Low head run-of-the-river hydro generator

I read that one can generate electricity from flowing river without damming the area and destroying the ecosystem within the hydropower plant. You just need a little bit of head to turn the turbine.

There is a power generator system called run-of-the-river hydropower that researchers and investors found to have emerged as a viable, and is a low-impact alternative to existing large-scale projects.


Low head run-of-the-river and flow-with-the-water system: What are they?

Run-of-the-river facilities use conventional hydropower technology to produce electricity but in this method, the river flow is diverted through turbines that spin generators, then water is returned back to the river downstream.

Perhaps, for R&D purpose, you can also look at flow-with-the-water system where you just put the turbine or water wheel along the rapid or specifically constructed weir to create small head. An example is what I have here:


A 3 m to 4 m head created by the weir. Picture was taken during rainy season when the river swelled. In a worse but rare flood condition, the water channel on the foreground become completely submerged.


In this case, you can perhaps put water wheels or a series of helical wheels across the weir. Or, install several Gorlov helical turbines along the water channel. You can read about Gorlov helical turbine (GHT) here.


Wider view of the water intake, located near one of the government water treatment plants along Tuaran River. This was shot during dry season.


This obviously falls under the jurisdiction of the several government agencies such as Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Department of Water Supply, and Tuaran/Tamparuli Municipal Council. But it is pretty interesting to see if one can find a way to tap energy from the flowing water.

To certain extent, I would be able to tag along and help anyone interested to study the potential of this river. If you are equipment supplier, system integrator, or project consultant with some spare time, or you are someone on the look out for new things, you may want to have a look at this.

Interested? Then pay this site a visit.

180 MW hydropower plan to improve electricity in Sabah

The proposed 180 MW Ulu Padas Hydroelectric Project is scheduled for construction in 2014 and is targeted for completion in 2019. We've been slow at implementing similar initiative, but at least this should be a sign that things are finally moving.

This project is unique in that it only use small area of water catchment per megawatt of electricity generated. Meaning, much lesser environmental impact.

Daily Express, Sunday - August 18, 2013

The hydroelectric proposal in brief

Installed capacity	:	180 MW
Location	:	Kuala Tomani, Tenom
Cost	:	RM2.3 billion (approx US$702 million)
Catchment area	:	590 hectares, or 3.3 ha/MW
Scheduled commencement	:	2014
Scheduled completion	:	2019
Employment created	:	1,000 during construction

The project is also expected to tackle the perennial flooding issues in Beaufort and Tenom areas.


RM2.3 billion hydroelectric project in Tenom

Construction of the Upper Padas Hydroelectric Project (UPHEP) with a capacity of 180 megawatt (MW) at the Padas basin, upstream of Kuala Tomani in Tenom, would proceed next year and is targeted for completion in 2019.

The project had been approved with a government soft loan of RM569 million for SESB’s equity injection into a special purpose company to be set up to undertake the project.

The paper reported that UPHEP requires a water catchment area (** TheGreenMechanics' note: I believe this refers to 'flooded area' or surface area rather than catchment area) of only 590 hectares, or 3.3 hectares per MW, unlike the Bakun hydroelectric project which requires up to 29 hectares of land per megawatt of power generated and the Murum hydro’s 26 hectares per MW.

Murum hydroelectric has an installed capacity of 944 MW, while Bakun is 2,400 MW. Both are located in Sarawak.

“This project can qualify for the Clean Development Mechanism status under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”- Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili

The government expect to save about RM4 billion in 40 years of the project operation as the infrastructure would be undertaken by the SESB and a consortium to be set up by the federal government. Subsequently, SESB's dependency on government subsidy can be reduced, while costs and losses from possible flooding are expected to be significantly reduced.


Assurance of proper EIA study

The Minister assured the people that the state government will ensure the preservation of the ecosystem at the project site while SESB is currently conducting a detailed engineering study and relevant activities associated with the special Environment Impact Assessment study.


TheGreenMechanics:
Let's hope this will improve electricity supply in Sabah. If proper environment assessment is done, and the welfare of those affected are fairly taken cared of, the people should give-and-take and allow this development to be carried out.


Source: Front page, Daily Express, Sunday August 18, 2013

Personal-sized hydroelectric power generator you can bring anywhere

This invention reminds me of the small gasoline generator we used when spending a weekend at one of the electricity-deprived areas in Sabah.

Speaking of creativity, you can turn water into food, weapon, house, or you can turn a falling water into electricity. One such creative use of  falling water is the following small-sized hydroelectric power generator.

Powered purely by water, this generator can produce about half the power of what your typical 600W gasoline generator is capable of.

Cappa, the 250W generator, is ideal for mobile applications

The concept behind the blade

The developer, Ibasei shows how the ultra small hydroelectric generator is placed in a small stream

As long as rainfall continue to fill streams and rivers, water can be a renewable source of energy.


Compact hydropower generator

Japanese company Ibasei has unveiled a new idea in hydroelectricity generation; a turbine that can be placed in virtually any fast moving stream or river to generate small amounts of electricity for immediate use or as a charging station. Called the Cappa, it resembles an engine on a jet aircraft and can be easily placed into a location in just minutes.

The idea behind the Cappa is that not all hydroelectric systems need to be huge, and they don't have to plug a river or be situated at an optimal location either. Instead, any spot where the river narrows causing swift movement of the water can be used.

The Cappa is put in place by fashioning a couple of spans of some sort across the river or stream to form bridges. The turbine is then lowered into the water and held in place by the frame resting on the span. Once in the water, the Cappa goes to work without any further ado.

For water running at 2 m/s the turbine will generate about 250 W of electricity. Placing five of them in a stream could conceivably produce up to a 1 kW (allowing for control losses). To increase the efficiency of the turbine, engineers have tailored a diffuser that causes water flowing over the blades to move faster.


Suitable applications

The Cappa was developed for a variety of purposes, from use as in-place generators at outdoor parks to emergency backup systems, particularly in the event of a flood. It can also be used as an alternative to gas powered generators that people use when the electricity goes out.


TheGreenMechanics' two cents:

This is essentially a venturi tube with a propeller in its' throat. With a design like that, it is easy to duplicate at a much lower cost. Add a mesh screen on the front of it and you would take care of the debris that could have surely hit the blades.

The downside, however, is that at a price of a compact car, (say, Myvi @RM35,000 or US$11,000) many would give this a pass. 'Tree huggers' would love it but the cost would be too prohibitive.

Kudos to a bright idea though, it opens up a lot of possibility for the folks in the interior.


Reference: diginfo.tv

Worldwide development of hydroelectric power slowed down in 2011

Hydro-electric power is one of the oldest types of renewable energy. While it is very exciting and more desirable compared to fossil fueled generators, it is not without its own setbacks. Huge installations require a great deal of dammed water which result in destruction of the surrounding ecosystem.

While solar PV and wind energy are two RE types that are gaining big momentum in the past couple of years, new research from the Worldwatch Institute suggests that growth in hydroelectric power development tapered in 2011.

Source: Worldwide Institute

The institution said that worldwide consumption and installed capacity of hydropower have increased steadily since 2003, though the global installed capacity of hydro projects increased just 970 GW, or 1.6% in 2011 from the previous year. In other words, there's growth but at slower pace.

The bulk of global capacity remains concentrated in five countries:-

Chine                -  212 GW (installed capacity)
Brazil                -  82.2 GW
United States    - 79 GW
Canada             - 76.4 GW
Russia              - 46 GW

Hydropower contributes less to the overall percent of energy usage in the Middle East, though that region experienced the greatest growth in hydroelectric consumption at almost 22%. North America followed, with an increase slightly below 14%. Meanwhile, usage in Europe and Eurasia fell by almost 9%, and by 0.6% in the Asia Pacific region.


Most cost-effective RE source

Still, "hydropower continues to be one of the most cost-effective renewable energy generation sources," Worldwatch Institute said, with typical costs in the U.S. ranging from $.02-.13 per kWh for existing grid-connected hydroelectric plants and $.05-.10 per kWh for new hydro projects. Meanwhile, micro hydro projects generate at about $.05-.40 per kWh.


Malaysia

Putting things into local perspective, Malaysia's Small Hydro Power under the FiT scheme is paid RM0.23 - RM0.24 per kWh ($0.07 - $0.08 per kWh) for installations with capacity of up to 30MW. For bigger installations, rates are negotiable between TNB and the IPPs.

On a larger scale, in Malaysia we have the mega project on hydropower in Bakun, Sarawak with design installed capacity of 2.4GW but it is still unclear if it has ramp up to its full capacity.


References:
1) Renewable Energy World - link
2) Worldwatch Institute - link

SEDA and PHTP (Perak) signed hydro-power training partnership pact

What is small hydro-power

The definition of a small hydro project varies but a generating capacity of up to 10 MW is generally accepted as the upper limit of what can be termed small hydro. We can say it is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a small community or industrial plant. In North America, the generating capacity of small hydro can be stretched up to 30 MW or 50 MW.

Check here for an example of Proposed small hydro-power plants in Tuaran, Sabah.

Small hydro can be further subdivided into mini hydro, usually defined as less than 1,000 kW, and micro hydro which is less than 100 kW. Micro hydro is the one that I am so interested as I have always wanted to power up a small community of about 25 houses in my area.


SEDA approved small hydro-power

In Malaysia, small hydro-power as listed in SEDA Malaysia website, refers to installations with generating capacity of:

1) up to and including 10 MW (tier one)                 - FIT rate: RM0.24/kWh
2) above 10 MW and up to and including 30 MW   - FIT rate: RM0.23/kWh

These will qualify for Renewable Energy FIT for 'Small Hydro' for a period of 21 years from FIT commencement date.

Intake station of Amcorp's 4MW hydro-power plant in Sg. Perting, Pahang. It qualifies for Feed-in Tariff


Partnership: A smart move by Perak government.

While it is commendable that Malaysia rolled out its RE initiatives with by forming  SEDA to administer and manage the implementation of the feed-in tariff mechanism, it does little good if there is no technology transfer.

What Perak did was to get SEDA to actvely involved in its plan to train and maintain one of the RE sources, i.e. small hydro-power. One may say hydro-power has been here for ages, but Perak went the extra mile to go down to the grassroots - preparing the small players in hydro electric power generation.


SEDA to help Perak in hydro-power training

Bernama reported a couple of days ago that SEDA Malaysia has entered into a partnership with the Perak State Development Corporation, via Perak Hi Tech Park (PHTP) Sdn Bhd, to provide training on how to maintain small hydro-power plants.

The introduction of this course will benefit many prospective hydro-power plants developers. Under the partnership, PHTP will source technology experts from Brodarski Institute in Croatia to conduct the inaugural training, the first technical cooperation between Malaysia and Croatia.

SEDA said in a statement:
"One of the gaps identified by SEDA is the need to address the lack of competent human capital in terms of technical knowledge in designing, constructing and maintaining small hydro-power systems in the country. Hence, the collaboration with PHTP is most timely to address this gap".

9.5 MW Mini Hydropower plants in Tuaran?

I was looking for information on how to develop a low-head micro hydro generator and found this proposed 9.5 MW Mini Hydropower plant in the District of Tuaran, on Scribd.

It is very interesting as the river (Sungai Tuaran/Kiulu) has been talked about as a suitable area for developing mini hydropower for sometime now. The salient features of the project is summarised in the following table.

Table 1: Salient features of the project

This working paper was written few years back by Afiepower Sdn Bhd and coffeeshop talk among the population at the affected area has it that the approval for the hydro-power scheme has been given although no confirmation of this from any government agencies or the local authority yet.


Brief facts about the project

Developer             : Afipower Sdn Bhd (JV between Afie Enterprise S/B and H2RM Engineering S/B)
Location                : 20 km Southeast of Tamparuli, on the 3 major tributaries of Tuaran River
                                (Sg. Mantaranau, Sg. Mulau 1 and Sg. Mulau 2)
Cost                      : RM96.9 million
Completion           : Within 24 months
Scheme                : Build-Own-Operate, BOO
Mode of operation   : Run-off-river concept
Latitude/Longitude  : N06°05’028”-05°56’528” and E116°17’308”-116°23’372”
Total catchment area: 230 km sq
EIA report: done, although no documentation seen yet

Installed capacity         : 9.5 MW, consist of:
                                          Sg. Mulau 1: 5 MW
                                          Sg Mantaranau: 2.5 MW
                                          Sg. Mulau 1: 2 MW
Export capacity              : 9.12 MW
Generator rated voltage   : 3.3kV, 50Hz, pf. 0.85
Feeding to SESB line     : transformed 11kW fed to a 11/33kV substation at Kg Pukak
Selling price                  : 19.5 cents/kWh
Licence period               : 21 years (proposed PPA)


You can also get access to this documentation at Scribd by clicking the link below. Enjoy reading:

PROPHO

No diagrams and detailed construction dimensions as these were not uploaded to Scribd by the document uploader.

Hope this is an interesting read for many.

Work on Belo Monte dam in the Amazon suspended

The dam, expected to produce 11,000 MW of electricity, would be the third-biggest in the world, after China's Three Gorges facility, and Brazil's Itaipu dam in the south.

Artist impression of the Belo Monte dam

Belo Monte. Photo: omiusajpic.org

Vital info of the Belo Monte dam

Project                   : River dam to generate electricity
Capacity                : 11 gigawatts (GW)
Approved                : 2005
Location                 : State of Para, Brazil
Workforce              : 12,000 workers estimated at commencement, then 22,000 next year
Commencement     : Scheduled at end-2012
Completion             : 2019

Displacement:
Flooded area after completion: 500 sq kilometers (200 sq miles)
People: 16,000 people according to official govt estimate. 40,000 according to NGOs
Assistance: $1.2 billion to help the displaced

Brazilian activists and people affected by the project walk on the barrier of the construction site of the Belo Monte Dam project June 15, 2012. Photo: REUTER.
On Tuesday, August 14, 2012, a federal court ordered that work on the dam be suspended.

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Brazil court orders work on Amazon dam suspended
By AFP

A federal court in Brazil on Tuesday ordered that work on the huge Belo Monte dam in the Amazon be suspended, saying native communities affected by the controversial hydroelectric project must be heard.

The regional federal court ruled that the construction of the dam across the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, should be halted until indigenous peoples can have their say at a congressional hearing, a court official said. The dam, expected to produce 11,000 megawatts, would be the third-biggest in the world, after China's Three Gorges facility, and Brazil's Itaipu dam in the south.

The Brazilian court noted that when Congress approved the project in 2005, it called for an environmental impact study after the start of the work. Under the law, the native communities were given the right to air their views in Congress on the basis of that environmental impact study, but this was not done, the court said.

It said that the Norte Energia consortium in charge of the project will be able to appeal the decision to a higher court. Norte Energia told AFP it was awaiting formal notification of the court ruling before responding. The court said the consortium was liable for a daily fine of $250,000 should it flout the order.

"It's a historic decision for the country and for the native communities," said Antonia Melo, coordinator of the Xingu Vivo indigenous movement.

"It's a great victory which shows that Belo Monte is not a done deal. We are very happy and satisfied."

By the end of the year, some 12,000 workers were scheduled to work day and night on the site, located in the northeastern state of Para, and up to 22,000 were to be at the site next year. Work on the dam began a year ago, despite fierce opposition from local people and green activists.

Indigenous groups fear the dam will harm their way of life while environmentalists have warned of deforestation, greenhouse-gas emissions and irreparable damage to the ecosystem. - AFP


Other gigantic dams

The Belo Monte dam is supposed to be the world  3rd largest dam after China's Three Gorges, and another of Brazil's Itaipu near Paraguay.

The Three Gorges dam in China is the world's largest hydroelectric facility. The total capacity is up to 22.5 gigawatts (GW), accounting for 11% of the country's total hydroelectric capacity.

Photo: source. Itaipu dam is located on the border of Brazil, Paraguay, and not far from Argentina. Installed capacity is 14 GW (20 x 700MW turbines)

Hydro-electric power continues steady growth

From a humble beginning, today hydropower is generated in over 160 countries, including Malaysia.

Study conducted by Earth Policy Institute, EPI, shows that global hydroelectric power generation has risen steadily by 3% annually since 1965. In 2011, hydroelectricity accounted for about 16% of global electricity generation, almost all produced by large dams around the world.



           3,500 billion KWH of hydroelectricity generated in 2011


China, Brazil, Canada, and the United States dominate the hydropower landscape. Together they produce more than 50% of the world’s hydroelectricity, with China being the biggest producer of hydroelectricity.




Major countries in hydropower

For the biggest hydroelectric producer, China, the growth has tripled from 220 billion KWH in 2000 to 720 billion KWH in 2010. In 2011, despite a drop in generation due to drought, hydropower accounted for 15% of China’s total electricity generation.


     China generated 694 billion KWH of hydroelectric power in 2011


Brazil, the second-largest producer of hydropower worldwide, gets 86% of its electricity from water resources. It is home to an estimated 450 dams, including the Itaipu Dam, which generates more electricity than any other hydropower facility in the world—over 92 billion KWH per year.

Third-largest producer is Canada. About 62% of its electricity is generated from the 475 hydroelectric plants. The country’s enormous hydropower capacity allows for electricity export; Canada sells some 50 billion KWH to the United States every year. This is enough to power more than 4 million American homes.

Fourth-largest is the United States. Most large dams in the US were built before 1980, thus, the country’s hydropower capacity has remained relatively stable in recent decades. The country’s highest capacity dam—the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington State—was completed in 1942. Today, more than 7% of all U.S. electricity is supplied by hydropower.

Hydropower in the European Union is relatively mature, with capacity increasing by less than 1% annually over the last 30 years. In 2011, hydropower supplied 9.5% of E.U. electricity generation.


Share of electricity from hydropower

Among the world’s largest producers, Norway gets the greatest share of its electricity from hydropower: a full 95%. Other countries that get the bulk of their electricity from river power include Paraguay (100%), Ethiopia (88%), and Venezuela (68%). A number of African and small Asian countries also generate virtually all of their electricity with hydropower, including Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nepal, and Zambia.



Conventional hydropower continues to grow with dams completions in China, Brazil, Ethiopia, Malaysia Bakun), and Turkey.


Other non-conventional hydropower

There is enormous potential for non-conventional hydroelectricity generation from tidal and wave projects, as well as from small in-stream projects that will not require new dams.

Thus far, few of these hydrokinetic projects have been realized:

1. France’s La Rance Tidal Barrage - 240MW maximum capacity (first tidal wave power plant, 1966)
2. South Korea - 254MW completed in August 2011 (world's largest tidal operation). Able to provide electricity for 500,000 people.
3. New Zealand also recently approved a coastal hydropower project.

Estimates from the World Energy Council indicate that worldwide, wave energy has the potential to grow to a massive 10,000 GW, more than double the world’s electricity-generating capacity from all sources today.

Adopted from data highlight by Earth Policy Institute.
http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2012/highlights29

Deservedly Sabahan Hero

Tambunan: Some 200 residents of Kampung Libang Laut, a half hour's drive from here, have farmer-cum-handyman Hamid Jasmin to thank for now that they can enjoy 24-hour virtually free power supply. The 42-year old Hamid managed to build two working mini hydro power generators at the village that supplied power for 16 households in the village for the past five years.

Something that the Sabah Electricity Board (SESB) could not do in all its years of existence as the State's utility supplier for various reasons. His ingenuity did not go unnoticed when Sirim Berhad and non-governmental organisation World Association Industrial and Technological Research Organisation (Waitro) with the collaboration of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) decided to take Hamid's idea a step further to enable the whole village to enjoy power supply.

In February 2009, the newest mini hydro power system with a capacity of 40kW in the village costing around RM300,000 funded by Waitro was unveiled in a ceremony officiated by Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Rural Development Minister, Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

The heroic work of the humble handyman is so inspiring, I wanted to visit this hydro-electric generator (Hygens) so badly. Earlier, I wrote to TV3 to obtain more information about the mini Hygens at a remote village in Ranau, covered by TV3's Karam Singh but I never really get any help from them. I think the "caring" TV station isn't so caring after all.


Road junction leading to Kg Libang Laut. It is a gravel road all the way, except for short span of tarred section.


Sometime in March 2009 we managed to make some arrangement to visit Kg Libang Laut and we were supposed to meet Mr Hamid and his DIY Hygens. Unfortunately he was not around at that time, but his son and another gentleman were there to show us around and we felt very welcomed by their warm friendship and willingness to answer our every question.

Conceptual diagram of the new hydro power system

Waterwheel of the older Hygens (above), and the second Hygens (below). The single phase generator gives about 180V to 190V of electricity.




The latest mini hydro power system (pic below) with a capacity of 40KW costing around RM300,000 was funded by World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisation (Waitro)




The 4-stage speed control mechanism (pic below) in the newer Hygens is very 'heavy' and could result in much shorter lifespan of the rotating elements. In fact, during our visit some bearings have already worn out. They may want to consider increasing the size of the UCP bearings.


The speed-increasing gears (stage one located outside the building) consist of sprockets and 4-way pulley for final transmission.

Tambunan town (pic) is about 30 minutes from Kg Libang Laut.