Mini hydroelectric power station. Microhydroelectric power plants

Small hydroelectric power station or small hydroelectric power station(SHPP) - a hydroelectric power station that generates a relatively small amount of electricity and consists of hydropower plants with an installed capacity of 1 to 3000 kW.

Micro hydroelectric power station designed to convert the hydraulic energy of a fluid flow into electrical energy for further transmission of the generated electricity to the power system. The term micro means that this hydroelectric power station is installed on small water bodies - small rivers or even streams, technological streams or differences in elevation of water treatment systems, and the power of the hydraulic unit does not exceed 10 kW.

SHPPs are divided into two classes: micro-hydroelectric power plants (up to 200 kW) and mini-hydroelectric power plants (up to 3000 kW). The former are used mainly in households and small enterprises, the latter - in larger facilities. For the owner of a country house or small business, the former are obviously of greater interest.

Based on the principle of operation, micro-hydroelectric power plants are divided into the following types:

Water wheel . This is a wheel with blades, mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water and half immersed in it. During operation, water puts pressure on the blades and causes the wheel to rotate.

From the point of view of ease of manufacture and obtaining maximum efficiency at minimum cost, this design works well. Therefore, it is often used in practice.

Garland mini-hydroelectric power station . It is a cable thrown from one bank of the river to the other with rotors rigidly attached to it. The flow of water rotates the rotors, and from them the rotation is transmitted to a cable, one end of which is connected to the bearing, and the other to the generator shaft.

Disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency.

Rotor Daria . This is a vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. In fact, SHPPs of this design are identical to wind generators of the same name, but are located in a liquid medium.

The Daria rotor is difficult to manufacture; it needs to be untwisted before starting work. But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction. Like its airborne counterpart, the efficiency of the Darrieus rotor is inferior to that of propeller-type small hydroelectric power plants.

Propeller . This is an underwater “windmill” with a vertical rotor, which, unlike an air one, has blades of a minimum width of only 2 cm. This width provides minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed and was chosen for the most common flow speed - 0.8-2 meters per second.

Propeller SHPPs , as well as wheeled ones, are easy to manufacture and have relatively high efficiency, which is the reason for their frequent use.

Classification of mini hydroelectric power stations

Classification by power output (areas of application) .

The power generated by a micro hydroelectric power station is determined by a combination of two factors, the first is the pressure of water flowing onto the blades of the hydraulic turbine, which drives the generator generating electricity, and the second factor is the flow rate, i.e. the volume of water passing through the turbine in 1 second. Flow is the determining factor when classifying a hydroelectric power station as a specific type.

Based on the generated power, small hydroelectric power stations are divided into:

• Household power up to 15 kW: used to provide electricity to private households and farms.
• Commercial up to 180 kW: supply electricity to small businesses.
• Industrial with a capacity of over 180 kW: they generate electricity for sale, or energy is transferred to production.

Classification by design

Classification by installation location

• High-pressure - more than 60 m;
• Medium pressure - from 25 m;
• Low-pressure - from 3 to 25 m.

This classification implies that the power plant operates at different speeds, and a number of measures are taken to stabilize it mechanically, because the flow rate depends on the pressure.

Components of mini hydroelectric power station

The power generating installation of a small hydroelectric power station consists of a turbine, a generator and an automatic control system. Some elements of the system are similar to or. Main elements of the system:

• Hydro turbine with blades, connected by a shaft to the generator
• Generator . Designed to produce alternating current. Attached to the turbine shaft. The parameters of the generated current are relatively unstable, but nothing similar to power surges occurs during wind generation;
• Hydro turbine control unit provides start and stop of the hydraulic unit, automatic synchronization of the generator when connected to the power system, control of operating modes of the hydraulic unit, and emergency stop.
• Ballast load block , designed to dissipate power currently unused by the consumer, avoids failure of the electric generator and monitoring and control system.
• Charge controller/stabilizer : designed to control charge batteries, blade rotation control and voltage conversion.
• Bank AKB : a storage tank, the size of which determines the duration of autonomous operation of the object powered by it.
• Inverter , many hydro generation systems use inverter systems. If there is a battery bank and a charge controller, hydraulic systems are not much different from other systems that use renewable energy sources.

Mini hydroelectric power station for a private house

Rising electricity tariffs and lack of sufficient capacity make topical issues o the use of free energy from renewable sources in households. Compared to other sources of renewable energy sources, mini hydroelectric power stations are of interest, since with equal power with a wind turbine and solar battery they are capable of delivering much more energy in an equal period of time. A natural limitation on their use is the lack of a river

If a small river, stream flows near your house, or there are elevation changes on lake spillways, then you have all the conditions for installing a mini hydroelectric power station. The money spent on its purchase will quickly pay for itself - you will be provided with cheap electricity at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions and other external factors.

The main indicator that indicates the efficiency of using SHPPs is the flow rate of the reservoir. If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then it is necessary to take additional measures to accelerate it, for example, make a bypass channel of variable cross-section or organize an artificial height difference.

Advantages and disadvantages of microhydropower

The advantages of a mini hydroelectric power station for the home include:

• Environmental safety (with reservations for juvenile fish) of equipment and the absence of the need to flood large areas with colossal material damage;
• Ecological purity of the energy produced. There is no effect on the properties and quality of water. Reservoirs can be used both for fishing activities and as sources of water supply for the population;
• Low cost of generated electricity, which is several times cheaper than that generated at thermal power plants;
• Simplicity and reliability of the equipment used, and the possibility of its operation in autonomous mode (both within and outside the power supply network). The electric current they generate meets GOST requirements for frequency and voltage;
• The full service life of the station is at least 40 years (at least 5 years before major repairs);
• inexhaustibility of resources used to generate energy.

The main disadvantage of micro-hydroelectric power plants is the relative danger for the inhabitants of aquatic fauna, because Rotating turbine blades, especially in high-speed flows, can pose a threat to fish or fry. The limited application of the technology can also be considered a disadvantage.

The most common alternative energy sources are wind generators, but they are highly dependent on weather conditions. In the absence of wind or weak wind flow, they are ineffective. For normal operation Such generators are suitable for areas where the average annual wind speed is not lower than 5-6 m/s and higher.

In Russia there are not many areas with intense winds, the steppes and the Black Sea coast of Kuban, the Far Eastern coast and up to a dozen uninhabited or small areas.

In the middle zone, in the mountains of the Caucasus, the Urals, Altai and other regions where there are small but fast-moving rivers, tributaries, and streams, people forget about the possibility of using hydroelectric generators.

It is not rational to refuse to use them; this is a guaranteed source of electricity, because a river with a stable level and flow is much more reliable than a changeable wind.

Power calculation and design selection

In essence, the electrical part of a wind generator is no different from a hydrogenerator; the principle is similar to convert mechanical rotational energy into electrical energy.

The difference in the driving force is wind or water, the drive devices will be fundamentally different. Instead of a propeller, hydrogenerators use wheels drum type with blades.

It is not difficult to assemble a hydraulic generator with your own, if they grow from the right place; if you have a wind generator, all that remains is to design and assemble a hydraulic drive to rotate it.

In such cases, in order for the generator to rotate with the required speed, it is often necessary to use gearboxes to change the force and speed of rotation, which depend on the water flow.

It is calculated that the power of the filling wheel is significantly greater than that of the filling wheel; filling is when the flow of water falls on the blades of the drive wheel from above, the filling wheel rotates with the flow from below.

Therefore, based on your conditions, use the filling wheel design whenever possible. However, such a wheel also has its disadvantages:

• spin it slower
• requires the construction of additional structures

The photo above uses a direct drive filling wheel on a homemade permanent magnet disk generator, the design of which will be discussed below.

Vehicle elements can be used in drive mechanism designs:

• disks
• stars
• gears
• chains and belts

In some cases, even gearboxes from mopeds and motorcycles are used, and blades are welded onto the disks of large tractor wheels.

Options for generators used and load connections

Generators can be used for automobiles, buses, and best of all low-speed tractors for permanent magnets.

They are more reliable, easier to operate and repair, and they do not have brushes.

1. generator G250-G1 2. P362 relay-regulator 3. car battery 4. ammeter 5 and 6 switches 7 fuse 8 fuel supply.

Depending on your conditions and capabilities, you can use 24V generators.

1. Generator G-228 2. voltage regulator 11.3702 3. 12V batteries connected in series 4. Ammeter for measuring charging current 5 and 6 switches 7. load.

In the simplest case, you can use 6ST-75 batteries, but for reliability it is of course better to install new lithium-ion starter batteries. They are of course more expensive, but lighter in weight than lead-acid ones, smaller in size, larger in A/H capacity, service life much longer, and superior to lead ones in all respects.

This is decided by everyone for themselves, depending on the purpose of the generator, operating conditions and financial capabilities.

If you are going to use a hydro generator to power household electrical appliances designed to power an industrial network 220/50Hz, you will have to use voltage and current converters.

These devices D.C. 12 or 24 V batteries are converted into alternating current with a voltage of 220 V. They come in different capacities; you need to choose depending on the current what maximum load you are going to use.

They are connected according to the above diagram instead of a load; the simplest converter of low power can be assembled yourself.

This circuit has been tested for years, works like a clock, is simple, and does not require configuration. The disadvantage is that it is low-power 100W.

Use economical fluorescent lamps of 13-15 W or LED lamps of 5-10 W, which is enough to illuminate a private house, garage and even a yard at night. 15 W lamps are as bright as 80 W incandescent lamps.

If you need more power to fully operate the power grid, you can buy industrial converters. There is a large assortment of 12/220V on sale; 24/220V; 48/220V, power up to 5 kW or more.

The Pulso IMU-800 inverter converts 12V direct current into 220V/50Hz alternating current. maximum output power 800W. This is enough
enough for lighting, connecting a TV, refrigerator; for irons and boilers, more powerful inverters will be needed.

Assembling a homemade magnet generator

Many people make a hydroelectric generator with their own hands, using the method of assembling a generator using neodymium magnets. You can take a car wheel hub with a brake disc as the basis on which the entire structure will be mounted.

Factory assembled, reliable and well-balanced; disks with permanent magnets are attached to the rotating part, between which the disk with the rotor windings will be fixed.

The advantage of a permanent magnet generator is that the magnetic field is controlled, this is achieved:

• minimum gap between rotor and stator
• through a magnetically conductive disk power lines all magnets are connected to each other

Therefore, the disks of the rotating rotor must be magnetically conductive; with a different material, the generator power will be halved. We draw the disks into 12 identical sectors, then glue magnets with a diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 5 mm evenly along the perimeter of the disk in each sector with super glue.

The poles of the magnets alternate through one (S-N-S-N....) and so on in a circle. You can increase the number of magnets and windings, there will be more poles, this will allow you to achieve more power at lower speeds.

But in our case, 12 magnets, windings with 08-1 mm wire, 100 turns each, generate sufficient power to charge a 12 V starter battery.

A wheel with a diameter of 5 m, rotating at a speed of 150 rpm, produces a current of at least 1A; at 200 rpm, the charging current reaches 4A, this is quite enough.

Winding connection diagram

We make the diameter of the disk 30-35 cm, depending on the size of the hub you have chosen.

In our version, the magnets are round, but it is better to install rectangular ones 35x25x5mm, the greater the magnetic flux, and therefore the greater the power of the generator.

At the same time, the stator windings are made oval, the size of magnets. When installing the stator, the magnets must coincide with the center of the windings.

The thickness of the stator disk with windings must be the same as the thickness of the disks with magnets. We place the windings on a plywood disk and connect them in series with each other according to the specified star circuit.

After connecting and insulating the contacts, the wires are carefully laid along internal diameter so that they do not touch the rotating parts of the structure. Then they are filled with epoxy resin. For reliability, you can cover the poured surface with fiberglass, press it a little, then once again generously saturate the fiberglass with epoxy resin on top.

Such measures exclude mechanical damage windings and moisture ingress. After drying, we assemble the generator plates on the hub platform.

Through the mounting holes, we put the first disk on the long bolts of the rotating disk of the hub, and fix the magnets outward with clamping nuts.

Next, the stator disk with windings is put on, and lastly, the second disk is put on with magnets inside. The discs are fixed with tension nuts so that the gap between them is uniform over the entire plane and is no more than 3 mm. After assembly, rotate to check for vibration and runout, and adjust if necessary.

When assembling a hydrogenerator with your own hands at home, you should understand that direct connection of the generator to the wheel simplifies the design, but such ideal conditions for supplying water flow to the wheel are not always available.

In some places it is necessary to use torque transmission schemes through a system of additional shafts, gears or belt drives, this reduces power.

For those who don’t want to do a lot of winding, drilling and gluing, there are very simple options: you can buy a reliable Chinese generator, hand-driven, or rather foot-driven. Such generators are used in cycling simulators, they combine business with pleasure, and are convenient in emergency situations.

Generators NJB-800-12 are very practical, have a beautiful design, and are compact.

At a rotation speed of 250 rpm, the output power is 500W, at 500 rpm, 800W. 12V.

It is convenient to transport it in the trunk of a car to a campsite; to use water resources, you only need to attach the blades to the wheel.

Everything is good, but there is one drawback: it costs almost 30 thousand rubles, not everyone can afford it. If there is a suitable water source, modern technologies allow you to independently make a reliable hydrogenerator, the most main element in this project it is your desire. How to make a manual generator on video:

The power of water flow is renewable natural resource, the use of which will allow you to receive almost free electricity, save on utilities or solve the problem of recharging equipment.

If a stream or river flows near your house, a do-it-yourself hydroelectric power station made from scrap materials is a real way out. But first, let’s look at what options there may be for mini-hydroelectric power plants and how they work.

Hydroelectric power plants for non-industrial purposes

Hydroelectric power plants are structures that can convert the energy of water movement into electricity. These can be dams on large rivers, generating from ten to several hundred megawatts, or mini-hydroelectric power plants with a maximum power of 100 kW, which is quite enough for the needs of a private home. Let’s find out more about the latter.

Garland station with hydraulic screws

The structure consists of a chain of rotors attached to a flexible steel cable stretched across the river. The cable itself plays the role of a rotation shaft, one end of which is fixed on the support bearing, and the other activates the generator shaft.

Each hydraulic rotor of the “garland” is capable of generating about 2 kW of energy, however, the water flow speed for this must be at least 2.5 meters per second, and the depth of the reservoir should not exceed 1.5 m.

The principle of operation of a garland hydroelectric power station is simple: the water pressure spins the hydraulic screws, which rotate the cable and force the generator to produce energy

Garland stations were successfully used back in the middle of the last century, but the role of propellers was then played by homemade propellers and even tin cans. Today, manufacturers offer several types of rotors for various operating conditions. They are equipped with blades of different sizes made from sheet metal, and allow you to obtain maximum efficiency from the operation of the station.

But although this hydrogenerator is quite simple to manufacture, its operation involves a number of special conditions, not always feasible in real life. Such structures block the river bed, and it is unlikely that your neighbors along the bank, not to mention representatives of environmental services, will allow you to use the energy of the stream for your purposes.

Besides, in winter period The installation can only be used on non-freezing reservoirs, and in harsh climates it can be preserved or dismantled. Therefore, garland stations are erected temporarily and mainly in deserted areas (for example, near summer pastures).

Rotary stations with a capacity of 1 to 15 kW/hour generate up to 9.3 MW per month and allow you to independently solve the problem of electrification in regions remote from centralized highways

A modern analogue of a garland installation is submersible or floating frame stations with transverse rotors. Unlike their garland predecessor, these structures do not block the entire river, but use only part of the riverbed, and they can be installed on a pontoon/raft or even lowered to the bottom of the reservoir.

Vertical Daria rotor

The Darrieus rotor is a turbine device that was named after its inventor in 1931. The system consists of several aerodynamic blades fixed on radial beams and operates by differential pressure using the “lifting wing” principle, which is widely used in shipbuilding and aviation.

Although such installations are mostly used to create wind generators, they can also work with water. But in this case, precise calculations are needed to select the thickness and width of the blades in accordance with the strength of the water flow.

The Daria rotor resembles a “windmill”, only installed under water, and it can operate regardless of seasonal fluctuations in flow speed

Vertical rotors are rarely used to create local hydroelectric power stations. Despite the good efficiency indicators and the apparent simplicity of the design, the equipment is quite complex to operate, since before starting work the system needs to be “spinned up”, but only the freezing of the reservoir can stop a running station. Therefore, the Darrieus rotor is used mainly in industrial enterprises.

Underwater propeller “windmill”

In fact, this is the simplest air windmill, only it is installed under water. The dimensions of the blades, in order to ensure maximum rotation speed and minimum resistance, are calculated depending on the force of the flow. For example, if the current speed does not exceed 2 m/sec, then the width of the blade should be within 2-3 cm.

An underwater propeller is easy to make with your own hands, but it is only suitable for deep and fast rivers - in a shallow body of water, rotating blades can cause injury to fishermen, swimmers, waterfowl and animals

Such a windmill is installed “towards” the flow, but its blades operate not due to the pressure of the water pressure, but due to the generation of lifting force (on the principle of an airplane wing or a ship’s propeller).

Water wheel with blades

A water wheel is one of the simplest versions of a hydraulic engine, known since the times of the Roman Empire. The efficiency of its operation largely depends on the type of source on which it is installed.

The pouring wheel can rotate only due to the speed of the flow, and the filling wheel can rotate only with the help of the pressure and weight of water falling from above onto the blades

Depending on the depth and bed of the watercourse, different types of wheels can be installed:

• Submerged (or bottom-flowing) - suitable for shallow rivers with fast currents.
• Medium-flow - located in channels with natural cascades so that the flow falls approximately in the middle of the rotating drum.
• Flood (or top-mounted) - installed under a dam, pipe or at the bottom of a natural threshold so that the falling water continues its path through the top of the wheel.

But the principle of operation for all options is the same: water falls on the blades and drives the wheel, which causes the generator for the mini-power station to rotate.

Manufacturers of hydraulic equipment offer ready-made turbines, the blades of which are specially adapted to a certain speed of water flow. But home craftsmen make drum structures the old fashioned way - from scrap materials.

Setting up your own hydroelectric power station is one of the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways to provide energy resources to a dacha, farm or tourist base

Perhaps the lack of optimization will affect efficiency indicators, but the cost of homemade equipment will be several times cheaper than a purchased analogue. That's why water wheel the most popular option for organizing your own mini-hydroelectric power station.

Conditions for installing a hydroelectric power station

Despite the tempting cheapness of the energy generated by a hydro generator, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the water source whose resources you plan to use for your own needs. After all, not every watercourse is suitable for the operation of a mini-hydroelectric power station, especially year-round, so it does not hurt to have in reserve the possibility of connecting to a centralized main line.

A few pros and cons

The main advantages of an individual hydroelectric power station are obvious: inexpensive equipment that produces cheap electricity, and also does not harm nature (unlike dams that block the flow of a river). Although the system cannot be called absolutely safe - still, the rotating elements of the turbines can cause injury to residents underwater world and even people.

To prevent accidents, the hydroelectric station must be fenced, and if the system is completely hidden by water, a warning sign must be installed on the shore

Advantages of mini-hydroelectric power stations:

1. Unlike other “free” energy sources (solar panels, wind generators), hydraulic systems can operate regardless of the time of day and weather. The only thing that can stop them is freezing of the reservoir.
2. To install a hydrogenerator, it is not necessary to have a large river - the same water wheels can be successfully used even in small (but fast!) streams.
3. Installations are not highlighted harmful substances, do not pollute water and operate almost silently.
4. To install a mini-hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 100 kW, you do not need to obtain permits (although everything depends on the local authorities and the type of installation).
5. Excess electricity can be sold to neighboring houses.

As for the disadvantages, insufficient current strength can become a serious obstacle to the productive operation of the equipment. In this case, it will be necessary to build auxiliary structures, which entails additional costs.

Measuring the strength of water flow

The first thing you need to do to think about the type and method of installation of the station is to measure the speed of water flow at your favorite source. The easiest way is to lower any light object (for example, a tennis ball, a piece of foam plastic, or a fishing float) onto the rapids and use a stopwatch to measure the time it takes for it to swim the distance to some landmark. The standard distance for the “swim” is 10 meters.

If the reservoir is located a little far from the house, you can build a diversion channel or pipeline, and at the same time take care of elevation changes

Now you need to divide the distance traveled in meters by the number of seconds - this will be the speed of the current. But if the resulting value is less than 1 m/sec, it will be necessary to erect artificial structures to speed up the flow due to elevation changes. This can be done with the help of a collapsible dam or a narrow drain pipe. But without a good flow, the idea of ​​a hydroelectric station will have to be abandoned.

Production of hydroelectric power station based on a water wheel

Of course, assembling and erecting a colossus designed to serve an enterprise or settlement of even a dozen houses is an idea from the realm of science fiction. But building a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands to save electricity is quite possible. Moreover, you can use both ready-made components and improvised materials.

Therefore, we will consider step by step the manufacture of the simplest structure - a water wheel.

Required materials and tools

To make a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands, you need to prepare a welding machine, an angle grinder, a drill and a set of auxiliary tools - a hammer, a screwdriver, a ruler.

Materials you will need:

• Corners and sheet metal with a thickness of at least 5 mm.
• PVC or galvanized steel pipes for making blades.
• Generator (you can use a ready-made one or make it yourself, as in this example).
• Brake discs.
• Shaft and bearings.
• Plywood.
• Polystyrene resin for casting the rotor and stator.
• 15 mm copper wire for a homemade generator.
• Neodymium magnets.

Please note that the wheel structure will constantly be in contact with water, so metal and wooden elements must be selected with protection from moisture (or take care of impregnating and painting them yourself). Ideally, plywood can be replaced with plastic, but wooden parts are easier to obtain and give them the desired shape.

Assembling the wheel and making the nozzle

The basis for the wheel itself can be two steel disks of the same diameter (if it is possible to get the steel drum from the cable - great, this will greatly speed up the assembly process).

But if metal is not found in the materials at hand, you can cut circles from waterproof plywood, although the strength and service life of even treated wood cannot be compared with steel. Then on one of the disks you need to cut round hole for installation of a generator.

After this, the blades are made, and at least 16 pieces will be needed. To do this, galvanized pipes are cut lengthwise into two or four parts (depending on the diameter). Then the cutting areas and the surface of the blades themselves must be polished to reduce energy loss due to friction.

The blades are installed at an angle of approximately 40-45 degrees - this will help increase the surface area that will be affected by the flow force

The distance between the two side discs should be as close as possible to the length of the blades. To mark the location for future hubs, it is recommended to make a template from plywood, which will mark the location for each part and the hole for fixing the wheel to the generator. The finished markings can be attached to the outside of one of the disks.

The circles are then installed parallel to each other using solid threaded rods, and the blades are welded or bolted in the desired positions. The drum will rotate on bearings, and a frame made of angles or small diameter pipes is used as a support.

The nozzle is designed for cascade-type water sources - such an installation will allow you to use the flow energy to the maximum. This one is made auxiliary element by bending sheet metal, followed by welding the seams, and then placed on the pipe.

However, if your area has a flat river without rapids or other high-altitude obstacles, this detail is not necessary.

It is important that the width of the nozzle outlet corresponds to the width of the wheel itself, otherwise part of the flow will go “idle” and not reach the blades

Now the wheel needs to be mounted on the axle and installed on a support made of welded or bolted corners. All that remains is to make a generator (or install a ready-made one) and you can go to the river.

DIY generator

To make a homemade generator, you need to winding and filling the stator, for which you will need coils with 125 turns of copper wire on each. After connecting them, the entire structure is filled with polyester resin.

Each phase consists of three skeins attached in series, so the connection can be made in the shape of a star or triangle with several external leads

Now you need to prepare a plywood template that matches the size of the brake disc. Markings are made on the wooden ring and slots are made for installing magnets (in in this case neodymium magnets 1.3 cm thick, 2.5 cm wide and 5 cm long were used). Then the resulting rotor is also filled with resin, and after drying, it is attached to the wheel drum.

Water wheel with a rotor made of brake discs and a generator made of coils of copper wire - painted, presentable and ready for use

The last thing to install is an aluminum casing with an ammeter covering the rectifiers. The task of these elements is to convert three-phase current into direct current.

After installing the wheel in the flow of a small river with a cascade or outlet pipe, you can count on a mini-hydroelectric power station performance of 1.9A * 12V at 110 rpm

To prevent leaves, sand and other debris brought with the flow from getting into the wheel, it is advisable to place a protective net in front of the device.

You can also experiment with the gaps between the magnets and coils with an increased number of turns to increase the efficiency of the hydraulic station.

Useful video on the topic

An example of a working hydraulic installation with homemade generator based on a three-phase motor:

Mini-hydroelectric power station, designed on the principle of a water wheel:

A station based on a bicycle wheel is an interesting option for solving the problem of energy supply on vacation far from civilization:

As you can see, building a water mini-power station with your own hands is not so difficult. But since most of the calculations and parameters for its components are determined “by eye,” you should be prepared for possible breakdowns and associated costs.

If you feel a lack of knowledge and experience in this area, you should trust specialists who will perform all the necessary calculations, recommend the optimal equipment for your case and install it efficiently.

sovet-ingenera.com

Mini-hydroelectric power plants for a private house, cottage

Regular increases in electricity prices make many people think about the issue of alternative sources of electricity. One of best solutions in this case, a hydroelectric power station. The search for a solution to this issue concerns not only the scale of the country. More and more often you can see mini-hydroelectric power plants for the home (dacha). The costs in this case will only be for construction and maintenance. The disadvantage of such a structure is that its construction is possible only under certain conditions. A water flow is required. In addition, the construction of this structure in your yard requires permission from local authorities.

Mini hydroelectric power station diagram

The principle of operation of a hydroelectric power station for the home is quite simple. The structure diagram looks like this. Water falls on the turbine, causing the blades to rotate. They, in turn, drive the hydraulic drive due to torque or pressure difference. The received power is transferred from it to an electric generator, which produces electricity.

Currently, a hydroelectric power plant scheme is most often equipped with a control system. This allows the design to operate automatically. If necessary (for example, an accident), it is possible to switch to manual control.

Types of mini-hydroelectric power stations

It is worth understanding that mini-hydroelectric power plants can produce no more than three thousand kilowatts. This is the maximum power of such a structure. The exact value will depend on the type of hydroelectric power station and the design of the equipment used.

Depending on the type of water flow, the following types of stations are distinguished:

• Channel, characteristic of plains. They are installed on rivers with low flows.
• Stationary ones use the energy of water rivers with fast flow of water.
• Hydroelectric power stations installed in places where the water flow drops. They are most often found in industrial organizations.
• Mobile, which are built using reinforced hoses.

For the construction of a hydroelectric power station, even a small stream flowing through the site is sufficient. Owners of houses with central water supply should not despair.

One of American companies A station has been developed that can be built into the water supply system of a home. A small turbine is built into the water supply system, which is driven by the flow of water moving by gravity. This reduces the flow rate of water, but reduces the cost of electricity. Besides this installation completely safe.

Even mini-hydroelectric power plants are installed in sewer pipes. But their construction requires the creation of certain conditions. Water through the pipe should flow naturally due to the slope. The second requirement is that the pipe diameter must be suitable for the installation of the equipment. And this cannot be done in a separate house.

Classification of mini-hydroelectric power plants

Mini-hydroelectric power plants (the houses in which they are used are mostly in the private sector) most often belong to one of the following types, which differ in the principle of operation:

• The water wheel is the traditional type, which is the easiest to implement.
• Propeller. They are used in cases where the river has a bed more than ten meters wide.
• The garland is installed on rivers with low flow. To increase the speed of water flow, additional structures are used.
• The Darrieus rotor is usually installed in industrial enterprises.

The prevalence of these options is due to the fact that they do not require the construction of a dam.

Water wheel

This classic look Hydroelectric power station, which is most popular for the private sector. Mini-hydroelectric power plants of this type are a large wheel that can rotate. Its blades descend into the water. The rest of the structure is located above the riverbed, causing the entire mechanism to move. The power is transmitted through a hydraulic drive to a generator that produces current.

Propeller station

On the frame in a vertical position there is a rotor and an underwater windmill, which is lowered under water. A windmill has blades that rotate under the influence of water flow. The best resistance is provided by blades two centimeters wide (with a fast flow, the speed of which, however, does not exceed two meters per second).

In this case, the blades are driven by the resulting lift force, and not by water pressure. Moreover, the direction of movement of the blades is perpendicular to the direction of flow. This process is similar to wind power plants, only it works underwater.

Garlyandnaya hydroelectric power station

This type of mini-hydroelectric power station consists of a cable stretched over the riverbed and secured in a support bearing. Turbines of small size and weight (hydraulic rotors) are hung and rigidly fixed on it in the form of a garland. They consist of two half-cylinders. By aligning the axes when lowered into the water, a torque is created in them. This causes the cable to bend, stretch and begin to rotate. In this situation, the cable can be compared to a shaft that serves to transmit power. One of the ends of the cable is connected to the gearbox. The power from the rotation of the cable and hydraulic propellers is transmitted to it.

The presence of several “garlands” will help increase the power of the station. They can be connected to each other. Even this does not greatly increase the efficiency of this hydroelectric power station. This is one of the disadvantages of such a structure.

Another disadvantage of this species is the danger it creates for others. This kind of station can only be used in deserted places. Warning signs are required.

Rotor Daria

A mini-hydroelectric power station for a private house of this type is named after its developer, Georges Darrieus. This design was patented back in 1931. It is a rotor on which the blades are located. The required parameters are selected individually for each blade. The rotor is lowered under water in a vertical position. The blades rotate due to the pressure difference resulting from water flowing over their surface. This process is similar to the lift that makes airplanes take off.

This type of hydroelectric power station has a good efficiency indicator. Threefold advantage - the direction of flow does not matter.

The disadvantages of this type of power plant include a complex design and difficult installation.

Advantages of mini-hydroelectric power stations

Regardless of the type of design, mini-hydroelectric power plants have a number of advantages:

• They are environmentally friendly and do not produce substances harmful to the atmosphere.
• The process of generating electricity takes place without creating noise.
• The water remains clean.
• Electricity is generated constantly, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.
• Even a small stream is enough to set up a station.
• Excess electricity can be sold to neighbors.
• You don't need a lot of permitting documentation.

Do-it-yourself mini hydroelectric power station

You can build a water station to generate electricity yourself. For a private home, twenty kilowatts per day is enough. Even a mini-hydroelectric power station assembled with your own hands can cope with this value. But it should be remembered that this process is characterized by a number of features:

• It is quite difficult to make accurate calculations.
• The dimensions and thickness of the elements are selected “by eye”, only experimentally.
• Homemade structures do not have protective elements, which leads to frequent breakdowns and associated costs.

Therefore, if you do not have experience and certain knowledge in this area, it is better to abandon this kind of idea. It may be cheaper to purchase a ready-made station.

If you still decide to do everything yourself, then you need to start by measuring the speed of water flow in the river. After all, the power that can be obtained depends on this. If the speed is less than one meter per second, then the construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station in this location will not be justified.

Another stage that cannot be omitted is calculations. It is necessary to carefully calculate the amount of costs that will go into building the station. As a result, it may turn out that hydroelectric power is not the best option. Then you should pay attention to other types of alternative electricity.

Mini-hydroelectric power station can become optimal solution in terms of saving energy costs. For its construction, there must be a river near the house. Depending on the desired characteristics, you can select a suitable hydroelectric power station option. With the right approach, you can even make such a construction with your own hands.

fb.ru

Free electricity - do-it-yourself mini hydroelectric power station

If there is a river or even a small stream flowing near your home, then with the help of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. Perhaps this will not be a very large addition to the budget, but the realization that you have your own electricity costs much more. Well, if, for example, at a dacha, there is no central power supply, then even small amounts of electricity will be simply necessary. And so, to create a homemade hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are necessary - the availability of a water resource and desire.

If both are present, then the first thing to do is measure the speed of the river flow. This is very simple to do - throw a twig into the river and measure the time during which it floats 10 meters. Dividing meters by seconds gives you the current speed in m/s. If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then a productive mini hydroelectric power station will not work. In this case, you can try to increase the flow speed by artificially narrowing the channel or making a small dam if you are dealing with a small stream.

As a guide, you can use the relationship between the flow speed in m/s and the power of electricity removed from the propeller shaft in kW (screw diameter 1 meter). The data is experimental; in reality, the resulting power depends on many factors, but it is suitable for evaluation. So:

0.5 m/s – 0.03 kW, 0.7 m/s – 0.07 kW, 1 m/s – 0.14 kW, 1.5 m/s – 0.31 kW, 2 m/s – 0.55 kW, 2.5 m/s – 0.86 kW, 3 m /s -1.24 kW, 4 m/s – 2.2 kW, etc.

The power of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the flow velocity. As already indicated, if the flow speed is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.

Types of mini-hydroelectric power plants

There are several main options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants.

Water wheel

This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water. The wheel is less than half immersed in the flow. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for liquid flow. But that's enough complex designs more factory than homemade.

Rotor Daria

It is a vertical axis rotor used to generate electrical energy. A vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. This design was patented by Georges Jean-Marie Darrieux, a French aeronautical engineer in 1931. Also often used in wind turbine designs.

Garlyandnaya hydroelectric power station

A hydroelectric power station consists of light turbines - hydraulic propellers, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river. One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other rotates the generator rotor. In this case, the cable plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational motion of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.

Propeller

Also borrowed from the designs of wind power plants, a kind of “underwater wind turbine” with a vertical rotor. Unlike an air propeller, an underwater propeller has blades of minimal width. For water, a blade width of only 2 cm is sufficient. With such a width, there will be minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed. This width of the blades was chosen for a flow speed of 0.8-2 meters per second. At higher speeds, other sizes may be optimal. The propeller moves not due to water pressure, but due to the generation of lifting force. Just like an airplane wing. The propeller blades move across the flow rather than being dragged in the direction of the flow.

Advantages and disadvantages of various homemade mini hydroelectric power station systems

The disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station are obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency. The Garland hydroelectric power station is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in uninhabited, remote areas with appropriate warning signs. Permission from authorities and environmentalists may be required. The second option is a small stream in your garden. The Daria rotor is difficult to calculate and manufacture. At the beginning of work you need to unwind it. But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction - this is a plus.

The most widespread designs for the construction of homemade hydroelectric power plants are the propeller and water wheel. Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, they require minimum payments and are implemented at minimal cost, have high efficiency, and are easy to set up and operate.

If you do not have a water energy resource, you can make your own home wind power station.

An example of a simple mini-hydroelectric power station

The simplest hydroelectric power station can be quickly built from an ordinary bicycle with a dynamic headlight. Several blades (2-3) must be prepared from galvanized iron or thin sheet aluminum. The blades should be the length from the wheel rim to the hub, and 2-4 cm wide. These blades are installed between the spokes using any available method or using pre-prepared fasteners. If you are using two blades, place them opposite each other. If you want to add more blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at equal intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of the wheel with blades in the water. It is usually one-third to one-half immersed. The option of a traveling wind power plant was considered earlier.

Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists perfectly - the main thing is the presence of a stream or rivulet - which is usually the place where the camp is set up. A mini hydroelectric power station from a bicycle can illuminate a tent and charge cell phones or other gadgets.

bazila.net

Do-it-yourself hydroelectric power station on your own plot

Homemade mini hydroelectric power station, made with your own hands: a photo with a description, as well as several videos showing the operation of a mini hydroelectric power station.

The author has a small stream flowing near his house, this gave him the idea of ​​building a mini hydroelectric power station in order to be able to obtain additional electricity for lighting the house and operating low-power household appliances.

The turbine was made independently from moisture-resistant plywood 13 mm thick.

The result was a wheel with a diameter of 1200 mm and a width of 600 mm; the structure was additionally covered with a water-repellent coating.

The turbine mount is made of oak timber, the entire installation is secured with anchors to a concrete base cast at the bottom of the stream.

This homemade mini hydroelectric power station uses a Wind blue Power Permanent Magnet Generator; it is capable of generating 12 V at just 130 rpm. A regular car generator is not suitable here, as it produces 12 V at more than 1000 rpm. Torque is transmitted from the turbine to the generator by a chain transmission.

At first, the turbine did not rotate fast enough and the author decided to make an additional stage under the dam, at which the water collected in a narrow mouth and fell with greater force onto the wheel blades.

A pair of 12V 110A car batteries and an inverter are connected to the generator.

The output power of a mini hydroelectric power station is 50 W, at its peak it produces up to 500 W.

In my opinion, the idea is not bad, the installation can be improved, of course, its power is not enough to fully supply the house with energy, but it is quite suitable as an additional source of free electricity.

Turbine wheel for generator.

Homemade mini hydroelectric power station at work.

Video: hydroelectric turbine at full load.

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sam-stroitel.com

Do-it-yourself mini-hydroelectric power station - is it real?

Since electricity tariffs have recently begun to rise, renewable sources of electricity are becoming increasingly important among the population, allowing them to receive electricity almost free of charge. Among such sources known to mankind, it is worth highlighting solar panels, wind generators, and home hydroelectric power plants. But the latter are quite complex, because they have to work in very aggressive conditions. Although this does not mean that it is impossible to build a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands.

To do everything correctly and efficiently, the main thing is to choose the right materials. They must ensure maximum durability of the station. Do-it-yourself home hydro generators, whose power is comparable to that of solar panels and wind turbines, can produce a much larger amount of energy. But although a lot depends on the materials, everything does not end there.

Types of mini hydroelectric power plants

Exists a large number of various variations of mini-hydroelectric power stations, each of which has its own advantages, features and disadvantages. The following types of these devices are distinguished:

• garland;
• propeller;
• Daria rotor;
• water wheel with blades.

A garland hydroelectric power station consists of a cable on which rotors are attached. Such a cable is pulled across the river and immersed in water. The flow of water in the river begins to rotate the rotors, which in turn rotate the cable, at one end of which there is a bearing, and at the other - a generator.

The next type is a water wheel with blades. It is installed perpendicular to the water surface, submerging less than half. As the flow of water acts on the wheel, it rotates and causes the generator for the mini-hydroelectric power station on which this wheel is attached to rotate.

Classic water wheel - a well forgotten old one

As for the propeller hydroelectric power station, it is a wind turbine located under water with a vertical rotor. The width of the blades of such a windmill does not exceed 2 centimeters. This width is enough for water, because it is this rating that allows you to produce the maximum amount of electricity with minimal resistance. True, this width is optimal only for flow speeds up to 2 meters per second.

As for other conditions, the parameters of the rotor blades are calculated separately. And the Darrieus rotor is a vertically positioned rotor that operates on the principle of differential pressure. Everything happens similarly with an airplane wing, which is affected by lift.

Advantages and disadvantages

If we consider a garland hydroelectric power station, it has a number of obvious shortcomings. Firstly, the long cable used in the design poses a danger to others. Rotors hidden under water also pose a great danger. Well, in addition, it is worth noting the low efficiency indicators and high material consumption.

As for the disadvantages of the Darrieus rotor, in order for the device to start generating electricity, it must first be spun up. True, in this case, power is taken directly above the water, so no matter how the water flow changes, the generator will generate electricity.

All of the above are factors that make hydraulic turbines for mini-hydroelectric power plants and water wheels more popular. If we consider the manual construction of such devices, they are not so complicated. And in addition, at minimal costs, such mini-hydroelectric power plants are capable of delivering maximum efficiency indicators. So the criteria for popularity are obvious.

Where to start construction

The construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands should begin with measuring the speed indicators of river flows. This is done very simply: just mark a distance of 10 meters upstream, pick up a stopwatch, throw a chip into the water, and note the time it takes for it to cover the measured distance.

Ultimately, if you divide 10 meters by the number of seconds taken, you get the speed of the river in meters per second. It is worth considering that there is no point in building mini-hydroelectric power stations in places where the flow speed does not exceed 1 m/s.

If the reservoir is far away, you can build a bypass channel

If you need to figure out how mini-hydroelectric power stations are made in areas where the river speed is low, then you can try to increase the flow by organizing a height difference. This can be done by installing a drain pipe into the reservoir. In this case, the diameter of the pipe will directly affect the speed of water flow. The smaller the diameter, the faster the flow.

This approach makes it possible to organize a mini-hydroelectric power station even if there is a small stream passing near the house. That is, a collapsible dam is organized on it, below which a mini-hydroelectric power station is installed directly to power the house and household appliances.

energomir.biz

Water generator from thin air » Useful homemade products

Design, principle of operation of a water generator The water generator is a pyramidal frame with a moisture-absorbing filler. The pyramidal frame is formed by four pillars. 3, welded to the base pos. 4, made of metal corner. A metal mesh is welded into the space between the corners of the base, pos. 15: from below to the base using pads pos. 6, a polyethylene tray is attached, pos. 5 with a hole in the middle. The internal space of the mesh frame is densely (but without deformation of the walls) filled with moisture-absorbing material. From the outside, a transparent dome of poses is placed on the pyramidal frame. 1, which is fixed using four stretchers, pos. 8 and shock absorber pos. 14.

The water generator has two operating cycles: absorption of moisture from the air by the filler; evaporation of moisture from the filler with its subsequent condensation on the walls of the dome. At sunset, the transparent dome is raised to provide air access to the filler; the filler absorbs moisture throughout the night. In the morning the dome is lowered and sealed with a shock absorber; the sun evaporates moisture from the filler, steam collects in the upper part of the pyramid, condensation flows down the walls of the dome onto the tray and, through a hole in it, fills the container with water.

Making a Water GeneratorPreparations for making a water generator begin with collecting the filler. Newsprint scraps are used as filler; Newspaper paper should be taken free of printing font to avoid clogging the resulting water with lead compounds. The work of collecting paper will take a lot of time, during which time the remaining elements of the water generator are manufactured. The base is welded from metal corners with shelf dimensions of 35x35 mm, four supports, pos., are welded to it from below. 10 of the same corners and eight brackets pos. 13. The brackets are connected to each other by steel rods pos. 17 length 930 mm; diameter 10 mm. A metal mesh with a cell size of 15x15 mm is welded on top of the corner shelves. mesh wire diameter 1.5-2 mm. Four overlays, pos., are cut from steel tape. 6. Using the holes in the pads, holes with a diameter of 4.5 mm are drilled in the corners of the base and threads are cut for the VM 5 screws. Then the base is installed in the place designated for hot water in the garden plot, vegetable garden, etc. The location must be chosen so that the hot water is not shaded by trees and buildings.

After choosing a place to support the base, it is fixed in the ground with cement mortar. It is allowed to weld support pads with a diameter of 100 mm from a steel sheet 2 mm thick to the supports. After this, four racks are welded alternately into the corners of the base square so that sections of 30 mm long racks are in the center of the base at a height of approximately 1.5 m. The racks are reinforced with crossbars, which are welded to the racks from the inside.

The material of the crossbars is the same as that of the racks. Then a tray is cut out of 1 mm thick polyethylene film, pos. 5; The edges of the pallet, which will be under the linings, are tucked in to strengthen the attachment point. A round hole with a diameter of 70 mm is cut out in the center of the pan to drain water. The edges of the holes can also be strengthened by welding additional polyethylene overlay. Next, a mesh frame is fixed to the posts, which is a fine-mesh fishing net with a cell size of 15x15 mm. The net is tied to the posts and edges of the metal mesh pallet using cotton tape so that the net is stretched tightly between the posts. It is also advisable to tie the net to the crossbars, dividing the internal volume of the pyramid into two compartments. Before tying the net to the front pillar, the compartments (starting from the top) of the resulting mesh frame are tightly filled with crumpled scraps of newsprint. Filling should be done so that there is no free space left inside the pyramid and the protrusion of the mesh walls is minimal. Then they begin to make a transparent dome. It is made of polyethylene film, the cutting of which is carried out according to the drawing, pos. 1 and welded with a soldering iron along planes A, A1. Perform the seam without overheating so that the polyethylene does not become brittle at the welding site. To prevent damage to the integrity of the dome at the top of the pyramid, it is covered with a kind of polyethylene “cap” - fragment B according to drawing pos. 1. Then, having first placed fragment B on the pyramid, carefully place the dome on the frame. Having straightened the dome, weld the edges of the C planes together: a kind of “skirt” is obtained. A ring is made from a rubber tube, pos. 9, which is put on the pyramid. Four guy ropes with hooks are tied to the ring, poses. 11. The bottom of the transparent dome (“skirt”) is pressed tightly against the corners of the base with a shock absorber. Shock absorber - a ring of rubber tape 5000 mm long, 50 mm wide, made of a rubber bandage. In the absence of polyethylene required area for the dome, it is welded from several fragments of polyethylene. To weld polyethylene, it is recommended to use a soldering iron with a power of 40-65 W, in the tip of which a groove is made; a metal disk 3-5 mm thick is fixed in the groove on the axis.

Operation of the water generator At sunset, the transparent dome is folded up to the level of the crossbars and fixed in this position with braces, putting hooks on the rods, pos. 17. During the night, the paper will absorb moisture and, in the morning, the dome is lowered, fixing its lower edge to the base with a shock absorber. During the day, the sun will heat up the pyramid, the moisture from the paper will evaporate, and as the steam cools, it will condense on the walls into water, which flows down. Water is collected by placing a container under the hole in the polyethylene pan. At sunset the cycle is repeated. It is recommended to change the paper in the GV every season; for the winter the dome should be stored indoors. It is also recommended to change the dome after losing the transparency of its walls. During operation, it is necessary to monitor the integrity of the dome.

www.freeseller.ru

How to make a mini-hydroelectric power station with your own hands / Sustainable products and structures…

If there is a small river near your home, you can use such a generator to generate clean energy. This scheme was developed by an American innovator and assembled a mini-hydroelectric power station in just three days.

Hydroelectric power plants use the power of water to generate electrical energy. Self-made stations solve the problem of distance from centralized power grids or help save on electricity.

Advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power stations

Hydroelectric power plants have the following advantages over other types of alternative energy sources:

• They do not depend on the weather and time of day (unlike). This allows more energy to be produced at a predictable rate.
• The power of the source (river or stream) can be adjusted. To do this, it is enough to narrow the channel with a dam or provide a difference in water heights.
• Hydraulic installations do not make any noise (unlike).
• Many types of low power stations do not require any installation permits.

The disadvantages of homemade hydroelectric power plants include the inability to work in cold weather. In addition, the aquatic environment is aggressive, so the station parts must be waterproof and durable.

When designing a mini-hydroelectric power station for use as an alternative source of energy for your own home, the following factors should be decisive:

• Proximity of the river to the house. There is no point in installing a homemade station away from home. The further away the installation, the lower its efficiency, because some of the energy will be lost during transmission. In addition, it is more difficult to protect your hydroelectric power station from theft or damage.
• Sufficient flow speed or the possibility of increasing it. The power of the station increases exponentially with increasing water speed.

It's easy to find out the speed. Throw a piece of foam or a tennis ball into the water and time the time it takes for it to swim a certain distance. Then divide the meters by seconds and you will know the speed. The minimum sufficient water speed for a homemade hydroelectric power station is 1 m/s.

If the flow rate of your river or stream is below this value, then it will be increased by a small dam or narrowing pipe. But these options can cause additional difficulties. The construction of a dam requires permission from the authorities, as well as the consent of neighbors.

Do-it-yourself mini hydroelectric power station

The design of a hydroelectric power station is quite complex, so it will be possible to build only a small station on your own, which will save on electricity or provide energy to a modest household. Below are two examples of the implementation of a homemade hydroelectric power station.

How to make a mini hydroelectric power station from a bicycle

This version of the hydroelectric power station is ideal for cycling trips. It is compact and lightweight, but can provide energy to a small camp set up on the banks of a stream or river. The resulting electricity will be enough for evening lighting and charging mobile devices.

To install the station you will need:

• Front wheel from a bicycle.
• A bicycle generator that is used to power bicycle lights.
• Homemade blades. They are cut out in advance from sheet aluminum. The width of the blades should be from two to four centimeters, and the length should be from the wheel hub to its rim. There can be any number of blades; they need to be placed at the same distance from each other.

To launch such a station, it is enough to immerse the wheel in water. The immersion depth is determined experimentally, approximately from a third to a half of the wheel.

To build a more powerful station for permanent use, more durable materials will be needed. Metal and plastic elements, which are easier to protect from exposure to the aquatic environment, are best suited. But wooden parts are also suitable if you soak them in a special solution and paint them with waterproof paint.

The station requires the following elements:

• Steel cable drum (2.2 meters in diameter). The rotor-wheel is made from it. To do this, the drum is cut into pieces and welded again at a distance of 30 centimeters. Blades (18 pieces) are made from the remains of the drum. They are welded to a radius at an angle of 45 degrees. To support the entire structure, a frame is made from angles or pipes. The wheel rotates on bearings.
• A chain gear is installed on the wheel (the gear ratio should be four). To make it easier to bring the axes of the drive and generator together, as well as to reduce vibration, rotation is transmitted through the cardan from the old car.
• An asynchronous motor is suitable for the generator. To it should be added another gear reducer with a coefficient of about 40. Then for a three-phase generator with 3000 revolutions per second with a total reduction coefficient of 160, the number of revolutions will decrease to 20 revolutions per minute.
• Place all electrical items in a waterproof container.

The described starting materials can easily be found in a landfill or from friends. You can pay specialists for cutting a steel drum with a grinder and for welding (or do everything yourself). As a result, a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 5 kW will cost a small amount.

Generating electricity from water is not that difficult. It is more difficult to build an autonomous power supply system based on a homemade hydroelectric power station, maintain the station in working order and ensure the safety of people and animals around it.

Damless all-season hydroelectric power station

A damless all-season hydroelectric power station (BVHPP) is proposed, which is designed to generate electricity without constructing a dam by using the energy of gravity flow.

Due to the manufacture of various standard sizes for different flow speeds, as well as cascade installation, BVGES installations can be used both in small farms and for industrial electricity production, especially in places remote from power lines.

Structurally, the rotor of a hydroelectric power station is installed vertically, the height of the rotor is from 0.25 to 2.5 m... The structure is fixed on rivers with freeze-up at the bottom of the channel, and in an open (non-freezing channel) __ on a fixed catamaran.

The power of the installation is proportional to the area of ​​the blade and the flow speed in the cube. The dependence of the power received at the shaft of the BVGES on its size and flow speed, as well as the estimated cost of the hydraulic unit is presented in the following table:

BVHPP power, kW depending on flow speed and installation size

The payback period of the installation does not exceed 1 year. A prototype of the BVGES was tested at a full-scale water test site.

Currently, there is technical documentation for the production of industrial samples according to customer specifications.

Pressure micro and small hydroelectric power stations

Hydraulic units for small hydroelectric power plants are designed for operation in a wide range of pressures and flow rates with high energy characteristics.

Microhydroelectric power stations are reliable, environmentally friendly, compact, quick-payback sources of electricity for villages, farmsteads, holiday villages, farms, as well as mills, bakeries, small industries in remote mountainous and hard-to-reach areas where there are no nearby power lines, and building such lines now takes longer and is more expensive than purchasing and installing micro-hydroelectric power stations.

The delivery set includes: a power unit, a water intake device and an automatic control device.

There is successful experience in operating equipment at differences in existing dams, canals, water supply, and drainage systems industrial enterprises and municipal facilities, wastewater treatment plants, irrigation systems and drinking water pipelines. More than 150 sets of equipment have been delivered to customers in various regions of Russia, CIS countries, as well as Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Sweden and Latvia.

The main technical solutions used to create the equipment are at the level of inventions and are protected by patents.

1. MICROHYDRO POWER PLANTS

with propeller impeller
- power up to 10 kW (MGES-10PR) for a head of 2.0-4.5 m and a flow rate of 0.07 - 0.14 m3/s;
— power up to 10 kW (MGES-10PR) for a head of 4.5-8.0 m and a flow rate of 0.10 - 0.21 m3/s;
— power up to 15 kW (MGES-15PR) for a head of 1.75-3.5 m and a flow rate of 0.10 - 0.20 m3/s;
— power up to 15 kW (MGES-15PR) for a pressure of 3.5-7.0 m and a flow rate of 0.15 - 0.130 m3/s;
— power up to 50 kW (MGES-50PR) for a pressure of 4.0-10.0 m and a flow rate of 0.36 - 0.80 m3/s;

with diagonal impeller
- power 10-50 kW (MGES-50D) for a pressure of 10.0-25.0 m and a flow rate of 0.05 - 0.28 m3/s;
— power up to 100 kW (MGES-100D) for a pressure of 25.0-55.0 m and a flow rate of 0.19 - 0.25 m3/s;

2. HYDRO UNITS FOR SMALL HYDRO POWERS

Hydraulic units with axial turbines with a power of up to 1000 kW;
-hydraulic units with radial-axial turbines with a power of up to 5000 kW;
-hydraulic units with bucket turbines with a power of up to 5000 kW;

DELIVERY TIME

Micro hydroelectric power station 10 kW; 15 kW is delivered within 3 months after signing the contract.
Micro hydroelectric power station 50 kW; delivered within 6 months after signing the contract.
Micro hydroelectric power station 100 kW; delivered within 8 months after signing the contract.
Hydraulic units are delivered within 6 to 12 months after signing the contract.

The company’s specialists are ready to help you determine the optimal option for installing micro and small hydroelectric power plants, select equipment for them, assist in the installation and commissioning of hydraulic units, as well as provide after-sales service for the equipment.
during its operation.

COST OF EQUIPMENT

Russian-made micro-hydroelectric power station

Appearance

Micro-hydroelectric power station 10 kW

Micro-hydroelectric power station 50 kW

InzhInvestStroy

Mini hydroelectric power station. Microhydroelectric power plants

Small hydroelectric power station or small hydroelectric power station (SHPP) is a hydroelectric power station that generates a relatively small amount of electricity and consists of hydroelectric power plants with an installed capacity of 1 to 3000 kW.

Micro hydroelectric power station designed to convert the hydraulic energy of a fluid flow into electrical energy for further transmission of the generated electricity to the power system.

The term micro means that this hydroelectric power station is installed on small water bodies - small rivers or even streams, technological streams or differences in elevation of water treatment systems, and the power of the hydraulic unit does not exceed 10 kW.

SHPPs are divided into two classes: micro-hydroelectric power plants (up to 200 kW) and mini-hydroelectric power plants (up to 3000 kW). The former are used mainly in households and small enterprises, the latter - in larger facilities.

For the owner of a country house or small business, the former are obviously of greater interest.

Based on the principle of operation, micro-hydroelectric power plants are divided into the following types:

Water wheel. This is a wheel with blades, mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water and half immersed in it. During operation, water puts pressure on the blades and causes the wheel to rotate.

From the point of view of ease of manufacture and obtaining maximum efficiency at minimum cost, this design works well.

Therefore, it is often used in practice.

Garland mini-hydroelectric power station. It is a cable thrown from one bank of the river to the other with rotors rigidly attached to it. The flow of water rotates the rotors, and from them the rotation is transmitted to a cable, one end of which is connected to the bearing, and the other to the generator shaft.

Disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency.

Rotor Daria.

This is a vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. In fact, SHPPs of this design are identical to wind generators of the same name, but are located in a liquid medium.

The Daria rotor is difficult to manufacture; it needs to be untwisted before starting work.

But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction. Like its airborne counterpart, the efficiency of the Darrieus rotor is inferior to that of propeller-type small hydroelectric power plants.

Propeller.

This is an underwater “windmill” with a vertical rotor, which, unlike an air one, has blades of a minimum width of only 2 cm. This width provides minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed and was chosen for the most common flow speed - 0.8-2 meters per second.

Propeller SHPPs, as well as wheeled ones, are easy to manufacture and have relatively high efficiency, which is the reason for their frequent use.

Classification of mini hydroelectric power stations

Classification by power output (areas of application).

The power generated by a micro hydroelectric power station is determined by a combination of two factors, the first is the pressure of water flowing onto the blades of the hydraulic turbine, which drives the generator generating electricity, and the second factor is the flow rate, i.e.

the volume of water passing through the turbine in 1 second. Flow is the determining factor when classifying a hydroelectric power station as a specific type.

Based on the generated power, small hydroelectric power stations are divided into:

• Household power up to 15 kW: used to provide electricity to private households and farms.
• Commercial up to 180 kW: supply electricity to small businesses.
• Industrial with a capacity of over 180 kW: they generate electricity for sale, or energy is transferred to production.

Classification by design

Classification by installation location

• High-pressure - more than 60 m;
• Medium pressure - from 25 m;
• Low-pressure - from 3 to 25 m.

This classification implies that the power plant operates at different speeds, and a number of measures are taken to stabilize it mechanically, because

the flow rate depends on the pressure.

Components of mini hydroelectric power station

The power generating installation of a small hydroelectric power station consists of a turbine, a generator and an automatic control system. Some of the system elements are similar to solar or wind generation systems. Main elements of the system:

• Hydro turbine with blades, connected by a shaft to the generator
• Generator.

  Mini hydroelectric power station (HPP) for home

  Designed to generate alternating current. Attached to the turbine shaft. The parameters of the generated current are relatively unstable, but nothing similar to power surges occurs during wind generation;

• Hydro turbine control unit provides start and stop of the hydraulic unit, automatic synchronization of the generator when connected to the power system, control of operating modes of the hydraulic unit, and emergency stop.
• Ballast load block, designed to dissipate power currently unused by the consumer, avoids failure of the electric generator and monitoring and control system.
• Charge controller/stabilizer: designed to control battery charge, control blade rotation and voltage conversion.
• Bank AKB: a storage tank, the size of which determines the duration of autonomous operation of the object powered by it.
• Inverter, many hydro generation systems use inverter systems. If there is a battery bank and a charge controller, hydraulic systems are not much different from other systems that use renewable energy sources.

Mini hydroelectric power station for a private house

Rising electricity tariffs and the lack of sufficient capacity make urgent questions about the use of free energy from renewable sources in households.

Compared to other sources of renewable energy sources, mini hydroelectric power stations are of interest, since with equal power to a windmill and a solar battery, they are capable of producing much more energy in an equal period of time.

A natural limitation on their use is the lack of a river

If a small river, stream flows near your house, or there are elevation changes on lake spillways, then you have all the conditions for installing a mini hydroelectric power station. The money spent on its purchase will quickly pay for itself - you will be provided with cheap electricity at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions and other external factors.

The main indicator that indicates the efficiency of using SHPPs is the flow rate of the reservoir.

If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then it is necessary to take additional measures to accelerate it, for example, make a bypass channel of variable cross-section or organize an artificial height difference.

Advantages and disadvantages of microhydropower

The advantages of a mini hydroelectric power station for the home include:

• Environmental safety (with reservations for juvenile fish) of equipment and the absence of the need to flood large areas with colossal material damage;
• Ecological purity of the energy produced.

  There is no effect on the properties and quality of water. Reservoirs can be used both for fishing activities and as sources of water supply for the population;

• Low cost of generated electricity, which is several times cheaper than that generated at thermal power plants;
• Simplicity and reliability of the equipment used, and the possibility of its operation in autonomous mode (both within and outside the power supply network).

  The electric current they generate meets GOST requirements for frequency and voltage;

• The full service life of the station is at least 40 years (at least 5 years before major repairs);
• inexhaustibility of resources used to generate energy.

The main disadvantage of micro-hydroelectric power plants is the relative danger for the inhabitants of aquatic fauna, because Rotating turbine blades, especially in high-speed flows, can pose a threat to fish or fry.

general information

Micro hydroelectric power plant (Micro HPP) is designed to provide power supply to a consumer isolated from the power grid.

The complete supply of micro-hydroelectric power plants is shown in Table 1

Terms of Use:

— air temperature, 0 ° C

— at the power point from -10 to +40;

— at the location of electrical cabinets from 0 to +40;

— altitude above sea level, m up to 1000; (When installing a micro-hydroelectric power station at an altitude of more than 1000 m, the maximum power must be limited)

— relative air humidity at the location of electrical cabinets does not exceed 98% at t = + 250 ° C.

The warranty period for micro-hydroelectric power stations is 1 year from the date of its launch, but not more than 1.5 years from the date of dispatch, installation of control and commissioning of work with the participation of the company and compliance with the rules of transport, storage and operation of experts.

Complete supply of micro-hydroelectric power plants

Table 1

technical data

MicroHP specifications are shown in Table 2

table 2

parameter
Head (net), m
Water consumption, m3/s
Output power, kW
Rotation speed, rpm
Voltage, V
Current frequency, Hz
Disc diameter, mm
Feed diameter, mm

Requirements for the network and consumer load (the load is determined as a percentage of the actual input to the micro-hydroelectric power station):

- characteristics of local, four-phase, three-phase;

— power of each engine,% not more than 10;

Total motor power, if additional compensation capacitors are installed, % not more than 30.

DESIGN

The power supply is designed to generate electricity and consists of a hydraulic turbine and an asynchronous motor, which is used as a generator.

It is designed to absorb excess active power of micro-hydroelectric power plants. BNN is a cabinet containing thermoelectric heaters.

The automatic control device is designed to control and protect the drive. It provides excitation of an asynchronous generator and automatic control of the produced voltage and frequency.

UAR provides protection against overload, overvoltage and short circuits

The water supply device is made in the form of a network box, inside of which there is a water supply hose with a closing housing.

The water supply device is designed in such a way that floating residues do not enter the drive.

Complete, assembly and connecting dimensions shown in Figure 1.

installation requirements

For the operation of a micropower plant, the presence of pressure (difference in water levels) is a precondition (see Figure 2).

Full screen hydroelectric dam

The head may be obtained due to the difference in watermarks between:

- two rivers;

- lake and river;

- on the same river, due to the flattening of the curve.

Pressure is also possible during dam construction.

Figure 2 shows the installation of micro HP according to the barrier design diagram. To create pressure on the turbine along the river, which has many slopes and rapids, an outlet pipeline is installed.

A small rock dam dissipates to increase the pressure.

The piping must provide water for the installation with minimal loss of head.

The length of the pipeline is determined by local conditions.

Before the power supply, the inlet and main valves required to start and stop the micro HPW must be installed on the pipeline.

Rice. 1
In general, the installation and connection dimensions of Micro HPP 10Pr.
1 - drive,
2 - block ballast load BBN,
3 - Automatic control device UAR

Low power cogeneration plants (review)

Cogeneration plants for individual houses - micro-CHP,« Micro-CHP (microCHP)" is an abbreviation for " heat and power combined” (combining heat and electricity) is an installation designed for heating individual housing) is one of the most interesting areas of development of heating technology.

Micro-CHP(microCHP) have already found thousands of users and will be included in manufacturer catalogs in the coming years.

Various technical solutions are implemented in manufactured and designed designs - from the traditional internal combustion engine (Otto engine), to steam turbines and piston engines, as well as the Stirling external combustion engine. When promoting this equipment, manufacturers make arguments of both economic and environmental nature: high (more than 90%) total Efficiency micro-CHP ensures a reduction in energy supply costs and the volume of harmful emissions, in particular carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.

Company Senertec GmbH, part of Baxi Group, which has currently implemented about one and a half ten thousand installations Dachs(Badger) with an internal combustion engine.

Electric power - from 5 kW, thermal power - from 12.5 to 20.5. Senertec offers an energy center for an individual home, and when using several modules, for a large commercial facility. In addition to the compact cogeneration module, it includes, as standard, a buffer storage tank with a capacity of up to 1000 liters with a heat station mounted on it, combining all the piping elements necessary for heating and hot water supply.

Additionally there is also an external condensing heat exchanger. Various models of Dachs units operate on natural, liquefied gas, and diesel fuel.

There is a Dachs RS model designed to run on biodiesel fuel made from rapeseed oil. The estimated cost of the gas model is 25 thousand euros.

Micro-CHP (Mini-BHKW) ecopover German company PoverPlus Technologies(included in Vaillant Group) is already sold on the European market.

Its electrical power is modulated in the range from 1.3 to 4.7, thermal - in the range from 4.0 to 12.5 kW. The total efficiency of the installation exceeds 90%; its fuel is natural or liquefied gas.

The estimated cost of the model is 20 thousand euros.

At the end of last year the company Otag Vertribes A pilot batch of floor-mounted gas micro-CHP was released lion ®-Powerblock electrical power 0.2-2.2, thermal - 2.5-16.0 kW.

It uses steam two-cylinder engine with a double freely moving piston: steam alternately enters the left and right cylinders, driving the working piston.

The steam generator of the apparatus consists of a pressurized burner and a steel coil; steam temperature - 350 °C, pressure - 25-30 bar. Its condensation is carried out directly in the apparatus.

As expected, lion ® on pellets will be available in April 2010.

Company Microgen(UK), one of the leaders in production mini-CHP, first developed Stirling's engine so small size that it can be built into the boiler of an autonomous heating system.

by the company Baxi Heating UK announced its intention to bring to the UK market in 2008 a compact (wall-mounted) micro-CHP with an electrical power of 1 kW and a thermal power of up to 36 kW. The installation was developed jointly with Microgen Energy and is a combination of a compact single-piston Stirling engine created by it with a Baxi condensing boiler.

The model is equipped with two burners: the first - forced-air modulation - ensures the operation of the electric generator and produces 15 kW of thermal power, the second - satisfies the additional heat demand of the facility. A prototype of the installation was presented at the ISH-2007 exhibition.

Microgen, in collaboration with Dutch natural gas supplier Gausine and De Dietrich Remeha Group, producing boilers Remeha, develops a complete solution for heating and electricity generation.

De Dietrich-Remeha Group plans to produce and sell wall-mounted condensing boiler with built-in Stirling engine. It has already been exhibited at the ISH-2007 and 2009 exhibitions. The boiler will be produced in single- and double-circuit versions. Some specifications boiler: Its thermal power will be 23 kW, in the second case - 28 kW; electric power - 1 kW; Stirling heat output – 4.8 kW, efficiency at 40/30°C - more than 107%, low CO2 and NOx emissions, noise level - less than 43 dB(A) per 1 m.

Dimensions: 900x420x450 mm.

The most important advantage of the HRE boiler is that part of its high output of up to 107% (thanks to condensing technology) is used to generate electricity. The cost of electricity, as well as emissions of harmful substances, are reduced by 65% ​​compared to thermal power plants using traditional fuel.

For an average home, the “Remeha-HRE” boiler produces 2500 – 3000 kW per year, which is 75% of average consumption, thereby saving approximately 400 euros per year. When heating and generating electricity, emissions of harmful substances are reduced by 20%. 8 boilers are being tested in Holland. A further 120 boilers are currently being launched for larger scale testing. Commercial production is expected to begin in 2010.

In Japan, more than 30,000 homeowners have installed micro-CHP Honda with quiet, efficient internal combustion engines housed in a sleek metal body.

KOHLER® Automated Gas Generating Units made in the USA with a power of 13 kVA, intended for use in residential buildings.

They have optimal compactness and excellent sound insulation.

Gas generators are designed for outdoor installation and do not require a special room. Both natural main gas and liquefied gas in cylinders or gas holders are suitable for their operation.

The automatic emergency control system makes their use safe and comfortable.

This equipment allows you to most effectively solve the following, unfortunately, not uncommon problems with power supply that owners of country houses face:

• The network is good, there is enough power, but sometimes there are power outages
• The network is weak, overloaded, strong voltage sags, frequent outages
• Insufficient capacity allocated by the electricity supply organization
• There is no network at all

You will never lack energy!

Your home needs energy.

KOHLER® generator sets are made with professional quality, but designed for home use so you can continue your activities and enjoy comfort even during a power outage. KOHLER® generator sets are compact, noise-insulated and turn on automatically if there is a power outage, ensuring normal life in the home can continue and complete peace of mind.

Have confidence in your KOHLER® generator set.

It will start working if there is a power outage, no matter whether you are at home or not, and will provide your home with electricity, for example, in order to:

• Refrigerators and freezers continued to operate.
• Air conditioning, heating and alarm systems were functioning.
• Drainage pumps, frost protection systems, etc. were functioning.
• Provide energy for your computer system.
• Everyday life continued without loss.

KOHLER® generator sets are permanently installed outside the home and turn on automatically to generate energy if the mains power supply is interrupted.

• Reliable power supply.

  Power failures can lead to damage to electrical equipment (plasma displays, refrigerators with electronically controlled temperature, computers, etc.).

  Hydroelectric power plants in Russia

  KOHLER® generator sets provide backup power that meets European residential standards. The KOHLER® generator set will not damage expensive electronic equipment!

• Better sound insulation. KOHLER® generator sets operate virtually silently, maintaining comfortable conditions for you and your neighbors. The noise level during operation is no higher than 65 decibels at a distance of 7 m, which corresponds to the noise of a conventional household air conditioner.

• Quick start.

  KOHLER® generator sets restore power within seconds. They have automatic system weekly testing to keep the unit in working order when used infrequently.

• Fuel. KOHLER® generator sets are suitable for operation with liquid gas propane or natural gas, as well as on diesel fuel.

  Gas generator sets have low level emissions, which makes them safer from an environmental point of view, they operate silently and require less frequent maintenance.

  The choice is yours.

• KOHLER® quality. KOHLER® is a recognized international group of companies with almost 90 years of experience in the production of generator sets to provide reserve energy. The first installation was assembled in 1920.

Characteristics of the SDMO RES 13 gas generator

Power plants and generators

To main

Small hydroelectric power plants are usually divided into two types: “mini” - providing a unit of power up to 5000 kW, and “micro” - in the range from 3 to 100 kW. The use of hydroelectric power plants of such capacity is not new for Russia, but it is a well-forgotten old thing: in the 50s and 60s, thousands of small hydroelectric power plants operated.

Currently, their number almost reaches hundreds of pieces. Meanwhile, the constant rise in prices for fossil fuels leads to a significant increase in the cost of electricity, the share of which in production costs is 20% or more. In this regard, a small hydroelectric power station received a new life.

Modern hydropower, compared to other traditional types of electricity, is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce electricity.

A small hydroelectric power station continues in this direction. Small power plants make it possible to preserve the natural landscape and environment not only during the operation phase, but also during the construction process.

Mini hydroelectric power station 10-15-30-50 kW

In future bad influence does not affect the quality of water: it completely preserves its original natural properties.

In canned fish rivers, water can be used for aquatic plant species. Unlike other clean renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, small hydroelectric power plants are virtually independent of weather conditions and can provide a stable supply of energy to economical consumers. Another benefit of using little energy is saving money.

At a time when natural energy sources - oil, coal and gas - are being depleted, constant growth is more expensive, the use of cheap, accessible renewable energy sources, especially small ones, allows for the production of cheap electricity. In addition, the construction of small hydroelectric power plants is cheap and quickly pays for itself. Thus, the construction of a small hydroelectric power station with an installed capacity of about 500 kW, the cost construction work is about 14.5-15.0 million rubles.

The combination table is put into operation project documentation, construction of equipment, construction and installation of small hydroelectric power stations for 15-18 months. High frequency electricity from hydroelectric power stations is no more than 0.45-0.5 rubles per 1 kWh, 1. This is five times lower than the costs of electricity actually sold by the power system.

By the way, in the next year or two years they intend to increase the electric power systems by 2-2.2 times, so construction costs will be repaid in 3.5-5 years. The implementation of such a project will not harm the environment from an environmental point of view.

In addition, it should be noted that reconstruction, previously deducted from the operation of a small hydroelectric power station, will cost 1.5-2 times less.

Many Russian scientific and industrial organizations and companies are engaged in the design and development of equipment for such hydroelectric power plants.

One of the largest is the intersectoral scientific and technical association “INSET” (St. Petersburg). INSET specialists have developed and patented original technical solutions for automated control systems for small and micro hydroelectric power plants. The use of such systems does not require the constant presence of maintenance personnel on site - the hydraulic unit operates reliably in automatic mode. The control system can be implemented on the basis of a programmable controller, which allows you to visually monitor the parameters of the hydraulic unit on a computer screen.

Hydraulic units for small and micro hydroelectric power plants produce MNTO "integrated", designed to operate over a wide range of flows and pressures with high energy properties and manufactured using propeller, radial and axial turbine blades.

The scope of supply generally includes a turbine, generator and automatic control of the hydraulic unit. The flow rates of all turbines are based on a mathematical modeling method.

Low energy is the most effective solution energy problems for areas belonging to areas of decentralized power supply, which accounts for more than 70% of the territory of Russia. Providing energy to remote regions and energy shortages requires significant costs.

And here it is far from useful to use the capabilities of the existing federal energy system. The economic potential in Russia is significantly higher than the potential of renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar energy and biomass combined. In the national energy program, the INSET company is developing the “Concept of development and facilities for the placement of small hydroelectric power plants on the territory of the Republic of Tyva”, according to which this year will put into operation a small hydroelectric power station in the village of Kyzyl-Khaya.

Currently, INSET hydroelectric power plants operate in Russia (Kabardino-Balkaria, Bashkortostan), the Commonwealth of Independent States (Belarus, Georgia), as well as in Latvia and other countries.

Eco-friendly and economical mini-energy has long attracted the attention of foreigners.

Micro INESET operates in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Guatemala, Sweden, Poland.

Free electricity - do-it-yourself mini hydroelectric power station

If there is a river or even a small stream flowing near your home, then with the help of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. Perhaps this will not be a very large addition to the budget, but the realization that you have your own electricity costs much more.

Well, if, for example, at a dacha, there is no central power supply, then even small amounts of electricity will be simply necessary. And so, to create a homemade hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are necessary - the availability of a water resource and desire.

If both are present, then the first thing to do is measure the speed of the river flow.

This is very simple to do - throw a twig into the river and measure the time during which it floats 10 meters. Dividing meters by seconds gives you the current speed in m/s. If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then a productive mini hydroelectric power station will not work.

In this case, you can try to increase the flow speed by artificially narrowing the channel or making a small dam if you are dealing with a small stream.

As a guide, you can use the relationship between the flow speed in m/s and the power of electricity removed from the propeller shaft in kW (screw diameter 1 meter).

The data is experimental; in reality, the resulting power depends on many factors, but it is suitable for evaluation. So:

• 0.5 m/s – 0.03 kW,
• 0.7 m/s – 0.07 kW,
• 1 m/s – 0.14 kW,
• 1.5 m/s – 0.31 kW,
• 2 m/s – 0.55 kW,
• 2.5 m/s – 0.86 kW,
• 3 m/s -1.24 kW,
• 4 m/s – 2.2 kW, etc.

The power of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the flow velocity.

As already indicated, if the flow speed is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.

Types of mini-hydroelectric power plants

There are several main options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants.


This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water.

The wheel is less than half immersed in the flow. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for liquid flow. But these are quite complex designs, more factory-made than home-made.

It is a vertical axis rotor used to generate electrical energy.

A vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. This design was patented by Georges Jean-Marie Darrieux, a French aeronautical engineer in 1931. Also often used in wind turbine designs.

Garland a hydroelectric power station consists of light turbines - hydraulic propellers, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river.

One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other rotates the generator rotor.

Mini-hydroelectric power station - Leneva hydropower unit

In this case, the cable plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational motion of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.

Also borrowed from the designs of wind power plants, a kind of “underwater wind turbine” with a vertical rotor. Unlike an air propeller, an underwater propeller has blades of minimal width. For water, a blade width of only 2 cm is sufficient. With such a width, there will be minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed.

This width of the blades was chosen for a flow speed of 0.8-2 meters per second. At higher speeds, other sizes may be optimal. The propeller moves not due to water pressure, but due to the generation of lifting force. Just like an airplane wing. The propeller blades move across the flow rather than being dragged in the direction of the flow.

Advantages and disadvantages of various homemade mini hydroelectric power station systems

The disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station are obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency.

The Garland hydroelectric power station is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in uninhabited, remote areas with appropriate warning signs.

Permission from authorities and environmentalists may be required. The second option is a small stream in your garden.

The Daria rotor is difficult to calculate and manufacture.

At the beginning of work you need to unwind it. But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction - this is a plus.

The most widespread designs for the construction of homemade hydroelectric power plants are the propeller and water wheel.

Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, require minimal calculations and are implemented at minimal cost, have high efficiency, and are easy to configure and operate.

An example of a simple mini-hydroelectric power station

The simplest hydroelectric power station can be quickly built from an ordinary bicycle with a dynamic headlight.

Several blades (2-3) must be prepared from galvanized iron or thin sheet aluminum. The blades should be the length from the wheel rim to the hub and 2-4 cm wide.

These blades are installed between the spokes using any available method or using pre-prepared fasteners.

If you are using two blades, place them opposite each other.

If you want to add more blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at equal intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of the wheel with blades in the water. It is usually one-third to one-half immersed.

The option of a traveling wind power plant was considered earlier.

Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists perfectly - the main thing is the presence of a stream or rivulet - which is usually the place where the camp is set up.

A mini hydroelectric power station from a bicycle can illuminate a tent and charge cell phones or other gadgets.

Source

homemadefree flow