Explanation should include
- Pelton wheel
- uses jet force to create energy
- water is funneled into a pressurized pipeline with a narrow nozzle at one end
- water sprays out of the nozzle in a jet, striking the double-cupped buckets attached to the wheel
- the impact of the jet spray on the curved buckets creates a force that rotates the wheel at high efficiency rates of 70–90 percent
- available in various sizes and operates best under low-flow and high-head conditions
- Turgo impulse wheel
- upgraded version of the Pelton
- uses the same jet spray concept, but the Turgo jet, which is half the size of the Pelton, is angled so that the spray hits three buckets at once--as a result, the Turgo wheel moves twice as fast
- less bulky, needs few or no gears, and has a good reputation for trouble-free operations
- can operate under low-flow conditions but requires a medium or high head
- Jack Rabbit turbine
- a drop-in-the-creek turbine that can generate power from a stream with as little as 13 inches of water and no head
- output is a maximum of 100 watts, so daily output averages 1.5–2.4 kilowatt-hours, depending on the site
- sometimes referred to as the Aquair UW Submersible Hydro Generator.
Teacher Resource:
Process/Skill Questions:
- Which type of generator is most applicable to agriculture usages?
- When is it appropriate to use each type of micro-hydro turbine/generator?
- Which type of turbine/generator is most efficient?