Author Topic: Sizing a micro hydro dam  (Read 1881 times)

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Ganderwings

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Sizing a micro hydro dam
« on: November 20, 2007, 07:13:52 AM »
Greetings,


I noticed there are some questions on micro hydro dams in this forum.


The other day I visited a fellow's micro hydro site.

His piping was 128 feet long at 3" DIA. and a couple of boards, one foot deep, backed up water and some of the water was overflowing. The gully was 6 feet at the bottom 20 feet on top and ten feet high where it eased pack. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Temporary top volume is the answer. The bigger the dam the bigger the body of water the more head and power you can develop, even if it is only for a given duration. You need an electrically controlled main valve in front of your turbine which opens and closes the line from its maximum diameter to calculated given maximum flow rate where the water level at the dam stays constant or rises some. With other words, at times of highest demand for power at the house the valve is being fully opened and the turbine is giving you all you can get out of the system for a short time pending of the water volume in the dam which gives you also the max. penstock diameter. This you can time and also place a float at the dam for minimum water level where the main valve is then electrically closed to its former position. So at night when you are not using much electricity the dam is being filled up again.


When building the dam I would cast an extra PVC line into the wall at the bottom beside the main line in case it plugs up so you can drain the dam. I would build a coarse screen bulb in front of the main inlet and outside the wall in an insolated box my emergency valve and finer screen would be then ready to operate on when ever needed.

Have a read at my Alternative Energy page about how I built my dam.


Ganderwings



Its early yet but I don't get the "point" just rambling on?


« Last Edit: November 20, 2007, 07:13:52 AM by (unknown) »