Development of a propeller-type hollow micro-hydraulic turbine with excellent performance in passing foreign matter

• Project/Area Number: 16K14155
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fluid engineering
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Uchiyama Tomomi 名古屋大学, 未来材料・システム研究所, 教授 (90193911)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: マイクロ水車 / 異物通過性 / 流体工学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study develops a propeller-type micro-hydraulic turbine that passes foreign matter excellently. The turbine employs a runner with four blades embedded in a pipe. The runner includes a circular hollow around the central axis that allows foreign matter to pass freely. The hollow is made possible because the innovative design has no rotating shaft. The turbine efficiency and the ability to pass foreign matter were explored using a laboratory experimental setup. Polyester fibers were introduced into the water flow to simulate foreign matter. The experiments clarified the effects of hollow diameter, blade shape and guidevane on the turbine efficiency and foreign matter passage performance.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] ラオス国立大学(ラオス)
• [Journal Article] Development of a propeller-type hollow micro-hydraulic turbine with excellent performance in passing foreign matter (2018)
  • Author(s): Tomomi Uchiyama, Satoshi Honda, Tomohiro Degawa
  • Journal Title: Renewable Energy Volume: 126 Pages: 545-551
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.03.083
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Development of a micro-hydraulic turbine excellent in foreign matter passage performance (2017)
  • Author(s): Akira Kaneko, Satoshi Honda, Tomomi Uchiyama, Tomohiro Degawa, Tomoko Okayama, Korakanh Pasomsouk
  • Organizer: Int. Conf. Materials and Systems for Sustainability 2017
• [Presentation] 異物通過性に優れたマイクロ水車の開発 (2016)
  • Author(s): 内山知実
  • Organizer: 可視化情報全国講演会 (日立2016)
  • Place of Presentation: 茨城県日立市
  • Year and Date: 2016-10-08
• [Patent(Industrial Property Rights)] 小型水力発電装置 (2017)
  • Inventor(s): 内山知実
  • Industrial Property Rights Holder: 名古屋大学総長
  • Industrial Property Rights Type: 特許
  • Filing Date: 2017-04-04