Inlet and Outlet Geometrical Condition for Optimal Installation of Gravitational Water Vortex Power Plant with Conical Basin Structure

Abstract

This paper focuses on micro-hydropower called gravitational water vortex power plant (GWVPP) which operates in ultra-low-head requirement (0.7–3 m) and is used in off-grid energy generation in rural areas. GWVPP is a new type of hydropower system in which a channel and a basin structure are used to form a water vortex, where the rotational energy from the water is extracted from runner at the center of the vortex. In this study, inlet and outlet geometrical conditions, specifically basin diameter and outlet diameter, of a recently acclaimed efficient conical basin design are found out. Different geometrical CAD models are developed by using SolidWorks software, and simulation is done with the help of commercial CFD code ANSYS CFX. Then, the geometrical relationship among these parameters is also analyzed and established. This result is finally validated through experimental testing of four different types of basin with distinct geometry.