1

IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Green Energy and Healthcare Technologies(ICIGEHT’17)

MICRO IN-PIPE HYDRO POWER PLANT FOR

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION USING LabVIEW
Dr.Porkumaran K, Principal, Dr.N.G.P IT, Coimbatore, India
Rinoy Paul Tharu, Final Year B.E-EEE, Dr.N.G.P IT, Coimbatore, India
Sukanya S, Final Year B.E-EEE, Dr.N.G.P IT, Coimbatore, India
Vini.V.I.Elezabeth, Final Year B.E-EEE, Dr.N.G.P IT, Coimbatore, India
Gowtham N, Final Year B.E-EEE, Dr.N.G.P IT, Coimbatore, India

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION:

The micro in-pipe hydro power Hydropower is a mature and cost-

generation system is a novel method for
the integration of renewable resources
with the water supply systems at rural as
well as urban landscape because of its
immense potential to harness clean
energy from the surplus overhead and
flow pressure of the water in the domestic
tanks and pipelines [1]. This can be
deployed in municipalities and
agricultural irrigation districts generating
consistently clean energy without the
surrounding physical hindrance as in
wind and solar power and simultaneously
maintaining and managing the water
supply system and pipelines, even under
varying overhead and flow conditions.
The pipelines are fitted with compatible
3D printed micro turbines which converts
the potential and kinetic energy of water
to mechanical energy which the generator
utilizes to produce the much cleaner
electrical energy. The generated power is
stored in the battery which can be used
by the locality. The entire system is
managed with a anti-leakage system to
shut down the water flow from tank on
account of pipeline leakage.
Keywords: Micro in-pipe turbine, electric
generator, leakage detection system, battery
storage.
competitive renewable energy source that
plays a strategic essential role in XXI
century electricity mix, contributing to more
than 16% of electricity generation
worldwide (more than 3500 TWh) and about
85% of global renewable electricity[2],[3].In
use in over 160 countries, hydropower
capacity is on the rise, reaching 1.31 TW
worldwide at the end of 2011[4] against 369
GW of wind [5] and 177 GW of photovoltaic
at the end of 2014 [6].The first commercial
use of hydroelectric power to produce
electricity was a waterwheel on the Fox
River in Wisconsin in 1882 that supplied
power for lighting to two paper mills and a
house[7].Its suitability for decentralized
development, fully using local materials and
appropriate technology with the
[8]
participation of the local people .
The hydropower systems help in stabilizing
the fluctuating harmonics between the
supply and the utilization demand. The
unused kinetic energy as well as potential
energy of the water is converted to electrical
energy by using the preferable in pipe micro
3D printed turbine. During shutdowns or
low flow of voltage in the grid, it is

978-1-5090-5778-8/17/$31.00©2017 IEEE

Department of BME & EEE, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology

 2
IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Green Energy and Healthcare Technologies(ICIGEHT’17)

preferable to use the stored energy from the components to be employed are the in-pipe
water system instead of diesel or petrol 3D printed micro turbines, micro hydro
engines. Thereby reducing the cost of generator, lithium ion battery, voltage
stabilizer and leakage detection system. The
generation and harnessing a clean energy.
system hence harnesses energy from the
otherwise futile potential and kinetic energy
Small hydro power can make a substantial of the overhead and flow water of the
impact on developing countries where domestic water pipeline system.
significant water power resources exist and
where economically viable alternatives are TURBINE:
few[10].Water flowing through the penstock
from the tank or the underground water
pipelines is used to run multiple turbines,
spaced sufficiently, which is coupled to a
generator. The power produced in the
generator is stepped up using a step up
transformer and given to street lights, and
during off load condition it is preferably
Fig 1: Lucid’s in-pipe turbine system [10]
stored in batteries for further utilization.
Designed for the gravity fed and pressurized The 3D-printed turbine is superior to other
transmission and distribution lines as well as water wheels because of its non corrosive,
effluent outfalls and other pipe conveyance low weight, friction less nature. Turbine is
systems, these particular micro hydro deployed inside the 6 inch pipelines located
systems may be located in municipal water with optimal intervals.
or waste water systems, industrial water GENERATOR:
systems, or irrigation systems [1].
The G1/2 micro hydro generator is
PROBLEM: employed in this micro hydro power system.
The generator has a regulator circuit
The rural landscape of India is devoid of this harnessing a stable power of 3.6 V and a
century’s technological assests owning built-in battery of 300-700 mAh.Its unique
mainly to the unavailability of electricity. features supporting our requirements include
The Government’s initiatives yield to be a built-in Lithium battery, lipo charging
futile because of the low maintenance and circuit, stabilized voltage output and high
management. Hydro power plants are not a battery capacity.
perennial source of power because of the
availability of stream water only in down SPECIFICATION RANGE
pouring season. The solar and wind power Working pressure < 2 KGF
generation system owing to their bulk Pressure Drop 0.4 Bar (3.0 L/Min)
component requirement and capital Peak Current 1.4 A
investment have conistant requirements Stand-by Current Max. 1.4 A
especially based on the zone of the location. Voltage output 3.6 V DC ---
700mAh
This system proposes the utilization Power Output 125mW(4LPM)
of the existing water supply system which Battery Capacity 300mAh
minimizes its capital Investment. The

Department of BME & EEE, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology

 3
IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Green Energy and Healthcare Technologies(ICIGEHT’17)

WORKING:
The water supply system is a
source of potential and kinetic energy which
exploited for the production of clean
electrical energy. The pipelines are
incorporated with 3D-printed micro
turbines, spaced sufficiently to harness the
optimum power, in demand of the remote
area with this system as its sole power
supply. The tank stores water for the
domestic utility of the population. The
system has a water level sensor to intimate
the municipality to refill the tank. The water
is stored at a height owing to its overhead
pressure; this potential energy leads to the
surplus in the kinetic energy while it flows
in the pipeline. The in-pipe turbines are the
converters of this energy to mechanical
energy which rotates the shaft of the micro
hydro generator to harness the electrical
energy which is then stored on to the lithium
ion battery and utilized for the operation of
the street lights, domestic utilization or the
agricultural irrigation requirements.

BLOCK DIAGRAM:

Fig 3: Micro hydropower plant deployed in water supply system

Department of BME & EEE, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology

 4
IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Green Energy and Healthcare Technologies(ICIGEHT’17)

Fig 4: Block Diagram of the LabVIEW Simulation of Micro hydro power plant in water supply
system

Fig 5: Front Panel of the LabVIEW Simulation of Micro hydro power plant in water supply
system

Department of BME & EEE, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology

 5
IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Green Energy and Healthcare Technologies(ICIGEHT’17)

CONCLUSION: 2. World Energy Council. World Energy

The LabVIEW based rural micro hydro
power generation system was successfully
simulated and tested with a prototype part
by part. The implementation and practical
testing was done in the workbench
effectively.
The proposed rural
electrification system using LabVIEW can
act as a standalone unit to electrification of
remote landscape of the country. There is
substantial potential for supplying off-grid
communities with electricity from small
hydro schemes. The technology can be made
compatible with the national grid, so that an
off-grid hydro scheme could subsequently
be connected to the grid.This provides
lighting, TV and communications for
homes, schools, clinics and community
buildings. The electrical power generated
can be enough to run machinery and
refrigerators, thus supporting small
businesses.
The current power scenario of the
country urges us to develop a novel system
like these to electrify and digitize the rural
community.
Resources, 2013 Survey. 2013:1-468.
3. OECD/IEA. Key World Energy
Statistics. Paris: IEA Publications;
2014:1-80.
4. OECD/IEA. World Energy Outlook.
Paris: IEA Publications; 2014:1-748
5. Global Wind Energy Council. Global
Wind Statistics. 2014. 2015:1-5.
6. IEA PVPS. Snapshot of Global PV
Markets 2014, 2015:1-16.
7. Dilip Singh: "Micro-hydro-power",
Resource Assessment Handbook, An
Initiative of the Asian and Pacific Centre
for Transfer of Technology, September,
2009.
8. T.P. Tung y otros, “Evaluation of
Alternative Intake Configuration for
Small Hydro”, Actas de
HIDROENERGIA 93. Munich

Additionally this proposal can be a back up

for the existing systems. Pipeline leakage or
breach in power production can also be
performed by LabVIEW .Thus this system
ensures reliable and optimum power
production from the existing water supply
system.

REFERENCES:

1. Marco Casini,“Harvesting energy from

in-pipe hydro systems at urban and
building scales”, International Journal of
Smart and Clean Energy

Department of BME & EEE, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology