Hydrokinetic Power Generation: A Case Study of Sarda Canal

Abstract

To capture the hydropower, new technologies are being developed as the majority of the conventional hydropower sites have previously been investigated. Potential energy and kinetic energy are the two different types of hydro energy. A variety of techniques, including oscillating hydrofoils and hydrokinetic turbines, have been devised to capture the kinetic energy of flowing water. Researchers are currently paying more attention to hydrokinetic turbines. To decide a suitable turbine for a specific site is a challenging task. A methodology is presented to decide a suitable turbine for the site by determining the number of turbines that can be arranged on the site and net power generation. In the pre-sent study, the hydrokinetic power generation capacity of 1.0 km span of Sarda River, Uttar Pradesh, India, has been determined. Three different types of turbine, Savonius turbine, Darrieus turbine, and hybrid turbine, are considered for installation in multiple numbers. The turbines are arranged optimally in the site by wake recovery concept. The net power generation by multiple number of Savonius turbine, Darrieus turbine, and hybrid turbine is obtained as 25.1 kW, 19.9 kW, and 21.4 kW respectively. Consequently, from a technical point of view, the Savonius turbine is more suitable compared to other turbines. The current methodology can be implemented to decide the appropriate turbine and quickly assess the hydrokinetic power generation capacity of rivers and canals.