Hydro Power - Civil Engineering

Intake

The water intake must be located upstream so it will always supply the necessary and  adequate amount of water to the turbine. It must include a screen to prevent debris, fish, or rocks from entering the turbine. A properly designed and constructed screen will be self-cleaning and require little maintenance.  A poorly designed screen will require upkeep and will rob the system of power. 

  

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Forebay tank

Forebay tank filters  debris and prevents it from being drawn into turbine and penstock pipe. This type of settling tank is not necessary but is highly advisable. This serves as an area for the water from the intake to “decelerate” and for any fine materials such as sand and gravel that passed through the intake screen to settle and not flow into the turbine. As a general rule, the settling tanks capacity should be about 20 times the turbines water usage in one minute. So for example if your turbine uses 100 gallons per minute, the tank should hold at least 2000 gallons of water. The inlet and outlet from the settling tank should include a sluice gate/ shut-off so the debris that settles to the bottom can be cleaned out. The outlet should also include screens as a double check against debris from entering the turbine, should the inlet for some reason fail to perform it’s intended task. 

Pipeline (Penstock)

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Penstock pipeline carries water from forebay tank to the power house. The pipeline delivers water to the turbine from the settling tank and must be sized properly to prevent frictional losses from robbing available power. This will be a cost/benefit trade-off since a long penstock can cost more than the turbine. Penstocks should be buried if possible to protect them and prevent freezing in cold weather climates. The penstock should include a breather pipe, ideally near the settling tank. This will prevent the disastrous event known as an implosion. Depending upon the pipe chosen, and if the intake were to suddenly be shut off – a huge vacuum would develop in the pipe. This is caused by the water’s momentum and can be of a large enough magnitude to cause the pipe to collapse.

 

A pressure gauge should be installed at the end of the penstock, right in front of the turbine shut-off valve. It will be a quick way to monitor how the system and penstock are performing. A quick reading of the pressure shows if there is a change or a problem. Additionally, by monitoring this gauge when  closing the turbine shut-off valve water hammer problems can be detected. Water hammer is the opposite of the implosion issue noted above. If the valve is closed too quickly, the momentum of the water can dramatically increase water pressure to the point of bursting the penstock. Shutting down systems water flow should be done carefully.

Shut-off Valve

 

A shut-off valve is necessary, and should be directly in front of the turbine in case an immediate shutdown of the system is required. This valve should be of high quality and very durable. It is recommended that to  close and then open the valve slightly on a regular basis to insure they don’t become seized in the open position and then don’t function when most needed.

Power House 

The turbine, generator, and electrical control boxes should all be "housed" in a weather proof building, where waterpower s converted to energy.  The building should resist inclement weather, animals, and intruders (children & unwelcome visitors) .  

Tail Race (water outlet

A necessary and sometimes forgotten component in design is the tail race. Water must have a convenient and non-restricted path back to the stream or pond. In cold climates, these returns must be designed to prevent freezing in the winter. The tail race must also be designed to prevent erosion, since a large continuous volume of water may pass through them. </meta></meta></meta></meta>