Microhydro with Tube: A Powerhouse Solution for Rural Elctricity

Abstract

The rivers in Indonesia have great potential for Microhydro Power Plants that have not been maximized as one of the alternatives of eco-friendly energy sources. These potentials are spread throughout Indonesia with an approximate of total capacity up to nearly 550 MW, yet, only 4.7% of the existing potential has been utilized. The 2005-2025 national energy management blueprint suggests the amount of mini / microhydro energy resources is equivalent to 0.46 GW while the installed capacity was 0.216 GW.This research seeks to utilize water resources with micro-hydro power plants by applying 80 mm diameter cross flow turbines and 130 mm runner tubes as power houses. A micro-hydro power plant with a tube as a powerhouse can be built individually with low investment and easy operation, so that it can be owned by rural communities both personally and in groups. The required flowrate to run this system is considered small (12 L/s), and with a head of 3.5m, the electricity energy that can be produced is around 420 Watts. A modeling assessment was carried out to analyze the effectiveness of a cross flow turbine with a diameter of 80 mm and a length of 130 mm using a Microhydro Power Plant with a tube as an impermanent powerhouse. The number of blades varied from 16, 20, to 24 blades with a blade angle of 15 and 20. During the modeling process, the design was modified simultaneously by varying the shape of the nozzle, changing the angle of the guide vane, and varying the number of runners. A simulation was done individually to get the best efficiency.