Do-it-yourself damless hydroelectric power plants (HPPs). Homemade hydroelectric power station on a water wheel

The history of hydropower originates from a simple water wheel, which our ancestors had the idea to install on the rapids of the river. At first it was used for a mill, thereby facilitating the work of millstones. Later, people learned to use the power of water for a variety of purposes - papermaking, sawing logs, blacksmithing, and even brewing. The crown of creation was an electric generator, which was connected to a turbine. This is how hydroelectric power stations appeared, the principle of which is used today for home inventions, including today's homemade products.
Its author managed to assemble it literally from an old washer, slightly modernizing and competently using the resources of the nearest river in his suburban area. He claims that he has been living for several years without being connected to the electrical grid, and does not pay a penny for electricity. The power from the hydro generator is enough to supply electricity not only to all electrical appliances in the house, but also to pull the work of the workshop with power tools. How is this possible? Let's take a look together.

The principle of operation of a hydroelectric generator

In this home development, the native body of the washing machine is used. The engine is remounted to generator mode, and placed back in its seat. The Pelton wheel is used as a driving turbine that accumulates water flows and transfers kinetic energy to a generator. Alternating 3-phase current obtained at the output of the generator is passed through a rectifier of three diode bridges. Direct current is supplied to charge the batteries through the controller, and from them to the 12V / 220V inverter, again receiving a variable frequency.

Materials, tools

Materials:

Old washing machine with inverter motor;
Pelton wheel;
A small piece of awning;
Plywood;
Plexiglas or plexiglass;
Silicone;
Waterproofing for plastic - paint or mastic;
Self-tapping screws, nuts, washers, bolts and sandpaper.

Tool:

Drill with a crown cutter, drills and a nozzle for self-tapping screws;
Reciprocating saw or electric jigsaw;
Hand tools: wrenches, pliers, paint knife and silicone gun.

We assemble a hydroelectric generator

Preparatory dismantling work
First you need to disassemble the washing machine, leaving only the parts we need.

The machine is of a vertical type, so we remove the end cover from the front side and dismantle the electronic control panel for washing modes.

We take out the outer drum and dismantle the pump and excess water supply hoses.

We do not need a flywheel for washing, as well as an internal steel container for laundry.

All that should be left is the outer plastic drum and the motor on the shaft.

As we can see, the rewired inverter motor already produces electricity when the shaft rotates.

Now you need to disassemble the engine, leaving only the shaft with bearings on the housing.

Hydro turbine manufacturing

A rubber gasket cut from an old chamber will help seal our shaft. We make a hole in it in the middle, and fit it tightly on the shaft shaft.

A small Pelton wheel will take the water. This invention is almost one and a half hundred years old, but it still does not lose its relevance and is used even at some hydroelectric power plants. It must be fixed on the shaft so that it can move freely and does not touch the housing.

We mark a hole under it in the body for water supply, and drill it with a crown cutter.

With a jigsaw or reciprocating saw, we make a drain hole in the shape of a rectangle, and close it with self-tapping screws with a segment of a waterproof awning. It should look like this (photo).

Next, you need to make a plug for the tank of our hydraulic turbine. We make it from a piece of moisture-resistant plywood, cutting a circle with a jigsaw equal to the inner diameter of the drum. We make an inspection hole in the plug itself to control the operation of the unit. Which will then be covered with plexiglass.

We coat the end of the plywood with silicone, and put it inside. We fix it with self-tapping screws through the turbine housing.

We cut out a gasket for plexiglass from a rubberized material, and glue it on silicone to plywood.

We drill four holes on the sides of the window rectangle, and from the inside we place clamping bolts in them. We will fix plexiglass on them so that it is removable in case of unforeseen breakdowns.

We seal the joint of our plug with the body with silicone.

To protect the electrical part of the unit, the author installed an additional plastic casing on the edge of the turbine using self-tapping screws. The plastic case itself was painted over with paint to protect the plastic from cracking.

It was the turn to assemble the engine, install it on the unit. We fasten the stator to the landing bolts.

To obtain direct current for charging batteries, we fix a bar of three diode bridges, each per phase.

We cover the engine with a rotor cover, and plug the extra drain holes for the hoses remaining in the housing.

Installation and connection

Our hydro generator is almost ready. It remains to fix it on a frame frame of welded corners, and adjust the water supply with the help of hydrants. The output power of the generator can be adjusted by the force of pressure, or the diameter of the opening of the valve nozzle, which supplies water directly to the turbine itself. The directional drain will also ensure that the water returns without harming the river.

To begin with, let's define the principle of operation and types of small hydroelectric power plants. The flow of a river or a falling water stream rotates the blades of a turbine and a hydraulic pipeline, which is connected to an electric generator - the latter generates electricity. Modern compact HPPs have automatic control with the ability to instantly switch to manual mode in case of an emergency. The designs of modern factory HPPs make it possible to minimize the construction work during the installation of equipment.

Types of mini hydroelectric power plants

Mini power plants include generating devices with a capacity of 1 to 3000 kW. Basically, the TPP consists of:

turbines (water intake device);
generating block;
control systems.

By the type of water resources used for generation, mini hydroelectric power stations are:

Channel. Such stations are built on small flat rivers with reservoirs.
Mountain. Stationary stations that use the energy of a fast mountain current.
Industrial. Stations using differences in water flow at industrial enterprises.
Mobile. Stations using reinforced hoses for water flow.

Dam types of stations are characterized by high capacity, but the construction of a dam is expensive, and in this case, permits are indispensable. Contacting officials in our country is not just to complicate your life, but to question the implementation of the best intentions, so we will abandon this idea right away.

How does a mini hydroelectric power station work

The principle scheme of operation of the hydroelectric power station can be selected from several options:

Garland hydroelectric power station. From one bank of the river to the other, a cable with rotors strung on it is laid under water. The current rotates the rotors and, accordingly, the cable itself. One end of the cable is in the bearing, the other is connected to the generator.
Propeller. An underwater structure resembling a windmill with narrow blades and a vertical rotor. The blade is only 20 mm wide at high rotation speed and will provide minimal resistance. A blade of this width is selected at a flow rate of 0.8–2.0 m per second.
Water wheel. A wheel with paddles partially submerged in the stream and located at right angles to the surface of the water. The flow of water presses on the blades, rotating the wheel.
Rotor Daria. Vertical rotor with complex blade surfaces. The fluid, flowing around the blades, creates a different pressure, due to which rotation occurs.

Pictured is a mini hydroelectric power station based on a water wheel

How to assess the potential capacity of a mini hydroelectric power station

Before building a mini hydroelectric power station with your own hands, you need to determine the power that you can count on. There is a reference relationship between the water flow rate and the power that can be removed from the shaft in kW with a screw diameter of 1 m.

The flow rate is determined by measuring the time it takes for a piece of wood thrown into the water to travel a certain distance. Having made simple calculations, we get the flow rate in meters per second. If in this case the speed is less than 1 m / s, then the construction of a hydroelectric power station will not be economically feasible.

At a flow rate of 2.5 m/s, the power will be 0.86 kW, at 3 m/s - 1.24 kW, at 4 m/s - 2.2 kW. The ratio is described by the dependence: the power of the hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the water flow rate. If the flow rate at the site of the proposed construction is low, it can be tried to increase it by a device for a height difference in the flow or by installing a drain pipe with a variable diameter at the outlet of the reservoir. The smaller the diameter of the pipe at the outlet, the greater the flow rate.

How to make a mini hydroelectric power station at home

The principle of operation of a small home-made hydroelectric power station can be understood by the example of a bicycle with a headlight and a dynamo (generator).

From roofing iron we make three blades with a length equal to the radius of the bicycle wheel (the distance from the central sleeve to the wheel rim) and a width of 3-4 cm.
We install the blades between the spokes of the wheel, bending the edge of the blade around the spokes for fastening. The blades should be set evenly with the same angles between them.
We immerse the wheel with blades in a fast river to a depth of one third to half the diameter of the wheel. The generated electricity will be enough, for example, to light a tent.

Drawing of one of the options for the construction of a mini hydroelectric power station

An example is a small hydroelectric power station for a farm with a capacity of 3-5 kW from improvised materials:

The rotor can be made from an old metal cable drum with a diameter of 2.2 m. Using a grinder and welding at an angle of 45 degrees to the radius, 18 blades must be welded. The rotor rotates on bearings. Support - metal pipe or corner.
A chain reducer with a gear ratio (transmission ratio) of 4 must be installed on the rotor. Further, the rotation will be transmitted through the VAZ 2101 cardan shaft. Using the cardan will reduce vibration, and the alignment of the drive and generator when using the shaft will be non-critical.
You will need a step-up gearbox (coefficient - 40) and a three-phase generator. The rotation speed of the generator is about 3000 rpm. The total reduction ratio of the two gearboxes will be 40 x 4 = 160. The generator should be covered with a casing for moisture protection and safety. The calculated rotation of the water wheel should be about 20 rpm.
An asynchronous motor can be adapted for the generator, and the control unit can be taken from any small machine. You will need a VVG NG 2x4 cable from the rotor to the farm buildings.

findings

The total cost of production will be about 10-15 thousand rubles. The main item of expenditure is the wages of the welder and the worker who helps to make and assemble the structure.

The main advantages of such equipment are low cost of electricity, environmental safety, inexhaustible source of energy and simplicity of design.

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 published information about a garland hydroelectric power station, made in 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 cable garland mini-hydroelectric power station with a turbine-cable 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 depths from the surface in summer and 0.5 depths 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 plants.

Two of these hydroelectric power plants acceptable for self-construction are micro-hydroelectric power plants with their own hands and a floating damless mini-hydroelectric power station. Next in line are structures, the prototype of which was the free-flow (model of 1964) 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 velocity of 1 m/s, ideally (when n=1) there is a power equal to only 500 W per square meter of the cross section of the active part of the hydraulic machine. This value is clearly small for industrial use, but it is quite sufficient for a farmer's or summer resident's subsidiary plot. 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 entire 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 measured 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

Hydroelectric power plants use the power of water to generate electrical energy. Self-made stations solve the problem of remoteness from centralized power grids or help save on electricity.

Advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power plants

Hydroelectric power plants have the following advantages over other types of alternative energy sources:

They do not depend on the weather and time of day (unlike). This allows more power to be generated at a predictable rate.
The power of the source (river or stream) can be adjusted. To do this, it is enough to narrow the channel with a dam or provide a difference in water heights.
Hydraulic installations do not make any noise (unlike).
Many types of low power stations do not require any installation permits.

The disadvantages of home-made hydroelectric power plants include the inability to work in cold weather. In addition, the water environment is aggressive, so the station parts must be waterproof and durable.

When designing a mini hydropower plant for use as an alternative source of energy for your own home, the following factors should be decisive:

The proximity of the river to the house. Installing a homemade station away from home is not worth it. The farther the installation, the lower its efficiency, because some of the energy will be lost during transmission. In addition, it is more difficult to protect your HPP from theft or damage.
Sufficient flow rate or the possibility of its increase. The power of the station increases exponentially as the speed of the water increases.

Finding the speed is easy. Throw a piece of Styrofoam or a tennis ball into the water and time it to swim a certain distance. Then divide meters by seconds and you'll find your speed. The minimum sufficient water speed for a home-made hydroelectric power station is 1 m / s.

If the flow rate of your river or stream is below this value, then a small dam or a narrowing pipe will increase it. But these options can cause additional difficulties. The construction of the dam requires permission from the authorities, as well as the consent of the neighbors.

Do-it-yourself mini hydroelectric power station

The design of the hydroelectric power station is quite complicated, so it will be possible to build only a small station on your own, which will save on electricity or provide energy to a modest household. Below are two examples of the implementation of a homemade hydroelectric power station.

How to make a mini hydroelectric power plant from a bicycle

This version of the hydroelectric power station is ideal for cycling trips. It is compact and lightweight, but will be able to provide energy for a small camp set up on the banks of a stream or river. The resulting electricity is enough for evening lighting and charging mobile devices.

To install the station you will need:

The front wheel of a bicycle.
A bicycle generator that is used to power bicycle lights.
Homemade blades. They are pre-cut from sheet aluminum. The width of the blades should be from two to four centimeters, and the length should be from the wheel hub to its rim. There can be any number of blades, they need to be placed at the same distance from each other.

To start such a station, it is enough to immerse the wheel in water. The immersion depth is determined experimentally, from about a third to a half of the wheel.

To build a more powerful station for permanent use, more durable materials will be needed. Metal and plastic elements are best suited, which are easier to protect from the effects of the aquatic environment. But wooden parts are also suitable if they are impregnated with a special solution and painted with waterproof paint.

The station requires the following items:

Steel drum from the cable (2.2 meters in diameter). A rotor-wheel is made from it. To do this, the drum is cut into pieces and welded again at a distance of 30 centimeters. Blades (18 pieces) are made from the remnants of the drum. They are welded to the radius at an angle of 45 degrees. To support the entire structure, a frame is made from corners or pipes. The wheel rotates on bearings.
A chain reducer is installed on the wheel (the gear ratio should be four). To make it easier to bring the drive and generator axles together, as well as to reduce vibration, the rotation is transmitted through the cardan from the old car.
The generator is suitable for an asynchronous motor. Another gear reducer with a ratio of about 40 should be added to it. Then for a three-phase generator with 3000 revolutions per second, with a total reduction ratio of 160, the number of revolutions will decrease to 20 revolutions per minute.
Place all electrical equipment in a waterproof container.

The source materials described are easy to find in a landfill or from friends. For cutting a steel drum with a grinder and for welding, you can pay specialists (or do everything yourself). As a result, a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 5 kW will cost a small amount.

Getting electricity from water is not so difficult. It is more difficult to build an autonomous power supply system based on a homemade hydroelectric power station, maintain the station in working order and ensure the safety of people and animals around it.

Next in line are structures, the prototype of which was the free-flow (model of 1964) daisy chain hydroelectric power station of V. Blinov.

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=0.5pV3Fn (1),

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 outlined. 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 homemade 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 entire mini hydroelectric power station 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 the minihydroelectric 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 microhydroelectric power station has an operating rotation speed 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.

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 garlands" (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 a 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 flow and flow rate that varies 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.

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 period, 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 it is 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.

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 microhydroelectric 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.

Quite acceptable for self-production is the design of a portable mini hydroelectric power station with a vertical arrangement of a "garland" and a generator. 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 inseparability by its course. It is also possible to use additional stretch marks.
Having determined the active surface of the rotor by formula (1) and measured 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 camping 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 station 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.

For the power supply of small villages, a daisy minihydroelectric 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 microhydroelectric 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