Formulas

The Conduit Hydropower Calculator uses the following steps to estimate power:

• Head (\( h \)) = \( \frac{P}{0.433 \times \rho \times g} \)
• Power (\( P \)) = \( \eta \times \rho \times g \times h \times Q \)
• Where:
  • \( P = \text{Pressure (in psi)} \)
  • \( \rho = \text{Water density (1000 kg/m³)} \)
  • \( g = \text{Acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²)} \)
  • \( h = \text{Head (converted from pressure in meters)} \)
  • \( Q = \text{Flow rate (volume of water in m³/s)} \)
  • \( \eta = \text{Efficiency (as a decimal, e.g., 70% = 0.70)} \)

How to Use

1. Enter the pressure (in psi) in the “Pressure” field.
2. Enter the flow rate (in m³/s) in the “Flow Rate” field.
3. Enter the efficiency (in percent) in the “Efficiency” field.
4. Optionally, click an adjust button to set typical values (e.g., Low Pressure).
5. Click “Calculate Power” to see your results.
6. Scroll to the “Results” section for detailed calculations.
7. Use the share buttons to share your power output or embed the calculator.

Examples

1. Example 1: Pressure = 20 psi, Flow Rate = 0.05 m³/s, Efficiency = 70%
   Head = 20 / (0.433 × 1000 × 9.81) ≈ 0.0047m, Power = 0.70 × 1000 × 9.81 × 0.0047 × 0.05 ≈ 1.62 W (0.0016 kW)
2. Example 2: Pressure = 50 psi, Flow Rate = 0.02 m³/s, Efficiency = 75%
   Head = 50 / (0.433 × 1000 × 9.81) ≈ 0.0118m, Power = 0.75 × 1000 × 9.81 × 0.0118 × 0.02 ≈ 1.73 W (0.0017 kW)
3. Example 3: Pressure = 10 psi, Flow Rate = 0.1 m³/s, Efficiency = 65%
   Head = 10 / (0.433 × 1000 × 9.81) ≈ 0.0024m, Power = 0.65 × 1000 × 9.81 × 0.0024 × 0.1 ≈ 1.54 W (0.0015 kW)