ABSTRACT
The development of river and canal systems for hydro power has so far focused on the construction of civil engineering works to create a head to drive a turbine. The potential for decentralised power production using “zero head” turbines requiring no dams or barrages has largely been ignored. A water current speed of 1m/s represents an energy density of 500Watts/min which a turbine of a few square metres swept area can produce a useful output.
The Water Current Turbine is a prime mover which extracts kinetic energy from flowing water in a river or canal. The energy extracted by the turbine provides a power source for remote areas and is used to drive a water pump or electricity generator. The paper describes the principle of operation of the turbine, its performance over a range of site conditions and the lessons learned during extensive field testing and commercial operation in several countries.
Used as a water pump, the turbine is a replacement for a three inch diesel pump set. Its numerous advantages include:
It uses renewable energy and needs no fuel or oil,
It is easy to operate and maintain,
It has proved highly suitable for use in isolated locations,
It is non polluting and almost silent when running,
It needs no large scale civil engineering work and can be moved,
It is designed for local manufacture and maintenance,
It can operate 24 hours per day without a full time attendant.
The capital cost of the turbine is low compared to other renewable energy systems. Its very low running cost means that it becomes competitive with a diesel pump set after between one and three years depending on local price of fuel and materials.
Case studies from Sudan illustrate the turbine’s use for both irrigation pumping and water supply applications.
The potential for the introduction of water current turbine technology to the canal and river systems of India is discussed.
Manufacture of the turbine has been established in U.K. and Sudan and the paper describes how the necessary infrastructure to install and maintain the machines has been set up in Sudan. The paper gives an indication of the likely manufacturing cost of the turbine in India and discusses its economics compared to a diesel pump over its design life of twelve years.
