Mini-hydro project in a torrent for a chalet

[grunt]

Hello, I just discovered this forum, excellent, here are hours of exciting reading in anticipation.
I explain what brought me here: I am trying to build a system that will allow me to load 1 or 2 12v batteries to power a small electrical installation of a cottage.
Here is what I have: a small waterfall with a pond (pond). The flow rate is fairly constant should be around 200 liters / min.
there is also a stream with good elevation.
Think you can make a mini hydro system with this source.
In the ideal I would like to build it myself with materials recup. (kind of auto part, or old machines
)
I'm bad at electricity ... it does not help
Voila, if someone has already realized a comparable instalation I am curious to know if it works and especially how?
a dawn wheel system and car alternator?
should a car alternator spin at a high speed to operate?
many questions mingle in my head, so wait for your first answers to focus more on my questions
Thank you in advance.
If it can be done, I will share my experience with small photo report and some plans

[Christophe]

Hello,

200L per minute is not much but it is on what "drop" can be exploited according to you? If the height is great it can be interesting.

How did you estimate this flow?

You can help yourself from this page: https://www.econologie.com/calculer-la-p ... -4035.html to know the potentially recoverable energy with a waterfall!

More concretely, here is my current project (on stream): a small paddle wheel with recovery washing machine (There are all your answers in particular on the generator)



So in your case we would need more info on your "hydraulic power source" ...

[elephant]

grunt (to whom we would like to welcome) wrote:

a car alternator has to turn at a high speed to function

st?

if my memories are good: 2 at 6000 revolutions / minute.

[Christophe]

2000 is already little

[grunt]

thanks for the answers.
2000 to 6000 trs! It makes a bad demultiplication that, I am not strong either in mechanics but I imagine that to involve such a demultiplication one needs not a negligible force, a little like the bicycle? (that I know )
Congratulations for the washing machine that generates electricity.
The construction of a wheel and its frame shouldn't pose too much of a problem to me, what makes me ask the most questions is if my wheel, driven by the waterfall will be "strong" enough to pull a big one. gear sufficient to reach 4-6000 revs
I think that we will have to do a lot of testing (I'm not good at computation either) )
the turbine is also an option, I have a good reserve of water and a difference of 15 m ....
I immerse myself in reading, I will try to understand the washing machine ... the flow

[grunt]

the debit uh .... I have stewed at random (I imagine pretty well fill a load of 200 liters in less than a minute) not very cards that!

[Alain G]

Welcome to the forum Grunt!

You can use an automobile alternator using an 6 engine or 8 cylinders that can provide watts from 1000 tr / m.
On American cars the engine alternator ratio is 1: 2 and it works well at 600 tr / m engine so can give watts to 1000 tr / m and the efficiency improves with the towers.

To better be able to help you properly if you can provide us with some pictures of the site so that we can advise you on the turbine used.

See you soon!

[Christophe]

I agree with your remarks but before choosing the alternator, it is necessary to determine the power.

In any case the alternator will never deliver its nominal power at 1000 rpm or even 2000 rpm ...
So unless you change it is not worth it, see the method here: https://www.econologie.com/forums/alternateu ... t4674.html

Good for your flow the best is that you make us one or more photos that can be judged.

You need to know the drop height that can be used too. If you have 200L / min at 10m (300W) it's not the same as 200L / min at 1m.

If you have 10m I have, I think, a "ready-made" solution for you ... but you have to buy it. .

[grunt]

hello quebecois friend, it is interesting that "low speed" alternators do you think of a particular model?
Indeed I will have to make some photos and study the places a little more seriously. I'll do that as soon as I can save myself from work.
What is this ready-made solution of which you speak Christophe?

[Alain G]

Hello grunt!

You can try to find a Chrysler Dodge Caravan alternator that I believe was sold in France.

An alternator can provide watts at low speed but you will not be able to have the maximum output that it is sure, but you must not forget that you will not have more watts than the capacity of your stream so the speed rotation of your turbine will stabilize according to its capacity and with the charge of your batteries, then you will have a limit done automatically without any other regulation, the error made by many people with an alternator it is attempted an over-rotation which lowers the torque and causes a sudden blockage of the alternator, we must not forget the large capacity in terms of watts of this one.

Example: a wind turbine whose blades have the capacity in low wind of 200 watts and we install an alternator of 800 watts it is sure that it can not work, then it is necessary to use a reduction to avoid the blockage and recover the watts on low wind, so the speed of the blades is limited by the superior capacity of the alternator.

If you have a respectable height of fall then you work in pressure you can use a small turbine coupled directly on the tree with an injector which will turn it at a respectable speed, in the case of a limited height and well you can think has a system similar to that of Christophe you then work in debit.

Here is an example of my small homemade generator and you will see the immediate reaction is the number of turns which in itself is always in relation between the capacity of the production source and the capacity of the alternator.

https://www.econologie.com/forums/creer-un-s ... 54-10.html

Photos of the site would be really useful to point you in the right direction.

See you soon!

Alain