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FS 13
Small
Hydroelectric
Plants
2. Find out what permits are required if a On any given stream, the best site for a diversion is
stream is to be impounded. Laws vary from state usually quite obvious: a natural waterfall, a swift
to state: some are lenient; some are very current or a steep slope. The terrain should be steep
stringent. Your state environmental conserva- enough (10% slope or more) so the diversion pipe
tion office should be able to supply you with the doesn’t have to be too long to obtain sufficient head.
necessary information.
Because a diversion has no backup storage for periods
3. Be aware that you must control all land to be of low flow, potential power is sometimes calculated
flooded. by determining the runoff in a year of normal rainfall
which is exceeded on half the days of the year. The
4. In the event of dam failure, you will be example watershed (page 1) has a stream flow of 8.4
responsible for all downstream damage. Your cubic feet per second or less for half the year. With a
insurance underwriter may be able to advise you 12' head, this stream can operate a 5 KW generator at
on the availability of liability insurance. full capacity for half the year and at about 50%
capacity for the remainder. Some people install
5. You must respect the rights of others to batteries to provide electrical storage for periods of
stream use outside of your property. low flow.
1
Overall hydroelectric plant efficiency is 50%
Components
H E A D = h2 + h3 - h1
Penstocks
1
1 cubic foot per second = 449 gallons per minute
For example, Table l shows a 2KW generator requires wheel that is 16" wide will generate only 300 watts or
0.6 cfs with a l00 foot head. Three hundred feet of 3" less. A compact turbine and generator is a better
PVC pipe carrying 0.6 cfs from an upstream diversion choice unless you are renovating an old mill site.
has a head loss of 3 x 10.2 = 30.6 feet. Thus the Hydroelectric plants are available in capacities
diversion must be 100 + 30.6 = 130.6 feet above the ranging from 1/2 KW to 12 KW.
generator to compensate for the friction or head loss in
the pipe. A 6" pipe has only a 0.54 x 3 = 1.62 foot head A reaction turbine, either the Francis type or propeller
loss. wheel type, is turned by a mass of water falling
through a duct encasing a wheel. Reaction-type
generators are good choices if you have ample water
supply but a low head. A reaction wheel is subject to
Trash Racks and Head Gates greater friction losses than an impulse wheel; how-
ever, it has greater flexibility in installation.
Even small streams can become torrents carrying
large trees and other debris. Plan to protect the
generator and water passages from debris by instal-
ling a trash rack at the head of the penstock. Set steel
REACTION TURBINE
bars on edge to the flow of water and space about 1"
apart. Normally trash racks are set on an incline to
Penstock
increase area so water velocity is less than 1.5 feet per
second through the rack. An inclined rack is easier to
clean with a rake. This feature is particularly
important in the fall because leaves may blanket a
rack in an hour or two.
Turbines
The towering water wheel driving the old mill’s An impulse (Pelton) turbine turns by the velocity of a
grinding stones creates a romantic image, but it is too jet of water striking the turbine’s wheel cups and can
slow and ponderous to efficiently convert water operate on as little as 1.5 cfm of water. In order to be
power to electric power. For example, a 5 foot diameter most effective, a head of at least 50’ is required.
I
IMPULSE TURBINE
Causes of Failure
The main reasons for lack of success with small
water power developments are:
Direct Current generators are usually less expensive 7. Overestimation of a proposed plant’s capa-
than AC generators but they do require expensive bility. The average home has demand peaks
inverters to convert to AC. The potential of storing DC varying from 4 to 12 kilowatts.
in batteries during low-usage periods and at times of
uneven water flow is a compensation of such a system.
Selected References
Design of Small Dams. U.S. Department of Interior. Supt. of
Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington
DC 20402
Ponds for Water Supply and Recreation. Agric. Handbook
No. 387. Soil Conservation Service, USDA
“Your Own Water Power Plant”, Popular Science, 1947.
Reprinted in issues no. 13 and 14 Mother Earth News.
“Water Power for Your Home”, Popular Science, May 1977
The Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service is an activity of the Cooperative Extension Services of
the Northeast Land Grant Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture.
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