IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v132y2019icp1280-1289.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Design and performance of composite runner blades for ultra low head turbines

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Huidong
  • Zhou, Daqing
  • Martinez, Jayson J.
  • Deng, Zhiqun Daniel
  • Johnson, Kenneth I.
  • Westman, Matthew P.

Abstract

Stream sites are abundantly available for small, ultra low head, hydropower applications with minimal environmental and ecological impacts compared to large-scale hydropower projects. However, little attention has been paid to these resources because of the relatively high weight and deployment costs of small turbines compared to the amount of power generated, which results from the use of stainless steel (SS) as the turbine material. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of replacing the machined SS blades in a small propeller-type turbine with light-weight composite blades injection molded from a fiber reinforced polymer. Using computational fluid dynamics models and finite element analysis, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic was selected from three candidate composite materials for its lower density and smaller blade tip displacement. Injection molded blades using this material were then manufactured and tested in a lab-scale turbine performance test loop to compare with the SS blades of the same design. With the same flow rates, the composite turbine blades generated more power but required a slightly higher head (∼0.08 m) than the SS blades. Both the composite and SS blades displayed similar peak turbine efficiencies, demonstrating the viability of the composite material in replacing SS from the perspective of power-generation performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Huidong & Zhou, Daqing & Martinez, Jayson J. & Deng, Zhiqun Daniel & Johnson, Kenneth I. & Westman, Matthew P., 2019. "Design and performance of composite runner blades for ultra low head turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 1280-1289.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:132:y:2019:i:c:p:1280-1289
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.08.110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148118310607
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2018.08.110?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shimokawa, Kai & Furukawa, Akinori & Okuma, Kusuo & Matsushita, Daisuke & Watanabe, Satoshi, 2012. "Experimental study on simplification of Darrieus-type hydro turbine with inlet nozzle for extra-low head hydropower utilization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 376-382.
    2. Dursun, Bahtiyar & Gokcol, Cihan, 2011. "The role of hydroelectric power and contribution of small hydropower plants for sustainable development in Turkey," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1227-1235.
    3. Zhou, Daqing & Deng, Zhiqun (Daniel), 2017. "Ultra-low-head hydroelectric technology: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 23-30.
    4. de Faria, Felipe A.M. & Davis, Alex & Severnini, Edson & Jaramillo, Paulina, 2017. "The local socio-economic impacts of large hydropower plant development in a developing country," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 533-544.
    5. Okot, David Kilama, 2013. "Review of small hydropower technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 515-520.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Huixiang Chen & Kan Kan & Haolan Wang & Maxime Binama & Yuan Zheng & Hui Xu, 2021. "Development and Numerical Performance Analysis of a Micro Turbine in a Tap-Water Pipeline," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Shamsuddeen, Mohamed Murshid & Ma, Sang-Bum & Park, No-Hyun & Kim, Kyung Min & Kim, Jin-Hyuk, 2023. "Design analysis and optimization of a hydraulic gate turbine for power production from ultra-low head sites," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bao, Bin & Chen, Wen & Wang, Quan, 2019. "A piezoelectric hydro-energy harvester featuring a special container structure," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    2. Cheng, Chuntian & Liu, Benxi & Chau, Kwok-Wing & Li, Gang & Liao, Shengli, 2015. "China׳s small hydropower and its dispatching management," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 43-55.
    3. Elbatran, A.H. & Yaakob, O.B. & Ahmed, Yasser M. & Jalal, M. Rajali, 2015. "Novel approach of bidirectional diffuser-augmented channels system for enhancing hydrokinetic power generation in channels," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 809-819.
    4. Xu, Jiuping & Ni, Ting, 2017. "Integrated technological paradigm-based soft paths towards sustainable development of small hydropower," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 623-634.
    5. Elbatran, A.H. & Yaakob, O.B. & Ahmed, Yasser M. & Shabara, H.M., 2015. "Operation, performance and economic analysis of low head micro-hydropower turbines for rural and remote areas: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 40-50.
    6. Zhou, Daqing & Gui, Jia & Deng, Zhiqun Daniel & Chen, Huixiang & Yu, Yunyun & Yu, An & Yang, Chunxia, 2019. "Development of an ultra-low head siphon hydro turbine using computational fluid dynamics," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 43-50.
    7. Priyanka Majumder & Mrinmoy Majumder & Apu Kumar Saha & Soumitra Nath, 2020. "Selection of features for analysis of reliability of performance in hydropower plants: a multi-criteria decision making approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3239-3265, April.
    8. Kelly-Richards, Sarah & Silber-Coats, Noah & Crootof, Arica & Tecklin, David & Bauer, Carl, 2017. "Governing the transition to renewable energy: A review of impacts and policy issues in the small hydropower boom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 251-264.
    9. Lavrič, Henrik & Rihar, Andraž & Fišer, Rastko, 2018. "Simulation of electrical energy production in Archimedes screw-based ultra-low head small hydropower plant considering environment protection conditions and technical limitations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 87-98.
    10. Zhang, Jin & Xu, Linyu & Li, Xiaojin, 2015. "Review on the externalities of hydropower: A comparison between large and small hydropower projects in Tibet based on the CO2 equivalent," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 176-185.
    11. Ansorena Ruiz, R. & de Vilder, L.H. & Prasasti, E.B. & Aouad, M. & De Luca, A. & Geisseler, B. & Terheiden, K. & Scanu, S. & Miccoli, A. & Roeber, V. & Marence, M. & Moll, R. & Bricker, J.D. & Goseber, 2022. "Low-head pumped hydro storage: A review on civil structure designs, legal and environmental aspects to make its realization feasible in seawater," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    12. Sharma, Ameesh Kumar & Thakur, N.S., 2015. "Resource potential and development of small hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir in the western Himalayan region: India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1354-1368.
    13. Zhou, Daqing & Deng, Zhiqun (Daniel), 2017. "Ultra-low-head hydroelectric technology: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 23-30.
    14. de Souza, Zulcy & Tiago Filho, Geraldo Lúcio & Barros, Regina Mambeli & Silva dos Santos, Ivan Felipe & da Silva, Fernando das Graças Braga & Prado Leite, Marcelo Daige & Prudente, Érica Patricia, 2017. "The limit of sequential exploitation of a river’s hydraulic potential," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 272-285.
    15. Hoffstaedt, J.P. & Truijen, D.P.K. & Fahlbeck, J. & Gans, L.H.A. & Qudaih, M. & Laguna, A.J. & De Kooning, J.D.M. & Stockman, K. & Nilsson, H. & Storli, P.-T. & Engel, B. & Marence, M. & Bricker, J.D., 2022. "Low-head pumped hydro storage: A review of applicable technologies for design, grid integration, control and modelling," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    16. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2015. "Sustainability suspense of small hydropower projects: A study from western Himalayan region of India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 220-233.
    17. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2014. "Harnessing ‘water tower’ into ‘power tower’: A small hydropower development study from an Indian prefecture in western Himalayas," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 87-101.
    18. Elgammi, Moutaz & Hamad, Abduljawad Ashour, 2022. "A feasibility study of operating a low static pressure head micro pelton turbine based on water hammer phenomenon," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1-16.
    19. Michels-Brito, Adriane & Rodriguez, Daniel Andrés & Cruz Junior, Wellington Luís & Nildo de Souza Vianna, João, 2021. "The climate change potential effects on the run-of-river plant and the environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    20. Ozcan, Mustafa, 2018. "The role of renewables in increasing Turkey's self-sufficiency in electrical energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2629-2639.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:132:y:2019:i:c:p:1280-1289. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.