ESPOL FICT Hydraulic Investigation

The tests show increase in efficiency and power output with reducing channel widths
Hydraulic performance of water
wheels in channels

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ECUADOR 31-JULIO-2014
Miguel ngel Chvez
Gnesis Figueroa
Juan Diego Marazita
Cristhian Ponguillo

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A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
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Keywords:

Water Wheel

Channel

Flowing

Efficient











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1. Introduction

2. Theoretical foundations






































ESPOL FICT Hydraulic Investigation


3. Methodology

3.1 Analysis of the efficiency of a vertical water
wheel relative to the channel width.

In one of the publications of the Renewable Energy
international Journal, called Experimental
investigation on the effect of channel width on flexible
rubber blade water wheel performance was found an
experiment to analyze the efficiency of a water wheel.

To calculate the produced energy from the water wheel,
the extractable hydraulic power is:

Where:

: Hydraulic power input to the wheel

Density of water (kg/m3)
9.81 m/s2
Volumetric water flow rate (m3/s)
H: Difference in total energy line upstream and
downstream of the wheel (m)

The dynamic head difference

between
upstream and downstream sides is negligible, so it has
not taken into consideration.

To calculate the efficiency of the water wheel, it is
necessary to calculate the net energy obtained, and
make a comparison with the energy produced.

Where:
The angular velocity, calculate from the number of
revolutions N. (rpm)


The shaft torque, this is calculated by the product of
the force produced in each of the water wheel blades
and the moment arm, which in this case, is the wheel
radius.

Finally, the efficient of the water wheel is calculated by:

This experiment consisted in a test channel of 2.7m
long, 0.74m wide and 0.4m deep, with a variable height
at the entrance and the exit of the water in the channel,
and a fixed sharp crested weir at the outlet
measurement. The water wheel consists of acrylic
cylindrical hub of 150 mm diameter and 250mm wide
with 12 blades of 100x250mm size. Blades are made of
flexible butyl rubber sheet of 1mm thickness.
All tests were done keeping the head constant. The key
variables is the channel width



Figure ___: Assembled mechanism for testing
Source: Renewable Energy international Journal- Experimental
investigation on the effect of channel width on flexible rubber blade
water wheel performance (2013)

The revolutions of the wheel were recorded manually
with the use of a stop watch and the numbers of
revolution were within the precision of 0.3 rpm.
Three different time values for 10 revolutions were
recorded for better accuracy and a mean value was
taken for the calculations.
Trials with different channel widths were performed
experimentally and were compared with the largest
channel width that corresponds to 740mm.


The following test set ups were investigated
experimentally and compared with the full width set up
of 740 mm both on upstream and downstream.


Tests performed were:
Full channel width of 740 mm both on upstream
and downstream.

Reduced upstream channel width tests

Upstream 445 mm and downstream 740 mm
Upstream 350 mm and downstream 740 mm

The results of the produced energy with different width
of the channel are shown in the graph as a function of
the variation of flow rate versus maximum channel
flow.

ESPOL FICT Hydraulic Investigation



Graph ___: Power output as a function of relative flow
rate for changing upstream width.
Source: Renewable Energy international Journal- Experimental
investigation on the effect of channel width on flexible rubber blade
water wheel performance (2013)

With the values of the generated energy in the water
wheel, with different channel widths, proceeds to
calculate the efficiency in each of the cases with the
equations shown above.

Graph ___: Efficiency as a function of relative flow rate for changing
upstream width.
Source: Renewable Energy international Journal- Experimental
investigation on the effect of channel width on flexible rubber blade
water wheel performance (2013)

4. Conclusions


In the analysis of the efficiency of a vertical water wheel
relative to the channel width, the performance
characteristics of the flexible rubber blade water wheel
at different channel width have been experimentally
investigated. With the obtained results, and the graphs
shown, it can be conclude that the performance is
observed to be improved with reducing channel size
both on upstream and downstream side of the water
wheel.




5. Recommendations




6. Bibliography