Micro hydro project, Tak Province, Thailand

[PoomthamPukdee]

Thanks for sharing this video. What if I use a biger pump like 15 hp/11kw or

larger pipe size like 8 inches and reduce to 2 inches?( It should be a six inches pipe in video) The question is Why do you use that size of pump.

Thank you.

[glycouril]

@PoomthamPukdee The speed of water is the same with a reduction of 2".. It depends only on fall and output area! And pressure only depends on fall.. The advantage of using larger pipes with a reduction in the end is that the friction is reduced

[tramagnow]

How many cubic meter of water do you use to produce 1 kWh. of electricity and head of water to put in ?

[squirtly30]

correct me not sure but is this just a standard water pump with water going in the exit end and then the power end then is out put not input with no changes inside pump

[jerjanerayo]

that a standard water pump correct me if i'm wrong the 3 capacitor is parallel with the output of the motr acts like a generator

[cgreacen]

@jerjanerayo  The capacitors are in parallel with the motor. But it's a little more complicated than that -- they're arranged in a "C-2C" arrangement. The motor is 3-phase delta. Electricity after the C-2C arrangement is single-phase (not 'two phase' as i erroneously say in the video).

[Machinimator]

This is a great example of the right way to set this type of system up.

Well done!

[GeorgeBangdied]

hello matthew

[deliazmi]

What a cheap way of hydro electricity production.. I think project cost just a few pennies:) Pump as a turbine.. No cement usage.. No "real" dam. Just wood poles  to support pipes. Really good. Thank you..

[RossanoR]

complimenti!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kobold225]

very good

[jamick84]

is there a guide for newbies who want to get an understanding of what is needed and how things are put together to complete such an amazing project? Thanks. Good job!

[999silverhk]

great job!!

[jplgg]

wow i had thought pump-as-generator was a real no go area... u have proved me wrong!

[EricSerenaKnutsonCov]

what kinds of pumps work for this type of thing

[cgreacen]

We use end-suction centrifugal pumps. In this installation it was an Ebara MD 50-125/4. Other brands would work fine. But the trick is you need to size it correctly. I recommend reading Arthur William's book, "Pumps as Turbines". That's what I used in sizing the one in this video.

[goodachari]

Awesome! good job :)

[chickenlegs71]

I agree with changing the reducer. LEDs are good too. Enhancing what you have, is easier bang for you buck then new system. Calculations may uncover that you can use extra head to power another power generator in parallel, great for backup or peak usage. Great work!!!!

[marco1221911]

2 comments. As a veteran sprinkler for 15 years you chose a gate valve [2"]. If you had a ball valve there would be much less restriction of the water. The other comment and I realize you only have access to whatever materials are available but your 4X2 reducing coupling is also very restrictive. Here in the usa we have reducers that have a much more smooth transition to a small diameter pipe so as to reduce gpm loss. Its a great video as I hope to install something like that in the Philippines

[mikami123]

Genius ! you re an Angel ! get the government to make a dam for you like Hoover in US.....you will be rich ! hahaha

[boristacconi]

Hello guys

does somebody know who sell this kind of turbine?

[fireflower5]

Ask the person who put his video on.

[cgreacen]

It just uses an end-suction centrifugal pump 'running backwards'. That's the beauty of this technology -- you can buy an off-the-shelf piece of equipment for use as a turbine.

[orkayen]

do you take the outlet water back to the intake tank?

[cgreacen]

Water is returns to the stream below the powerhouse.

[megatwingo]

5*****

[Stange7778]

thanks for your reply cgrean, where exactly do i get th book " pump as turbines" and what is the short form for ITDG. trying to help my friend to produce power in her permaculture farm. would really appreciate your help alot. thanks again

[Stange7778]

great job. just need to know is the pump that you are using is a normal 3phase pentax waterpump.

[cgreacen]

It's a 3-phase end suction pump. The brand we used is Ebara (model MD50-125/4.0), but you could use any number of brands. You have to chose model such that pump head and flow are appropriate. ITDG has a great book called "Pumps as Turbines" that tells you how...

[cgreacen]

Thanks for the comments! I'm the 'presenter' in the video. The fellow who made the 2-phase comment is correct -- it's single-phase electricity. Sorry.

Head (height drop) is 35 meters and flow is 17 liters/second. Since we were producing about 3.2 kW, an efficiency estimate is 3.2 / (17*35*9.8) = 54%.

[glumpy10]

Using a pump like that has to be the neatest, simplest and possibly cheapest hydro setup I have seen.

By the look of the pipe coming into the power house, it looks like an additional pump, maybe a smaller one, could be coupled up to make even more power.

Great setup and so well done.

[cgreacen]

In this particular project, we could have (and may in the future) add a second powerhouse about 30 meters below the existing powerhouse shown in the video, using the outflow from powerhouse #1 to power powerhouse #2.

[buzneg]

can you tell us the head and flow rate, or efficiency of they system?

[egn2020]

Hey he just said 2 phase there is no such thing as 2 phase. For electical clarification there are Single phase is 120 volts A/C and three phase 240 volts A/C.

I had electical wiring classes for 2 years if you got caught saying that the teacher would shun you.

[tormodk]

Your teacher is a dumbass! if you connect your motor in DELTA, you don`t need the fourth conductor for the Neutral. if you have three phase 240V, and connect these through a some capasitors, you kan make a 1phase connection, with 240volt potential between the two wires!

[cgreacen]

egn2020 was right... in the video I should have said "single phase". I had a brain fart for a moment since I was looking at two wires coming out...

[MrFrais]

Bravo!

[jthowery]

BEST OF THE BEST... Great Work

[RandomAccountHolder]

It's great to see the stuff you were doing in Thailand Chris!

[kushtrim25]

I would like to have that for my house --

[curiousjoe2007]

such project should be more actively promote to poor nations, with little modification with river side communities move them away from relying on the main grid.

[lowcarbonhome]

This is remarkable. Thank you for posting this video and for making such a difference for the school.

[RickMHobson]

Very nice! It amazes me that just about any induction motor can with little modification, be used to generate electricity. Even single-phase, 120-volt motors will work.

[layitover]

What pump did you use?

[tittysprinkles1]

nicely done - 3kw!

[Movidxcom]

May be better to use LED lighting...

[mergel911]

uh, super gnarly

[TheLittleChild888]

Great work!