Design and Modelling of Efficient Ultra-Low Head Cross Flow Turbine to

Generate Energy
Biniyam Ayele Abebe 1
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Ethiopia,
(Corresponding author: Biniyam Ayele,

Email: biniyamayele83@gmail.com

Phone: 0933742558)

ABSTRACT
Hydropower started with the wooden waterwheel. Waterwheels of various types had been in use
in many parts of Europe and Asia for some 2,000 years, mostly for milling grain. By the time of
the Industrial Revolution, waterwheel technology had been developed to a fine art, and
efficiencies approaching 70% were being achieved in the many tens of thousands of waterwheels
that were in regular use. The first cross-flow turbine was constructed by an Australian engineer
A. Michel in 1903. Now a days Hydropower, large and small, remains by far the most important
of the ‘renewables’ for electrical power production worldwide.

Now a day our world requires more energy supply to go ahead its system effectively. Among all
form of energy, electrical energy is very essential to accomplish various tasks. Thus, maintaining
sufficient energy all over the world is left as an assignment to everyone. Scarcity of electric
energy is very crucial problem in developing countries including our country Ethiopia. The
general objective of this research is to design and modelling of efficient ultra-low head cross
flow turbine. Locally manufactured ultra-low head cross flow turbine is very essential for electric
power extraction in rural area of Ethiopia.

Keyword: Ultra-Low Head Cross Flow Turbine, Energy Generation, Design, Modelling,
Micro-hydro power plant