OPTIMAL TURBINE-GENERATOR CONFIGURATION OF LOW HEAD SMALL HYDRO POWER STATION

Abstract

Irrigation canals have to negotiate fallsin the system to follow the profile of the natural ground level. It is at this place where this renewable source of energy an be harnessed in small hydel station. At such schemes relatively larger discharges are required to be handled, involving larger sizes of civil structures as compared to medium/high head small hydel projects. The civil structure should, therefore, be designed as economically as feasible. For low head installations, horizontal and vertical setting of the turbine generators are possible. Vertical setting involves deeper excavation and the cost of equipment is higher. The horizontal setting involves larger area of excavation in the horizontal plane. The cost of horizontal equipment is generally less than the vertical setting but as the capacity and head increase there is a tendency for the vertical sets to be cheaper than horizontal set for the same site specific conditions. There is no available clearcut demarcation for the choice between the two types of settings.