Load stabilizer Performance of load stabilizer Six months Repair

48
Facilities and
Checking Points Frequency Measures
Equipment
Damage of heaters Six months Replace if necessary

Record and make repairs if

Inlet valve Leakage One year
necessary.

CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION

5.1. Conclusion
The following conclusions can be drawn from the observations and analysis of results carried out
in this study:

1. The design flow from the river Ngite is 0.860 m3/s and the delivery discharge by the
orifice is 0.894m3/s at the gross head of 35 m
2. The river Ngite has power potential of 0.266 MW of electricity that can be generated at
Ngite falls
3. The Civil components such as intake structure, headrace canal to divert the water from
the source, forebay tank, settling basin and the penstock assembly were all designed and
their sketches are shown in the appendix
4. The project is estimated to cost about $ 1,214,200 and the beneficiaries should pay $
0.046 per kW/h of electricity which is cost effective compared the BECS charges of $
0.240 per kW/h

5.2 Recommendations
This project should be implemented since it will provide clean and naturally renewable energy.
Diesel Energy on the contrary is non-renewable and has more serious Environmental
implications than hydro Power. Furthermore, this project will initially require huge financial
inputs to construct, but will need very small resource inputs to run once completed. This makes it
initially expensive but will be a much cheaper energy alternative in the long run.

A detailed Geological surveys should be carried out before the project can be implemented in
order to determine the extent and distribution of the rock base around the project Area.

Research on other possible alternative energy schemes such as geothermal energy should be
carried out to jointly relieve the region of the persistent power shortages.
Assessment, monitoring and gauging of rivers with in Uganda should be carried out and ensure
proper recording keeping for easy data access.

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REFERENCES
1. Adam Harvey (1993) micro hydropower design manual “A guide to small scale water
power schemes”
2. Bhattarai, D. N. (2005). Hydropower Development in Nepal: A study of Demand for
Electricity and Financial Requirement up to 2030.
3. BPC Hydro consult. (2006). Civil works guidelines for micro-hydropower in Nepal.
4. Chitrakar, P. (2004). Micro-Hydropower Design Aids Manual. Kathmandu: Small
Hydropower Promotion Project (SHPP/GTZ) and Mini-Grid Support Prorgramme
(MGSP/AEPC-ESAP).
5. Davis, S. (2003). Micro hydro: Clean Power from Water. New Society Publishers.
6. Fox, R. W.; McDonald, A. T.; & Pritchard, P. J. (2004). Introduction to Fluid
Mechanics: Sixth edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
7. Greacen, C. E. (2004). The Marginalization of “Small is Beautiful”: Micro
hydroelectricity, Common Property, and the Politics of Rural Electricity Provision in
Thailand. Berkeley: University of California.
8. Great Nepal Pvt. Ltd. (2009). Detailed Feasibility Study of Jwala Mai Loding Khola
MHP, Tamakhani VDC, Solukhumbu. Kathmandu.
9. Harper, G. D. (December 2011). Planning and Installing Micro Hydro Systems: A
Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers. Earthscan Publications Ltd.
10. Harvey, A. (1993). Micro-Hydro Design Manual: A Guide to Small-Scale Water Power
Schemes. Practical Action.
11. Hydraulic Energy Program et al. (2004). Micro-Hydropower Systems: A Buyer's Guide.
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada
12. Khatri, S. K.; & Uprety, H. (2002). Energy Policy: National and Regional Implications.
Kathmandu: Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies (NEFAS).
13. Ministry of water, Lands and Environment, Directorate of Water Resources Management,
monitoring and assessment data 2013
14. Monition, L. N (1984). Micro Hydroelectric Power Stations. John Wiley and Son
15. Pandey, V. (2011). Research report on feasibility study of micro hydropower in Nepal,
Bhaktapur: Nepal Engineering College.

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16. Simoes, M. G. (2004). Renewable Energy Systems, Design and Analysis with
Induction, generators.CRCPress.
17. Upadhayay, S. (2009). Evaluating the effectiveness of micro-hydropower projects in
Nepal. San Jose State University, SHSU Scholar Works.

APPENDIX

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APPENDIX A: The sketch map of the catchment area of the proposed river Ngite

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APPENDIX B: Moody Chart (Fox, 2004)

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Appendix C: Photographs

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Appendix D Drawings

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