water levels

[thirteen]

Has anyone put a water level control that would shut off the flow of water to a micro hydro system. I am going to try and build a system for my micro hydro that supplies water but that also shuts off the water to it when it gets in low volume. But has to be manually turned back on to change the flow of water back to the hydro system. I have a low water volume problem during the summer months. I can devert enough water to run my system but if I do that then when the water is low it destroys the eco sytem for the 700ft that would bypass the creek bed. I could do this manually but during the early summer months I will not be there all of the time. And getting back to do that is limeted for the work I do it is a 9.5 hr drive oneway and sometimes longer the farther I go. I operate roch crushers and asphalt plant that are portable and with 6 10 to 12 hr days travel time is limeted. Just a simple float may do the trick with the shutoff valve in the pipe. I'm just looking for some ideas to ponder over. A shutoff valve for 4 in pipe is $$. The pipe will be 4 inch and 720 ft long but only a 38ft drop.  I will be using high voltage then run wire to transformers for a stepdown to my systems battery banks. I will have a solar system in place for the summer months but that will be in the future say 4 years. Any good ideas?

[Stonebrain]

Hi thirteen,

a good thing you're concerned about the ecosystem,not everyone is.

I was thinking about a floating ball or something like that,that shuts the 4" inlet pipe when level is low.

The problem will be to have enough 'floating force' to pull the ball off against the   negative pressure when level is rising,however you can calculate this.

You have to place the inlet in a wider place in the stream with a narrower outflow.

So you have a place were the flow in the stream is calm for not having to much sand going in the inlet, and where level will rise significantly with increased debit.

Just my thoughts.

cheers,

Jaap

[thirteen]

I was talking to a friend and he suggested a tank with two balls tethered together so when the water rises one ball would help pull the other one out of the pipe. I'll be gone until next Friday. Later going to go to work.

[Warren]

Hello,

You could use a weir with a step in it so that below a certain flow the water all goes to the creek. Above the minimum flow the water would start flowing into your intake and also continue to flow to the creek.

If your intake is in a small pool in the creek you just have to make sure your intake pipe is higher than the outflow from the pond. This is essentially the same idea as the weir.

Warren