|
Small Hydro |
Microhydro-Electric
Systems Simplfied,
Paul Cunningham and Ian Woofenden
www.homepower.com/files/beginner/MicrohydroBasics.pdf
If above in unavailable try,
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
 A
good introduction to micro-hydro electricity generation systems.
Covers the basic types of micro-hydro systems and the
components that make them up.
A free download from the Home Power site. |
Microhydro - Clean
Power from Water,
Scott Davis, New Society PublishersSome extensive excerpts at
Google Books:
http://books.google.com ...
|
This is a very good, hands on book for designing and building
microhydro systems. 176 pages. Published 2004.
Covers site assessment, pipe design, turbine selection,
nozzle design, ...
Easy to follow design procedures.
You can get it from New Society, Amazon, ... |
Water Wheel
Engineering,
Ron Shannon (Australia)
All the details:
http://permaculturewest.org.au/ipc6/ch08/shannon/index.html
|
 Water
Wheel Engineering by Ron Shannon provides the basics on water
wheels and water turbines.Ron is willing to answer email
questions in this area -- you can reach him at:
unistream AT hotkey DOT net DOT au
(replace AT with @ and DOT's with periods) |
| Intro to Hydro Power
Dan New
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
 Home
Power magazine article, issues 103, 104, and 105Very good
articles on small hydro power. Covers each part of the hydro
system in some detail. Sizing information and some installation
information. Part 2 covers in detail the process of determining
if you have a sufficient hydro resource to be worthwhile-- a
good starting place. |
| Micro Hydro Articles
from Home Power An article on Micro Hydro basics:
www.homepower.com/files/beginner/MicrohydroBasics.pdf
| Level |
 |
|
Description |
| Beginner |
"Micro
Hydro Power in the 90s" from HP issue 44 |
| Secondary |
"Energy
Systems & Design’s Stream Engine" product test from
HP issue 67 |
| Advanced |
"Kennedy
Creek Hydroelectric Systems" from HP issue 20 |
| More |
"240 VAC
Direct-Drive Hydro" from HP issue 65 |
How to get articles from Home Power ...
|
Home Power Magazine is providing the articles
to the left.
From the same link:
"Small scale hydro (micro-hydro) is the cheapest way to power an
RE home. The price per watt-hour is far cheaper than
photovoltaics (PV) and even less than wind.
Streams run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and
often 52 weeks per year. The resource is much more site-specific
than solar. But if you are lucky enough to have enough head
(height between your source and your hydro turbine) and enough
flow, then go hydro.
Head and flow are two components in the hydro power formula. A
high head system with a very small flow can give the same amount
of power as a low head system with a very large flow."
|
Micro-Hydropower
Systems -- A Buyer's Guide,
Natural Resources Canada
Download The Guide (pdf)
The Natural Resources Canada Website... |
 A
very good guide from Natural Resources Canada on planning,
designing, getting approvals, and installing a micro hydro
system.Very well written with quite a bit of practical design
and installation material. 56 pages.
|
| EERN -- Small
Hydropower Systems
www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets |
General information on small scale
hydro systems from the DOE EERN site. |
|
Living off the Grid – A New Era in
Home-Owner Hydro
James R. Udall
www.motherearthnews.com
|
 Mother
Earth News Article, Issue 143 April/May 1994Good Mother Earth
News article on building small scale hydro systems. Several
examples are discussed. Not sufficiently detailed to do your
design from, but good basic material. |
|
Site Evaluation and Design for Micro Hydro Systems (Large
download 11.5 MB pdf)
From:
http://www.waterturbine.com/index.html
(this link may have a problem 2/8/07)
|
This is a well organized collection of articles and papers on
micro hydro applications. It covers most of what you will need
to do to evaluate your site for hydro, select the right kind of
generator, and design and install a small hydro system.
|
Homebrew Hydro
Electric,
Hydro Electric Experiment with Direct Drive Alternator
From Otherpower.com
http://www.otherpower.com/scotthydro1.html
|
 This
is good series of pictures that show in detail the building of a
completely home made small Banki turbine.
This setup works with very modest flow and head, to produce a
small, but useful amount of electricity. |
| Undershot Water Wheel
Full Construction Details...
This is the paper that was used in designing this water
wheel:
"Water
Wheel Engineering", Ron Shannon
Update 2/15/07 -- some email questions answered. |
 This
efficient undershot waterwheel looks like its been part of the
scenery for a hundred years.
Full details on how it was built. |
| Aspen Hollow
Micro-Hydro System Aspen Micro Hydro System Description:
http://h-hydro.com/Aspen_Hollow_Hydro.html
More,
http://h-hydro.com/hartvig1.html
More,
http://h-hydro.com/turgo_drive.html
Turgo spoons, runners, nozzles,.. for sale:
http://h-hydro.com/index.html |
 Quite
a bit of detailed information on sizing, designing and building
a Turgo wheel micro hydro system, as well as what appear to be
reasonably priced parts to build such a system.
Note the unusual inlet that requires minimal stream disturbance.
The information is kind of spread around, so look around
carefully. |
| ECO Innovation --
Pelton Turbines
Pelton Turbines (pdf) ...
More useful material... |
 This
site sells parts for Pelton turbine installation as well as
completed turbines.Quite a bit of design and installation
material is provided -- most applicable to other Pelton wheels. |
A Batteryless, Utility
Intertie Microhydro System
Kurt Johnson with Paul Hoover
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
Home Power Magazine article, issue
80 A very good article on the design and installation of a
micro hydro system on a creek. The system is intertied to the
utility grid. Good detail on planning and installation. |
Induction Motors for
Small-Scale Hydro
Bill Havilland
How to get articles from Home Power .... |
Home Power Magazine article, issue
71 Very good article on the pros and cons of using a three
phase induction motor forsmall scale hydro installation rather
than a DC alternator. Quite a bit of detail on systems using
induction motors for generators. |
From Water to Wire
Peter Talbot How
to get articles from Home Power ... |
 Home
Power Magazine Article, issue 76Very good hands-on article
about building a high head, low flow small hydro system. Lots of
design and construction information. A really challenging
installation. |
| 240VAC Direct Drive
Hydro John Hermans
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
 Home
Power Magazine article, issue 65Description of a 240VAC, low
head hydro system in Australia. Good detail.
|
|
The 10 Kinzel/Kingsley Rules for Surviving
Micro Hydroelectric Power (and what the ads and manuals don’t
tell you)
Terry Kinzel and Sue Ellen Kingsley
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
 Home
Power Magazine article, issue 47Very entertaining and helpful
article on installing and living with a micro hydro power
system. Ten rules are presented based on the authors
experience. Rule 2 is "Never underestimate the ability of the
technical elite to dazzle and befuddle us technological
dummies". |
Powerful Dreams
Undermine
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
Home Power magazine article, issue
96 Description of 30kw grid intertied hydro installation. |
|
Happy On One Kilowatt
Bill Isely
Mother Earth News
http://www.motherearthnews.com |
 Mother
Earth News Article, Issue 180Good article on how one couple
built a small hydro system that generates about 24KWH per day –
just enough to meet their needs. Quite a bit of construction
information. |
|
Hydro Power Done Dirt Cheap
Stephen M. Gima, Eileen Puttre
How to get articles from Home Power ... |
 Home
Power Magazine article, issue 52Good article on a very cheap
($328) micro hydro system for a cabin. |
| Overshot Water Wheel
Design and Construction Manual Published by VITA
http://sleekfreak.ath.cx
Another Vita manual on waterwheel design:
http://sleekfreak.ath.cx
|
 Very
detailed design and construction information on overshoot water
wheels. The published data indicates that these wheels can be
quite efficient. |
| Banki Water Turbine
Design and Construction Manual Published by VITA
http://sleekfreak.ath.cx
or,
BankiPlans.pdf |
 Detailed
plans for VITA for the design and construction of a Banki Water
Turbine for generating electricity.
Some material is provided on sizing the turbine to the stream,
and detailed instructions are provided for the construction of
the turbine. Little is provided on the sizing and gearing for
the generator. |
Home
Power Magazine article, issue 71