Turgo Micro Turbine Test Bench

Abstract

Small hydroelectric plants are those that have the capacity to produce less than 5,000 kW or 10,000 kW, depending on the classification criteria. They are used to provide electricity to isolated villages, without access to the electricity grid, avoiding the environmental impacts of damming and energy losses in electricity transport. The Turgo turbine is an action turbine, which arises from the Pelton turbine at the end of the 19th century. It is a machine that is easily built and maintained, which, despite presenting lower efficiencies than most other large turbines, is widespread in small hydroelectric uses for large hydraulic jumps. In these machines, a great difference is observed between the results obtained in the computational simulations and the test benches or installations made with said turbines. In this work, after analyzing the design process of a Turgo micro turbine and its materialization with 3D printers, a test bench was made with the aim of showing its operation in teaching areas and obtaining efficiency values. The initial design parameters of the turbine were adapted for the test bench to be transported to the classrooms. From this, the best performance conditions were evaluated according to the angle of the injector and the pressure applied.