Design of hydro-power plant for energy generation for a mid-size farm with insufficient water distribution networks

The power consumption of the farms in UAE is mainly required during the on-peak periods which have high electricity tariff rate. Hydro-power energy has been selected as an alternative source of energy that is sustainable, functional and economically feasible. A hydro-power plant was designed to provide electricity to a mid-size farm that requires 50 kW power. The hydro-power power plant was designed using micro-Pelton wheel turbines and a pumped-storage reservoir as a water energy source due to the lack of water dams and river streams in UAE. The design focus of the hydro-power was on the turbine section of the plant that consists of a unique blade shape of turbine bucket that was able to extract maximum energy from the water flow. To verify on the functionality of the hydro-power plant, theoretical calculations have been done to determine the output electrical power and the overall efficiency, which have been obtained to be 47.2 kW and 80% respectively. This indicates the designed micro-Pelton wheel turbines are able to produce the required energy of the farm with a high overall efficiency. The feasibility of the project has been evaluated as well to conclude that the designed hydro-power plant is found to be economically feasible based on the calculated simple payback period of less than two years.