Advanced Composite Micro-Hydro Turbine Wheel Design and Study Its Performance for Power Generation

Abstract

Recently, Advance composite materials have taken the significant share with other engineering materials due to its mechanical properties and high strength to weight ratio. Advance composite like Carbon fibre, woven roving, chopped strand mat, are not confined at the aerospace industry but gradually these are taking over the position of other industries as well. Micro-hydro power turbines are an attractive option for providing electricity in off grid areas of the country and a good alternative energy source for production of energy. The simple pelton and cross-flow turbines are predominantly used for these projects as they are cheaper to construct for this form of renewable energy. Pelton wheel is a most efficient impulse turbine for medium and high head hydro sites. It is general practice to use brass/aluminium or some time stainless steel for the construction of Pelton wheel buckets. Making some changes and improvements to the existing design we can use these micro turbines at the water pumps where the pressure in the water is not used. This can ensure that more households in the catchment area get more than just lighting, but are able to use other devices such as refrigerators, stoves etc., in their houses. Manufacturing buckets with Advance composite materials is not yet common though it is light, durable and corrosion resistant. In this paper endeavour has taken to design and fabricate a micro-hydro turbine wheel where runner and seven buckets have been designed and developed after careful analyzing the various parameters of Composite design criterion. Woven rowing, Chopped Glass fibres have been used as reinforcing fibres with polyester matrix for bucket design and manufacturing.