the unit can be pulled apart to remove something large like a turtle in less than a minute
<GASP>
I bought the vesconite, trimmed in gold.
Looking at keeping the design so there is a low pressure zone around the bushing, possibly something like scotchbrite pad where the water passes, don't know yet.
I have not yet settled on a wheel design yet, either. I do have several 5" long hubs welded up upon which to weld the vanes. Leaning more toward a reaction francis type rather than kaplan. With the very low head I'm dealing with ~1 meter, I realize my TLAR engineering approach (That Looks About Right) is going to cost me dearly in time invested in trial and error.
While I'm not out to pirate anyone's idea or product, any guidance would be very much appreciated at this point. Forming the Francis buckets is within my reach using 16 ga sheetmetal and a press, though the dies will take a while to fabricate.
Turtle, still at it