Dawn

Posts Tagged ‘micro hydro’

Hydropower progress: the chute

Friday, June 4th, 2010

The next stage in the water wheel construction is nearing completion. Because the ‘engine’ of the system is a permanent magnet generator from a wind turbine, and a water wheel turns much more slowly than a wind turbine, the wheel needs to be linked to the PMG via a gearing system that steps up the number of revolutions. To work out the optimum gear ratio for this installation, we needed to measure the actual rpm the wheel produces at present water volumes. For that to be done, we needed to construct the chute to deliver the water to the wheel.

Present water volumes in the levada

Present water volumes in the levada. Not huge. About 2 litres per second.

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Hydropower progress

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

The water wheel is now installed in the levada, along with the framework for the permanent magnet generator. Next stage is to construct the chute to deliver the water to the wheel, measure the flow rate and to have the appropriate gear wheel machined.

Water wheel

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Hydropower

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Work has begun on renewable energy power generation at the quinta!

Having seen local engineer Wayne Sutton’s water-wheel installation on his own property, it was immediately obvious to me that this was exactly what we needed for the hydro component of our planned renewable energy generation system.

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