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First, let's define the operating principle and types of small hydroelectric power plants. The flow of a river or a falling water stream rotates the turbine blades and a hydraulic pipeline, which is connected to an electric generator - the latter generates electricity. Modern compact hydroelectric power plants have automatic control with the ability to instantly switch to manual mode in the event of an emergency. The designs of modern factory hydroelectric power plants make it possible to minimize construction work during equipment installation.

Types of mini hydroelectric power plants

Mini power plants include generating devices with a capacity from 1 to 3000 kW. Fundamentally, the thermal power plant consists of:

1. turbines (water intake device);
2. generating block;
3. control systems.

According to the type of water resources used for generation, mini hydroelectric power stations are:

• Channel rivers. Such stations are built on small lowland rivers with reservoirs.
• Mountain. Stationary stations that use the energy of fast mountain currents.
• Industrial. Stations that use differences in water flow at industrial enterprises.
• Mobile. Stations using reinforced hoses for water flow.

Dam types of stations are characterized by high power, but the construction of a dam is expensive, and in this case it is impossible to do without permits. Getting involved with officials in our country is not just complicating your life, but calling into question the implementation of the best intentions, so we will abandon this idea right away.

How does a mini hydroelectric power station work?

The principle diagram of the operation of a hydroelectric power station can be chosen from several options:

• Garland hydroelectric power station. From one bank of the river to the other, a cable with rotors strung on it is laid under water. The current rotates the rotors and, accordingly, the cable itself. One end of the cable is in a bearing, the other is connected to the generator.
• Propeller. An underwater structure resembling a wind turbine with narrow blades and a vertical rotor. A blade with a width of only 20 mm at a high rotation speed will provide minimal resistance. A blade of this width is selected at a flow speed of 0.8–2.0 m per second.
• Water wheel. A wheel with blades, partially submerged in the flow, and located at right angles to the surface of the water. The flow of water presses on the blades, rotating the wheel.
• Rotor Daria. Vertical rotor with complex blade surfaces. The liquid flowing around the blades creates different pressures, causing rotation.

The photo shows a mini hydroelectric power station based on a water wheel

How to estimate the potential capacity of mini hydroelectric power stations

Before building a mini hydroelectric power station with your own hands, you need to determine the power you can count on. There is a reference relationship between the speed of water flow and the power that can be removed from the shaft in kW with a screw diameter of 1 m.

The speed of the flow is determined by measuring the time it takes for a chip thrown into water to travel a certain distance. Having made simple calculations, we obtain the flow speed in meters per second. If in this case the speed is less than 1 m/sec, then the construction of a hydroelectric power station will not be economically feasible.

At a flow speed of 2.5 m/s, the power will be 0.86 kW, at 3 m/s - 1.24 kW, at 4 m/s - 2.2 kW. The relationship is described by the dependence: the power of a hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the water flow velocity. If the flow velocity at the proposed construction site is low, you can try to increase it by installing a difference in flow heights or by installing a drain pipe with a variable diameter at the outlet of the reservoir. The smaller the outlet diameter of the pipe, the higher the flow rate.

How to make a mini hydroelectric power station at home

The operating principle of a small homemade hydroelectric power station can be understood using the example of a bicycle with a headlight and a dynamo (generator).

1. From roofing iron we make three blades with a length equal to the radius of the bicycle wheel (the distance from the central hub to the wheel rim) and a width of 3-4 cm.
2. We install the blades between the spokes of the wheel, bending the edge of the blade around the spokes to secure it. The blades should be aligned evenly while maintaining the same angles between them.
3. We immerse the wheel with blades in a fast river to a depth of one third to half the diameter of the wheel. The generated electricity will be enough, for example, to light a tent.

Drawing of one of the options for constructing a mini hydroelectric power station

An example would be a small hydroelectric power station for a farm with a capacity of 3-5 kW from scrap materials:

1. The rotor can be made from an old metal cable drum with a diameter of 2.2 m. Using a grinder and welding at an angle of 45 degrees to the radius, 18 blades need to be welded. The rotor rotates on bearings. Support – metal pipe or angle.
2. On the rotor you need to install a chain gearbox with a gear ratio (gear ratio) of 4. Next, the rotation will be transmitted through the VAZ 2101 driveshaft. The use of a driveshaft will reduce vibration, and the coaxiality of the drive and generator when using the shaft will be uncritical.
3. You will need a step-up gearbox (coefficient - 40) and a three-phase generator. The generator rotation speed is about 3000 rpm. The total reduction ratio of the two gearboxes will be 40 x 4 = 160. The generator should be covered with a casing to protect it from moisture and safety. The estimated rotation of the water wheel should be about 20 revolutions per minute.
4. An asynchronous motor can be adapted for the generator, and the control unit can be taken from any small machine. You will need a VVG NG cable 2x4 long from the rotor to farm buildings.

conclusions

The total manufacturing costs will be about 10-15 thousand rubles. The main expense item is the wages of the welder and worker who help make and assemble the structure.

The main advantages of such equipment are the low cost of electricity, environmental safety, inexhaustibility of the energy source and simplicity of design.

The power of water flow is a renewable natural resource that allows you to obtain virtually free electricity. The energy donated by nature will provide an opportunity to save on utilities and solve the problem of recharging equipment.

If there is a stream or river running near your home, it is worth taking advantage of it. They will be able to provide electricity to the site and the house. And if you build a hydroelectric power station with your own hands, the economic effect increases significantly.

The presented article describes in detail the manufacturing technologies of private hydraulic structures. We talked about what is required to set up the system and connect it to consumers. Here you will learn about all the options for miniature energy suppliers assembled from scrap materials.

Hydroelectric power plants are structures that can convert the energy of water movement into electricity. so far they are actively exploited only in the West. In our country, this promising industry is only taking its first timid steps.

Image gallery

Option #1

A homemade Cable Garland mini-hydroelectric power station is an excellent solution for obtaining affordable and inexpensive electricity if there is a small river near your place of residence.

The design of a garland cable mini-hydroelectric power station is based on the rotation of the cable in the river bed.

The first designs of an autonomous simple hydroelectric power station were implemented long ago by individual craftsmen half a century ago. Back in the 50s, Radio magazine published information about a garland hydroelectric power station, made in tin cans and with a generator from a car!

Fig.1. Appearance of a cable garland of a mini-hydroelectric power station made by hand.

How to make a cable garland hydroelectric power station with your own hands?

The figure below shows a diagram of the design of a simple cable garland mini-hydroelectric power station with a turbine-cable hydraulic drive, which rotates from the flow of the river.

Fig. 2 Scheme and principle of operation of the Garlyandnaya mini-hydroelectric power station

1. Bearing, 2. Support, 3. Metal cable, 4. Hydrowheel (turbine),

5. Electric generator, 6. Upper river level, 7. River bed.

As hydraulic wheels (rotors), in a cable hydraulic drive of a mini-hydroelectric power station, you can use several “impellers” made of a thin metal sheet, about half a meter in diameter, similar to a children’s toy - a propeller made of a square sheet of paper. It is advisable to use a regular steel cable with a diameter of 10...15 mm as a flexible shaft.
Approximate calculations show that from such a cable hydroelectric power station, you can get up to 1.5...2.0 kW from one hydrowheel, with a river flow of about 2.5 meters/sec!

If supports 2 with bearings 1 and an electric generator 5 are installed on the bottom of the river, and the bearings with the generator are raised above the river level, and this entire structure is placed along the flow axis, then the result will be practically the same. This scheme is appropriately used for very “narrow rivers” but with a depth of more than 0.5 meters. Thermal energy in such a hydroelectric power station can be obtained by connecting electric heaters to an electric generator.

The rotors of a hydroelectric power plant garland are, as a rule, located in the core of the flow (at 0.2 depths from the surface in summer and 0.5 depths from the ice surface in winter). The depth of the river at the site where the hydroelectric garland is installed does not exceed 1.5 m. If the river depth is more than 1.5 m, it is quite possible to use rotors arranged in two rows.

The emergence of dachas and even farms on waste lands remote from the power grid, the galloping rise in prices for fuel and electricity have brought to life the old ideas of autonomous power supply with the widespread use of natural energy from the sun, wind and water. In particular, interest in mini- and micro-hydroelectric power stations has increased.

Two of these hydroelectric power stations are acceptable for building on your own: a micro-hydroelectric power station with your own hands and a floating, dam-free mini-hydroelectric power station. Next in line are designs, the prototype of which was the free-flow (model 1964) garland hydroelectric power station of V. Blinov.

Dudyshev V.D.

Option No. 2

The hydroelectric power plants that will be discussed are free-flow, with a rather original turbine made of so-called Savonius rotors, strung on a common (maybe flexible, composite) working shaft. They do not require dams or other large-scale hydraulic structures for their installation. They are able to work with full efficiency even in shallow water, which, combined with the simplicity, compactness and reliability of the design, make these hydroelectric power stations very promising for those farmers and gardeners whose plots of land are located near small watercourses (rivers, streams and ditches).

Unlike dams, free-flow hydropower plants are known to use only the kinetic energy of flowing water. To determine power there is a formula:

N=0.5*p*V3*F*n (1),

N - power on the working shaft (W),
- p - density of water (1000 kt/m3),
- V - river flow speed (m/s),
- F - cross-sectional area of ​​the active (submersible) part of the working body of the hydraulic machine (m2),
- n - energy conversion efficiency.

As can be seen from formula 1, at a river speed of 1 m/s, per square meter of cross-section of the active part of the hydraulic machine, ideally (when n=1) there is a power equal to only 500 W. This value is clearly small for industrial use, but is quite sufficient for a farmer’s or summer resident’s subsidiary plot. Moreover, it can be increased through the parallel operation of several “hydroenergy garlands”.

And one more subtlety. The speed of the river in its different sections is different. Therefore, before starting the construction of a mini-hydroelectric power station, it is necessary to determine the energy potential of your river using a simple method. Let us only recall that the distance covered by the measuring float and divided by the time it passes will correspond to the average flow speed in this area. It should also be noted: this parameter will change depending on the time of year.

Therefore, design calculations should be made based on the average (over the planned period of operation of the mini-hydroelectric power station) river flow rate.

Fig.1 Savonius rotors for homemade garland mini-hydroelectric power plants:

a, b - blades; 1 - transverse, 2 - end.

Next, you need to determine the size of the active part of the hydraulic machine and its type. Since the entire mini-hydroelectric power station should be as simple as possible and uncomplicated to manufacture, the most suitable type of converter is the Savonius rotor of the end design. When working with complete immersion in water, the value of F can be taken equal to the product of the rotor diameter D and its length L, and n=0.5. The rotation frequency f is determined with an accuracy acceptable for practice using the formula:

f=48V/3.14D (rpm) (2).

To make the hydroelectric power plant as compact as possible, the power specified in the calculation should be correlated with the actual load, the power supply of which should be provided by a mini-hydroelectric power station (since, unlike a wind turbine, the current will be continuously supplied to the consumer network). As a rule, this electricity is used for lighting, powering the TV, radio, and refrigerator. Moreover, only the latter is constantly put into operation throughout the day. The rest of the electrical appliances work mainly in the evening. Based on this, it is advisable to focus on the maximum power from one “hydroenergy garland” of about 250-300 W, covering the peak load with a battery charged from a mini-hydroelectric power station.

The transmission of torque from the working shaft of a hydraulic power plant to the pulley of an electric generator is usually carried out using an intermediate transmission. However, this element, strictly speaking, can be excluded if the generator used in the micro-hydroelectric power station design has an operating rotation speed of less than 750 rpm. However, you often have to refuse direct communication. Indeed, for the vast majority of domestically produced generators, the operating rotation speed at the start of power output lies in the range of 1500-3000 rpm. This means that additional coordination is needed between the shafts of the hydropower plant and the electric generator.

Well, now that the preliminary theoretical part is behind us, let’s look at specific designs. Each of them has its own advantages.

Here, for example, is a semi-stationary free-flow mini-hydroelectric power station with a horizontal arrangement of two coaxial, rotated 90° relative to each other (to facilitate self-starting) and rigidly connected transverse-type Savonius rotors. Moreover, the main parts and components of this homemade hydropower plant are made of wood as the most affordable and “obedient” building material.

The proposed mini-hydroelectric power station is submersible. That is, its supporting frame is located across the watercourse at the bottom and is strengthened with guy ropes or poles (if, for example, there are walkways, a boat dock, etc. nearby). This is done in order to avoid the structure being carried away by the watercourse itself.

Fig.2 Submersible mini-hydroelectric power station with horizontal transverse rotors:

1 - base spar (beam 150x100, 2 pcs.), 2 - lower cross member (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 3 - middle cross member (beam 150x120, 2 pcs.), 4 - riser (round timber with a diameter of 100, 4 pcs. .), 5 upper spar (board 150x45, 2 pcs.), 6 - upper cross member (board 100x40, 4 pcs.), 7 - intermediate shaft (stainless steel, rod with a diameter of 30), 8 - pulley block, 9 - constant generator current, 10 - “gander” with a porcelain roller and a two-core insulated wire, 11 - base plate (200x40 board), 12 - drive pulley, 13 - wooden bearing assembly (2 pcs), 14 - “hydroenergy garland” rotor (D600, L1000 , 2 pcs.), 15 disk (from boards 20-40 mm thick knocked into a shield, 3 pcs.); metal fastening elements (including braces, hubs of outer disks) are not shown.

Of course, the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station should be less than the height of the support frame. Otherwise, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to avoid water getting into the electric generator. Well, if the place where the mini-hydroelectric power station is supposed to be located has a depth of more than 1.5 m or there is a large amount of water and flow speed that varies greatly throughout the year (which, by the way, is quite typical for snow-fed watercourses), then it is recommended to equip this design with floats . This will also allow it to be easily moved when installed on a river.

The supporting frame of a mini-hydroelectric power station is a rectangular frame made of timber, boards and small logs, fastened with nails and wire (cables). Metal parts of the structure (nails, bolts, clamps, angles, etc.) should, if possible, be made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant alloys.

Well, since the operation of such a mini-hydroelectric power station is often possible in Russian conditions only seasonally (due to the freezing of most rivers), then after the expiration of the operation period, the entire structure pulled ashore is subject to thorough inspection. Rotten wooden elements and metal parts that have rusted, despite the precautions taken, are promptly replaced.

One of the main components of our mini-hydroelectric power station is a “hydroenergy garland” of two rigidly fixed (and forming a single unit on the working shaft) rotors. Their disks can be easily made from boards 20-30 mm thick. To do this, making a shield out of them, use a compass to build a circle with a diameter of 600 mm. After which, each of the boards is cut according to the curve obtained on it. Having knocked the workpieces together on two strips (to give the required rigidity), they repeat everything three times - according to the number of required disks.

As for the blades, it is advisable to make them from roofing iron. Or better yet, from cylindrical stainless containers (barrels) of suitable size and cut in half (along the axis), in which agricultural fertilizers and other aggressive materials are usually stored and transported. In extreme cases, the blades can be made of wood. But their weight (especially after a long stay in water) will increase significantly. And this should be remembered when creating mini-hydroelectric power stations on floats.

Spiked supports are attached to the ends of the “hydroenergy garland”. Essentially, these are short cylinders with a wide flange and an end slot for a key. The flange is attached to the corresponding rotor disk with four bolts.

To reduce friction, there are bearings located on the middle crossbars. And since ordinary ball or roller bearings are unsuitable for working in water, they use... homemade wooden ones. The design of each of them consists of two clamps and insert boards with a hole for the passage of a tenon support. Moreover, the middle bearing shells are positioned so that the wood fibers run parallel to the shaft. In addition, special measures are taken to ensure that the insert boards are firmly fixed against lateral movement. This is done using tightening bolts.

Fig.3 Sliding bearing assembly:

1 - crimp bracket (St3, strip 50x8, 4 pcs.), 2 - middle frame cross member, 3 - crimp insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.), 4 replaceable insert (made of hard wood, 2 pcs.) , 5 - M10 bolt with Grover nut and washer (4 sets), 6 - M8 stud with two nuts and washers (2 pcs.).

Any automobile generator is used as an electric generator in the micro-hydroelectric power station under consideration. They produce 12-14 V DC and can be easily connected to both a battery and electrical appliances. The power of these machines is about 300 W.

The design of a portable mini-hydroelectric power station with a vertical arrangement of a “garland” and a generator is also quite acceptable for self-production. Such a hydroelectric station, according to the author of the development, is the least material-intensive. The supporting structure of the installation, which fixes its position in the river bed, is a hollow steel rod (for example, from pipe sections). Its length is chosen based on the nature of the bottom of the watercourse and the speed of the flow. Moreover, such that the sharp end of the rod, driven into the bottom, would guarantee the stability of the mini-hydroelectric power station and its non-disruption by the current. Additional use of stretch marks is also possible.

Having determined the active surface of the rotor using formula (1) and measuring the depth of the river at the installation site of the mini-hydroelectric power station, it is easy to calculate the diameter of the Savonius rotors used here. To make the design simple and self-starting, it is advisable to make a “hydroenergy garland” of two rotors connected so that the blades of the first are offset by 90° relative to the second (along the axis of rotation). Moreover, to increase operating efficiency, the structure on the side of the oncoming flow is equipped with a shield that plays the role of a guide vane. Well, the working shaft is mounted in the sliding bearings of the upper and lower supports. In principle, for a short period of operation of a mini-hydroelectric power station (for example, on a hiking trip), large-diameter ball bearings can be used. However, if there is sand or silt in the water, these units will have to be washed in clean water after each use.

Rice. 4 Mini-hydroelectric power plants with vertically arranged end-type rotors:

1 - support rod, 2 - lower bearing assembly, 3 - "hydroenergy garland" disk (3 pcs.), 4 - rotor (D600, 2 pcs.), 5 - upper bearing assembly, 6 - working shaft, 7 - transmission, 8 - electric generator, 9 - “gander” with a porcelain roller and two-core insulated wire, 10 - generator mounting clamp, 11 - movable guide panel; a, b - blades: the braces at the upper end of the support rod are not shown.

The supports are bolted and welded to the rod, depending on the weight of the “hydroenergy garland” and the need to disassemble it into parts. The upper end of the working shaft of the hydraulic machine is also the input shaft of the multiplier, for which (as the simplest and most technologically advanced) a belt can be used.

The electric generator is again taken from a car. It is easy to attach it to the support rod with a clamp. And the wires themselves coming from the generator must have reliable waterproofing. In the illustrations, the exact geometric proportions of the intermediate transmission are not shown, as they depend on the parameters of the specific generator you have. Well, transmission belts can be made from an old car inner tube, cutting it into strips 20 mm wide and then twisting it into bundles.

For power supply to small villages, a garland mini-hydroelectric power station designed by V. Blinov is suitable, which is nothing more than a chain of barrel-shaped Savonius rotors with a diameter of 300-400 mm, attached to a flexible cable stretched across the river. One end of the cable is attached to the hinged support, and the other through a simple multiplier to the generator shaft. At a flow speed of 1.5-2.0 m/s, the chain of rotors makes up to 90 rpm. And the small size of the elements of the “hydroenergy garland” makes it possible to operate this micro-hydroelectric power station on rivers with a depth of less than one meter.

It must be said that before 1964, V. Blinov managed to create several portable and stationary mini-hydroelectric power plants of his own design, the largest of which was a hydroelectric power station built near the village of Porozhki (Tver region). A pair of garlands here drove two standard automobile and tractor generators with a total power of 3.5 kW.

MK 10 1997 I. Dokunin

Option No. 3

Homemade hydroelectric power station (HPP) on a small river without a dam.

It is known that electricity is generated by a generator whose shaft rotates the engine. The hydroelectric power plant engine is designed simply: racks with two crankshafts A and B are mounted on a frame made of logs (see Fig. 3).

Each shaft has three elbows, the angles between which are 120°. The crankshafts are connected by rods to which the blades are attached. In Figure 1 you see that at the moment all the blades of rod B are at the bottom, they are immersed in water and under its pressure they move back (to the right). The blades move the rod, and the rod, in turn, turns the crankshafts. As soon as the knees connected by this rod begin to rise up, the blades of the rod G are immersed in the water. Now they begin to work. Then the blades of rod D will begin to work. By this time, the blades of the first rod B will pass above the surface of the water and sink into the water again. This is how the engine of the Login power plant will work.

If you attach a pulley to the end of one of the crankshafts and connect it with a belt drive to the pulley of a DC generator, the generator will begin to produce electricity. And if you attach a connecting rod to the drive pulley and connect it to the pump, the engine will pump water to the school plot, to your garden.

The power of the engine depends not only on the speed of water flow, but also on the number and area of ​​the blades, that is, on the geometric dimensions of the engine itself. And it can be made of any size, proportionally increasing or decreasing the size of its parts.

Rice. 1 Basic dimensions of parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam.

We provide drawings of an engine that, at a water flow speed of 0.8-1 meter per second, will rotate a generator from a passenger car. The voltage generated by the generator is 12 V, and the power is up to 150 W.

Fig.2 The main components of a homemade hydroelectric power station without a dam.

Before you start building a hydroelectric power station, pick up a generator in a workshop or store that sells car parts. Prepare materials: boards, small diameter logs, steel wire, fasteners. Select the location where the power plant will be located. It is advisable that this be a straight section of the river. Here you need to determine the flow speed. It's done like this. On a selected area 15-20 meters long, mark two transverse sections. After this, using a small float, such as a piece of wood, determine the speed of the water flow. The float should be thrown into the water slightly above the upper target and, watching it, use a stopwatch to count the time the float passes from the upper target to the lower one. You need to make 10-15 such measurements, throwing the float further, sometimes closer to the shore, and based on the measurement results, calculate the average speed of the river flow. If it lies within 0.8-1 m/s, feel free to start construction.

Fig.3. Crankshafts of mini hydroelectric power stations without a dam.

How to make the most complex parts of a mini hydroelectric power station without a dam. Mini Gas crankshaft without dam.

It can be made from a solid steel rod with a diameter of 16-20 mm. But it is easier to make it prefabricated (Fig. 3). First, cut parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the rod. Make the cheeks of the knees from a steel strip 5 mm thick. Saw squares at the ends of the rods, and square holes in the cheeks. After connecting the parts, the squares are riveted. First, assemble parts of the crankshaft “a” and “b” (see Fig. 3). Then you need to mark and cut out squares on the free ends of rods 2 and 3 so that the middle bend (after assembly) is located at an angle of 120° with respect to the outer ones.

Rods with mini-hydroelectric blades without a dam.

Transmission device for mini-hydroelectric power station without a dam.

The crankshaft, and therefore the drive pulley, will rotate at a speed of approximately one revolution every two seconds. The generator can generate electric current at 1000-1500 rpm. To obtain such a number of revolutions on the generator, you need a transmission of pulleys of different diameters (see figure).

Grooved pulleys are made of 5 mm thick plywood. For each pulley, cut out five circles. They are knocked down with nails or tightened with screws. The drive pulley, which is firmly attached to the end of the crankshaft, must have a diameter of at least 700 mm. Two intermediate ones are nailed to each other and loosely put on the axle. They should rotate easily on this axis. If the rotation speed of the drive pulley is 30 revolutions per minute, then the diameter of the small intermediate pulley can be taken equal to 140 mm, and the large one - 600 mm. Then the generator pulley (60 mm in diameter) will rotate at a speed of 1500 rpm. At other speeds of the drive pulley, the diameters of the intermediate pulleys will be different. A labor teacher will help you calculate their sizes.

Drive belts for mini-hydroelectric power plants without a dam.

The transmission pulleys are connected by drive belts. To ensure that the belts are always well tensioned, make them from a rubber band. Cut an old car inner tube into long strips. Twist each ribbon into a rope, glue the ends with rubber glue and tie tightly with twine.

Adjustment of mini-hydroelectric power station without a dam.

After assembling the mechanism, check whether the rods rotate freely. While turning the drive pulley by hand, notice which rod is preventing the crankshafts from rotating. After this, remove the barbell and enlarge one of the holes for the neck of the knee so that it becomes slightly oblong.

V. Kivonosov, V. Slashilina

Option No. 4

Small, inexpensive, damless hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) can be built on most rivers. The power of such power plants is small, but sufficient to electrify a home or even a small village.

On rivers with a flow speed of 0.8 meters per second or more, a new type of damless hydraulic motor can be installed. The operating principle of this engine is clear from the attached drawings and diagrams.

Under the pressure of water, the blades move the rods, the movement of which causes the crank to rotate. A pulley sits on its shaft.

The rotation of the pulley is transmitted to the generator. Engine power depends on the speed of water flow.

In places where the flow speed is low, it is necessary to narrow the river bed. The design of a hydraulic motor, for example 3.5 kilowatts, is so simple that it can be made in any school club or workshop.

M. Login

If there is a river or even a small stream flowing near your home, then with the help of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station you can get free electricity. Perhaps this will not be a very large addition to the budget, but the realization that you have your own electricity costs much more. Well, if, for example, at a dacha, there is no central power supply, then even small amounts of electricity will be simply necessary. And so, to create a homemade hydroelectric power station, at least two conditions are necessary - the availability of a water resource and desire.

If both are present, then the first thing to do is measure the speed of the river flow. This is very simple to do - throw a twig into the river and measure the time during which it floats 10 meters. Dividing meters by seconds gives you the current speed in m/s. If the speed is less than 1 m/s, then a productive mini hydroelectric power station will not work. In this case, you can try to increase the flow speed by artificially narrowing the channel or making a small dam if you are dealing with a small stream.

As a guide, you can use the relationship between the flow speed in m/s and the power of electricity removed from the propeller shaft in kW (screw diameter 1 meter). The data is experimental; in reality, the resulting power depends on many factors, but it is suitable for evaluation. So:

• 0.5 m/s – 0.03 kW,
• 0.7 m/s – 0.07 kW,
• 1 m/s – 0.14 kW,
• 1.5 m/s – 0.31 kW,
• 2 m/s – 0.55 kW,
• 2.5 m/s – 0.86 kW,
• 3 m/s -1.24 kW,
• 4 m/s – 2.2 kW, etc.

The power of a homemade mini hydroelectric power station is proportional to the cube of the flow velocity. As already indicated, if the flow speed is insufficient, try to artificially increase it, if this is of course possible.

Types of mini-hydroelectric power plants

There are several main options for homemade mini hydroelectric power plants.


This is a wheel with blades mounted perpendicular to the surface of the water. The wheel is less than half immersed in the flow. Water presses on the blades and rotates the wheel. There are also turbine wheels with special blades optimized for liquid flow. But these are quite complex designs, more factory-made than home-made.

It is a vertical axis rotor used to generate electrical energy. A vertical rotor that rotates due to the pressure difference on its blades. The pressure difference is created due to the flow of liquid around complex surfaces. The effect is similar to the lift of a hydrofoil or the lift of an airplane wing. This design was patented by Georges Jean-Marie Darrieux, a French aeronautical engineer in 1931. Also often used in wind turbine designs.

Garland A hydroelectric power station consists of light turbines - hydraulic propellers, strung and rigidly fixed in the form of a garland on a cable thrown across the river. One end of the cable is fixed in the support bearing, the other rotates the generator rotor. In this case, the cable plays the role of a kind of shaft, the rotational motion of which is transmitted to the generator. The flow of water rotates the rotors, the rotors rotate the cable.

Also borrowed from the designs of wind power plants, a kind of “underwater wind turbine” with a vertical rotor. Unlike an air propeller, an underwater propeller has blades of minimal width. For water, a blade width of only 2 cm is sufficient. With such a width, there will be minimal resistance and maximum rotation speed. This width of the blades was chosen for a flow speed of 0.8-2 meters per second. At higher speeds, other sizes may be optimal. The propeller moves not due to water pressure, but due to the generation of lifting force. Just like an airplane wing. The propeller blades move across the flow rather than being dragged in the direction of the flow.

Advantages and disadvantages of various homemade mini hydroelectric power station systems

The disadvantages of a garland hydroelectric power station are obvious: high material consumption, danger to others (long underwater cable, rotors hidden in the water, blocking the river), low efficiency. The Garland hydroelectric power station is a kind of small dam. It is advisable to use in uninhabited, remote areas with appropriate warning signs. Permission from authorities and environmentalists may be required. The second option is a small stream in your garden.

The Daria rotor is difficult to calculate and manufacture. At the beginning of work you need to unwind it. But it is attractive because the rotor axis is located vertically and power can be taken off over water, without additional gears. Such a rotor will rotate with any change in flow direction - this is a plus.

The most widespread designs for the construction of home-made hydroelectric power plants are the propeller and water wheel. Since these options are relatively simple to manufacture, require minimal calculations and are implemented with minimum costs, have high efficiency, are easy to set up and operate.

An example of a simple mini-hydroelectric power station

The simplest hydroelectric power station can be quickly built from an ordinary bicycle with a dynamic headlight. Several blades (2-3) must be prepared from galvanized iron or thin sheet aluminum. The blades should be the length from the wheel rim to the hub, and 2-4 cm wide. These blades are installed between the spokes using any available method or using pre-prepared fasteners.

If you are using two blades, place them opposite each other. If you want to add more blades, then divide the circumference of the wheel by the number of blades and install them at equal intervals. You can experiment with the depth of immersion of the wheel with blades in the water. It is usually one-third to one-half immersed.

The option of a traveling wind power plant was considered earlier.

Such a micro hydroelectric power station does not take up much space and will serve cyclists perfectly - the main thing is the presence of a stream or rivulet - which is usually the place where the camp is set up. A mini hydroelectric power station from a bicycle can illuminate a tent and charge cell phones or other gadgets.

If there is a pond with a dam or stream near your home, you can make an excellent source of free additional energy. The article will look at an example of how you can make a hydroelectric power station using a water wheel with your own hands. A power station made in this way is capable of delivering a current of up to 6 A; when installed on a small stream, the installation showed a result of 2 A. This is enough to turn on the receiver and a couple of light bulbs. The power depends on the force with which the water flows.

Materials and tools:
- corners and scraps of sheet metal;
- disks to create a wheel (used from the housing of the Onan generator, which failed);
- generator (made from two 28 cm Dodge brake discs);
- the shaft and bearings were also taken from Dodge;
- copper wire with a cross-section of about 15 mm;
- Neodymium magnets;
- plywood;
- polystyrene resin (needed for filling the stator and rotor).

Manufacturing process:

Step one. Creating a wheel
To create a wheel you will need two steel disks. In this case, their diameter is 28cm (11 inches). The disk needs to be marked so that it is clear where to install the blades. To make the blades, take a pipe with a diameter of 4 inches and cut it lengthwise into 4 parts. In total, the wheel has 16 blades. To secure the discs, they are tightened with four bolts. Next, you can install the blades at the desired positions. They are welded together. The gap between the discs is 10 inches, that is, the length of the wheel is 10 inches.

At this stage, the assembly of the hydroelectric power station is completed, the wheel is ready, now you need to make a nozzle and a generator. On one side of the disk there is a hole for convenient fastening of the wheel to the generator.

Step two. Making a nozzle
The nozzle is needed to direct water to the wheel. Its width is 10 inches, the same as the width of the wheel. The nozzle is made from a single piece of metal by bending. Next, the structure is welded together using welding.

Now you can install the wheel on the axle and the mechanical part of the hydroelectric power station is almost ready. All that remains is to assemble and install the generator.
The nozzle is made adjustable in height, this allows you to control the flow of water depending on the situation.

Step three. Assembling the generator
The process of creating a generator consists of several steps. First you need to make a winding, it consists of 9 coils. Each coil has 125 turns. The diameter of the copper wire is 1.5 mm. Each phase is formed by three coils, which are connected in series. There are 6 ends in total, this will allow you to make both a star and a triangle connection.

Finally, the coils are filled with polyethylene resin and the finished stator emerges. It is 14 inches in diameter and 0.5 inches thick.

To assemble the generator you need plywood, a template is made from it. Next, 12 magnets measuring 2.5 x 5 cm and a thickness of 1.3 cm are installed using this template. Finally, the rotor is also filled with polyethylene resin. That's all, after drying the generator is ready.

Under the aluminum cover there are rectifiers that convert three-phase alternating current into direct current. The ammeter scale has a range of up to 6 A. With the minimum gap between the magnets, the device produces 12 Volts at 38 rpm.

There are two offset screws at the back of the generator that allow you to adjust the air gap. Thus, it is possible to select the most appropriate operating parameters of the generator.

Step four. The final stage generator assembly and installation
All fasteners, as well as the water wheel, need to be painted. Firstly, this will make the device look more beautiful. And secondly, the paint will protect the metal from rust, which will quickly appear near a water source. It would be nice to equip the generator with a protective wing that removes splashes, but the author did not find a suitable material.

In the photo you can see the place where the generator will be installed. This is a pipe from which water flows from a dam. The difference is about 3 feet. The wheel will only take a certain part of the total water flow. In practice, the best results were shown by the position when the water enters at an angle of 10 o'clock and exits at an angle of 5 o'clock. Then the greatest power is achieved.