Pico-hydro as A Renewable Energy: Local Natural Resources and Equipment Availability in Efforts to Generate Electricity

Abstract

Pico hydropower (PHP) is a small power plant system to generate electricity that is suitable for implementation in the rural area. The potential of local natural resources such as bamboo and the existing of many induction motors with small capacity, both of them respectively can be used as turbine material and as an induction generator. Bamboo as a natural and bio-composite material there are many in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The main objective of the present research is how local natural resources bamboo can be used as turbine material and induction motor using as an induction generator, with the aim to finding cheap and ease equipment for pico hydro implementing. Moreover, through this research, for the first time, pico hydropower (PHP) was applied with a using bamboo turbine and Induction Motor As Generator (IMAG). The results obtained are a cross-flow turbine with dimension diameter of 125 mm, turbine width of 50 mm and with 20 blades. From laboratory test result at water pressure, 0.55 kilogram per square centimetre and flow rate 4 litres per second, power system capable of load 114 Watt LED lamps, maximum voltage and current respectively 100 Volts and 0.38 Amperes. Pico-hydro with cross-flow turbines made from bamboo material and generator IMAG has been implemented on demonstration site in Jembul village, local natural resources material and equipment availability which is cheap and ease of implementing. The pico hydro exhibits a good electrical output result that can be improved for a good performance for the next.