Assessment Performance of Pumps as Hydro-Turbines
Abstract: The basic principle
work of hydro-turbines are reversal of pumps, therefore, an alternative
solution that can be developed in overcoming problem to get hydro turbines are
by using pumps, by flowing water in the reverse direction through in the pumps,
as hydro turbines. Those are supported by availability of pumps widely in the
market and have been mass-produced hence they were relatively cheap. The aims
of this research are to determine performances of pumps as turbines - reverse pumps.
This experiment assesses performance of two small pumps that are centrifugal
‘diffuser-pump’ and ‘volute-pump’ as hydro turbines with various debit and head
of water flow resource, such as output-powers and their efficiencies. The
results show that the centrifugal diffuser-pump as hydro turbine performs
maximum efficiency about 20,6%, where is as pump from its brochure suppose 47%.
In the other hand, the centrifugal volute-pump as turbine achieves maximum
efficiency about 32%, where is expected 26% as pump from its brochure. Both
type of the pumps present that the maximum efficiency as turbines performed at
head of water flow resource through the pumps as high as their maximum
characteristic head of the pumps. Furthermore, both pumps as turbines generate
high shaft revolution that was about 1.500 rpm at their maximum efficiency.
Although those efficiencies are considerably low to an ideal efficiency 100%,
however, the volute-pump as turbine performs a reasonably efficiency (32%) that
higher than (at least is same as) the efficiency of its pump characteristic
(26%), and this pump available very widely in the market. Should be pointed out
that bigger dimension pumps propose higher efficiency up to about 86%,
therefore they are expected to give higher efficiency as well. So, centrifugal
volute-pumps are potential alternative solution to be used as hydro turbines.
Author: Made Suarda
Journal Code: jptmesingg090003
