The Micro Hydro Project: Episode 7 - The Turbine Part 2

This is the second video about installing the turbine into the micro hydro system. Spoiler...we built a cage for it this time!

[@memyself3693]

Plastic gotten into drinking side yet 🙄 Following series looking forward to you guys hooking up inverter 😅

[@manvsland]

Lucky there was a filter in the Pressure Reducing Valve that kept all the plastic out! My water stopped working at some point and it took me a while to figure out what was going on but when I checked the PRV it was clogged right up! Silly mistake cost a lot of headache I tell ya...

[@samuelgilbert9734]

Also, if you exceed the maximum rated voltage, the voltage can overcome the insulation on the windings and short out some coils in the alternator which will lead to overheating and poor performance. Ultimately, it will completely ruin your alternator.

[@manvsland]

Yes, great advice. Fortunately I was just doing this to find out what the maximum unloaded circuit was so it was only for a short time. I was instucted by the guy who made it to do so but your right, now i always turn my inverter on before I turn on the hydro to keep the rpm's in check! Thanks

[@samuelgilbert9734]

You really shouldn't run your turbine without any load on it and full flow; you will likely exceed its maximum rated speed. I suggest designing some kind of pit or sump in which the turbine housing sits. That way, you are likely to catch any water coming from leaks on top of the turbine discharge.

[@manvsland]

Yes, I only ran it unloaded as the guy who helped me design the system wanted to know the output to help for the specs for programming the inverter. Now there is always a load on it. And the whole floor of the powerhouse has about 2ft of gravel to act as a drainage pit if the turbine discharge leaks. Ideally, it doesn't!

[@markmacleod6971]

You need a load on that generator or it could spin itself out of control and destroy your bearings or blow it to pieces if it spins too fast.

[@manvsland]

Yea I only had it running unloaded to make sure that the specs for the inverter and the rest of the electronics would match the potential output. It always has a load on it now :) Thanks!

[@udos46]

at 11 "43 immediately put a cooling metal for the diode bridge, if ... it burns

[@manvsland]

Not sure I understand what any of that means! Haha could you elaborate please? Burning sounds bad...

[@udos46]

Rectifier bridges are made to be mounted on a heat sink because depending on the current that passes, >0.7 volts are lost on each diode which unfortunately are heat losses. If you have cold water, use it to keep the diode bridge cool..

[@user-vu1dj1ek1z]

Was that plastic in the nozzels or was that teflon tape?

[@manvsland]

Plastic! Unfortunately it's from when I drilled the holes in the shoet piece of pvc pipe in the blue barrel at the intake. Those pieces went all the way down the penstock!

[@67tr876]

You might want to consider a strainer on your supply line.

[@manvsland]

I always thought the double intake screens would be sufficient so I didn't even think to integrate one into the supply line. I wish now that I had... although it's never too late I guess :)

[@nicholascarr6251]

Why didn't you just remove the nozzles and let it run for like 5-10 minutes then reinstall them instead of repeatedly cleaning them out and reinstalling them?

[@manvsland]

The drainage in the powerhouse is only meant to support a little water. When we took off the nozzles and opened 'er up, it flooded the whole place pretty quick so we kept the nozzles on to reduce the total volume of water. You're right though, would have been easier to just let it rip!

[@udos46]

@@manvsland the drain should have a diameter 2 and a half times the diameter of the pipe

[@manvsland]

​@@udos46 How'd you know?!?! I did end up exchanging the 3" pipes for 4" to increase the drainage - nice one!

[@thedefender300tdi]

Where did you buy the turbine parts from?

[@manvsland]

I got them from Langston's Alternative Power

[@anshumansarkar3206]

OMG why 480p 😢😢😢 We want 4k videos