To determine the power available at a site, head and flow measurements
must be taken. Flow is the rate at which water moves, measured in
liters per minute (I/m) or gallons per minute (gpm). This can be
measured by channeling the water into a pipeline, then into a container
of a known volume, noting the time it takes to do so.
Head can be measured by using a transit, by siting along a level, or by using a pressure gauge at the end of the pipeline.
It
is important to keep in mind that output can only be accurately
determined if head and flow measurements are made correctly, so care
should be taken during this process.
1.) Approximate power available at any given site can be assessed using the formula:
head (feet) x flow (gpm) / 8 — Watts
e.g., 100 feet x 30 gpm / 8 = 375 Watts
e.g., 100 feet x 30 gpm / 8 = 375 Watts
or
head (m) x flow (l/m) / 10 = Watts
e.g., 30 m x 120 I/m / 10 = 360 Watts
e.g., 30 m x 120 I/m / 10 = 360 Watts
2.) Before
considering the purchase of a Stream Engine, perform the above
estimate. If it is determined that your site is viable, contact your
dealer to discuss pipelines, transmission distance, and system voltage. Power from the Stream Engine is limited according to the available head.
At
about 7.5 metre (25 feet), output is limited to 500 watts, 15 metre (50
feet) to 750 watts, and at a 30 metre (100 feet) head, 1000 watts can
be generated, given adequate flow.
3.) The length, diameter, and type of pipeline must be determined in order to predict losses due to friction.
4.) Many
factors affect system voltage including output and transmission
distance. Power is usually generated at battery voltage, but where
transmission distances are too great for low voltage transmission (12,
24, or 48 V), higher voltages can be generated and transformers can be
effectively used to step down to battery voltage.
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