Hydropower Turbine Selection Calculator

Formulas

The Turbine Selection Calculator uses approximate ranges to recommend turbine types:

• Power (\( P \)) = \( \eta \times \rho \times g \times h \times Q \)
• Turbine Selection Guidelines:
  • Pelton: High Head (>100m), Low Flow (<0.5 m³/s)
  • Francis: Medium Head (20-100m), Medium Flow (0.5-5 m³/s)
  • Kaplan: Low Head (<20m), High Flow (>5 m³/s)
• Where:
  • \( \eta = \text{Efficiency (assumed 85% for estimation)} \)
  • \( \rho = \text{Water density (1000 kg/m³)} \)
  • \( g = \text{Acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²)} \)
  • \( h = \text{Head (meters)} \)
  • \( Q = \text{Flow rate (m³/s)} \)

How to Use

1. Enter the head (in meters) in the "Head" field.
2. Enter the flow rate (in m³/s) in the "Flow Rate" field.
3. Optionally, click an adjust button to set typical values (e.g., Low Head).
4. Click "Calculate Selection" to see the recommended turbine and power estimate.
5. Scroll to the "Results" section for details.
6. Use the share buttons to share your results or embed the calculator.

Examples

1. Example 1: Head = 150m, Flow Rate = 0.3 m³/s
   Recommended: Pelton, Power ≈ 0.85 × 1000 × 9.81 × 150 × 0.3 ≈ 374,715 W (374.72 kW)
2. Example 2: Head = 50m, Flow Rate = 1 m³/s
   Recommended: Francis, Power ≈ 0.85 × 1000 × 9.81 × 50 × 1 ≈ 417,442.5 W (417.44 kW)
3. Example 3: Head = 10m, Flow Rate = 6 m³/s
   Recommended: Kaplan, Power ≈ 0.85 × 1000 × 9.81 × 10 × 6 ≈ 500,331 W (500.33 kW)