How to Build Your Own Small-Scale Hydroelectric Generator

Building your own small-scale hydroelectric generator can be a fun and rewarding project. With some basic materials and tools, and a good understanding of the principles involved, you can harness the power of flowing water to produce clean, renewable electricity for your home or cabin.

What is a Small-Scale Hydroelectric Generator?

A small-scale hydroelectric generator uses the energy of flowing water to spin a turbine connected to a generator to produce electricity. The amount of power produced depends on the volume and speed of the water flow.

Small-scale systems are defined as producing up to 100 kilowatts of power. They are suitable for providing electricity to remote homes, cabins, or small communities. The key components are:

• Water flow - A reliable flowing water source like a stream, creek, or irrigation canal. The faster the flow, the more power can be generated.
• Intake - Diverts water from the stream into a channel or pipe leading to the turbine.
• Pipeline/Penstock - Transports water from the intake to the turbine.
• Turbine - Water strikes the turbine blades, spinning a shaft connected to a generator. More flow and pressure equals more spinning power.
• Generator - Produces AC electricity as the turbine shaft spins inside. Connects to batteries or a grid.
• Tailrace - Returns water to the stream after passing through the turbine.

Siting Your Hydro System

Finding the right location to build your hydroelectric generator is key. Look for a site with:

• Reliable water flow - A perennially flowing stream or spring works best. Seasonal streams may limit power during dry months.
• Adequate flow volume - The more water flowing, the more power you can generate. Look for year-round flows of at least a few gallons per minute.
• Head height - This is the vertical drop in the water level from the intake point to the turbine. More head equals more pressure on the turbine so seek at least 2-3 feet of head if possible.

Ideally the site will allow you to:

• Use a short, direct penstock route.
• Place the turbine house close to where you need the power.
• Return the water flow safely to the stream with little impact.

Water Flow Measurements

To size your system right, you’ll need to measure the water flow available at your site:

• Use a bucket, stopwatch, and tape measure to perform a simple bucket test. Time how long it takes to fill a 5-gallon bucket from the flow to calculate gallons per minute. Repeat several times for accuracy.
• For streams over a couple inches deep, a flow meter gives the best precision. Digital water velocity meters start around $100.
• Calculate the flow volumes during both high flow periods like spring snowmelt and low summer flows. Size your system conservatively for lower flows.

Intake Design

The intake structure diverts water from the stream into your hydro system. Key factors in intake design include:

• Intake location - Find a smooth, straight section of stream with uniform banks for easiest intake placement.
• Water approach angle - Water should approach the intake directly rather than at an angle. This maximizes flow volume into the system.
• Screening - Screens keep debris and fish out of your system. Perforated steel screens allow smoother water flow than wire mesh.
• Passageway for fish - In most areas, regulations require allowing fish to bypass the intake to not obstruct their migration.
• Intake housing - This encloses and protects the intake screen. Old oil barrels or concrete works well.

Penstocks and Piping

Penstocks are pipes that deliver water from the intake to your hydro turbine. The most common materials used are PVC plastic, HDPE plastic, steel, and concrete:

• PVC - Inexpensive and easy to install if buried. Limited to smaller pipe diameters and low water pressure.
• HDPE - High density polyethylene pipe. Flexible, weldable, and robust. Good friction resistance for efficient water flow.
• Steel - Strong and rigid but needs to be pressure rated for your system's water pressure. Prone to corrosion.
• Concrete - Heavy but very robust. Can be cast for large diameters or formed from smaller pre-cast sections.

Key factors for penstock design:

• Diameter - Larger diameters allow more water flow with less friction loss but cost more.
• Length and route - The shortest, straightest route is most efficient. Avoid steep elevation drops that add pressure.
• Friction losses - Longer pipes and more fittings increase friction reducing flow. Size your pipe accordingly.
• Water hammer - Quick valve closures can induce destructive pressure surges. Install surge tanks to absorb excess pressures.

Choosing a Turbine

There are two main types of hydro turbines suitable for home systems:

Impulse Turbines

Impulse turbines are driven by water jetted from a nozzle directed at the turbine's buckets or blades. Advantages:

• Operate with little or no head required. Can use fast moving stream water directly.
• Allow air to enter water stream to prevent piping leaks under vacuum.
• Relatively simple and inexpensive to construct from PVC or metal.

The main impulse turbine choices are:

• Pelton - Split bucket wheel. Simple design capable of high efficiencies.
• Turgo - Similar to Pelton but with curved buckets suiting higher heads.
• Crossflow - Drum shaped with elongated curved nozzles. Handles flows with debris well.

Reaction Turbines

Reaction turbines sit directly in flowing water driven by the reaction force as they redirect the water past their blades. Advantages:

• Operate at high efficiency in a compact unit.
• Run fully immersed in water eliminating need for complex jet nozzles.

The main reaction turbine options are:

• Propeller - Essentially an enclosed propeller. Handles low heads and high flow rates well.
• Francis - Spiral shaped blades in a ring. Efficient across a wide range of heads and flows.
• Kaplan - Adjustable propeller blades. Maintains high efficiency when flow varies.

Generators

The turbine shaft spins an internal rotor inside the generator to produce AC electricity. Key generator factors include:

• Output voltage - Match your generator's output voltage to whatever devices you plan to run. 12, 24, and 48 volts DC are common.
• Capacity - Size your generator to your site's available power. Too much capacity wastes money. Too little leaves energy generation untapped.
• Enclosure - Generators must be enclosed and kept dry to protect electrical components.
• Efficiency - Generator efficiency ranges from 80-95%. Lower efficiency means more wasted power.

Batteries and Inverters

Most home hydro systems use batteries to store energy and inverters to convert the generator's DC current to standard 120/240-volt AC current for home use.

• Deep cycle lead-acid batteries are economical for home use. Lithium-ion batteries have higher efficiency and life span.
• Inverters convert DC to clean AC power suitable for running sensitive electronics and appliances.
• Wire gauges, disconnects, and system monitoring should be sized to handle your full load.

Construction

If designing your own system from scratch seems daunting, there are kits with all components like this available to simplify construction while still allowing custom configuration:

{{< img src="https://i.imgur.com/bH3EPrV.jpg" title="Example small scale hydroelectric generator system components kit" alt="photo of a kit containing pipes, turbine, battery box, and other parts" width="400px" >}}

For a custom build, follow these general steps:

1. Construct water intake system and connect to penstock piping.
2. Install turbine and generator equipment inside protective housing.
3. Set up storage batteries, inverter, and electrical system.
4. Integrate monitoring and control systems.
5. Connect water source to turbine then turbine to electrical load.
6. Test system operation and efficiency. Troubleshoot any issues.
7. Perform final optimizations for long-term operation.

Permitting and Regulations

In most locales, some form of permitting or registration is required for diversion of water flows. Research your local regulations and contact agencies early in the planning process. Key permits may include:

• Water rights for allowing diversion and turbidity.
• Construction permits for intake structures and trenches.
• Environmental reviews to minimize ecosystem impacts.
• Electrical inspections of your generated power systems.

In Conclusion

Building a small scale hydroelectric generator takes research, careful planning, and a fair bit of effort to implement correctly. But with a good reliable water source and the right components selected, you can be producing your own clean, renewable electricity for minimal operating cost for years to come.