DESIGN OF A MICRO-HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER STATION

I. INTRODUCTION
Renewable energy is energy coming from different natural sources, such as the
sun, the wind and the water, that replenish themselves faster than they are consumed.
The generation of renewable energy creates far lower emissions as compared to that of
non-renewable energy generation making it far more preferable.
There are many forms or types of renewable energy available for people to use.
There is the solar power from the sun, the wind power from the wind and the hydro
power generated from the water.
Hydro power derived its energy from flowing water. One of the types of
hydropower system is micro-hydropower system of which we are to design in this paper.
Usually, micro-hydropower systems (run-of-river type) are designed for areas that merit
low electricity consumption, specifically in far-flung areas with good water sources that
electric grid corporations have yet to reach.
The run-of-river system is generally composed of the
following components (as shown in figure 1):
a) Water conveyor (i.e. pipes, channels) that
delivers the water;
b) A turbine which transforms the energy of the
flowing water to mechanical energy;
c) A generator which turns the mechanical
energy to electrical energy;
d) A regulator which controls the generator; and Figure 1. Run-of-river system
e) Wirings that delivers the electricity.
Though there are pros and cons in the installation of micro-hydro power systems,
the pros carry the heavier weight. Some of the advantages identified are the following:

 Efficient energy source: It takes only a small amount of flow to make it work
(as small as two gallons of water or a drop of as low as two feet) to generate
electricity with the micro hydro, the produced electricity can be used as far as
a mile away from the production site.
 Reliable electricity source: There is a constant and continuous electrical
energy supply from a hydro power plant compared to other small scale
renewable energy technologies. There are however peak energy seasons
(mainly during winter) when large quantities of electricity is required.
 No reservoir required: Micro hydro are considered to run as a 'run-of-river'
system , this means that when the water passes through the turbines it is
diverted back to the river/ stream with relatively low impact on the
surrounding ecology.
 Cost effective energy solution: A small hydro- power system can cost in
the range of $1,000-$20,000 depending on the site electricity requirements
and location. The operation and maintenance costs are relatively low as well
compared to other technologies.
  Power for developing countries: Having low-cost versatility and long life
span, micro hydro can be used by developing countries in supplying
electricity to small villages and communities.
 Integrate with the local power grid: If there is a surplus production of
electricity, some companies can buy the electricity from you and integrate it to
the grid. There could also be a possibility of supplementing your level of
micro power with intake from the grid.
 Environmental impact: The impact on the environment is minimized as
compared to the traditional power stations that use fossil fuels.
This paper is set to design a micro-hydro power electric system for sitio Las-igan,
a small village in Brgy. Cabiten, Mankayan, Benguet having a total household of about
50 households.
II. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF MICRO-HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER PLANT
a. Load Estimation
The area as to where this micro-hydro system is about to supply has a
total household of 50 and the loads and power consumption of the village for a
day is broken-down in table 1.
Table 1. Load Estimation for 50 Households

Rated Total Hours of

Load Quantity Power power use per KWh/day
day
Household consumptions
 Daytime consumption
Radio 1 50 2500 7 17.5
LED 2 3 300 2 0.60
Spotlights/Flashlights
 Nighttime consumption
Lamps/Bulbs 5 18 4500 5 22.5
Cellphone charger 3 6.5 975 2 1.95
Radio 1 50 2500 2 5
Subtotal 47.55
Special consumptions
 Daytime consumption
Television 7 50 350 3 1.05
 Nighttime consumption
Television 15 50 750 2 1.5
Subtotal 2.55
Grand Total 11875 50.1

b. Flow Rate Measurement

The flow rate measurement is crucial in designing micro-hydro systems
for this helps in determining the right size and type of generator and turbine to be
used.
Table 2. Flow Rate Measurement

Flow Rate Head

 Components (m3/s), Q (m), H
Total River Flow 2
Weir Intake 0.67 300
Forebay Intake 0.53
Penstock Intake 0.4 40
Turbine 0.4
Tailrace 0.4 20
The table shows the flow rate of the water each components intakes as
well as head measurements. The open channel or the headrace which stretches
from the weir to the forebay is about 300 meters and the gross head for the
penstock is about 40 meters.

c. Potential Power
The potential power of the system should be determined in order to asses
if it can provide the electric power needed by the village. The formula for
determining the power potential is given by the equation,

P=9.81QHe
Where:
P = potential power, kW
Q = flow rate, m3/s
H = net head
e = system efficiency
A rough guide used for small systems of a few kW rating is take the
overall efficiency as approximately 50%. The total gross head of the turbine is 40
m with a friction loss of 5%.
The potential power of the system is then determined to be
P=9.81QHe

( )
3
0.4 m
P=9.81 ( 40 m x 0.95 ) (0.5)
s
P=74.556 kW

d. Weir Opening and Open Channel Design

Weirs are small over-flow type dam commonly used to raise the level of a
river or a stream and have been traditionally used to create mill ponds in some
places.
In micro-hydro systems, weirs are used in conjunction with locks, to
render a river navigable and to provide even flow for navigation. In this case, the
weir is made significantly longer than the width of the river by forming it in a ‘U’
shape or running it diagonally, instead of the short perpendicular path. Since the
weir is the portion where water overflows, a long weir allows a lot more water
with a small increase in overflow depth. This is done in order to minimize
fluctuation in the depth of the river upstream with changes in the flow rate of the
river. Doing so avoids unnecessary complication in designing and using the lock
or irrigation diversion devices (lceted.com, 2021).
There are many types of weir but the one used in this design is the
rectangular one. Weir dimensions are determined by using the following formula,
 1.5
Q=1.8 (w−0.2 h)(h )
Where:
w= width of the weir, m
h= height of the weir, m

As suggested by Nasir (2013), the width of the weir will be equal to 3h or

three times that of the height. So, the weir dimensions will then be

1.5
Q=1.8 (w−0.2 h)(h )
3 1.5
2 m /s=1.8(3 h−0.2 h)(h )
2=1.8 ( 2.8 h ) ( h 1.5 )
h=0.69 m
Solve for the width (w), m
w=3 h
w=3(0.69 m)
w=2.07 m

The area (A, m2) of the open channel or the channel was determined
using the formula:
Q= AV
The velocity of the channel is found to be 0.80 m/s, thus the area of the
channel would be
Q
Q= AV ∨A=
V
3
O .67 m /s
A=
0.80 m/s
A=0.84 m

The calculated area for the open channel is 0.84 m. The dimensions for
the channel would then be 1 meter for its base and 0.84 meters for its height.

e. Forebay
The forebay is a basin area where the water diverted from the river is
temporarily stored before passing through the penstock. In the case of micro-
hydro systems, it acts as reservoir as well. A spillway is provided within as well to
direct the excess water to the farmlands for irrigation.
f. Penstock Design
The penstock (pipe) is used to direct water from the forebay to the hydro
turbine in the powerhouse. The most common type of pipes used in micro-hydro
sites are steel piles, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and high-density
polyethylene (HDPE) pipes. Depending on the environmental requirements of the
site, pipes are either buried on the ground or is visible on the ground surface.
 When water travels through a pipe, it creates friction. A properly designed
hydro penstock can compensate for friction by increasing the pipe size and as
much as possible, avoiding sharp angles and changes in direction in order to at
least minimize decline in pressure.
The internal diameter of the penstock (Dp, mm) can be calculated by
0.1875
2 Lp 2
D p=2.69(n x Q x )
H
Where:
n = Manning’s coefficient
Q = penstock flowrate intake
Lp = length of the pipe used
H = head
The internal diameter of the penstock (Dp, mm) used is determined by
0.1875
2 2 Lp
D p=2.69(n x Q x )
H
0.1875
2 2 45
D p=2.69(0.012 x 0.4 x )
40
D p=0.37 m≈ 370 mm
Where:
n = Manning’s coefficient, 0.012
Q = penstock flowrate intake, 0.4 m3/s
Lp = length of the pipe used, 45 m
H = head, 40 m
*Note: Manning’s coefficient for plastic pipes, particularly polyethylene
(PE) pipes that are corrugated with smooth inner walls ranges from 0.009 to
0.015 (engineeringtoolbox.com). The roughness coefficient used in the design is
0.012.
The minimum thickness of the pipe wall is determined by the equation
D p +508
t p= +1.2
400
Where:
D p= penstock diameter, mm

t p = minimum penstock thickness, mm

 Thus, the minimum penstock thickness of the pipe wall is
D p +508
t p= +1.2
400
370+508
t p= + 1.2
400
t p=3.4 mm
g. Powerhouse
In micro-hydro systems, the role of the powerhouse is to protect the
electromechanical equipment (i.e. the turbine and the generator) that convert the
potential energy of water into electricity and other necessary equipment needed
by the system from environmental elements that could damage it.
Due to the presence of large and heavy equipment units, the power
house stability must completely secured. Settlements cannot be accepted in the
power house. If the power house is founded on rock, the excavation work will
eliminate the superficial weathered layer, leaving a sound rock foundation. If the
power house is to be located on fluvial terraces near the river banks which do not
offer a good foundation then the ground must be reconditioned. The equipment
of the power house are turbine, electrical generator and drive systems. (Nasir,
2013)
 Selection of generator
The generator to be used in the system is a 100 kW generator that
work best with the chosen turbine. Specification are shown below.
 Selection of turbine
The purpose of the hydraulic turbine is to transform the water’s
kinetic energy into mechanical energy. There are many types of
turbines to choose from however, choosing the right turbine depends
on how high the head is.
The turbine determined to be used in this design is a cross-flow
turbine, an impulse turbine design for medium and low head micro-
hydro systems.

Figure 2. Product picture of a hyro cross flow Figure 3. Installation of the Hydro Cross Flow
turbine with a 100 kW generator
Specifications of the product

h. Tailrace
 The water flows in the tailrace after it has passed through the turbine to
be directed either back to the river or in irrigation canals. Even though the last
component, the design of the tailrace should be given enough considerations
since it can be damaging if not thought out properly. It is good if the power house
is located nearer to the stream. But, if it is located far away from the stream then
it is necessary to build a channel for carrying water into the stream or onto
irrigation canals. Otherwise the water flow may damage the plant in many ways
like lowering turbine efficiency, cavitation, damage to turbine blades etc. This is
because of silting or scouring caused by unnecessary flow of water from power
house. Hence, proper design of tailrace should be more important.
The tailrace to be built should be sturdy enough to accommodate the
relatively high exit velocities impulse turbines have.

III. DISCUSSION
This paper shows the design of micro-hydro power system, which is designed for the
area with low electricity consumption, but has good water sources to produce electricity. The
system is composed of water conveyor, turbine, generator, regulator, and wirings. The
micro-hydro power system is designed for sitio Las-igan, Barangay Cabiten, Mankayan,
Benguet, for 50 households. The daily watt-hour ratings of the appliances are used to
calculate the daily electrical energy demand for the 50 households, as well as the total load,
which is estimated to be 50.1 kilowatt-hour per day. In table 2, the flow rate measurement
and head measurement of each component of the micro-hyro power system. The total river
flow has a flow rate of 2 m3/s, weir intake has 0.67 m3/s, forebay intake has 0.53 m3/s;
penstock intake, turbine and tailrace has 0.4 m 3/s flow rate. From weir to the forebay, the
measurement is about 300 meters and 100 meters for the gross head of the penstock.
Furthermore, the calculated potential power of the system is 74.556 kilowatt, with 50%
efficiency. The weir is 0.69 meters high and 2.07 meters wide, meanwhile the open channel
has a velocity of 0.80 m/s and dimension of 1 meter for the base and 0.84 meters for its
height. The penstock, which is used to divert water from the forebay to the hydro turbine,
has an internal diameter of 370 mm and minimum thickness of 3.4 mm. The selected
generator is capable of higher than 75 kW power, and the selected turbine is a cross-flow
type.

IV. CONCLUSION
In micro hydro power system, water is delivered to the forebay where it is temporarily
stored, before it is delivered to the penstock. The penstock directs the water towards the
powerhouse, where it contains the turbine and generator. The potential energy of water is
converted into electricity and after it passed through the turbine, water is directed back to
the river or weir through the tailrace. The mini hydro power system is beneficial for areas
with low electricity consumption to increase the available hydro energy and produced
electricity. Furthermore, the mini hydro power system’s benefits includes efficient energy
source, reliable electricity source, no reservoir required, cost effective, integrate with local
power grid and has environmental impact.
V. REFERENCES
Energy.gov. (n.d). Microhydropower Systems. Retrieved from
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/microhydropower-
systems#:~:text=Microhydropower%20System%20Components&text=Turbine
%2C%20pump%2C%20or%20waterwheel%20%2D%2D,Wiring%20%2D%2D
%20delivers%20the%20electricity.

Energypedia.info. (2014). Micro Hydro Power (MHP) Plants. Retrieved from

https://energypedia.info/wiki/Micro_Hydro_Power_(MHP)_Plants

Engineeringtoolbox.com. (n.d.) Manning’s Roughness Coefficients. Retrieved from

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/mannings-roughness-d_799.html

Lceted.com. (2021). What is weir | Functions of a weir | Types of weir. Retrieved from
https://www.lceted.com/2021/06/what-is-weir-functions-of-weir-types.html

Nasir, B.A. (2013). Design of Micro-Hydro-Electric Power Station. International Journal

of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT). Retrieved from
https://www.ijeat.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/v2i5/E1658062513.pdf