Design And Adaptation Of Cross-Flow Turbine For Small Scale Hydro Electricity Generation

Abstract

Access to electricity is one of the key recipes for rural development. An estimated number of 1.5billion people in developing countries do not have the needed access to electricity thereby limiting the possibility of economic growth. The design of a cross flow turbine, invented by Nichelle, H and Reichel, R. was adapted to provide a small scale mini-hydro electricity by harnessing energy from running water, generating 3,000 watts of electricity which could be used to power small Communities or Factories. The main characteristics of cross flow turbine is the water jet which passes twice through the rotor blade (arranged at the periphery of the cylindrical rotor) perpendicular to the rotor shaft. Water flows through the blade of the turbine from the periphery towards the center and then after crossing the open space inside the runner, it flows from the inside outwards. Energy conversion takes place twice, first upon the impingement of water on the blade on entry and then when the water strikes the blade upon exist from the runner. The design analysis show that a penstock of cross sectional area of 0.1330m² and a minimum flow rate of 0.746m³/s is required for the design.