Reversing Centrifugal Pumps As Alternative To Conventional Turbines For Micro Hydropower: A Review

ABSTRACT This paper presents the operation of centrifugal pumps as turbines for micro hydropower application. Block diagrams are used to present components required from intake chamber to hydropower plant and their electrical energy mechanism for micro hydropower system. A comparison of operational parameters of pump as turbine and conventional turbines is discussed. Also, the paper discusses three types of methods for selecting the centrifugal pump as turbine based on the head, flow rate, rotational speed and specific speed. Furthermore, the technique used to determine the flow rate characte…