1. Water Power Peer Review
Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger
Technology to scavenge low-head hydropower in existing waterways, canals and streams
PI: Ram Prasad; Co-PI: Satish Ranade
New Mexico State University
(575)
(575)
Research and develop revolutionary hydropower harvesting technologies to meet DOE WPP vision for 2030
Elephant Butte Irrigation District: Henry Magallanez, Fernando Cadena, Zack Libbin
Tremont Electric Inc: Aaron LeMieux
November, 2011

2. Purpose, Objectives, & Integration
DOE Program Objectives
To develop a hydropower generating micro-grid infrastructure for low head irrigation power and rural electrification along rivers, waterways, canals and streams using variable speed generators and low-cost turbines manufactured with plastic materials
Project Purpose
To meet the DOE objectives precisely with a revolutionary design and prototyping of turbine components using highly durable plastic and use of variable-speed generators with appropriate power conditioning electronics to provide reliable power supply that can be easily integrated into the electric grid
Relation to Program Objectives:
Develop low-cost environmentally friendly hydropower harvesting technology that integrates off-the-shelf power generating components, and can be easily manufactured, assembled and deployed to harness the unused hydropower potential in natural and human developed waterways
Team
New Mexico State University
in partnership with
Elephant Butte Irrigation District and Tremont Electric Inc.
Goal is to streamline the process of Research, Design, Development, Testing, and Commercialization

3. Technical Approach - Design Concept
An approach enabling rapid manufacturing, assembly and deployment of Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger utilizing off-the-shelf power generating components and advanced plastic materials

4. Technical Approach
An integration of research and systems engineering towards developing a revolutionary hydropower harvesting technology
Research
Systems Engineering and Design
Fabrication
Obtain venturi-turbine parameters and establish impeller configurations having 3-blade and 4-blade geometries for optimal energy conversion through CFD simulations
Detailed design drawings of venturi-turbine and associated flow-control components for CNC manufacturing of injection moldings
Manufacture, assemble, integrate two 10kW prototypes
Detailed design drawings of 3-blade and 4-blade impellers for CNC manufacturing of injection moldings
Field Deployment
Deploy at the EBID drop gate with existing infrastructure
Detailed design drawings of submarine-type generator housing and associated shaft coupling components for CNC manufacturing of injection moldings and steel rotor shaft machining
Establish generator type, speed/torque characteristics, and power converter ratings through simulations
Test & Evaluation
Design and develop sensor-based instrumentation scheme for data acquisition, monitoring and control
Test and validate performance of prototype generators

5. Plan, Schedule, & Budget Schedule
Tentative Initiation date: January 2012
Planned completion date: December 2013
Milestones:
End of June/July-2012: Perform studies, establish venturi-turbine and impeller design parameters. Establish manufacturing, deployment, testing strategy through partnership
End of November/December-2012: Complete simulation studies of electromechanical dynamics, identify generator type/characteristics and power convertor ratings, develop instrumentation for data acquisition, monitoring and control, and complete the physical design of two 10kW Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger prototypes
End of May/June-2013: Complete fabrication of prototypes and integrate instrumentation for testing
End of August/September-2013: Deploy Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger prototypes to EBID test site, conduct tests and evaluate performance
December 2013: Submit final report to DOE
Budget Allocation
FY2012
FY2013
DOE
Cost-share
$149,656
$3,000
$71,828

6. Project Partners & Contributors
Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) and Tremont Electric Inc., will contribute significantly to the success of this project in terms of manufacturing, assembling and testing two 10 kW Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger generating units.
EBID’s extensive network of gravity-fed canals provide wide range of low-head and low-flow rates serves as our ‘living laboratory’ to test and evaluate the proposed Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger hydropower generators. Contributors are: Henry Magallanez, Fernando Cadena, Zack Libbin.
Tremont Electric Inc., has a distinguished track record in advanced energy technologies and will participate in suggesting/recommending fabricating and commercialization strategies of the Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavengertechnology. Contributor is Aaron LeMieux.
Tremont Electric's nPower® Wave Energy Converter
EBID Leesburg Drop site

7. Project Management
The Principal Investigator Ram Prasad has received a U.S. Fulbright Scholar award for teaching and researching hydropower harvesting in Vietnam for a period of 6 months beginning January 2012 through June Through a prior telecon with Erik Mauer, Hoyt Battey and Ed Eugeni it has been agreed that Ram Prasad will be in frequent contact with Satish Ranade (Co-PI) and graduate students via and telephone towards successful conduct of work at New Mexico State University. Ram will be returning to fulltime normal duties as PI in July 2012.
The synergy between the DOE award and the vast amount of low-head hydropower available in Vietnam, especially in the Mekong River Delta, will allow better understanding of how efficient approaches to harvesting can bring about energy sustainability. Ram’s Fulbright experience will add considerably towards building better insights to harvesting the unexplored potential of low flow-rate hydropower resources. This is an important realization in fulfilling DOE’s WPP vision of meeting 30+ GW of hydropower generation by Year 2030 from low-head/low-flow waterways in the U.S.