Water enters the brick-lined channel of the upper spring collection pond near the top left of the photo (see photo belolw). The pond helps to settle out silt and the rectangular screen box keeps particles from entering the hydro-turbine feed pipe (you can see where the water enters the pipe at the center of the bottom of the screen box). If the hydro-turbine feed pipe valve is closed, the water overflows the pond's wooden gate (bottom center of photo below).

Just below the upper spring is another spring. The collection area dam, shown at the top of the photo below, also has a screen box. This water also enters the hydro-turbine feed pipe, except when the feed pipe valve is closed, and the water overflows the pond's rock dam (top of photo below), down a water fall and into a large rock-lined pond (bottom of the photo below).

The water collected from the two springs upstream are piped downstream to where the turbine is located. The total vertical drop down the feed pipe is 50 feet, and the water can flow at up to 80 gallons per minute. The 48 volt D.C. power created 24 hours a day by the high-output alternator is stored in a bank of batteries.

A small power inverter converts the D.C. voltage to 120 volts A.C. and this power is used to serve electrical circuits in the home. The batteries also serve two 12V pumps that distribute hot water through the home's radiant heating system in winter.

The typical American household consumes about 12 thousand watt hours per day (not including electricity to power heating loads), or about 500 watts on average. Through energy efficiency and conservation measures this can be reduced to about 300 watts or less (except brief periods, when as much as 10,000 watts are needed - like when a refrigerator or well pump starts up).

This particular hydro-turbine installation supplies an average of 200 watts, 24 hrs/day during the winter months, making almost 5 thousand watt hours per day, or approximately 40% of the typical American households power needs.

The pelton type runner is made in a lost wax cast of silicon bronz (see photo below). The wheel is 70 - 90% efficient, depending on the nozzle size and head pressure. The bucket shape allows high efficiency for nozzles and provides a flow range of over 100/1. The wheel has a hydraulic diameter of just over 4.00", and is balanced for long bearing life and quiet operation.

Technical Details

Supply, Demand and Storage

Electricity Generation (peak): 230 W @ 50 gpm; 5.5 kWhr/day
Electricity Generation (avg): 70 W @ 25 gpm; 1.7 kWhr/day
Electricity Storage (max.): 2.6 kWhr

Components:

1 - Harris Hydro Microturbine, Two Nozzle High Output

1 - Tumbler Technologies, PowerPro 225 W Inverter

1 - Trace C-35 Controller

1 - Tri-Metric Battery Monitor

1 - 48/12 VDC Converter

2 - Trojan T125 6V Deep Cycle Batteries in series, 220 Amp hr/12 VDC - (2.6 kWhr)

Schematic