This document discusses the design and development of an ultra low head simple reaction water turbine. It begins by outlining the growing global energy demand and potential for hydropower. The aim of the research project is then introduced - to develop a low-cost water turbine that can produce electricity from very low head water sources. Two prototypes of a split reaction water turbine are designed and tested. The testing unit measures the turbine's performance by monitoring input hydraulic power versus electrical power output. In summary, the document outlines the need for low-cost hydropower solutions and introduces the design of a split reaction water turbine as a potential option for generating energy from ultra low head water sources.

1. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ULTRA LOW
HEAD SIMPLE REACTION WATER TURBINE
Student: Abhijit Date
Supervisor: Prof. Aliakbar Akbarzadeh

2. Motivation for research
• Growing energy demand
• Growing CO2 emission (global warming)
• World Hydropower potential survey published in
Hydropower & Dams World Atlas 2001 & 2005
World Hydropower scenario (HDW Atlas 2005)
– Technically exploitable potential 16000 TWh/year
– Economically exploitable potential 8800 TWh/year
– Present hydro power generation 2840 TWh/year
– World electricity production 18580 TWh/year
TWh – Trillion Watt Hour

3. Hydropower is strategically important worldwide
Actual generation in 2005 Technically exploitable potential
− North America 675 TWh/yr – North America 3000 TWh/yr
− South America 596 TWh/yr – South America 3010 TWh/yr
− Europe 705 TWh/yr – Europe 2714 TWh/yr
− Asia 717 TWh/yr – Asia 5259 TWh/yr
− Australia 15 TWh/yr – Australia 100 TWh/yr
− New Zealand 23 TWh/yr – New Zealand 37 TWh/yr

4. Aim of this research project is to develop
a low cost water turbine for producing
electricity from ultra low head water
sources.
Objectives:
– To investigate the simple reaction water turbine to improve its
performance
– To develop a simple design which would allow use of common
and easily available material

5. Ultra Low head potentials (small rivers, streams, creeks,
canals) are worth exploring which will not have any adverse
effect on the surrounding environment.
– Low-head energy sources have a low specific energy, which
requires large and expensive machines which can handle large
volumetric flow rate.
– Conventional hydro turbines such as Kaplan, Francis and Pelton
are expensive for micro-hydro installations and are not
economically suitable for ultra low head micro-hydro applications.
– A simple hydro-machine which can be locally manufactured and
installed (i.e. simple design) with very low cost is needed.

6. Turbine selection table
Groups of impulse and reaction turbines
(Resource: Micro-hydro Design Manual, by Adam Harvey)
Head (meter of water head)
Turbine Type High (>100m) Medium Low Ultra low
(20m to 100m) (5m to 20m) ( < 5m)
Pelton Crossflow
Multi-Jet Pelton
Pelton Turgo (Banki)
Impulse Crossflow
Turgo Crossflow (Low efficiency and
(Banki) medium cost)
(Banki)
Francis Kaplan Kaplan
Reaction (High efficiency and
Kaplan Propeller High cost)
Pelton Rotor Turgo Rotor Francis Rotor Kaplan Rotor Crossflow Rotor

7. Simple reaction water turbine also known as
Garden Sprinkler Hero’s turbine or Barkers mill is the most
simplest reaction turbine.
Simple reaction water turbine and a garden
water sprinkler works on same reaction
principle.
The drawbacks of Barkers mill design are:
– Power is lost due to air drag.
– Power is also lost due to high fluid
velocity in the arms.
Barkers Water Mill

8. The “split reaction water turbine” design developed from this
research has been influenced by design of the Savonius wind
turbine
Savonius wind turbine

9. Steps to build a split reaction water turbine

10. Prototype 1: Split reaction water turbine
(turbine diameter 255mm, total exit nozzle area 0.00127m2)

11. Prototype 2: Split reaction water turbine
(turbine diameter 125mm, total exit nozzle area 0.00127m2)

16. Water Turbine Test Unit
Electric Generator
Pressure (D.C. Motor)
Gauge
Tachometer
Water Turbine
Flow meter
Flow Controller
Frequency controller Water Pump
for water pump
electrical power input

17. Hydraulic input power control and measurement
.
Input power = mgH
gH = Gauge
pressure reading in
kPa
.
m = mass flow rate
(kg/sec)