Performance Test of a Catapillar Track-Hydroturbine

무한궤도 수차의 성능시험

Current low head and small scale hydroturbines have limitations in the minimum required head and flow rate for efficient operation. This study attempts to develop a new concept hydroturbine which is expected to run efficiently even in very low head and small flow rate, so that the limitations on the conventional small scale hydropower could be alleviated and competition with other alternative energy sources in the economic respect could be attained. A small scale catapillar track- hydroturbine was fabricated and the performance test was carried out in a water tunnel over the head range of H = 0.8 m ~ 1.26 m. The peak turbine efficiency was 41.3% at the speed ratio of 0.6, and the turbine loss was mostly due to the friction at the chain drive used for power transmission from the runner to the shafts. This type of turbine is expected to become competitive when some improvement in the power transmission mechanism is made.