American Journal of Modern Energy

2018; 4(1): 1-6

http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajme
doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20180401.11
ISSN: 2575-3908 (Print); ISSN: 2575-3797 (Online)

Design and Construction of a Mini Hydro Turbine Model

Emmanuel Ighodalo Okhueleigbe*, Okene David Ese
Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, College of Technology, Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, Warri, Nigeria

Email address:
[email protected] (E. I. Okhueleigbe), [email protected] (O. D. Ese)
*
Corresponding author

To cite this article:

Emmanuel Ighodalo Okhueleigbe, Okene David Ese. Design and Construction of a Mini Hydro Turbine Model. American Journal of Modern
Energy. Vol. 4, No. 1, 2018, pp. 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20180401.11

Received: October 15, 2017; Accepted: October 31, 2017; Published: January 8, 2018

Abstract: This research is aimed at design and construction of a mini hydro turbine generator that can be made available at
the consumer level, so as to improve the generation and availability of power at lower rate without pollution to the
environment so as to help boost power generation, quality of power to its power consumers in developing countries. Pelton’s
wheel design was used for the turbine research. Water stored in a tank or reservoir at a three meter height contains potential
energy, this water is allowed to fall on the turbine wheel which drives the turbine. The potential and kinetic energy available in
the water is converted to mechanical energy by rotating the runner connected to the turbine blade. The runner is connected to
the rotor part of the alternator (containing the permanent magnet) and the stator (containing the windings) which is kept at
permissible air gap to the rotor for effective induction. The voltage is tapped out from the stator as a single phase output, which
is used to power household utilities and other machineries which need power supply. The result obtained was gotten from the
various tests carried out on this research the tests includes water flow rate test, stator coil resistance test, output voltage test,
power quality test and rotational speed test. The output power result shows that domestic power could be generated at
individual residential level this will help improve and stabilize the power in the national grid.
Keywords: Energy, Power, Generation, Water, Turbine

1. Introduction
The Utilization of gas power plant for energy (power) power consumers. Hydro power generation and national grid
generation all over the globe has become a global challenge efficiency could be improved by incorporating mini hydro
as the world is drifting from generating system and facilities generator at the consumer level.
that pollute the environment to that which is environmentally Design overview: Hydropower turbine converts the
friendly, hence hydro schemes should be encouraged in line hydraulic (potential and kinetic) energy of the descending
with renewable sources of power generation so as to drive the water to mechanical energy by using a hydraulic turbine. The
power sector to its power stabilization stage for developing hydro-turbines are in turn connected to the generator that
countries. Hydro power could describe as a renewable form converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy [6] [7].
of energy, hydro power plant derives its power from water This is applicable to conventional means of hydro power
falling from higher to a lower level, and extracted by means generation in a very much larger scale. Figure 1 shown below
of waterwheels or hydraulic turbines [1] [2]. Hydropower has depicts the operational processes.
among the best conversion efficiencies of all known energy The dam stores water at a height that is been design for the
sources (about 90% efficiency, water to wire). It requires water head to produce the required pressure. The penstock
relatively high initial investment, but has a long lifespan with conveys the pressurized water from the dam to the turbine.
very low operation and maintenance costs [3] [4] [5]. The The turbine is rotated by pressure of the water on the blade
initial cost could be reduced to minimum with the application and the turbine is connected to the generator to produce
of mini hydro turbine (including local fabricated electricity.
components), with little or no running cost for small scale
2 Emmanuel Ighodalo Okhueleigbe and Okene David Ese: Design and Construction of a Mini Hydro Turbine Model

river) or a dam. The water in the reservoir is usually located

on a higher level as compared to the rest of the constructed
structure. The height of water level in the reservoir decides
how much potential energy the water possesses and the
higher the water level, the more its potential energy.
The height of water in the reservoir is usually higher than
the natural height of water flowing in the river, so it is
considered to have an altered equilibrium. This also helps to
increase the overall potential energy of water, which in turn,
helps ultimately to produce more electricity in the power
generation unit.
2.2. Intake

These are the gates built on the inside of the dam. The
water from reservoir is released and controlled through these
gates. These are called inlet gates because water enters the
Source: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2003) [8]. power generation unit through these gates. When the control
Figure 1. Typical Hydro Turbine Generation Scheme. gates are opened the water flows due to gravity through the
penstock and towards the turbines. The water flowing
2. Methods through the gates possesses potential and kinetic energy.

2.3. Penstock

The penstock is a passage that conveys the water flowing

from the reservoir to the power generation unit (which is
made up of turbines, generators and control/monitoring
devices). The water in the penstock possesses kinetic energy
due to its motion and potential energy due to its height. The
amount of water flowing through the penstock is usually
controlled by a valve (control gate).

2.4. Turbine

Water flowing from the penstock is allowed to enter the

Source: Hydropower “The Need Project” 2015 [9] turbine-part of the power generation unit, which houses the
turbine and the generator. When water falls on the blades of
Figure 2. Typical Hydro-Turbine Power Plant.
the turbine, the hydraulic energy (kinetic and potential
The arrows signify the direction of water flow, that is from energy) of water is converted into mechanical energy
the reservoir through the penstock to the turbine and back to (through rotational motion) of the blades of the turbine. The
the reservoir. rotating blades cause the shaft of the turbine (which has
In the course of this research, it was observed that hydro- coupled to it, the generator) to also rotate.
turbine power plants can be classified based on the overall The general formula for the determination of hydraulic
output power generated and they are listed below; power is given as
1. Large Hydropower ρ ∗ g ∗ Q ∗ H (1)
Department of Energy (DOE) defines large hydropower as
facilities that have a capacity >30 MW. The mechanical power available at the output of the
2. Small Hydropower turbine could be determined with the relationship
Department of Energy (DOE) also defines small hydropower
as facilities that have a capacity of 100kW-30 MW. Pm ŋ ∗ Ph (2)
3. Micro Hydropower ph is the power produced by the falling water
A micro hydropower plant has a capacity of up to 100 kW. Pm is the mechanical power produced at the turbine shaft
A small or micro-hydroelectric power system can produce (Watts)
enough electricity for a home, farm, or village. e.t.c ρ is the density of water (1000 kg/m3)
2.1. Reservoir g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s2)
Q is the water flow rate passing through the turbine (m3/s)
The water reservoir can be described as a place where H is the effective pressure head of water across the turbine
water is stored. This can be a naturally-flowing river (run-of (m)
 American Journal of Modern Energy 2018; 4(1): 1-6 3

ŋ is the efficiency of the turbine. generation, rotor speed, magnetizing strength of the magnets
The turbine efficiency is defined as the ratio of power and the cross-sectional area of the magnets. The relationship
supplied by the turbine (mechanical power transmitted by the is represented mathematically as;
turbine shaft) to the absorbed power (hydraulic power
equivalent to the measured discharge under the net head). N E/(B*AT*w*sinwt) (3)
Designed Hydro Power Design output voltage
ρ ∗ g ∗ Q ∗ H E B∗A∗w∗N
With water head of 3meters and flow rate of 1 litre per At flux density (B) = 1.4T,
second (l/s),
Area (A) = 2*10-4 m2,
P 1000 ∗ 9.81 ∗ 0.001 ∗ 3
w equals to 10 revolution per seconds,’
29.43watt
Total no of turns (N) equals 2370
Ideally, hydraulic power at the turbine level is 29.43watt
Mechanical output Power (Pm) E 1.4 ∗ 2 ∗ 10-4 ∗ 10 ∗ 2370

Pm ŋ ∗ Ph E = 6.65volts.

Assuming turbine efficiency ŋ is 70% N is Total number of coil turns

E is Generated output voltage (in Volts)
m 0.7 ∗ 29.43 B is Magnetic flux density (in Tesla)
= 20.6watt AT is Total cross-sectional area of the magnets = A* n (in
m
m2)
Ideally, mechanical power at shaft is 20.6watt. n is total number of rotor magnet
W is angular velocity = 2*pi*f (in radians/second)
2.5. Generator F is frequency of generation: usually between 50 – 60 Hz
Technically, in this case the generator could be refers to as (in Hertz)
an alternator which is made up of a rotor and a stator. t is instantaneous time
Electricity is produced through faradays law of electro- Determination of the frequency of generation is dependent
magnetic induction, which states that when a conductor is on the rotational speed of the rotor and it is related by:
moved across a magnetic field so as to cut through the lines N s 120f/p (4)
of flux created by a magnetic material, an electromotive force
(EMF) is produced in the conductor. Ns is Rotational speed of rotor as determined by a
tachometer (in revolution/second)
f is frequency of generation (in Hertz)
p is number of poles
Designed rotational speed
Desired frequency (f) of 50Hz,
No of poles (p) equals to 10
Ns 120f/p
120 ∗ 50
Ns
10
N$ 600 rpm.
Source: Electrical Technology (Vol 1). [10] Therefore, the root mean square value of the generated
voltage is given by
Figure 3. Illustration of Electromagnetic Induction.
Vrms 0.707 ∗ E Volts (5)
The rotor basically is made up of conducting coils while
the stator is of magnetic materials (either permanent or The power rating of the generator is majorly dependent on
electromagnets). the current-carrying capacity of the conducting coils. The
The runner of the turbine rotates the rotor-shaft inside the power output is given as;
generator which cuts through the magnetic field created by
the stator magnets, and that is converted into electricity by P V ∗ I Watts (6)
electromagnetic induction. V is Voltage (Volts)
The total number of turns the coil windings should have is I is Current (Amperes)
dependent on the expected output voltage, the frequency of
4 Emmanuel Ighodalo Okhueleigbe and Okene David Ese: Design and Construction of a Mini Hydro Turbine Model

2.6. Choice of Design

Figure 6. Construction of the turbine casing according to the designed

dimensions.

The casing of the system is made of plastic material.

Highlighted below are some of the excellent properties of
plastic that supports our choice as the base material for the
casing of this project. The choice of this material is to avoid
corrosion which could result from the chemical reaction with
the environment and other wear and tear that may take place
Figure 4. Block Representation of Mini Hydro Turbine Generator Model. in the process of power generation.
Furthermore, plastic is light weighted and dose not corrode
Generation of electricity from hydro power in small it is convenience and easy during installation of the system as
quantity for local or household consumption does not really the casing did not add much weight to the system. Plastic
require construction of dam. A mini hydro turbine generator exhibits high insulation properties thus reducing the risk of
could be effectively applied in an environment with little or electric shock, chemical reaction with water which could lead
abundance of water. to corrosion rapidly in the system after a period of time when
The mini hydro turbine generator is made up of a water the system is in operation.
storage tank (mounted at a particular height), penstock (PVC
pipe), control valve, turbine system (self-fabricated) in an 2.8. Pelton Turbine Fabrication
enclosed case, a pumping machine (for recycling of water)
and a single phase alternator (self-constructed). The Pelton wheel is made of 9 inches metal-cutting disc,
ten 45 degrees PVC elbow joints (1.5 inches diameter), ten 2
inches-long bolts (quarter inch diameter) and locking nuts.
Ten lines are drawn from the centre of the metal-cutting
disc (angular distance of 36 degrees from each other) and on
each line, a mark was placed at a distance of 2.3 centimetres
from the tip of the disc. These marks are the points at which
drilling will be carried out on the disc and also the points at
which the turbine blades will be fixed to the disc. The
marked-out points are then drilled with a 3.5 masonry drill-
bit, making out ten holes in the disc.
The ten PVC elbow joints make up the turbine cups. Each
one has holes bored throughout at 2.3 centimetres from a
particular chosen end. These holes are bored using a 3.5 drill-
bit and they are the points of slotting in the bolts and locking
it to the disc holes drilled earlier mentioned.
Figure 5. Water Flow Process of the System.

Initially, water will be stored in tank and it’s conveyed by

the penstock to the enclosed turbine where the power is being
converted. After initiation of operation, the pumping machine
start working by returning the water back to the storage tank
and pumping directly to the enclosed turbine so as to increase
the water pressure on the turbine blade, using the generated
power to drive the motor, thereby making the system a close
loop system.
2.7. Implementation
Figure 7. Some Materials Used for Turbine Component and the Constructed
Casing Implementation Turbine Blade.
 American Journal of Modern Energy 2018; 4(1): 1-6 5

2.9. Rotor Implementation an alternating manner; that is, the end of first winding is
connected to the end of second winding, start of winding 2 to
The rotor was made up of 9-inches metal-cutting disc, start of winding 3, end of winding 3 to end of winding 4, start
rotor magnet template and ten Neodymium N50 magnets of winding 4 to start of winding 5, and so on till we get only
(20mm x 10mm x 2mm). the start of first winding as the main start and start of tenth
The rotor template was made putting into consideration the winding as the main end.
number of poles required for the alternator and also the Implementation of Turbine System
magnet measurement. Each sized magnet distances itself at
36 degrees.
The template was glued to the rotor disc which is made up
of circular plastic, the magnets are positioned and glued in
alternating poles (that is clock wise or anti-clock wise). The
South Pole is positioned next to the North Pole in a repetitive
sequence (till all the ten magnets were completely
positioned).

Figure 10. Constructed and Assembled Turbine System.

The turbine system as a whole was made up of transparent

plastic casing, turbine, shaft and bearing. The bearings are
attached to the two ends inside the casing where the shaft
will be passing through. The bearing serves two major
Figure 8. Construction of Rotor part of the Alternator.
purposes, it serve as a support to the shaft and increases the
2.10. Stator Implementation efficiency of the turbine by limiting resistance during
operation.
The top layer of the casing was constructed in a way that
can be opened and closed fully with the use of hinges. The
layer also has a water inlet of 1inch diameter to allow re-
circulation of water. The bottom layer was completely sealed
with an outlet point of 2inch diameter pipe, connected to the
outlet pipe was a jet nozzle to increase the pressure used in
driving the rotor.

3. Result and Discussion

The result obtained was gotten from the various tests and
analysis that were carried out on this research, the tests
Figure 9. Terminated ten (10) Coils Stator Windings and soldering of its includes water flow rate test, stator coil resistance test, output
joints. voltage test and rotational speed test also analysis of power
quality using oscilloscope to ascertain the wave form, also
The stator is made up of ten 237-turns of standard wire
frequency test, voltage test and other preminary test needed
gauge (SWG) 22 enamel-coated conducting coils, stator
during the process of quality control some of the results are
template, 9-inches metal-cutting disc, insulation tape, and
shown on the table below.
glue.
The SWG 22 coil has a maximum ampere rating of Table 1. Flow Rate, Resistance and Rotational Test.
1.124A.
TEST RESULTS
For the winding, a frame was made using the measurement
Half flow 1
of the magnet (length and breadth) and the coils were wound Flow Rate (Litre/Sec) Three quarter flow 2.5
on the frame (the frame was wrapped with insulating tape to Full flow 4
avoid short circuit of the coils and also prevent breaking of Resistance (ohms)
Single winding 1.1
the coils insulation during the implementation of the Total windings 10.3
Minimum (Half flow) 113.1
construction work).
Rotational speed (rpm) Three quarter flow 383.5
Individual windings were then connected to one another in Maximum (Full flow) 520
6 Emmanuel Ighodalo Okhueleigbe and Okene David Ese: Design and Construction of a Mini Hydro Turbine Model

4. Conclusion [3] Arun Kurmar and Tormod Schei (2011). “special report on
renewable energy sources and climate changes” (PP 442- 443)
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power generation system which will drive the economy and
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Stations, in Electrical Energy Conversion and Transport: An
still very low. The construction and mass production of this Interactive Computer-Based Approach, Second Edition, John
hydro mini power plant will serve as alternative to power Wiley & Sons, Inc.
generation for domestic and small industrial consumption
there by pulling such load off the national grid, which will [6] E. I. Okhueleigbe (2016). Enhancing Power Distribution
Network using Distributed Flexible Alternating Current
then help the transmission company to redirect their power to Transmission System (D-FACTS) Devices, P.hD Thesis
heavy load centre in the country, thereby improving power University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
quality, power security and reliability of power to the end
users. [7] Secondary energy infobook (2015). “Hydro power
generation”. http://www.need.org accessed on 10:25am, 12th
of February, 2016.

References [8] Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2003).

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[2] E. I. Okhueleigbe, A. O. Okhueleigbe, J. A. Ogbekhuilu, D. Engineering” vol 1, 7 pp 229. US Department of Energy,
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