Tag Archives: pelton

Turbines

Turbines

High quality turbine-generator units suited to medium and high head locations up to 20 kW have until recently  been difficult to source.

After lengthy development, a new turbine system has been engineered to fill this gap. Key features of the Hydromatch HF200 are as follows:

  • Turbine optimisation for excellent peak and part flow performance
  • Head range:   20 m – 100 m
  • Flow range:   to 40 litres per second
  • Power:             to 20 kW
  • High quality stainless steel turbine runner and casing
  • Stainless steel spear valves or fixed nozzles
  • Automatic operation
  • Grid connection or Off-grid controls
  • Online monitoring

Turbine

P1040128

The turbine has been designed by Hydromatch Consulting and manufactured in England to the highest standard in collaboration with CKT Engineering Ltd.

Case Study, Hydropower

Culbone

Pico Energy Ltd Case Study 10 Site Name: Culbone
System type: Pelton Turbine Power output: 4.5 kW
Manufacturer: Pico Energy Ltd Typical Generation: 24 MWh p.a.
Client: Mr S Wyard Design Conditions: H = 50.00 m
Q = 0.016 m3/s
Location: Culbone, Exmoor, Devon Commissioned: December 2012
Culbone intake
Project description:

Pico Energy have commissioned a 4.5 kW scheme in the Exmoor National Park. The challenging site is located in a remote wooded valley on the North coast of Exmoor in the hamlet of Culbone which is famous for having the smallest church in England. The hydro power system works independently of the National Grid and provides power and heating for local residents.

Pico Energy have worked with the client from initial proposal to gain approval from the National Park and to ensure the scheme has minimal impact on the picturesque location. The building work was carried out by contractors under close supervision from Pico Energy. The ‘off-grid’ generator control panel has been connected to the existing inverter and battery bank, replacing an old diesel generator as the power source. In addition to providing AC power directly to the house, the hydro generator also maintains the battery charge. If the maximum electrical load temporarily exceeds the generator capacity, then the batteries supply the shortfall via the inverter. In this way a peak load of up to 8 kW can be accommodated for short periods.

The stainless steel Pelton turbine system used for this installation was designed, manufactured and installed by Pico Energy Ltd. In addition to providing supplying all loads with renewable electricity the client receives the Feed-in Tariff on all electricity consumed.

If you have a similar project in mind, then please get in touch for an informal discussion about how we may be able to assist with the scheme implementation:  info@picoenergy.co.uk

Case Study, Hydropower

Cwm Clydach

Hydromatch Consulting Case Study 8 Site Name: Cwm Clydach
System type: Pelton Turbine Power output: 55 kW
Manufacturer: Tepersac Typical Generation: 250 MWh p.a.
Client: Cwmclydach Communities First Design Conditions: H = 85.00 m
Q = 0.1 m3/s
Location: Clydach Vale, Clydach, Wales Commissioned: April 2011


Intake Clydach

Project description:

Cwm Clydach Communities First commissioned this project in a country park, developed on the site of a former colliery. Two lakes were created as amenity features during the landscaping of the park in the 1970’s.

The intake to the hydro scheme has been formed at the outflow of the upper lake and the water returned after passing through a Pelton turbine into the lower lake providing a pressure head of approximately 85 metres. The penstock pipe is about 1 mile long and buried under an existing footpath. The ‘coanda’ screen at the intake has been protected with a concrete cover to deter potential vandals. The electricity generated is exported directly to the national grid.

The project has been well received by the local community who have taken a keen interest particularly during the construction phase. Income from the scheme is being used to support further community initiatives. A further larger scheme is planned by Cwm Clydach Communities First lower down the valley which will make use of the fall available across an 800 metre length culvert and more abundant flow rates.

Case Study, Hydropower

Kathamba

Pico Energy Ltd Case Study 1 Site Name: Kathamba
System type: Pelton Turbine Power output: 1.2 kW
Manufacturer: NTU design / Local
manufacturer		 Typical Generation: 10.5 MWh p.a.
Client: Kathamba CEA Design Conditions: H = 28.00 m
Q = 0.08 m3/s
Location: Kerugoya, Kenya Commissioned: November 2001

 Project description:

This scheme was installed as part of a program implemented by The Micro Hydro Centre at Nottingham Trent University to demonstrate Pico Hydro technology in Sub Saharan Africa. The cost of the penstock, turbine and generator equipment was met by the project funders (European Commission) and all other costs were contributed by the 65 households which the scheme now supplies with electricity.

The scheme makes use of a very small stream on farm land in a region of Kenya to demonstrate that very useful amounts of power can be reliably generated from small resources. Capital and installation costs were minimised by training local workshops how to manufacture the turbine units and work being undertaken to install the scheme by the local community who are also the beneficiaries.

An off-grid control system maintains the voltage and frequency of the system so that sensitive mains loads such as CFL lighting can be connected. All of the loads are carefully managed through load limiting circuits which prevent the generator from becoming overloaded and enable the power to be distributed in small current packages over a 600 metre radius. In this way, it has been possible to connect 60 houses to the 1.2 kW generator. In addition to lighting, radios, small TVs and a variety of battery powered products such as mobile phones and power tools are popular loads which can be connected.