As to the low output, your alternator at that head is probably lucky to be 20% efficient, cutting the expected output to 150 watts or so. Try dialing the field current with the rheostat on the turbine housing, and I adjust my nozzles by unscrewing the nozzles and putting a piece of drillrod, or a drillbit through the nozzle hole and putting the nozzle back in and use the drillrod to see where the jet of water is aimed, it should hit the center of the cups, centered on the bifercation, and all the water should hit the cup, not go past on the outside. As I recall on the harris runner the water jet should be hitting either 2 or 3 cups ay a time. It sounds as if your runner may be worn out, if you can post a picture of your runner I can tell you if it is the problem, a picture from the nozzles view would be best.
DustinMad River Wind and Hydro[ Parent ]
I just want to confirm that you are using a rheostat not an internal regulator ( if that alternator is normally fitted with one). You need to strike a compromise between wasted field current and turbine speed.
Also we know that you have a 24v stator but we don't know if you have a 12v or 24v field. I suspect that with your line drop you would get enough field with the 24v rotor and have to waste less in a rheo and mismatched field winding.
The 24v stator running on 12v will not be very efficient. If you had means of measuring turbine speed I would be tempted to suggest that you try to get the speed up enough to try it at 24v ( not going to work if you have a 12v field without an electronic field regulator).
Flux[ Parent ]
