Development and Finding Efficiency of Water Tunnel Generator

Abstract

This objectives of this research were to: 1) develop a water tunnel generator and 2) study the efficiency of the water tunnel generator. The research tools for collecting data included questionnaires and data recording forms analyzed by means and standard deviations.

    The results showed that water tunnel generator can produce electricity from water power such as waterfalls, canals, etc. to drive the worm spiral propellers and six-finned propellers connected to the axis directly to the generator producing 30 watts of power at the voltage of 15-20 volts based on the speed of the water. This can be done by forcing water to flow into a tunnel made of 304 stainless steel with the length of 0.85 meters. The turbine blades that generate electricity are worm-shaped impellers with the diameter of 0.2 meters, 0.4 meters long and a six-finned propeller with the diameter of 0.2 meters. The results of test of water tunnel generator in natural water sources at the flow speeds of 1.2-1.5 m/s found that when the speed of the water flow increased, the velocity and the power of the water turbine blades producing electricity also increased. At the speed of water flow of 1.55 meters per second, the water turbine blades generating electricity has a rotation speed of 70 rpm with 58.49 watts of water acting on the impeller producing 30 watts of power, which is 51.29% of the efficiency of the turbine blade.