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Laboratory development for very low heads MHyLab

(Mini-Hydraulics Laboratory)

Lausanne, 30 June 2005

03/08/2005

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Table of contents I.

SHP (Small Hydropower) development & operation areas II. Very-low-head turbines III. Pico-turbines

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I. SHP development & operations areas

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MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

Pelton: action turbine, high head: 60 – 600 m

500.0 Pelton

100.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

50.0

5.0

Pico + TBCh

R&D 1997 - 2001 (30 turbines) 03/08/2005

1.0 0.01

0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s)

4

Diagonal: reaction turbine, medium head: 25 -100 m

MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

500.0 Pelton

100.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

50.0

5.0

Pico + TBCh

1.0 0.01

R&D: 2006 - ?

03/08/2005

0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s) 5

MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

Kaplan: reaction turbine, low head: 3 -30 m

500.0 Pelton

100.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

50.0

5.0

Pico + TBCh

R&D:2001 -2006 2 demonstration sites

03/08/2005

1.0 0.01

0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s) 6

MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

Kaplan: Ă Kaplan: turbine reaction rĂŠaction , basse turbine, low head: 3chute -30 m

500.0 Pelton

100.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

50.0

5.0

Pico + TBCh

R&D:2001 -2006 2 demonstration sites

03/08/2005

1.0 0.01

0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s) 7

MHyLab's test bench y Tests: y y y y

efficiency torques on blades runaway speed cavitation

y Variables: y y y y y y 03/08/2005

Blades number Blade opening Wicket gates opening Head Discharge Suction height (cavitation) 8

Very-low-head turbines: 1.5 - 5 m

MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

500.0 Pelton

100.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

50.0

5.0

Pico + TBCh

1.0 0.01

03/08/2005

0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s)

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Pico turbines: very low head: 1.5 - 5 m

MHyLab - Domaine de recherche sur les mini-turbines 1000.0

500.0 Pelton

Vanne-batardeau (tĂŞte d'eau)

100.0

50.0

Diagonale

10.0

Axiale

H (m)

Niveau amont constant

DZ = 2,0 m

Niveau minimum

DZ = 4,0 m

5.0

Pico + TBCh

Niveau minimum

1.0 0.01 PICO-TURBINE De = 300 mm

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0.05 0.10

0.50 1.00 TBCh Pico

5.00 10.00

Q (m3/s)

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II. Very-low-head turbines

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Very-low-head turbine: definition y from 1.5 m to 5 m y power: from 10 to 100 kW (with or without discharge regulation) y With an open water chamber (no penstock) y low cost y standardized setting y good and guaranteed efficiency y very high reliability y very low operation expenses y => we need to reduce the number of specific parts and to propose a limited number of solutions.

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Potentials y In Europe: sites with very low heads have been deserted, due to: y Current available equipments not suited for such heads (too high investment) y Regulations were not adapted (no obligations to buy renewable electricity)

ÆRehabilitation potentials y In emerging countries: important potentials

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Base: low-head development SEARCH LHT project y Laboratory development on low-head axial turbine: y from 3 to 30 m, y tests on 4, 6 and 8 blades (currently: 7 blades)

y Especially from 4-blade turbine development

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Very-low-head turbine's design y Objective: cost reduction and good efficiencies Æ Simplification of the equipments Æ Limited number of hydraulic profiles => limited runner diameters Æ Exact adaptation to the characteristics of the site (discharge and head) y Two parameters can be adjusted for a given runner diameter : y the positioning of runner blades y the rotation speed of the group

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Electrical output vs gross head for D = 600 m

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Very-low-head turbine: example Runner radius Gross head Nominal discharge Rotation speed Generator speed Electrical output

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m m m3/s

0.30 2.50 0.85

rpm rpm kW

357 1000 16

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Very-low-head site design with strong flow variations Global efficiency vs discharge 0.850

Global efficiency, ΡG (-)

0.800

0.750

1st group moveable blades

0.700

3rd group fixed blades

2nd group fixed blades

0.650

For example: Qmax = 2.220 m3/s Setting of 3 similar groups: y 2 fixed-blades turbines y 1 adjustable-blades turbine

0.600

0.550

0.500 0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

1.200

1.400

1.600

1.800

2.000

2.200

2.400

3

Global discharge, Q (m /s) 03/08/2005

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Very-low-head site design with strong flow variations Electrical output vs discharge 50

45

Electrical output Pe (kW)

40

3 groups

35

30

25

2 groups

20

15

10

1st group 5

0 0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3

Discharge: Q (m /s) 03/08/2005

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III. Pico turbines

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Pico turbines: definition y a few-meter head (1.5 – 5 m) y a steady power, from 1 to 10 kW (no discharge regulation) y low cost y good efficiencies y very high reliability y isolated network operation y => we need to reduce the number of specific parts and to propose a limited number of solutions.

Vanne-batardeau (tĂŞte d'eau)

Niveau amont constant

DZ = 2,0 m

Niveau minimum

DZ = 4,0 m

Niveau minimum

PICO-TURBINE De = 300 mm 03/08/2005

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Potentials y Especially in emerging countries: circa 600'000 units in Asia (China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Burma)

Niveau amont constant

DZ = 2,0 m

y The market is difficult as buyers have really small budgets

Niveau minimum

PICO-TURBINE De = 300 mm

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Objectives y to reduce costs while guaranteeing a good level of performances y Measure: mass production of standard machine components Pico-turbine MHyLab - De = 300 mm

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Pico-turbine's design 2 parameters to be adapted to the site specifications: y the opening of the runner blades y the rotation speed of the group Æ a limited number of turbine geometries Æ mass-built turbines (1'000 copies) Æ adapted exactly to the characteristics of all the sites included in a large range of head and electrical power

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Row head ΔZ (m)

Example of operation range electrical output vs. gross head for D = 300 mm (runner diameter)

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Electrical output P (kW)

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Remaining questions y Could a unique generator be designed for the whole pico-turbines area? synchronous generator? poles number? frequency conversion? • Frequency stabilisation in an isolated grid? y Minimal security system? Overspeed control, voltage control, temperature control? y Best material for the turbine? stainless steel, plastic?

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Conclusions • Small hydropower keeps on improving itself, especially so as to decrease cost and environmental impacts.

• Thanks to SEARCH LHT laboratory development, small verylow-head turbines characterized by their diameter and their operation range (ΔZ vs. P) that are standard, multipurpose & affordable, can be achieved.

• Such simple turbines, with a good efficiency & reliability, allow to refurbish old power plants and develop the very-lowhead area.

• A joint development programme is going on with a first industrial partner : AZ Ingénierie SA

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