Design Optimization of a Pico Hydroelectric Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

The design optimization of a pico-hydroelectric turbine using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for a marine propeller is studied in this paper. The component selected for analysis and improvement is the runner of the turbine. Parametric studies were conducted to investigate the effects of the blade angles (between 56o and 80o) and the number of blades (3–5) in a runner on the flow of the fluid running through the turbine in terms of average particle velocity. The CFD simulation results show that the highest velocity was achieved at a blade angle of 70°. While the number of blades is directly proportional to the particle velocity, a three-blade configuration was selected in the design as it is more practical and cost-effective for small-scale turbines. The optimized parameters were then incorporated into an Archimedes Windmill (AWM)-based runner and re-simulated to verify improved efficiency. The AWM-based runner produced an average particle velocity of 11.89 m/s, compared to 9.1 m/s for the original flat-blade runner design, implying a velocity improvement of roughly 30.66% in comparison to the original design.