Investigation of the 16 Blades Pico Scale Breastshot Waterwheel Performance in Actual River Condition

Abstract

Breastshot waterwheel are considered as one of solutions for electrification in remote areas in Indonesia. Since it has low investment and maintenance costs, as well as an uncomplicated manufacturing process. Analytically, the optimum performance of this turbine occurs at the ratio of tangential velocity of wheel with the upstream velocity of water is 0.25 -0.35 and numerically simulated the best efficiency is 62%. However, there is no experimental study for 16 blades of breastshot waterwheel in pico scale in actual river condition. The experiment is carried out in actual conditions with a discharge of 0.09708 m3/s and head 0.26 m. Based on results, the highest mechanical efficiency occurs at the ratio of tangential velocity of wheel with the upstream velocity of water is 0.83, while for electrical efficiency it was found at the 0.95. for U / C compared to the reference, the results are quite far from optimal and for efficiency the result is slightly lower at 45%.