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INTRODUCTION

The discovery of electricity plays such a great contribution to humanity. It has

also become a part on this present generation. Electricity has many uses in everyday

life. It is used for lighting rooms, working fans and home appliances, gadgets,

factories and many more. All these make people dependent to electricity.

There are many sources of renewable energy it includes hydroelectric power,

geothermal, wave power, wind power, solar power, and tidal power. With a power

plant an industrial facility which converts different energy sources to generate electric

power. These power plants are environmental friendly.

Hydroelectric power plant uses water as its source of power using its force to

turn turbines and generators that produces electricity. The force may come from

rivers, flowing water from mountains, falls, and lakes. According from the data of the

Department of Energy Power Statistics, 11.8% of the energy source in the

Philippines is come from the hydroelectricity. Hydro energy is a good possible source

of energy in the country since that it is taken from rivers, falls, and other water forms.

Philippines is a tropical country that rains more often.

A small scale hydro power plant like pico-hydro power generator can be used

for an alternative source of power, with generating capacities of 5 KW. Micro-

hydropower can generate enough electricity for a household. This is very useful

mostly Philippines encounter’s many typhoons and after that power is hard to

transmit due to the damage of electrical system. It takes days or weeks to restore

power which depends on the damage taken by the typhoon.

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Project Understanding

Electricity is a set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and

motion of electric charge. Electricity is an essential part of modern life and important

to the economy. People uses electricity for lighting, heating, cooling, and for

operating appliances, computers, electronics, and machineries.

Electrical energy crisis is one of the major problems in the Philippines. Since

electricity plays a big role in the economy of the Philippines. The government has

been studying ways to improve the supply of electrical energy in the Philippines. One

of the problems in Biliran is when there are calamities mostly storms that cuts the

supply of electricity in the island. Biliran has many rivers and falls that can be a

source of Pico Hydroelectric power plant.

The analysis prepared by the group considered the following understanding:

1. Is it feasible to build a Pico Hydroelectric plant in Almeria, Biliran?

2. What is the optimal design for the Pico Hydroelectric power plant?

3. How much power is produced from the proposed Pico Hydroelectric

power plant?

4. What are the benefits in building this power plant?

5. Is it economical to build a Pico Hydroelectric power plant in the said

area?
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OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT

Location, land area, and political subdivisions

The island of Biliran located on the eastern part of the Visayas group of

islands with the geographic coordinates of 11o 28’00” to 50’00” latitude and 124o

37’00” longitude. The island is comfortably nestled between the islands of Leyte and

Samar located about 123 kilometers north of Tacloban City. Biliran Island is one of

the six provinces comprising the Eastern Visayas Region or Region VIII. It is

originally known as Isla de Panamao. Biliran lies less than a kilometre north of the

island of Leyte. A bridge-causeway fixed link over Poro Island connects the province

of Leyte. Its capital is the municipality of Naval on the western coast of the island

with a language of Cebuano, Waray-Waray, Tagalog, and English.

Biliran has a total land area of 536.01 square kilometres (206.95 sq mi), making it

the fourth smallest province in the Philippines. The island lies off the northern coast

of Leyte island across Biliran Strait. To the southeast is Carigara Bay, to the

northeast is the Samar Sea, and across this sea is Samar. To the west is the

Visayan Sea and Masbate lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the northwest. The province

is composed of two major volcanic islands: the main island also named Biliran and

Maripipi, a smaller island to the northwest. Other smaller islands include Higatangan

and Dalutan. The economy of Biliran is largely based on fishing. Most of its towns,

especially Naval and Biliran, have excellent seaports. There are 95 hectares (230

acres) of brackish water fish ponds which produce prawns, shrimps and milkfish.

Another 30 hectares (74 acres) of seawater are suitable for seaweed farming and 10

more hectares for fish cage culture. The principal raw material produced is copra and
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coconut oil. Processed goods include white clay ceramics, dried fish, raw gulaman,

and citronella oil. The untapped natural resources of the island include geothermal

power and the abundant sulfur and gypsum deposits.

Almeria is one of the eight (8) municipalities comprising Biliran Province. It is

located eight (8) kilometers north of Naval, the capital town of the province. The town
is situated at the mouth of Biliran Strait and faces the Visayan Sea. It is bound on the
east by the town of Culaba and on the north by the town of Kawayan.

The Poblacion is located near the seashore. The eastern part is bounded by rice
fields up to the Bagumbong River, the north and south area bounded by rolling hills
and mountains.  It is traversed by a national road and its distance from Tacloban
City, the regional center, is 128 kilometers. Almeria occupies a total land area of
6,550 hectares which is about 12% of the province’s land area. Among the
municipalities of Biliran, Almeria ranks 5 in terms of land area.  Cadastral records at
the Municipal Assessor’s Office placed a total of 3,236.39 hectares as A&D, the
remaining 3,313.61 hectares is timberland.

Brief Description of the Project

Almeria is located at 11˚37’N 124˚23’E eight (8) kilometers north of Naval, the

capital town of the province. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the

municipality has a land area of 57.46 square kilometres (22.19 sq mi) constituting

10.72% of the total area of Biliran. Almeria is a 5th class municipality in

the province of Biliran, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population

of 16,951 people. Barangay Looc where Badiang River is located that generates an

ideal flow of water which can supply a Pico Hydropower plant. The power plant has a

generating capacity of 5 KW-10000 KW which can be used as a backup source of

energy during emergencies just like typhoons when the distribution of electricity is

cut off due to the damage taken.

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Local Social and Economic Condition of the Project

The project is a river located in the Municipality of Almeria, Biliran. It is one of

the remote places on the municipality of Almeria. If a pico-hydropower is to be built in

the area, this will serve as a light for the streets in case of power interruption and it

can help for the economic condition of the place.

Transportation and communication of the Project

The distance from the town of Almeria to the site of the project is nearly 1.8

km with a walking distance of approximately 500m to get to the area. This provides a

better traffic condition and good transport network.

The location has developed a communication network but due to the location

from the cellular network sites, weaker signal reception was experienced by the

locals.

Electricity Tariff
BILECO an electric distributor in the province of Biliran has a household

electricity tariff 11.0799 per kilowatt-hour, Commercial – P9.3984/kwh, Public Bldg. –

P9.3984/kwh, Street Light – P9.3984/kwh Street Light – P9.3984/kwh

Framework of the Study

The conceptual framework presented in the section serves as the main

foundation in the due course of the study.

Conceptual Framework. This research proposal is prepared to

describe the process on designing a micro-hydroelectric scheme in Badiang

river, Brgy. Lo-ok, Almeria, Biliran. The team planned first on what to do with
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the research proposal. The selected site is in Badiang river, Brgy. Lo-ok,

Almeria, Biliran. Investigation of the site was done in terms of its applicability

and lastly, designing of the micro-hydroelectric scheme was concluded.

Fig. 1. Conceptual Framework of the Research Proposal

Significance of the Study

Site Site
Planning Design
Selection Investigation

This study would further give additional information to different

constituents which involve construction ethics

Barangay. The result of this feasibility study will serve as a source

power of the street light of the barangay and it can also be used as a way of

charging your chargeable device.

Residents. This feasibility study will allow the residents to see in the

dark whenever there is power outage.

Municipality. This feasibility study will serve as reference for the

applicability of the pico-hydroelectric scheme in some parts of the

municipality. It can save money for paying the bills of the street light instead

make the project as a source of power for street lights.

Future researchers. This study will provide as a related literature for

the future researchers having similar investigation in the future.

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Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The focus of this study is primarily to design a pico-hydroelectric

scheme that can produce from 5000 watts to 10000 watts of power, essential

for additional power and a back-up power to charge devices and will serve as

a source of power for the street lights whenever there is black-out or not. The

efficiency of the micro-hydroelectric scheme depends on the flow of the river

and the components to be used. The cover of the research proposal was

done more than a month with a possible cost ranging from P100, 000-P1,

500,000.

Definition of Terms

To relieve the readers from confusion in its reading and to aid for

simple and clearer understanding some of the terms are being defined.

Alternating current (AC). An electric current that reverses direction

many times per second.

Direct current (DC). Electric current which flows in one direction.

Draft tube. A water conduit, which can be straight or curved depending

upon the turbine installation, that maintains a column of water from the

turbine outlet and the downstream water level.

Efficiency. A percentage obtained by dividing the actual power or energy

by the theoretical power or energy. It represents how well the hydropower

plant converts the energy of the water into electrical energy.

Electricity. A form of energy produced by the flow of particles of matter

and consists of commonly attractive positively (protons [+]) and negatively

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(electrons [-]) charged atomic particles. A stream of electrons, or an

electric current.

Generator. a machine that converts one form of energy into another,

especially mechanical energy into electrical energy, as a dynamo, or

electrical energy into sound, as an acoustic generator.

MHP. Mini-Hydro Power.

Head. Vertical change in elevation, expressed in either feet or meters,

between the head water level and the tail water level.

Flow. Volume of water, expressed as cubic feet or cubic meters per

second, passing a point in a given amount of time.

Headwater. The water level above the powerhouse.

Low Head. Head of 66 feet or less.

Penstock. A closed conduit or pipe for conducting water to the

powerhouse.

Runner. The rotating part of the turbine that converts the energy of falling

water into mechanical energy.

Tailwater. The water downstream of the powerhouse.

Hydroelectric. Relating to the production of electricity by using machines

that are powered by moving water.

Turbine. An engine that has a part with blades that are caused to spin by

pressure from water, steam, or air.

Transmission Line. a system of conductors, as coaxial cable, a wave

guide, or a pair of parallel wires, used to transmit signals.

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Water. A clear liquid that has no color, taste, or smell, that falls from

clouds as rain, that forms streams, lakes, and seas, and that is used for

drinking, washing, etc.

Review of Related Literature

Related Literature

This part provides study of the different components of a Pico-Hydro

Power System as well as its function.

PICO-HYDRO POWER SYSTEM

Spillway

A designed structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from

a dam or a collection of water into a downstream area. It releases floods

so that the water does not over top and destroys the dam (Adam Harvey,

1993).

Controlled spillway

Has mechanical structures or gates to regulate the rate of flow. This

design allows nearly the full height of the dam to be used for water

storage year-round, and flood waters can be released as required by

opening one or more gates.

Uncontrolled spillway

In contrast to controlled, it does not have gates; when the water rises

above the lip or crest of the spillway it begins to be released from the

reservoir. The rate of discharge is controlled only by the depth of water

within the reservoir.

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Powerhouse

A structure that houses the turbine, generator and electrical controller

units for protection. The construction of the powerhouse will vary

depending on local availability of materials, local preferences and the

local climate (Maher and Smith 2001). The spillway is a designed

structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or a

collection of water into a downstream area. It releases floods so that the

water does not over top and destroys the dam.

Pipeline System

The penstock is the pipe which conveys water under pressure to the

turbine. The penstock contributes to the major expense in the whole

electrification system therefore it should be taken care properly to ensure

its lifetime running cost and initial purchase cost. Pipeline diameter,

length, and routing will play a major role in the efficiency and the losses.

Guidelines to proper design of penstock will help us find the suitable

pipeline to match the design flow of our system.

Fig.2.
Comparison of common materials used for penstock
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Turbine

It is a unit which consists of a runner connected to a shaft. It converts

energy in falling water into rotating shaft power. The turbine is connected

either directly coupled to the generator or by means of gears, belts or

pulleys and sprocket and chain depending on the speed required for the

generator.

Generator

The heart of the system, it transforms the mechanical energy produced by

the water either by impulse or reaction and convert it to electrical energy.

Early hydroelectric systems made use of Direct Current generation to

match the requirements of early electrical equipment; however, modern

schemes make almost exclusive use of three phase alternating current

generators (Bjornavold 2009).

Methodology

This chapter discusses the process and presents the general

sequential flow process followed in order to attain the objective of the project

which is to design a pico-hydroelectric power scheme in Badiang river,

Almeria, Biliran.

Location of the Site Plan

The site is located at Barangay (Upper) Lo-ok, Almeria, Biliran.

Approximately 20-minute travel time from Naval.

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Site Plan

Fig. 3. Site Plan of the Micro-Hydroelectric Scheme

Site Investigation

The site plan was investigated for possible design of the micro-

hydropower scheme.
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Fig. 4. Site Investigation

Design Considerations

Fig. 5. Sample Pico-Hydroelectric Scheme

Flow rate measurement. To measure the water flow rate (discharge)

several methods are available. The velocity-area method is a

conventional method for medium to large rivers, involving the

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measurement of the cross-sectional area of the river and the mean

velocity of the water through it. It is a useful approach for

determining the stream flow with a minimum effort. The river

should have a uniform width and the area well defined.

Forebay tank and Powerhouse Location. The forebay tank is located

at the highest point that is easy to access for construction and

feasible amount of water. Powerhouse is located near the house of

one of the resident for safe keeping and maintenance purposes.

The power house is located higher than the stream. Trash rack

design. To prevent the trash from getting entry into the entrance

flume, bars at certain spacing (called trash rack) are placed in a

slanting position (at an angle 60° to 80° with horizontal). The

maximum possible spacing between the bars is generally specific

by the turbine manufacturers. Typical value are (20-30 mm) for

Pelton turbines, (40-50 mm) for Francis turbines and (80- 100 mm)

for Kaplan turbines. A screen or grill is always nearly at the

entrance of both pressure pipes and intakes to avoid the entrance

of floating debris. The flow of water through the rack also gives rise

to a head loss. The trash rack coefficient (Ktr) depends on the bar

shape and may be vary from (0.8) to (2.4).

Penstock Design. Penstocks (pipes) are used to conveying water

from the intake to the power house. They can be installed over or

under the ground, depending on factors such as the nature of the

ground itself, the penstock materials, the ambient temperature and

the environmental requirements.

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Head Measurement. The gross head (Hg) is the vertical distance

between the water surface level at the intake and at the tailrace for

the reaction turbines (such as Francis and Kaplan turbines) and

the nozzle level for the impulse turbines (such as Pelton, Turgo

and cross-flow turbines). The modern electronic digital levels

provide an automatic display of height and distance with about (4)

seconds with measurement accuracy of (0.4 mm). Surveying

byGlobal Positioning Systems (GPS) is already practiced and

handheld GPS receiver is ideal for field positioning and rough

mapping. Once the gross head is known, the net head (Hn) can be

computed by simply subtracting the losses along its path, such as

open channel loss, trash rack loss, intake or inlet to penstock loss,

gate or valve loss and penstock friction loss.

Turbine speed. To ensure the control of the turbine speed by

regulating the water flow rate, a certain inertia of rotating

components is required. Addition inertia can be provided by a

flywheel on the turbine or generator shaft. When the load is

disconnected, the power excess accelerates the flywheel, later,

when the load is reconnected, deceleration of the addition inertia

supplies additional power that helps to minimize speed variation.

Turbine Selection. Once the turbine power, specific speed and net

head are known, the turbine type, the turbine fundamental

dimensions and the height or elevation above the tailrace water

surface that the turbine should be installed to avoid cavitation

phenomenon, can be calculated. In case of Kaplan or Francis

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turbine type, the head loss due to cavitation, the net head and the

turbine power must be recalculated. In general, the Pelton turbines

cover the high pressure domain down to (50 m) for micro-hydro.

The Francis types of turbine cover the largest range of head below

the Pelton turbine domain with some over-lapping and down to (10

m) head for micro-hydro. The lowest domain of head below (10 m)

is covered by Kaplan type of turbine with fixed or movable blades.

For low heads and up to (50 m), also the cross-flow impulse

turbine can be used. Once the turbine type is known, the

fundamental dimensions of the turbine can be easily estimated.

Market Analysis

BILECO Consumers

Based on BELICO annual report on 2017, Culaba has the least

numbers of members with 2435 members, followed by Biliran with 2797

members and the municipality with the largest numbers of members, Naval

with 3926 members.

Table of BILECO's Membership as of 2017

Municipality No. of House Total Percent

Barangays Connections membership Loading
Almeria 13 3535 3312 8.8
Biliran 11 2615 2797 7.9
Cabucgayan 13 3432 3450 9.6
Caibiran 17 3629 3740 9.4
Culaba 17 2200 2435 5.5
Kawayan 20 3625 3926 8.4
Naval 26 10774 9027 50.5
Source: BILICO, Membership, 2017
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Urban and Rural Distribution of the Province

Table of Urban Distribution by Municipality, Province of Biliran

2007-2017
Municipality Total Population Urban
2007 2017 2007 % 2017 %
Almeria 13,854 19,452 11,059 79.82 18,713 85.23
Biliran 13,817 14,947 9,380 67.88 10,220 70.49
Cabucgayan 17,691 18,799 13,884 78.48 14,268 78.86
Caibiran 19,606 20,616 13,505 68.88 14,497 70.31
Culaba 11,506 10,962 9,095 79.04 8614 75.58
Kawayan 17,507 19,053 15,773 90.09 17,036 89.41
Maripipi 8,319 6,946 6,585 79.15 5,436 78.64
Naval 17,974 44,288 27,467 72.33 32,663 73.75
Provincial 140,274 150,031 106,608 75.99 111,503 76.67
Total
Source: National Stattistics Office
Table of Rural Distribution by Municipality, Province of Biliran
2007-2017
Municipality Total Population Rural
2007 2017 2007 % 2017 %
Almeria 13,854 19,452 2,795 20.17 2,707 18.77
Biliran 13,817 14,947 4,437 32.11 4,727 31.62
Cabucgayan 17,691 18,799 3,813 21.55 3,973 21.13
Caibiran 19,606 20,616 6,101 31.11 6,119 29.68
Culaba 11,506 10,962 2,411 20.95 2,348 21.40
Kawayan 17,507 19,053 1,868 10.67 2,017 10.58
Maripipi 8,319 6,946 1,743 20.84 1,483 21.35
Naval 17,974 44,288 10,507 27.66 11,625 26.24
Provincial 140,274 150,031 33666 24.0 34999 23.32
Total
Source: National Stattistics Office
Biliran Montahly Electrical Energy Consumption
Table of Monthly Electrical Energy Consumptions in the Province
of Biliran as of August 2018
Municipality Electrical Energy Consumption
Almeria 251,289
Biliran 228,993
Cabucgayan 261,900
Caibiran 251,556
Culaba 145,291
Kawayan 225,098
Naval 399,797
Source: BILECO, 2017
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According to the data tabulated from the above tables, at present there is no

existing renewable power plant in the island or province. As the population of Biliran

increases, the demand of electrical energy of the province also increases as it is

directly proportional with each other. So if the proposed project will be realize, it can

help supply electrical energy for streetlights of the said municipality.

System Structure

River

The proposed location of river to be used had the flow rate that could

generate a few kilo watts to a 10000 kW that could power a streetlight along the

road.

Intake

The intake of the system is the upstream side of the river. A vertical trash

track is put at intake to prevent the trash, logs and etc. in entering the pipeline that

could farther damage and destroy the operating turbine.

Trash track Gate

The intake gates are equipped to the water supply pipe, in which it supplied

water to the turbine making the turbine work and for the generator to produce

electricity

Penstocks (water supply pipeline)

A concrete pipeline is set after intake, each with an internal diameter of 0.7

meter with a wall thickness of o.15m and a length of approximately 15m.

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INVESTMENT ESTIMATION

Annual Running Expense

Table of Annual Expenses, Allowance and Administrative use of the

Personnel

Personnel Minimum Wage Monthly Expenses

Manager/Electrical 1500 45000

Engineer

Secretary 500 15000

Accountant 750 22500

Registered Master 650 13500

Electrician

Others ----- 20000

Total Expenses 116000

The proposed pico-hydropower must have one manager, one secretary, one

accountant for administrative position. One electrical engineer and one registered

master electrician for the maintenance of the electrical equipment. The manager/

electrical engineer with a 1500 pesos minimum wage salary, secretary with 500

pesos and the accountant with 750 pesos minimum wage per day. The registered

master electrician have with the minimum wage of 650 pesos per day. In addition,

other expenses such as allowance, maintenance, administrative use, transportation,

etc. will be included. For the whole month, the total expenses would be 116000

pesos per month

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Return of Investment
The return of investment of this project is the electricity to be use by the

residents of the municipality of Almeria when power outage occurs for them to

charge there chargeable devices. Whenever there is power outage it can be used to

power the street lights for the residents to see the road. It can also be used a source

of power for the street light. The said project will be useful for the long term. This

project can also be profitable where it can also lessen the electrical energy

consumption of the municipality in terms of paying the bill of the streetlights.

CONCLUSION

Pico-hydro power is the cheapest way to generate electricity in an small area

for the use of powering streetlights today. No other energy source, renewable or

non-renewable, can match it. Producing electricity from pico-hydropower is cheap

because once it is installed the energy source, flowing water is free.

Pico-hydro power also produce power cheaply due to their sturdy structures

and simple equipment. These plants are dependable and long-lived, and their

maintenance costs are low compared to a coal or nuclear plants.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In a hydro power plant like these, it is very necessary to equip the system with

its intended equipment in order to achieve the maximum output of its operation. It is

also important to consider the environmental factor to build a plant like this.

Design a structure that can also resists the pressure of water during rainy

season, a flood may occur during that season of the year. Fail construction of the
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path which water will flow may cause damage to the society and the invested money

can be at risk.

Literature Cited

Lekshmi S., Young, Young World, 2010. Importance of electricity.

Capuno, Charles Brian C., et. al., Design, Fabrication and Installation of

Pico-Hydro Power in Barangay San Andres, Tanay Rizal. 2013. School

of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Mapua Institute of

Technology. 101 pp. [Design, Fabrication and Installation of Pico-Hydro

Power in Barangay San Andres, Tanay Rizal.pdf].

Nasir, Bilal Abdullah, Design of Micro-Hydro-Electric Power Station, 2013

Websites

www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/hydro-energy/small-scale-hydro

power.html].

www.google.com.ph/maps/place/Almeria,+Biliran/

@11.6208711,124.3817239,953m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!

1s0x33a78ea0cf678cad:0xba0adf534491b684!8m2!3d11.6395872!

4d124.4087307?hl=en

http://www.dictionary.com

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/buying-and-making electricity/picoo-

hydropower-systems

http://philgis.org/
http://biliran.gov.ph/almeria/
(www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com)
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