Small Hydro Plant Installation and Performance - Case Studies

Case Study from the year 2017 in the subject Engineering - Mechanical Engineering, grade: Post Graduate, , course: Mechanical Engineering, language: English, abstract: Energy is one of the most important inputs in the process of development. It is the most important universal measure of all kind of work by human beings and nature. Small hydro power is one of the mostly used methods for energy production being non- consumptive, no radioactive and non- polluting use of water resources and ideal for development areas which are located in remote and far off places from national grid. In recent years the necessity of carrying out performance and evaluation of small hydro power (SHP) plants has been felt globally and initiatives have been taken in countries to address this need. In India, performance testing is a prime-requisite to get subsidy for new SHP stations from the government. The tests are to be carried as per the provision of the International Standard IEC: 60041(1991) and guidelines of Government of India. This book emphasizes the important detail of the performance testing and evaluation carried out on three SHP's located in three different states of India. Attempt has been made to carry out performance & evaluation of small hydro power plants at different sites. The various aspect of performance & evaluation of SHP plants are studied & described in this book for components, equipment specification & its characteristics. In this book various means of field testing of hydro mechanical equipment are also discussed and testing has been done on site and their characteristics curves are drawn. The various other findings were also made like the variation of turbine performance at present site and the guaranteed performance by the vendor. In the Loharkhet Site, it was observed that tail race channel can be down 10 m more, which would increase the head available for power generation. From the availability of10m head, we may reduce the losses of 2.44 million units. The difference loss also seen in actual power guaranteed to be produced by turbine range from 2.25 to 3.28 Million units. Apart from this transmission losses were 1.6% from the site. In addition to the above findings an additional unit of 2.5 MW may also be proposed at the existing site of the Loharkhet power station at Uttaranchal based upon the hydrology discharge data of the 7 years into consideration. In Birsinghpur Site, difference in actual power guaranteed to be produced by turbine ranges from 12.73 to 15.924 Million units for the head of 40m.