• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2020

This paper described a laboratory investigation of micro hydropower at lower head water in a free vortex flow. The vortex height, turbine rotation and torque for straight blade with inner curved edge, twisted blade and curved blade were investigated at the flow rate of 0.0069 ㎥/s in the inlet channel. The results showed that the optimum vortex strength occurred within the range of the diameter of basin to the outlet diameter ratios of 0.17~18.5. The power output and efficiency of straight blade were higher as compared to other blades. The highest amount of generated energy was 12.33 W, the torque was 0.91 N·m and the highest efficiency by considering effective head was 29.5 %, whereas the highest efficiency by considering vortex height was 80.5 % at the rotational speed of 132 rpm. The water vortex velocity of straight blade was about 2.8 times larger than the mean velocity in the inlet channel.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2012

A two dimensional Darrieus-type turbine has been proposed for the hydropower utilization of extra-low head less than 2m. In a practical use of Darrieus-type hydro-turbine, head and flow rate may be varied temporally and seasonally. Considering that the cost advantage is required for the low head hydro turbine system, the Darrieus turbine should be operated with high efficiency in the wider range of flow rate possibly by using an additional device with simpler mechanism. In the present paper, an adjustment of inlet nozzle section by lowering the inlet nozzle height is proposed to obtain the preferable inlet velocity in low flow rate conditions. Effects of resulting spanwise partial inlet flow are investigated. Finally, an effective modification of inlet nozzle height over flow rate variation is shown.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2022

Micro hydropower is a readily available renewable energy source that can be harvested utilizing hydrokinetic turbines from shallow water canals, irrigation and industrial channel flows, and run-off river stream flows. These sources generally have low head (<1 m) and low velocity which makes it difficult to harvest energy using conventional turbines. A horizontal-axis screw turbine was designed and numerically tested to extract power from such low-head water sources. The 3-bladed screw-type turbine is placed horizontally perpendicular to the incoming flow, partially submerged in a narrow water channel at no-head condition. The turbine hydraulic performances were studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics models. Turbine design parameters such as the shroud diameter, the hub-to-shroud ratios, and the submerged depths were obtained through a steady-state parametric study. The resulting turbine configuration was then tested by solving the unsteady multiphase free-surface equations mimicking an actual open channel flow scenario. The turbine performance in the shallow channel were studied for various Tip Speed Ratios (TSR). The highest power coefficient was obtained at a TSR of 0.3. The turbine was then scaled-up to test its performance on a real site condition at a head of 0.3 m. The highest power coefficient obtained was 0.18. Several losses were observed in the 3-bladed turbine design and to minimize losses, the number of blades were increased to five. The power coefficient improved by 236% for a 5-bladed screw turbine. The fluid losses were minimized by increasing the blade surface area submerged in water. The turbine performance was increased by 74.4% after dipping the turbine to a bottom wall clearance of 30 cm from 60 cm. The final output of the novel horizontal-axis screw turbine showed a 2.83 kW power output at a power coefficient of 0.63. The turbine is expected to produce 18,744 kWh/year of electricity. The design feasibility test of the turbine showed promising results to harvest energy from small hydropower sources.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.643-643
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• 2012

Increasing energy prices and growing concerns about global warming address the need to improve energy self-sufficiency in many industrial and municipal sectors. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are representative of energy-consuming facilities in Korea, accounting for 5% of national energy consumption. We present renewable energy technologies and energy self-sufficiency scenarios in a municipal WWTP ($30,000m^3d^{-1}$) located in Yongin, South Korea. By employing photovoltaics (PV, 135 kW), small hydropower turbine (10 kW), and thermal energy from treated effluent (25 RT: refrigeration ton) within the WWTP, a total of 142 tonne of oil equivalent (toe) of energy was estimated to be generated, accounting for $365ton\;CO_2\;yr^{-1}$ of greenhouse gas emission reduction. Core renewable technologies under consideration include 1) hybrid solar PV system consisting of fixed PV, dual-axis PV, and building integrated PV, 2) low-head small hydropower plant specifically designed for treated effluent, 3) effluent heat recovery system for heating and air conditioning. In addition to these core technologies, smart operation and management scheme will be presented for enhancing overall energy savings and distribution within the WWTP.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.191.2-191.2
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• 2010

The conventional method to assess turbine performance is its model testing which becomes costly and time consuming for several design alternatives in design optimization. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a cost effective tool for predicting detailed flow information in turbine space to enable the selection of best design. In the present paper, Francis turbine of commercial small hydropower plants which is under 70kw is investigated. Solutions are investigated with respect to the hydraulic characteristics against an outward angle of guide vane, the number of guide vane and head (inlet velocity). By suitable modification of the runner shape, low pressure zone on the leading edge can be reduced. If the entire runner is to be optimized in this manner, flow simulation tests have to be carried out on a series of different geometrical shape.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.452-455
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• 2005

We have studied the prearranged plan and the economy of a candidate site for the development of small hydro power. And also we have confirmed its economy by suggesting the technology of the unmanned operation and the selection of the water turbine generator which has a great efficiency. working rate and suitability to the topographical characteristics of various development sites, for example, irrigation reservoirs, water works pipes, sewage systems and cool ing water of a steam power stat ion. Besides we give more examples of the select ion of Francis, propeller turbine and induction generator which can achieve a maximum of power production at a minimum construction cost. With a water turbine which runs at the low head we are able to suggest many programs to boost a development of small hydro power more economically.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.07b
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• pp.1315-1318
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• 2001

국내외적으로 배기가스 저감 등 환경규제 강화와 환경의식이 향상되면서 원자력, 석탄, 중유 발전 등은 주변지역의 반대에 직면하여 발전소 건설사업 추진이 순조롭지 못한 실정이다. 또한 석유에너지 자원의 고갈과 국제 고유가 시대에 따라 대체에너지의 개발에 세계 각국이 심혈을 기울이고 있다. 그러나 우리나라의 경우 대규모 수력 발전소 입지를 찾는데는 한계가 있으며, 대부분 개발가능 지점이 15m이하 저낙차의 특징을 갖고 있다. 종래에는 소하천을 가로막아 소수력을 개발하는 것이 주종을 이루었으나, 최근에는 공사비 과다로 인한 경제성 불투명과 각종 주변 지역의 민원으로 개발이 어려워 광역상수도, 하수처리장, 농업용 저수지, 다목적댐 하류 조정지댐 등에 저낙차 유휴에너지를 다각적으로 이용하는 방안이 연구 개발되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 저낙차를 이용한 소수력 발전의 최적설계와 경제성 평가 기법 등을 실 적용한 사례를 중심으로 논하고자 한다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.363-370
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• 2013

Small scale hydropower is one of most attractive and cost-effective energy technologies for installation within sewage treatment plants. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of a semi-kaplan micro-hydropower (MHP) system for application to sewage treatment plants with high flow fluctuations and a low head. The semi-kaplan MHP is equipped with an adjustable runner blade, and is without a guide vane, so as to reduce the incidence of mechanical problems. A MHP rating 13.4 kWp with a semi-kaplan turbine has been considered for Kiheung Respia sewage treatment plant, and this installation is estimated to generate 86.8 MWh of electricity annually, which is enough to supply electricity to over 25 households, and equivalent to an annual reduction of 49 ton $CO_2$. The semi-kaplan turbine showed a 90.2% energy conversion efficiency at the design flow rate of 0.35 $m^3/s$ and net head of 4.7 m, and was adaptable to a wide range of flow fluctuations. Through the MHP operation, approximately 2.1% of total electricity demand of Kiheung Respia sewage treatment plant will be achievable. Based on financial analysis, an exploiting MHP is considered economically acceptable with an internal rate of return of 6.1%, net present value of 15,539,000 Korean Won, benefit-cost ratio of 1.08, and payback year of 15.5, respectively, if initial investment cost is 200,000,000 Korean Won.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2013

Recently so much attention has been focused on renewable energy and, since its sources to exploit are already almost saturated in the country, the practical alternative to this situation could be a micro-turbine which uses the low head and low flow. From a point of view of local micro-turbine design capacity and manufacturing technology, the problems such as the accumulation of technical skills, the expansion of related industries, the national policy expansion and the turbine efficiency to improve are still vulnerable and it's true that there are also negative views about the economic feasibility, the technicity and the operation management of the micro-turbine. However, if the improvement can be done in technology of low-head double regulation micro-turbine to generate more outputs and the operation management can be reliably realized, the micro-turbine will be re-evaluated as an appliable source of renewable energy, even the output is small, and by a paradigm shift, it could realize a power generation as an economic and rational system.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1070_1071
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• 2009

Recently, small hydropower attracts attention because of its clean, renewable and abundant energy resources to develop. Therefore, a cross-flow hydraulic turbine is proposed for small hydropower development in this study. The turbine‘s simple structure and high possibility of applying to the sites of relatively low effective head and large flow rate can be advantages for the introduction of the small hydropower development. The purpose of this study is not only to investigate the effects of air layer in the turbine chamber on the performance and internal flow of the cross-flow turbine, but also to suggest a newly developed air supply method. CFD analysis for the performance and internal flow of the turbine is conducted by an unsteady state calculation using a two-phase flow model in order to embody the air layer effect on the turbine performance effectively. The result shows that air layer effect on the performance of the turbine is considerable. The air layer located in the turbine runner passage plays the role of preventing a shock loss in the runner axis and suppressing a recirculation flow in the runner. The location of air suction hole on the chamber wall is very important factor for the performance improvement. Moreover, the ratio between air from suction pipe and water from turbine inlet is also significant factor of the turbine performance.