Design and study of a hydroelectric plant

Abstract

Hydro power is a renewable resource that can satisfy an important percentage of the global energy demand. This project is about the design and calculation of the parts of a small hydroelectric plant through which the water flows. Small hydro plants are not usually built, as this idea seem to be not economically feasible. This makes that there is a hole in the development of hydro plants that can be studied. The percentage of energy demand covered by hydro plants would be significantly increased if it was researched. The report starts with the search of a suitable place for the installation of the hydroelectric plant. Due to the characteristics of the location, the gross head and the flow rate, the appropriate turbine was chosen. Between the three more important kinds of turbines, the best option was Kaplan turbine. The design of the parts is focused in the mechanical study of these elements of the turbine. The calculations to do the study were made following the fundamental principles of physics, specially hydraulics and mechanics. The parts involved in this project are the weir, that has to be modified from its original shape, the channel section, the scroll casing, the guide vanes or Fink distributor, the impeller, the blades and the draft tube. The next step done is the resistive calculation of some elements of the turbine, as it is an important part in the design of these elements. The sizes of them depends on how much stress they can stand. The project finishes with the design of these parts using a software (pro-engineer and pro-mechanica)that shows us that the sizes of the elements are correct.