Purpose The paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the electromechanical equipment of traditional vertical axis water mills (VAWMs) to help investors, mill owners and engineers to preliminary estimate related benefits and costs of a VAWM repowering. Design/methodology/approach Two...

This paper describes the design of four different specific speed microhydro propeller turbines operating at heads between 4m and 9m, and their application to a wider range of heads and outputs by scaling. The features are specifically tailored for ease of manufacture and uniquely resistant to...

This paper describes the design of two different specific speed microhydro turbines operating at heads between 6 and 12m, at small scale and up to heads of 50m at larger scales. The features are specifically tailored for ease of manufacture and uniquely resistant to debris blockage. Test...

This paper presents an analysis for penstock optimization, for low head microhydro schemes. The intent of the optimization is to minimize capital cost per kilowatt rather than maximize the energy from the site. It is shown that site slope is an important consideration that affects the economics.

This paper is an overview of a program that is in the final stages of developing a modular set of cost-effective microhydro schemes for site heads below those currently serviced by Pelton Wheels. The rationale has been that there is a multitude of viable low-head sites in isolated areas where...