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Harris Hydroelectric
New PM Alternator
(permanent magnet) Pelton Turbines
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Operates efficiently on heads of
10 to 600 feet.
Operates efficiently on flows of 10 to 250 GPM.
The typical American household
consumes about 12 thousand watt hours per day (not
including electricity to power heating loads), or about
500 watts on average (though this can be reduced to
about 300 watts or even less, though careful
conservation measures and by eliminating waste). There
are times, however, when as much as 10,000 watts are
needed, as when a refrigerator or well pump is started.
An AC system cannot store energy and must be sized to
meet this peak demand, requiring up to 40 times as much
water as a similarly useful D.C. system. Smaller size
saves money. Micro-hydro systems are matched to the
average demand and extracts power the way that nature
provides it, slow and steady. |
| HOW IT WORKS: The
Harris system is an efficient, durable battery charging
Pelton turbine. It is especially well suited to produce
usable power from springs and creeks that are too small
to sustain the same level of useful power from a
conventional AC generating system. Water is collected
upstream from the hydro and piped downstream to where
the turbine is located. As a rule the greater the head,
(the difference in elevation between the collection
point and the turbine is called the head) the better.
Because DC power can be stored in batteries, these small
systems operate 24 hours a day collecting energy, a
little at a time, to be delivered "on demand" from the
batteries as the need dictates. |
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Harris turbines are available with
up to four nozzles!
The multiple nozzle arrangement allows
much more water to impact the runner resulting in
greater output at any head, and more usable power at
lower heads. Multi-nozzle systems include a PVC penstock
and individual ball valves on each nozzle.
The Pelton type runner is lost wax
cast of silicon bronze. The wheel is 70 - 90% efficient,
depending on nozzle size and head pressure. The bucket
shape allows high efficiency for nozzles and provides a
flow range of over 100/1. The wheel has a hydraulic
diameter of just over 4.00". Each wheel is individually
balanced.
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How to determine Output:
Turbine output is determined by four factors:
1. Head, or vertical drop from source to
turbine nozzle: Head can be measured with a transit or
level and a measuring stick of known length in successive steps, -
or - a quick pipe can be assembled from numerous garden hoses and
the pressure can be measured with the hoses full of water. This,
too, can be done in successive steps. 0.43 P.S.I. = 1 foot of head:
2.3 feet = 1 psi
2. Flow in gallons per minute passing
through nozzle: A temporary dam can be built to measure
flow. By timing the filling of a container of known volume the flow
can be determined. Care should be taken to not dry up creeks, but to
leave enough water to maintain natural environmental balances.
3. Diameter, length and condition of
feeder pipe: Generally, single nozzle systems with under
2000 feet of feeder pipe require a 2" pipe. A two nozzle system
needs a 3" pipe and 4 nozzle systems require a 4" pipe. This will
keep pipe losses under 25%. Please inquire about specific pipe
losses for your site.
4. Turbine efficiency :
Alternator systems are between 30% and 60% efficient.
Use this chart to approximate how much
power you can expect to generate from your water source.
Power Output (watts)
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Flow Rate (GPM) |
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3 |
6 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
50 |
100 |
200 |
| Head (feet) |
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| 25 |
|
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25 |
40 |
60 |
130 |
230 |
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| 50 |
|
|
40 |
75 |
100 |
150 |
265 |
500 |
580 |
| 75 |
|
34 |
70 |
110 |
160 |
240 |
400 |
700 |
900 |
| 100 |
|
45 |
95 |
150 |
240 |
340 |
560 |
975 |
1300 |
| 200 |
40 |
120 |
200 |
300 |
480 |
650 |
1100 |
1500 |
2000 |
| 300 |
80 |
180 |
300 |
450 |
600 |
940 |
1500 |
2000 |
| 600 |
200 |
350 |
600 |
900 |
1200 |
1600 |
2000 |
2000 |
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