Mini-hydroelectric power plants for a private house, dacha. Do-it-yourself hydroelectric power plant on a personal plot

An independent source of electricity in a country mansion is the first necessity. The electrical goods market offers a wide range of electric current generators of various designs: gas, inverter, gasoline, diesel. Among them, water power generators occupy a special place due to their advantages and savings in fuel consumption. The generation of electricity from natural sources is the most environmentally friendly and low-cost way to produce an energy resource.

Scope and features of the device

Various applications

These hydraulic devices can be used for various domestic and economic needs:

In agriculture;
Campuses of geologists;
In river transport;
at recreation centers;
In the mining industry;
In suburban and suburban areas.

To convert various kinds of energy into electrical energy. The device is simple: the engine, the generator itself and the housing.

We watch the video, the scope of generator sets and their types:

Depending on the type of power plant, generators are divided into:

There are also water and solar powered generators. The water electric generator differs from diesel or gasoline in greater efficiency in operation and absolute environmental friendliness. If a river or stream flows near a country house, the expenditure amount for servicing the station is zero.

Principle of operation

The production of energy by rotating a structural element has been used for a long time, suffice it to recall water mills. A water generator for the production of electrical energy differs little from the old fixtures.

Watch the video, the simplest mechanism of work:

You need to connect the hose of the device to a water source (stream, faucet, shower stall tank), and the rotation of the wheel blades under the pressure of water will transfer energy to the generator itself. In turn, the generator will process the received energy into a current of the appropriate frequency (AC or DC).

Types of hydro generators

Industrial products differ in terms of power output. For domestic needs, low-power hydraulic systems (10-100 kW) are used with a vertical position of the rotor rotation axis, operating on the basis of small watercourses. For the needs of industry, devices are designed with a horizontal rotational movement of the axis.

Water wheel

For domestic purposes, a damless type of mini-hydroelectric power station is used, which is divided into 4 types:

Water wheel;
Garland hydroelectric power station;
Rotor Daria;
Propeller.

The water wheel is a rotating element with blades, which is installed perpendicular to the movement of water, immersing half or a little less. By means of water pressure on the blades, the rotation of the wheel and the transformation of energy are created.

The design of the garland for the water generator is a cable with fixed rotors, thrown from one to the other side of the river. One end of the cable is attached to the generator, and the other end is fixed with a bearing. The rotors immersed in water begin to rotate under the pressure of the flow, causing the cable to rotate. As a result, electricity is generated.

Rotor Daria

The Darrieus rotor is a vertical rotating element that is driven by changing pressures on the blades of a complex design. It is the flow around a complex surface that creates a pressure difference.

The water propeller generator resembles a "windmill" equipped with a rotor, but installed under water. The width of the blades (2 cm) has the necessary dimensions to create the maximum rotation speed with the minimum drag load. However, the dimensions of the blades must be selected in accordance with the flow of the water flow, their performance may vary.

Propeller-type hydraulic installations and wheels have become widespread in everyday life. The advantage of these devices is high efficiency at a minimum cost.

Product Overview

Manufacturers produce mini hydroelectric power stations for domestic use for generating current of constant and variable frequency in three-phase and single-phase versions. To generate electricity, a small water pressure is required - up to 12 l / s. As a rule, these hydro installations are used in places with the flow of small rivers or in areas with a natural / artificial waterfall, as well as with a built dam.

Mini generator Ct-02 (China)

Power - 5 kW;
Generated current - 50 Hz;
Rotation speed - 30-3000 rpm;
The current is variable.

Products can be purchased under the order, indicating the necessary parameters. The starting price is 30,000 rubles.

Mini generator for home xj13 (China)

Power - 8.5 kW;
Generated current - 50 Hz;
Rotation speed - 145-1920 rpm;
The current is variable.

This model of horizontal installation has its advantages, light weight and small volumes. The device can be easily installed in the garden. Price - from 16,000 rubles.

Hydrogenerator LPWG

Hydrogenerator LPWG

Power - 5 kW;
Generated current - 50 Hz;
Rotation speed - 500 rpm;
The current is variable.

This hydraulic system with a horizontal water supply will provide household farms or a country house with current. The purchase of a water electric current generator will cost 49,596 rubles.

How to make a hydroelectric power plant yourself

Creating a water power generator with your own hands is a fascinating process. Can be designed on the basis of a conventional bicycle generator. First, you should determine the speed of the water flow using a stopwatch. If the speed is insufficient, you will have to create a height difference, for example, by installing a drain pipe.

Watch the video, do it step by step with your own hands:

You need to cut several blades 2-4 cm wide from an aluminum sheet. The length of the blades should match the diameter of the bicycle wheel (from the rim to the hub). Then the blades are installed between the spokes and fixed with pliers. The wheel is immersed in water by a third. A very good option for generating electricity on a hike to light a tent and charge phones.

Choosing an electric generator

Power

For the constant supply of energy to a private country house, a power of 20-30 kW is quite enough.
To accurately determine the required power, you need to add up the power consumption of all household appliances and add lighting lamps.
It should be borne in mind that another 20 percent must be added to the total amount of power from above, taking into account starting currents.
If you are working with electrical appliances for construction purposes, the amount of power required should be three times more (up to 100 kW).

Prices and manufacturers

The market of goods is provided by different suppliers and manufacturing companies. The price factor is formed depending on the promotion of the brand. Recently, Chinese manufacturers have proven themselves well. A favorable combination of quality and price deserves attention.

If a river or even a small stream flows near your home, then with the help of a home-made mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. It may not be a very big budget replenishment, but the realization that you have your own electricity is much more expensive. Well, if, for example, in the country, there is no central power supply, then even small power capacities will be simply necessary. And so, to create a home-made hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are necessary - the presence of a water resource and desire.

If both are present, then the first thing to do is to measure the flow rate of the river. It is very simple to do this - throw a twig into the river and measure the time during which it swims 10 meters. By dividing meters by seconds, you get the speed of the current in m/s. If the speed is less than 1 m / s, then a productive mini hydroelectric power station will not work. In this case, you can try to increase the flow rate by artificially narrowing the channel or by making a small dam if you are dealing with a small stream.

As a guide, you can use the ratio between the flow velocity in m/s and the power of the electricity removed from the propeller shaft in kW (propeller diameter 1 meter). These are experimental data, in reality the received power depends on many factors, but it is suitable for evaluation. So:

0.5 m/s - 0.03 kW,
0.7 m/s - 0.07 kW,
1 m/s - 0.14 kW,
1.5 m/s - 0.31 kW,
2 m/s - 0.55 kW,
2.5 m/s - 0.86 kW,
3 m/s -1.24 kW,
4 m/s - 2.2 kW, etc.

The power of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the flow rate. As already mentioned, if the flow rate is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.

Types of mini hydroelectric power plants

There are several basic options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants.

This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water. The wheel is less than half immersed in the stream. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for the liquid jet. But these are rather complex designs, rather factory-made than home-made.

It is a vertical axis rotor used to generate electrical energy. A vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the fluid flow around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. This design was patented by Georges Jean-Marie Darier, a French aeronautical engineer, in 1931. It is also often used in the construction of wind turbines.

garland hydroelectric power station consists of light turbines - gidrovingrotors, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river. One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other end rotates the generator rotor. The cable in this case plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational movement of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.

Also borrowed from the designs of wind farms, such a "underwater windmill" with a vertical rotor. Unlike an air propeller, an underwater propeller has blades of a minimum width. For water, a blade width of only 2 cm is sufficient. With this width, there will be a minimum resistance and a maximum rotation speed. This width of the blades was chosen for a flow velocity of 0.8-2 meters per second. At high speeds, other sizes may be optimal. The propeller does not move due to water pressure, but due to the occurrence of lift. Just like an airplane wing. The propeller blades move across the flow rather than being carried along by the flow in the direction of the flow.

Advantages and disadvantages of various homemade mini hydroelectric systems

The disadvantages of a stringed hydroelectric power station are obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (a long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, river blocking), low efficiency. Garland HPP is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in deserted, remote places with appropriate warning signs. You may need permission from the authorities and environmentalists. The second option is a small stream in your garden.

Rotor Daria - difficult to calculate and manufacture. At the beginning of work, it needs to be untwisted. But it is attractive in that the rotor axis is located vertically and the power take-off can be made above the water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in the direction of flow - this is a plus.

The most widespread in the construction of home-made hydroelectric power plants were propeller and water wheel schemes. Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, require minimal calculations and are implemented at minimal cost, have high efficiency, are easy to set up and operate.

An example of the simplest mini-hydroelectric power station

If you are using two blades, then set them opposite each other. If you want to add more blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at regular intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of a wheel with blades in water. Usually it is immersed from one third to half.

The option of a camping wind farm was considered earlier.

Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists perfectly - the main thing is the presence of a stream or river - which is usually the case at the campsite. A mini hydropower plant from a bicycle will be able to light a tent and charge cell phones or other gadgets.

If a river or even a small stream flows near your home, then with the help of a home-made mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. It may not be a very big budget replenishment, but the realization that you have your own electricity costs much more. Well, if, for example, in a country house, there is no central power supply, then even small power capacities will be simply necessary. And so, to create a home-made hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are necessary - the presence of a water resource and desire.

0.5 m/s - 0.03 kW,
0.7 m/s - 0.07 kW,
1 m/s - 0.14 kW,
1.5 m/s - 0.31 kW,
2 m/s - 0.55 kW,
2.5 m/s - 0.86 kW,
3 m/s -1.24 kW,
4 m/s - 2.2 kW, etc.

Power homemade mini hydroelectric power station proportional to the cube of the flow rate. As already mentioned, if the flow rate is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.

Types of mini hydroelectric power plants

There are several basic options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants.

Water wheel

This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water. The wheel is less than half immersed in the stream. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for the liquid jet. But these are rather complex designs, rather factory-made than home-made.

Rotor Daria

Garland hydroelectric power station

The hydroelectric power plant consists of light turbines - hydro vingrotors, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river. One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other end rotates the generator rotor. The cable in this case plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational movement of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.

Propeller

Advantages and disadvantages of various homemade mini hydroelectric systems

disadvantages garland hydroelectric power station obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency. Garland HPP is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in deserted, remote places with appropriate warning signs. You may need permission from the authorities and environmentalists. The second option is a small stream in your garden.
Rotor Daria- difficult to calculate and manufacture. At the beginning of work, it needs to be untwisted. But it is attractive in that the rotor axis is located vertically and the power take-off can be made above the water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in the direction of flow - this is a plus.

Most widespread at construction of self-made hydroelectric power plants got propeller and water wheel diagrams. Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, require minimal calculations and are implemented at minimal cost, have high efficiency, are easy to set up and operate.

If you do not have a water energy resource, you can independently make a home wind farm.

P An example of the simplest mini hydroelectric power station

The simplest hydroelectric power station can be quickly built from an ordinary bicycle with a dynamometer for a bicycle headlight. Several blades (2-3) must be prepared from galvanized iron or not thick sheet aluminum. The blades should be 2-4 cm long from the wheel rim to the hub, and 2-4 cm wide. These blades are installed between the spokes in any improvised way or pre-prepared mounts.
If you are using two blades, then set them opposite each other. If you want to add more blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at regular intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of a wheel with blades in water. Usually it is immersed from one third to half.
The option of a camping wind farm was considered earlier.

Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists well - the main thing is the presence of a stream or river - which is usually the case at the campsite. A mini hydropower plant from a bicycle will be able to light a tent and charge cell phones or other gadgets.

I have always been attracted to getting free energy from natural resources. And somehow I had the idea to make a simple mini power plant that would generate electricity from a passing water stream.

It all started with the idea of using the drum of an old washing machine as a water wheel, a miniature homemade hydroelectric power plant.

Straight blades made of moisture-resistant plywood were attached to the drum using metal corners.

Torque from the water wheel is transmitted by a belt to a bicycle dynamo (DC generator). The generated electricity is fed to the LED. It is enough to turn the wheel slightly with your hand, and the LED will start flashing.

The basis of the whole structure is a bicycle frame.

Two bearings allow the water wheel to spin freely.

The first tests on a small river showed that the water wheel on the frame is set too high, which prevents the flow of water from spinning it normally.
After small changes in the frame design, the wheel began to be located lower and the rotation speed increased dramatically. As a result, the dynamo began to rotate and the 4.5 V LED lit up.

This is how a home-made hydroelectric power station turned out from the old trash.
Further, the mini hydroelectric power station assembly was installed on a small stream.

It produces only a few volts, but they are enough to light the LED.

It was a good experiment to start with.

Further improvement in the project

Further improvement of the water wheel should affect:

Build a mini-dam to increase water pressure. At the same time, it is not planned to completely block the river so that the fish can leave in the second stream.
Under the dam, install a pipe through which water will flow to a makeshift turbine. Arrange a casing from a rubber conveyor belt in the pipe. By blocking the flow of water through the pipe, you can service the mechanisms.
According to calculations, the turbine will produce about twice as much power as the water wheel. In addition, replacing the water wheel with a turbine should eliminate the problem of freezing in winter.
The flow of water will spin the turbine, transferring torque to the generator. The turbine will be held on two bearings made of solid wood. With regular lubrication, they will last a long time. The thrust washer will keep the mechanism from lateral displacement.
Make metal blades, calculating the angle at which they need to be bent (the power of the hydroelectric power plant depends on this parameter). The blades will need to be screwed using rubber gaskets to avoid their separation.
To transmit torque, use a shaft assembled from pipes.
Install generator. Install a pulley smaller than the one mounted on the shaft on the generator. This will increase the speed, which is necessary for the efficient operation of the generator.

The generator should produce about 600 watts of electricity. This will make it possible to connect household appliances. If the next stage of the experiment is successful, it will be possible to think about further modernization in order to generate several kilowatts of electricity.

Option number 1

A home-made Rope Garland mini-hydroelectric power station is an excellent solution for obtaining affordable and inexpensive electricity if there is a small river with your place of residence.

The design of a garland cable mini-hydroelectric power station is based on the rotation of the cable in the riverbed.

The first designs of an autonomous simplest hydroelectric power station were put into practice by individual craftsmen half a century ago. Back in the Radio magazine for the 50s, they printed information about a garland hydroelectric power station, made in tin cans and with a generator from a car!

Fig.1. Appearance of a do-it-yourself cable garland of a mini-hydroelectric power station.

How to make a cable garland hydroelectric power station with your own hands?

The figure below shows a diagram of the design of a simple rope garland mini-hydroelectric power station with a turbine-rope hydraulic drive that rotates from the flow of the river.

Fig. 2 Scheme and principle of operation of the Garland mini-hydroelectric power station

1. Bearing, 2. Support, 3. Metal cable, 4. Hydraulic wheel (turbine),

5. Power generator, 6. Upper river level, 7. River bed.

As hydraulic wheels (rotors), in a cable hydraulic drive of a mini-hydroelectric power station, several “impellers” made of a thin metal sheet with a diameter of about half a meter can be used, like a children's toy - a propeller made of a square sheet of paper. As a flexible shaft, it is advisable to use a conventional steel cable with a diameter of 10 ... 15 mm.
Approximate calculations show that from such a cable hydroelectric power station, you can get up to 1.5 ... 2.0 kW from one hydrowheel, with a river flow of about 2.5 meters / sec!

If supports 2 with bearings 1 and electric generator 5 are installed on the bottom of the river, and the bearings with the generator are raised above the river level, and the whole structure is placed along the flow axis, then the result will be practically the same. This scheme is expediently used for very "narrow rivers" but with a depth of more than 0.5 meters. Thermal energy in such a hydroelectric power station can be obtained by connecting electric heaters to an electric generator.

The rotors of a hydroelectric power plant are usually located in the core of the flow (at 0.2 depth from the surface in summer and 0.5 depth from the ice surface in winter). The depth of the river at the installation site of the hydroelectric power plant does not exceed 1.5 m. With a river depth of more than 1.5 m, it is quite possible to use rotors arranged in two rows.

The emergence of dachas and even farms on waste lands remote from the power grid, the galloping rise in fuel and electricity prices brought to life the old ideas of autonomous power supply with the widespread use of natural energy from the sun, wind and water. Including increased interest in mini- and micro-hydroelectric power stations.

Two of these hydroelectric power plants acceptable for self-construction are: do-it-yourself micro-hydroelectric power station and a floating damless mini-hydroelectric power station. Next in line are structures, the prototype of which was the free-flow (1964 model) daisy-chain hydroelectric power station of V. Blinov.

Dudyshev V.D.

Option number 2

The hydroelectric power plants that will be discussed are free-flow, with a rather original turbine from the so-called Savonius rotors strung on a common (maybe flexible, composite) working shaft. They do not require dams and other large-scale hydraulic structures for their installation. Able to work with full efficiency even in shallow water, which, combined with the simplicity, compactness and reliability of the design, make these hydroelectric power plants very promising for those farmers and gardeners whose plots of land are located near small watercourses (rivers, streams and ditches).

Unlike dams, free-flow hydropower plants, as is known, use only the kinetic energy of flowing water. To determine the power, there is a formula here:

N=0.5*p*V3*F*n (1),

N - power on the working shaft (W),
- р - water density (1000 kt/m3),
- V - river flow velocity (m/s),
- F - cross-sectional area of the active (immersed) part of the working body of the hydraulic machine (m2),
- n - energy conversion efficiency.

As can be seen from formula 1, at a river speed of 1 m/s, ideally (when n = 1) a power equal to only 500 W per square meter of the active part of the hydraulic machine falls. This value is clearly small for industrial use, but it is quite sufficient for the subsidiary farm of a farmer or summer resident. Moreover, it can be increased by the parallel operation of several "hydraulic garlands".

And one more subtlety. The speed of the river in its different parts is different. Therefore, before starting the construction of a mini hydroelectric power station, it is necessary to determine the energy potential of your river using a simple method. We only recall that the distance traveled by the measuring float and divided by the time of its passage will correspond to the average flow velocity in this section. It should also be noted that this parameter will change depending on the season.

Therefore, the calculation of the design should be made, guided by the average (for the planned period of operation of the mini-HPP) speed of the river.

Fig. 1 Savonius rotors for home-made daisy-chain mini-hydroelectric power stations:

a, b - blades; 1 - transverse, 2 - end.

Next, you need to determine the size of the active part of the hydraulic machine and its type. Since the whole mini-hydro power plant should be as simple and easy to manufacture as possible, the most suitable type of converter is the Savonius rotor of the end design. When working with complete immersion in water, the value of F can be taken equal to the product of the rotor diameter D and its length L, and n=0.5. The rotation frequency f with an accuracy acceptable for practice is determined by the formula:

f=48V/3.14D (rpm) (2).

To make the hydropower plant as compact as possible, the power specified in the calculation should be correlated with the real load, the power supply of which should be provided by a mini-hydroelectric power station (since, unlike a wind turbine, current will be continuously supplied to the consumer's network here). As a rule, this electricity is used for lighting, powering the TV, radio, refrigerator. And only the latter is included in the work during the day constantly. The rest of the electrical appliances work mainly in the evening. Based on this, it is advisable to focus on the maximum power from one "hydraulic garland" of the order of 250-300 W, covering the peak load with a battery charged from a mini-hydroelectric power station.

The transmission of torque from the working shaft of the hydraulic power plant to the pulley of the electric generator is usually carried out using an intermediate transmission. However, this element, strictly speaking, can be excluded if the generator used in the design of the micro-hydroelectric power station has an operating speed of rotation of less than 750 rpm. However, direct communication often has to be abandoned. After all, for the vast majority of generators of domestic production, the operating speed of rotation at the beginning of the "delivery" of power lies in the range of 1500-3000 rpm. This means that additional coordination of the shafts of the hydraulic power plant and the electric generator is needed.

Well, now that the preliminary theoretical part is over, let's consider specific designs. Each of them has its own merits.

Here, for example, is a semi-stationary free-flow mini-hydroelectric power station with a horizontal arrangement of two coaxial, rotated 90 ° relative to each other (to facilitate self-starting) and rigidly connected transverse-type Savonius rotors. Moreover, the main parts and components of this home-made hydropower plant are made of wood as the most accessible and “obedient” building material.

The proposed mini-hydroelectric power station is submersible. That is, its support frame is located across the watercourse at the bottom and is reinforced with stretch cables or poles (if, for example, there are walkways, a boat pier, etc. nearby). This is done in order to avoid the entrainment of the structure by the watercourse itself.

Fig. 2 Submersible mini-hydroelectric power station with a horizontal arrangement of rotors of a transverse type:

1 - spar-base (beam 150x100, 2 pcs.), 2 - lower cross-beam (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 3 - middle cross-beam (beam 150x120, 2 pcs.), 4 - riser (round timber with a diameter of 100, 4 pcs. .), 5 upper spar (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 6 - upper cross member (board 100x40, 4 pcs.), 7 - intermediate shaft (stainless steel, rod with a diameter of 30), 8 - pulley block, 9 - DC generator current, 10 - "gander" with a porcelain roller and a two-core insulated wire, 11 - base plate (board 200x40), 12 - drive pulley, 13 - wooden bearing assembly (2 pcs), 14 - rotor "hydraulic garland" (D600, L1000 , 2 pcs.), 15 disk (from boards 20-40 mm thick knocked down into a shield, 3 pcs); metal fasteners (including extensions, hubs of the outer discs) are not conventionally shown.

Of course, the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station should be less than the height of the support frame. Otherwise, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to avoid water entering the electric generator. Well, if the place where it is supposed to place a mini-hydroelectric power station has a depth of more than 1.5 m or there is a high water flow and flow rate that vary greatly throughout the year (which, by the way, is quite typical for snow-fed watercourses), then this design is recommended to be equipped with floats . This will also make it easy to move it when installed on the river.

The support frame of a mini hydroelectric power station is a rectangular frame made of timber, boards and small logs fastened with nails and wire (cables). The metal parts of the structure (nails, bolts, clamps, corners, etc.) should be, if possible, made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant alloys.

Well, since the operation of such a mini-hydroelectric power station is often possible in Russia only seasonally (due to the freezing of most rivers), then after the expiration of the operation, the entire structure pulled ashore is subject to a thorough inspection. Timely change rotten wooden elements, rusted, despite the precautions taken, metal parts.

One of the main components of our mini-hydroelectric power station is a "hydropower garland" of two rigidly fixed (and constituting a single unit on the working shaft) rotors. Their discs are easy to make from boards 20-30 mm thick. To do this, having made a shield out of them, using a compass, build a circle with a diameter of 600 mm. After that, each of the boards is cut according to the curve obtained on it. Having knocked the blanks together on two slats (to give the required rigidity), they repeat everything three times - according to the number of required disks.

As for the blades, it is advisable to make them from roofing iron. And better - from cylindrical stainless containers (barrels) of suitable size and cut in half (along the axis), in which agricultural fertilizers and other aggressive materials are usually stored and transported. In extreme cases, the blades can also be made of wood. But their weight (especially after a long stay in the water) will greatly increase. And this should be remembered when creating a mini-hydroelectric power station on floats.

Spike supports are attached to the ends of the "hydroenergy garland". In fact, these are short cylinders with a wide flange and an end slot for a key. The flange is attached to the respective rotor disc with four bolts.

To reduce friction, bearings are provided located on the middle crossbars. And since ordinary ball or roller bearings are unsuitable for working in water, they use ... home-made wooden ones. The design of each of them consists of two clamps and insert plates with a hole for the passage of the spike support. Moreover, the middle bearing shells are positioned so that the wood fibers here run parallel to the shaft. In addition, special measures are taken to ensure that the insert plates are firmly fixed against lateral displacements. Do this with the help of tightening bolts.

Fig.3 Plain bearing assembly:

1 - crimping bracket (St3, strip 50x8, 4 pcs.), 2 - middle frame cross member, 3 - crimping insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.), 4 replaceable insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.) , 5 - M10 bolt with Grover's nut and washer (4 sets), 6 - M8 stud with two nuts and washers (2 pcs.).

As an electric generator in the considered micro-hydroelectric power station, any of the automobile ones is used. They give out 12-14 V DC and easily dock with both the battery and electrical appliances. The power of these machines is about 300 watts.

The design of a portable mini-hydroelectric power station with a vertical arrangement of a "garland" and a generator is quite acceptable for self-production. Such a hydroelectric station, according to the author of the development, is the least material-intensive. The supporting structure of the installation, which fixes its position in the river bed, is a hollow steel rod (for example, from pipe sections). Its length is chosen based on the nature of the bottom of the watercourse and the speed of the current. Moreover, such that the sharp end of the rod, driven into the bottom, would guarantee the stability of the mini-hydroelectric power station and its inseparable flow. It is also possible to use additional stretch marks.

Having determined the active surface of the rotor by formula (1) and measuring the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station, it is easy to calculate the diameter of the Savonius rotors used here. To make the design simple and self-starting, it is advisable to make a "hydraulic garland" of two rotors connected so that the blades of the first are shifted by 90 ° relative to the second (along the axis of rotation). Moreover, to increase the efficiency of work, the structure on the side of the oncoming flow is equipped with a shield that plays the role of a guide vane. Well, the working shaft is mounted in plain bearings of the upper and lower supports. In principle, with a short operating time of a mini-hydroelectric power station (for example, on a hiking trip), large-diameter ball bearings can also be used. However, if there is sand or silt in the water, after each use, these units will have to be washed in clean water.

Rice. 4 mini-hydroelectric power plants with a vertical arrangement of end-type rotors:

1 - support rod, 2 - lower bearing assembly, 3 - hydropower garland disk (3 pcs.), 4 - rotor (D600, 2 pcs.), 5 - upper bearing assembly, 6 - working shaft, 7 - transmission, 8 - electric generator, 9 - "gander" with a porcelain roller and a two-core insulated wire, 10 - a generator mounting clamp, 11 - a movable shield-guide; a, b - blades: extensions at the upper end of the support rod are conventionally not shown.

The fastening of the supports to the rod is bolted and welded, depending on the weight of the “hydraulic garland” and the need to disassemble it into parts. The upper end of the working shaft of the hydraulic machine is also the input shaft of the multiplier, which (as the most simple and technological) can be used as a belt.

The electric generator is taken again by a car. It is easy to attach it to the support rod with a clamp. And the wires themselves coming from the generator must have reliable waterproofing. In the illustrations, the exact geometric proportions of the intermediate transmission are not conventionally shown, since they depend on the parameters of the particular generator you have. Well, transmission belts can be made from an old car camera by cutting it into tapes 20 mm wide, followed by twisting into bundles.

For the power supply of small villages, a daisy-chain mini-hydroelectric power station designed by V. Blinov is suitable, which is nothing more than a chain of barrel-shaped Savonius rotors with a diameter of 300-400 mm, fixed on a flexible cable stretched across the river. One end of the cable is attached to a hinged support, and the other through a simple multiplier to the generator shaft. At a flow rate of 1.5-2.0 m/s, the chain of rotors makes up to 90 rpm. And the small size of the elements of the “hydropower garland” makes it possible to operate this micro-hydroelectric power station on rivers with a depth of less than one meter.

I must say that before 1964 V. Blinov managed to create several portable and stationary mini-hydroelectric power stations of his design, the largest of which was a hydroelectric power station built near the village of Porozhki (Tver region). A pair of garlands here drove two standard autotractor generators with a total power of 3.5 kW.

MK 10 1997 I. Dokunin

Option number 3

Homemade hydroelectric power station (HPP) on a small river without a dam.

It is known that electricity is generated by a generator, the shaft of which rotates the engine. The HPP engine has a simple design: racks with two crankshafts A and B are fixed on a frame made of logs (see Fig. 3).

Each shaft has three knees, the angles between which are equal to 120°. The crankshafts are connected by rods to which the blades are attached. In Figure 1, you can see that at the moment all the blades of rod B are at the bottom, they are immersed in water and, under its pressure, move back (to the right). The blades move the rod, and the rod, in turn, turns the crankshafts. As soon as the knees connected by this bar begin to rise up, the blades of the bar G are immersed in the water. Now they are already starting to work. Then the blades of bar D will begin to work. By this time, the blades of the first bar B will pass over the surface of the water and again descend into the water. This is how the engine of Login's power plant will work.

If you put a pulley on the end of one of the crankshafts and connect it with a belt drive to the pulley of the DC generator, the generator will begin to generate electricity. And if you attach a connecting rod to the drive pulley and connect it to the pump, the engine will pump water to the school site, to your garden.

Engine power depends not only on the speed of the water flow, but also on the number and area of the blades, that is, on the geometric dimensions of the engine itself. And it can be made of any size, respectively, proportionally increasing or decreasing the size of its parts.

Rice. 1 The main dimensions of the parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam.

We give drawings of an engine that, at a water flow rate of 0.8-1 meter per second, will rotate a generator from a car. The voltage generated by the generator is 12 V, and the power is up to 150 watts.

Fig. 2 The main components of a home-made hydroelectric power station without a dam.

Before you start building a hydro station, in a workshop or in a store that sells spare parts for cars, pick up a generator. Prepare materials: boards, logs of small diameter, steel wire, fasteners. Select the location where the power plant will be located. It is desirable that it be a straight section of the river. Here it is necessary to determine the speed of the current. It is done like this. On the selected section 15-20 meters long, mark two transverse alignments. After that, using a small float, such as wood chips, determine the speed of the water flow. The float should be thrown into the water a little higher than the upper alignment and, following it, count the time the float passed from the upper alignment to the bottom one using a stopwatch. It is necessary to make 10-15 such measurements, throwing the float either further or closer to the shore, and, based on the results of the measurements, calculate the average speed of the river. If it lies within 0.8-1 m / s, feel free to proceed with construction.

Fig.3. Crankshafts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam.

How to make the most complex parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam. Crankshaft mini ges without dam.

It can be made from a solid steel bar with a diameter of 16-20 mm. But it is easier to make it prefabricated (Fig. 3). First, cut the blanks of parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the rod. Make the cheeks of the knees from a steel strip 5 mm thick. Saw squares at the ends of the rods, and square holes in the cheeks. After connecting the parts, the squares are riveted. First you need to assemble the parts of the crankshaft "a" and "b" (see Fig. 3). Then you need to mark and cut out the squares at the free ends of the rods 2 and 3 so that the middle knee (after assembly) is located at an angle of 120 ° with respect to the extreme ones.

Bars with blades of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam.

Transmission device of a mini-hydro power plant without a dam.

The crankshaft, and hence the drive pulley, will rotate at a rate of about one revolution every two seconds. The generator can produce electric current at 1000-1500 rpm. To get this number of revolutions on the generator, you need a transmission from pulleys of different diameters (see. Fig.).

Grooved pulleys are made from 5 mm thick plywood. For each pulley, five circles should be cut. They are knocked down with nails or tightened with screws. The drive pulley, which is firmly attached to the end of the crankshaft, must have a diameter of at least 700 mm. Two intermediate ones are nailed to each other and freely put on the axle. They should rotate easily on this axis. If the rotation speed of the drive pulley is 30 rpm, then the diameter of the small intermediate pulley can be taken equal to 140 mm, and the large one - 600 mm. Then the alternator pulley (diameter 60 mm) will rotate at a speed of 1500 rpm. At other speeds of the drive pulley, the diameters of the intermediate pulleys will be different. The labor teacher will help you calculate their sizes.

Drive belts of a mini-hydro power plant without a dam.

The transmission pulleys are connected by drive belts. To ensure that the belts are always well tensioned, make them from a rubber band. Cut the old car camera into long strips. Twist each ribbon into a bundle, glue the ends with rubber glue and tie tightly with twine.

Adjustment of a mini-hydro power plant without a dam.

After assembling the mechanism, check if the rods rotate freely. Turning the drive pulley by hand, notice which of the rods is preventing the rotation of the crankshafts. After that, remove the bar and enlarge one of the holes for the neck of the knee so that it becomes a little oblong.

V. Kivonosov, V. Slashchilina

Option number 4

On most rivers, it is possible to build small, inexpensive, damless hydroelectric power plants (HPPs). The power of such power plants is small, but sufficient to electrify a house and even a small village.

On rivers with a flow rate of 0.8 meters per second or more, a new type of damless hydraulic motor can be installed. The principle of operation of this engine is clear from the attached drawings and diagrams.

Under the pressure of water, the blades move the rods, the movement of which causes the crank to rotate. A pulley sits on its shaft.

The rotation of the pulley is transmitted to the generator. Engine power depends on the speed of the water flow.

In places where the speed of the current is small, it is necessary to narrow the riverbed. The design of a hydraulic motor, for example, 3.5 kilowatts, is so simple that it can be made in any school club or workshop.

M. Login