I am a new member interested in work being done to provide micro-hydropower to off-grid rural communities. I have become familiar with the use of the various kinds of turbines used for this purpose (e.g. impulse and reaction) which require specific head measurements. My current interest is submersible turbines that require only stream velocity to generate electricity. At the micro-hydropower level, I have found only the Aquair UW Submersible Generator. Even so, till the present moment, I have not found it used in any rural electrication project.
Does anyone know of a project where the Aquair generator was or is being used to generate electricty to off-grid rural communities? And what are the pros and cons of using the Aquair or other available instream or free-flow turbines for this purpose? Also, being a novice at all of this and knowing little of the field and existing applications, I wonder why a variety of free-flow turbines are not available for micro-hydropower uses. It seems to me that an instream turbine would be more cost effective and less labor intensive than installing an impulse or reaction turbine. For example, there is no need for large civil works (weirs, penstocks, tailraces, etc.). Up scaling would seem to be simpler as well. I imagine that there must be something problematic about using submersible turbines, but I am at loss as to why these turbines are have not been developed and to my knowledge not widely used. Please provide any information you on why this is so or if I am mistaken, please lift me out of my ignorance. Thank you. Sincerely, Lewis Burgess ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microhydro/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
