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REVOLUTIONARY NEW DESIGN!

VERTICAL AXIS INVOLUTE SPIRAL WIND TURBINE

VIEW VIDEO OF STREAMLINED FINNED TURBINE

This more aerodynamic configuration, with 20ft tall revolving mast, weighs 21lb, with
6.5lb lb mast, + bearing, cables and tensegrity wires = 30lb total. The heavier generator
& gearbox will be down below, where they are easy to work on. An anemometer on top
and stiff telltales at vane openings will show wind movement as vanes turn into and out of
wind.

This drawing was first built with

sailcloth vanes (right), which was
very promising, but proved too
flexible for optimum performance.

The 3-vaned aluminum model

shown below, named “Wendy the
Windturbine”, was then built. It is
a great improvement, producing
significant power for it’s small size
in a moderate breeze. To elevate
Wendy into less turbulent wind a
12ft revolving extension tube was
added, held rigid by another set of
3 guy cables from the base of the
turbine (center picture). The
entire rig --- turbine, mast,
extension-tube, bearings,
guy-cables weighs about 40lb and
works very well. With a better
bottom thrust bearing, this
extension technique could be
duplicated to raise the turbine
much higher into stronger winds.

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View 2.5 minute Quicktime Video of first sailcloth VAWT in

Action! View YouTube video of erecting Wendy
on 12ft. revolving mast
View 1 minute Realplayer Video of Wendy in Action!

Wind power has the potential to supply much of the energy demands of the world, and is the most rapidly expanding sector of current
alternative energy technology. Most existing wind turbines are of the familiar horizontal axis configuration, with spinning propellers
directed into the wind by a “tail” or, for larger systems, electronically controlled motors. These “lift” propulsion blades are typically
of airfoil shape, like airplane wings or propellers, which rely on the low-pressure lift from the momentum of the wind passing over the
airfoil shape. The vertical axis Darrius rotor is also a “lift” device, with its airfoil-shaped “eggbeater” blades. The vertical axis wind
turbine (VAWT) pictured above is a so-called “drag” propulsion device, along with equally strong “lift” components that allow the rim
speed to be several times faster than the wind speed. In this VAWT, the spiral vanes continually diverts the mass of the wind to
perform work on the sail. Results from a few tests indicate that we can increase the low-speed power significantly over the horizontal
axis rotating blade wind turbine, largely because we are diverting the mass of the wind inward and continuously changing its direction
of travel through laminar flow over much greater surface area vanes instead of just “lift” propulsion from thin fat airfoil-shaped blades
that spill the wind outward in a thin plane of rotation.

According to a Gruman Aerospace research paper on the subject (Tornado-Type Wind Energy System, James T. Yen, Research
Department Grumman Aerospace Corporation, published in IECEC ‘75 Record)*, the increase in power of drag propulsion over lift
propulsion can theoretically be thousands of times greater! If this is true, it is a little known but extremely important fact for designing
wind energy technology.
* “Thus, in contrast to conventional wind turbines that use only the wind kinetic energy V2/2, we will additionally use the wind
pressure energy P/þ which in magnitude is more than 3000 times larger than the wind kinetic energy for a wind of 15 mph (and
more than 750 times larger for 30 mph winds).”

For further theoretical discussion, go to “Wind Power Analysis”

This concept could also revolutionize sailing, for which I have designed a unique drag-propulsion mechanism that could get us quickly
around Puget Sound, fastest into the wind! This VAWT can also be mounted on the top of a tree, with 3 stays and 3 additional cables
holding the triangular stand vertical. Any swaying of the tree in the wind should also increase the velocity of the spinning gyroscopic
turbine (as a gyroscope resists being moved out of its plane of rotation), thus amplifying the power imparted to the generator by the
movement of the tree as well! This hypothesis of course needs to be tested.

A vertical axis wind turbine has several advantages over the more traditional horizontal wind turbine especially in uneven wind
conditions, where a horizontal wind turbine has to change directions, which puts stresses on the bearings and tower and dissipates
energy, Gravitational stresses on the vertical axis turbine are even, allowing lighter and larger construction. This vertical-axis wind
turbine incorporates 3 involute spiral sails in a configuration that utilizes the mass momentum of the wind to spin the sails around a
central mast. Force is applied to the sails by the wind both entering and leaving the turbine, allowing maximum extraction of energy
from the wind. The unique nature of the involute spiral is that the wind is increasingly diverted into and out of a central vortex with
no constriction in the path, only smoothly-diverting surfaces. Other advantages to this particular design will be covered below.

This project began in the early 70’s with a fascination for the Savonius rotor, a cut-in-half and shifted oil drum wind generator spinning
around a vertical axis. I wondered what the optimum offset and if the half-circle curves could be streamlined better, so I built a series
of vertical axis wind turbine prototypes, with thin aluminum printing plate vanes glued between 78-rpm phonograph records. I filmed
them on Super-8 next to a wind speed anemometer, and counted revolutions. I found the Savonius weak and stalling in it’s worst
aerodynamic position, and found several new and faster vane configurations. The clear winner of them all was the 3-vane involute
spiral. A 6-vane involute configuration was slightly more responsive in slower winds.

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This circle of Radius 1 unwinds its circumference to trace out an involute spiral , which can continue spiraling around in a path exactly 2 pi away from
the next inner spiral. (For an animated graphics showing the generation of an involute spiral, click here.) In other words, a non-constricting path is trace
out, which is ideal for applying all of the wind mass to push on the vanes. As the 3-vane drawing above right shows, segments of the same involute can
be duplicated around the central circle, creating multiple non-constricting wind paths. Dimensions in the drawing on the right are of the prototype
pictured here.

This 3-sailed prototype was built by participants in a Community School class, “Testing a Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine”

We utilized a bicycle frame for the drive train and as part of the support framework. The mast is connected to a variable-speed bicycle chain-drive
mechanism that drives an electrical generator. We experimented first with a Zap bicycle motor being driven as a generator by the bicycle tire on the drive
mechanism.

The sails were, first made of Dacron sailcloth (later replaced with aluminum vanes) and held rigidly in position with an involute-curved boom halfway
above the 4’ diameter base disc, which is further aligned with tension cables to the base of the mast. Three tension cables keep the top bearing centered
over the triangular base support and tension the leading edge.

The 48” diameter base disk, with 53” tall sails, creates a 9.5 sq.ft. cross-sectional area exposed to the wind, or the equivalent in swept propeller area of a
3.5ft. dia circle. Comparing this to the popular “Hornet” horizontal wind turbine (http://www.survivalunlimited.com/eaglewindturbine.htm), which has a
(6) blade diameter of 59” to 144”. The smallest 59” dia blade sweeps an area of 19 sq.ft, or twice that of our prototype model. Even when we consider
the sum of the curved area of the three sails (10.2 sq.ft x 3 = 30.7 sq.ft.), equivalent to a 9.8' (117") dia circle, we are still under the larger Hornet blade-
sweep-area. The 59” diameter Hornet will give 300 Watts in a 15 mph wind, 150 Watts in a 10 mph wind, which is closer to what we might expect here
on a windy day. Ideally, we would like to take advantage of even a 5 mph wind, which will only give 25-30 Watts with the Hornet specially-designed fat
blades on their Ospray ultra-low wind speed model.

We finally got our first prototype built and out in the wind, and what a perfect day for it! We averaged 20 mph winds, which spun the wind turbine at
120 to 130 rpm, which translates to speed of circumference of the 4 ft dia. sail-disk of 17 - 18 mph, which is 85-90% of the wind speed, spinning the
bicycle wheel on high gear at 52/14 = 3.7 x 130 = 481 rpm x 27” = 47 mph. There was not enough torque to turn the powerful bicycle motor (with it’s

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1.25” roller and much magnetic and frictional resistance at that speed ~ when we geared down it could almost balance the friction of the motor, but we
didn’t generate much power. Those of us taking part in the test (Larry, Blaine, Bill & Ebey) nevertheless considered it a successful test and exciting
beginning, for the following reasons:

Significant power was generated despite the flapping sails and severe imbalances.
The cloth sails were too loose for the high winds, and the leading edge bowed in
and out 3 or 4 inches as it spun, adding vibration & slowing it down considerably.
The sails luffed badly on the upwind side, caving in and rippling the surface
coming into the wind. This seemed to be the most severe dampening to the smooth
spinning of the sails and their aerodynamic properties.
The sails/disk/booms were quite imbalanced, especially as we tightened the tension
lines, which shook the truck it was mounted on, dissipating considerable power
and prevented higher speeds.
We replaced the cloth sails with stiff aluminum sheets that keep their smooth
profile throughout their spin and are easier to tune the tension members and
balance the rig.

Another observation from our truck-roof mounting platform. While getting the
turbine up in position certainly wasn’t a breeze in this 20 mph wind, once it was up
and spinning, we were able to unstrap it and stand there talking for a while without
having to hold it down. Very little energy was offered in resistance by the turbine
vanes, and the gyroscopic stabilization got us talking about how easy it would be
to mount it on top of a tree, using the existing framework with 3 cables down to
bolts in the tree 6 feet down. How much energy could we capture from the tree
swaying?

What about adding more sails? Remember, this turbine achieves much of its
power from the impact of air molecules on the continuously-inward-spiraling
turbine vanes. If we have 3 more vanes, we have doubled the molecular impacts
from the air, and because the geometry of the passageways between the sails is
non-constricting, all impacts are moving the vane around the mast. This
proposition has been challenged by sailors and wind turbine experts alike...... only testing will tell..... What about making one with a clear lower disk, so
we can watch ribbons, photograph meter readouts, meditate on the expanding spirals?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: why the “conical” design instead of a “cylindrical” configuration of greater wind shadow and surface area?
I and others have experimented with cylindrical profiles. While the cylindrical cross section has greater surface area, there
are several advantages to the conical shape.
Engineering-wise, it is easier to build stiffer and lighter with tension/compression balance.
The lightest, sturdiest support mechanism is with a bearing at the top held in place by guy cables. The conical sail
configuration is ideally suited to this support method, whereas an extended support framework must be built on top of
the upper disk to allow support cables to be oriented downward at the best support angle without touching the turbine.
When you eliminate the top disk, you can build a larger conical turbine, with greater wind shadow than a cylindrical one of
the same amount of material.
Because the wind traveling through the conical design flows through a double involute path of varied length, there should
be an optimum region of the cone that is “tuned to the wind”, creating max power from a spectrum of wind speeds, so this
configuration may have aerodynamic advantages too.

We have hot been able to accurately determine the relative efficiencies of conical vs cylindrical design. Extensive wind tunnel
testing is essential to optimize this technology.

What about combining the slow_speed vawt with an airfoil blade to get it turning in lighter winds?
The large vanes in involute spiral configuration create the most rotational thrust with the least turbulence at 1/3 to 1/6th the
tip speed of a thin airfoil blade. I don’t believe the two technologies can be successfully integrated. The balance of high
pressure thrust on the concave side of the curved vane with low pressure lift on the other side of the vane is a smoothly
transitioning phenomenon, which would be radically altered by any attempt to change the shape to create more lift at any
particular location on the vanes.

How many vanes of what size involute in what wind conditions are optimum?
This and other important questions need to be determined in wind-tunnel experiments. Want to help? Although it would be
highly interesting to employ flow-analysis software to predict performance and optimization of variables, I don’t trust
computer simulations to give an accurate prediction of performance with respect to these variables, especially considering the
unknown interactions happening in the center of the turbine (~ I suspect traveling vortex streets connecting intake & outlet ~)
and with entrained air around the periphery. Counterweighted flow flaps have been mounted onto the leading edge of the
turbine vanes and show a precise moment of switching from air entering to air exiting the channel as the turbine turns.

Size considerations:

Large commercial turbines get bigger and bigger, despite the “elephant” syndrome that

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the mass of a solid object increases 8-fold when doubling the size dimensions. This
has been possible through more complex engineering and optimizing materials, but this
is all at a price. According to the 2009 Wind Market Report from Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, a contemporary wind turbine averages about two megawatts in
capacity, or enough power for almost 500 U.S. homes. According to Winds of Change;
A Manufacturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry from AWEA, the average turbine
weighs 200 to 400 short tons, 90 percent of that in steel and most of the rest in
fiberglass, copper, concrete, aluminum and adhesives. It has about 8,000
components. At 300 tons / 2 MW = 300 lb / kW for turbine & tower. At that rate, this
30 lb turbine should give 100W power in rated wind speed (say 24mph). It will give
much more. Looking at Enercon's latest direct-drive generator in a 6 MW turbine. It
weighs an astonishing 450 tonnes, which is equivalent to 150 lb / kW for a direct-drive
generator. Again, the economics look good for smaller turbines of this light-weight
design.

We briefly tested a
wind-diverter, which
seemed to add more
turbulence than power to
the sails, and the stiff
aluminum vanes obtain
considerably higher speeds
without the complications
of the diverter, although it
may help on a cylindrical
design, mounted
horizontally above an
obstruction like a
building-roof or bluff.

After we replaced the cloth sails with stiff aluminum vanes, we placed the wind turbine on the garden gate in a location surrounded by trees, which
blocked most of the wind and caused turbulence. Still, we were able to generate a small amount of electricity with a bicycle generator.
Then we took it to the beach and with 18-22 mph winds were briefly generating power from a Zap bicycle motor turning an electric trolling motor. The
knurled drive roller of the Zap motor creates much frictional resistance which, multiplied by the geared-up chain drive, stops the turbine in low winds.
With a bicycle generator, we were able to light a bright headlight and taillight with about 15mph winds. A WindBlue Permanent Magnet Alternator
(PMA) was tried, but it is too large for such a small turbine in typical wind conditions here. We are looking for a super-low-speed PMA that will
generate power at 30rpm, has no magnetic drag and will generate a trickle-charge from the get-go. This is the holy grail of wind turbines ~ If you know
of such, let me know!

At speeds above 150 rpm, the aluminum vanes wanted to flare out at the top and threatened to touch the support cables, so we had to keep a drag on
the turbine at wind speeds above 16mph. The turbine is not dynamically balanced and shook the truck at high speeds. Both of these conditions were
aggravated by the fact that for this first test we omitted the lower tensioning cables, relying entirely on the stiffness of the vane curves, which was
actually quite impressive. The bicycle frame is bent, causing misalignment of chain and sprockets. The bicycle wheel is severely out of round, requiring
excessive pressure on the generator rollers, so there is considerable friction in the system. Nevertheless, the turbine rim speed was consistently faster
than the wind speed, sometimes by as much as 50% more (not 150% as stated in the video), which indicates that both lift and drag propulsion are
involved.

We are excited about the potential of this VAWT design. Theoretically, there are greater efficiencies to be realized from other unique features
comparing this design with airfoil blades.

I now have 23 pages of plans, including 20 technical drawings and 21

photographs and 3D rendered illustrations! Details include a 5-vaned
model 8ft in diameter and a unique power-to-generator coupling system!

DOWNLOAD FREE PLANS HERE ~ CLICK ~ BUILD ONE!

I am sharing this information freely with the world because I feel strongly that there is great potential for superior wind power from this design. I
am only one person with limited resources and time. R&D is costly and time-consuming, and we global citizens need to be experimenting and
perfecting the technology.

I would like to see larger units built and tested, configurations with 5 vanes or more, longer involute paths (imparting greater directional changes to the
wind, thus extracting more energy), experiments with wind diverters, etc. If cloth sails had two more involute-shaped battens in the middle and more
tension elements, perhaps that would be as good as making them with stiff material to resist deformation in high winds, and larger sails could be reefed

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and transported easier.

We need funding to test the turbine mounted on a boat driving a screw propeller or preferably a drag-propulsion paddle mechanism of my revolutionary
design, to do wind tunnel experiments, to build larger units with direct-drive generator, and to test upside down as a tidal-power generator. This will
produce much more power and test the hydrodynamics of the shape.

I have lots of ideas and suggestions. All I ask is that you inform me of your development work and let me offer suggestions and coordinate efforts and
information so that all will benefit.

I am available as a consultant.

Email or write to:

Larry Dobson
7118 Fiske Rd
Clinton, WA 98236
dancer@stiltman.com
or call 360-579-1763

BIO:

Larry Dobson is an energy consultant and has studied and experimented with new approaches and concepts in Alternative Energy Applications, notably,
high temperature biomass combustion, heat-exchanger design, biogas systems, solar collector and heat storage technology, wind turbine design, human-
powered vehicles, power linkages and superior articulated stilt designs. He is skilled in realistic 3D Solidmodeling (Computer-Aided-Design), steel and
aluminum structural design, fabrication and TIG welding. Dobson has received grants from Alternative Sources of Energy Magazine, Washington State
Energy Office, and U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy-Related Inventions, for work in alternative energy. He is featured in a book by Adam
Woog, “Sexless Oysters and Self-Tipping Hats, 100 Years of Invention in the Pacific Northwest”

More Unique Creations and Inventions

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LOW HEAD INVOLUTE WATER TURBINE

DESIGNS & PLANS

The water turbine designs pictured here are new approaches to low-head water power generation. Thanks to the instigation of Rod
Johnson and preliminary funding from Rich Gover, I designed, built and tested several concept prototypes and learned much about the
involute spiral geometry and its potential for harvesting energy. Hopefully, these efforts will receive further funding and development in
the near future ~ the world needs new sources of non-polluting power now.

This page is introductory. To view the final detailed drawings, CLICK HERE.

All of these designs are built upon the involute spiral,

which is essentially the unwinding of a circle. Imagine a
blue string wound counterclockwise on a spool of radius
one. As it unwinds, the end of the string traces out an
involute path.

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The distance from the end of the involute curve of a full

circle of radius-1 to its origin is 2pi = 6.28..., the
circumference of the circle. The successive unwinding
can continue indefinitely, with the distance between
successive spiral lines equal to the circumference of the
inner circle being unwound.

Involute segments can also be duplicated in a circular

pattern, creating pathways between spirals that are
non-constricting.

This and the unique curvature geometry of the involute

spiral allow ducts in turbines to capture the force of
moving fluids with all the resistance imparted to rotation,
not turbulence.

Click here to view

mpg movie of
testing this model
in the wind.

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A 3-bladed linear extrusion of an involute segment spins very fast in the wind, and also has high speed and torque as an overshot
water wheel.

The first set of turbine tests models were designed around these two involute shapes. They were
constructed of 6” wide vanes glued in between two plexiglass disks, with steel rod and teflon
bearings.

The first test was as an undershot water wheel. Water was pumped into the top rear
of this test bed, flowing under the green gate below and through the lower involute
blades. Much to my surprise, there was significant drag and not much power. On
analysis, the non-compressive nature of water under the upstream vane created an
effective damper to the strong rotation imparted at the mid-stream vane position.
This is a very important consideration in designing water turbines vs. air turbines, and
applies equally to modified airfoil blade shapes. Turbulent cavitation and drag are
created with increased speed, such that the turbine dramatically looses efficiency and
can be quickly destroyed by the cavitation.

Neither of these configurations are efficient designs.

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Even more resistance is created, for the same reasons, when

the turbine blades are fully immersed in the water, both
horizontal and vertical.

Q: Will this combination of water turbine below with air

turbine above work?

A: The air turbine will work great, but the water turbine will
be a dud!

Contrast this to how fast the small prototype spins in

compressible air. It will even spin in the wake of a shopvac
12 feet away!

The test rig was then

modified to be an
overshot turbine, with
various turbine
mounting options,
variable flow directing
spill-plates, and a
variable water gate
(green plate top center -
set here to 1/4”) to
level-out flow of water
entering from two hoses
at around 12 gpm flow
rate.

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Click here for a video of testing both turbine configurations in overshot testbed.

This design has the unique property of providing higher torque as more power is being taken from the turbine, due to the greater amount and weight of
captured water that is being pulled down by gravity and contributing to the spin of the turbine.

Here are preliminary (not scientifically rigorous) results from the above tests:

•3 vanes 240degree, 1/4" gate = 139 rpm………circumference speed = 218ft/min = 136% of entering water speed
•6 vanes 140degree, 1/4" gate = 149rpm……….circumference speed = 234ft/min = 145% speed of entering water
•6 vanes 140degree, 3/16" gate = 147rpm……..circumference speed = 231ft/min = 143% speed of entering water (smoother but slower)

The above configuration is diagramed below as a 6-vaned 200degree involute 3ft diameter turbine with narrow inlet channel.

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After numerous tests, the above was determined to be the most efficient design for a low-head overshot water turbine. For our test site of 30cu.ft./sec
water flow, optimized turbine deployment would be three 42” diameter x 8ft long turbines in parallel, separated by 2ft in stream. This would allow a
maximum of 29cu.ft. of water to collect in the vanes as it travels down and through the turbine, or 1,800 pounds of water per revolution assisting in the
power generation.

Unfortunately, the chosen site for demonstrating this turbine did not have enough water drop (head) to accommodate this design.

I also performed several tests with the water flowing through a

center hole the size of the involute circle. This would be an
excellent design for a turbine mounted on the end of a pipe,
allowing maximum power capture from the enclosed water
pressure. See diagram below:

A vertically oriented turbine produced considerably less torque

than a horizontally oriented one, because of the gravity-
propelled water loading the vanes.

Flow results for three 240 degree vanes

both hoses filling horizontal 1/7 of turbine volume at 1.57

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cu.ft./min = 150rpm

Click here for a video showing

testing of this turbine configuration.

Because practical water drop at the chosen site is less than 5 feet elevation, with top of incoming water to bottom of exiting water maximum 7
feet, a vertical axis design was chosen, with six 200 degree involute vanes in an 8ft diameter x 4ft tall configuration as pictured below. Water
flows from above, upper right duct (which is covered to compress water into the narrow channel) Outlet below is wider to accommodate slower
flow (due to energy extracted from water) in shallower stream.

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To download a detailed dimension PDF drawing of this design, click here.

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The 3ft diameter horizontal axis turbine drawing above is designed to fit within the elevation drop parameters of the site.

STUDY THE OVERALL DIMENSIONS TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS INDEED POSSIBLE! The canal will flow through a
constriction, SLOPING FROM BELOW, to accelerate the water to around 100ft/sec at minimum depth of 14”.

5/20/09 ~ a high-volume flow test was conducted pouring from a 5gal bucket to augment the faucet flow.

Total flow through a 1” deep gate valve was 52.7gal/min

ratio of 4' wide x 3'dia turbine to 6" wide x 6"dia turbine = 8 times as wide and 48 times the volume
1" deep equivalent to 8" deep on 4' wide turbine
48 x 52.7 equivalent to 2530 gal/min = 338 cu.ft./min = 5.6cu.ft./sec = 2/5th the flow
using only 48" x 6" ratio, = 451 cu.ft./min = 7.5cu.ft./sec = 1/2 the flow
speed at max flow = 200rpm, which figures to 400rpm when flow speed is doubled.

This test indicates that the 3’ x 4’ turbine will handle the required flow of 15cu.ft./sec if speed is doubled in the constrictor.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF HIGH-VOLUME FLOW TEST

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CLICK HERE TO SEE COMPARISON WITH COMMON FRANCIS TURBINE

3’ diameter x 4ft long 5-vanes; 200 degree involute spirals. Water enters tangentially to vanes.

One of two 3’ x 4’ turbines, showing support framework and size comparison with 5’9” person

to download a PDF file of a dimensioned drawing, CLICK HERE

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The above concept drawing shows a test prototype of a drag-propulsion sail boat propelled by an involute
spiral wind turbine, which should revolutionize sailboat design by creating very smooth and high efficiency
transfer of wind energy to pushing the water between the split hull of the boat. When the boat is anchored in
a current, it can be generating electricity. The same mechanism can be used to extract power from any
shallow moving water when anchored in-stream. The multiple paddles are pulled through the water along
tracks by cables which direct them around pulleys and up out of the water as they return to the front.

For more details on this boat design, CLICK HERE

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[Low Head] [Other Turbines] [Final Drawings]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_turbine

Francis Turbine and generator Guide vanes at full flow setting (cut-away view)

The Francis turbine is a reaction turbine, which means that the working fluid changes pressure as it moves through the turbine, giving up its energy. A casement is
needed to contain the water flow. The turbine is located between the high pressure water source and the low pressure water exit, usually at the base of a dam.

The inlet is spiral shaped. Guide vanes direct the water tangentially to the runner. This radial flow acts on the runner vanes, causing the runner to spin. The guide
vanes (or wicket gate) may be adjustable to allow efficient turbine operation for a range of water flow conditions.

As the water moves through the runner its spinning radius decreases, further acting on the runner. Imagine swinging a ball on a string around in a circle. If the string
is pulled short, the ball spins faster. This property, in addition to the water's pressure, helps inward flow turbines harness water energy.

Large Francis turbines are individually designed for each site to operate at the highest possible efficiency, typically over 90%.

Francis type units cover a wide head range, from 20 meters to 700 meters and their output varies from a few kilowatt to 1,000 megawatt.

In addition to electrical production, they may also be used for pumped storage; where a reservoir is filled by the turbine (acting as a pump) during low power
demand, and then reversed and used to generate power during peak demand.

Francis turbines may be designed for a wide range of heads and flows. This, along with their high efficiency, has made them the most widely used turbine in the
world. Grand Coulee Dam uses a Francis Turbine.

COMPARED TO INVOLUTE TURBINE:

Requires much higher head (at least 5 times), pipe delivery at high speed
water delivered and redirected in complex compressing channels
gravity not utilized
water pushes only to inside of vanes, not all the way through
flow is reversed only 140? degrees compared to 480 degrees of involute canal turbine
surface area of vanes much smaller
flow not as streamlined and turbulence-free
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET 90% EFFICIENCY TOO!

Banki turbine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Banki turbine. Image credit; European Communities, Layman's Guidebook (on how to develop a small hydro site)

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A Crossflow turbine, Banki-Michell turbine, or Ossberger turbine is a water turbine developed by the Australian Anthony Michell, the Hungarian Donát
Bánki and the German Fritz Ossberger.

Michell obtained patents for his turbine design in 1903, and the manufacturing company Weymouth made it for many years. Ossberger's first patent was granted in
1922, and he manufactured this turbine as a standard product. Today, the company founded by Ossberger is the leading manufacturer of this type of turbine.

Unlike most water turbines, which have axial or radial flows, in a crossflow turbine the water passes through the turbine transversely, or across the turbine blades.
As with a waterwheel, the water is admitted at the turbine's edge. After passing the runner, it leaves on the opposite side. Going through the runner twice provides
additional efficiency. When the water leaves the runner, it also helps clean the runner of small debris and pollution. The cross-flow turbine is a low-speed machine.

Although the illustration shows one nozzle for simplicity, most practical crossflow turbines have two, arranged so that the water flows do not interfere.

Crossflow turbines are often constructed as two turbines of different capacity that share the same shaft. The turbine wheels are the same diameter, but different
lengths to handle different volumes at the same pressure. The subdivided wheels are usually built with volumes in ratios of 1:2. The subdivided regulating unit (the
guide vane system in the turbine's upstream section) provides flexible operation, with â…“, â…” or 100% output, depending on the flow. Low operating costs are
obtained with the turbine's relatively simple construction.

The turbine consists of a cylindrical water wheel or runner with a horizontal shaft, composed of numerous blades (up to 37), arranged radially and tangentially.
The blades' edges are sharpened to reduce resistance to the flow of water. A blade is made in a part-circular cross-section (pipe cut over its whole length). The
ends of the blades are welded to disks to form a cage like a hamster cage and are sometimes called "squirrel cage turbines"; instead of the bars, the turbine has
trough-shaped steel blades.

The water flows first from the outside of the turbine to its inside. The regulating unit, shaped like a vane or tongue, varies the cross-section of the flow. The water
jet is directed towards the cylindrical runner by a fixed nozzle. The water enters the runner at an angle of about 45 degrees, transmitting some of the water's
kinetic energy to the active cylindrical blades.

Ossberger turbine runner

The regulating device controls the flow based on the power needed, and the available water. The ratio is that (0–100%) of the water is admitted to
0-100%×30/4 blades. Water admission is to the two nozzles is throttled by two shaped guide vanes. These divide and direct the flow so that the water enters
the runner smoothly for any width of opening. The guide vanes should seal to the edges of the turbine casing so that when the water is low, they can shut off the
water supply. The guide vanes therefore act as the valves between the penstock and turbine. Both guide vanes can be set by control levers, to which an automatic
or manual control may be connected.

The turbine geometry (nozzle-runner-shaft) assures that the water jet is effective. The water acts on the runner twice, but most of the power is transferred on the
first pass, when the water enters the runner. Only â…“ of the power is transferred to the runner when the water is leaving the turbine.

The water flows through the blade channels in two directions: outside to inside, and inside to outside. Most turbines are run with two jets, arranged so two water
jets in the runner will not affect each other. It is, however, essential that the turbine, head and turbine speed are harmonised.

The cross-flow turbine is of the impulse type, so the pressure remains constant at the runner.

Advantages
The peak efficiency of a crossflow turbine is somewhat less than a Kaplan, Francis or Pelton turbine. However, the crossflow turbine has a flat efficiency curve
under varying load. With a split runner and turbine chamber, the turbine maintains its efficiency while the flow and load vary from 1/6 to the maximum.

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Since it has a low price, and good regulation, crossflow turbines are mostly used in mini and micro hydropower units less than two thousand kW and with heads
less than 200 m.

Particularly with small run-of-the-river plants, the flat efficiency curve yields better annual performance than other turbine systems, as small rivers' water is
usually lower in some months. The efficiency of a turbine determine whether electricity is produced during the periods when rivers have low heads. If the
turbines used have high peak efficiencies, but behave poorly at partial load, less annual performance is obtained than with turbines that have a flat efficiency
curve.

Due to its excellent behaviour with partial loads, the crossflow turbine is well-suited to unattended electricity production. Its simple construction makes it easier
to maintain than other turbine types; only two bearings must be maintained, and there are only three rotating elements. The mechanical system is simple, so
repairs can be performed by local mechanics.

Another advantage is that it can often clean itself. As the water leaves the runner, leaves, grass etc. will not remain in the runner, preventing losses. So although
the turbine's efficiency is somewhat lower, it is more reliable than other types. No runner cleaning is normally necessary, e.g. by flow inversion or variations of
the speed. Other turbine types are clogged easily, and consequently face power losses despite higher nominal efficiencies.

BANKI TURBINE COMPARED TO INVOLUTE TURBINE:

all of the advantages of the Banki Turbine are present in the involute turbine
surface area of vanes much less than involute
gravity not utilized with captured mass of water
water pushes on upper vanes, then falls through center, creating turbulence
with water falling on inside of lower blades, debris could collect easier than involute, where water stays in vane to bottom
flow is not reversed, extracting less power from water
double-pass flow through narrow vanes not as streamlined and turbulence-free as involute
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MUCH HIGHER EFFICIENCIES WITH VARYING STREAM FLOW!

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