Rainbow Power 300W Hydro Generator
Rainbow Power 300W Hydro Generator
300 Watt 12/24 Volt hydro power generators from Rainbow Power
hydro | shoppingAustralian company
Rainbow Power offer a great 300 Watt
hydro power generator system for small scale
Pico-hydro projects. This unit can be used to charge a
12 or 24 Volt battery bank.
The
HYD-200 is a low maintenance long service life
micro hydro generator available in 12V and 24V models. The unit has just one moving part (the turbine
impeller - a
pelton wheel) which runs on two standard and easy to replace bearings.
A
head of at least 7 metres (and up to 150 metres) is required with a
flow of up to 4 litres per second. (check out our
hydro power calculator to work out how much electrical power can be extracted from water for different flow and head values.)
The
hydro generator (a three-phase 415V induction motor) puts out voltages in excess of 350 Volts AC. This is then
rectified and regulated to bring it down to 12.5-16.5 volts DC (in the case of the 12 volt unit) by the controller which also acts as the battery charger.
High voltages can be transmitted over long distances with very small losses so the battery bank and controller / regulator / battery charger can be placed in an easily accessible location and connected to the
hydro generator by a run of very inexpensive regular 1.5 sq.mm 3-phase cable.
Every
hydro site is different, so the HYD-200 comes complete with a set of jet nozzles (pictured above) to optimise power generation on a site by site basis to match different flow rates and heads. The lower the head, the smaller the nozzle selected to maximise water pressure. There is also a
speed dial on the controller which can be adjusted to ensure the turbine turns at an optimal speed - not so fast that water shoots straight through the wheel, but not so slow it bounces back off it.
Hydro Power Generator Prices and Information
The
HYD-200 is available for AUS$3300 (around £1300) in Australia, but UK and other international purchasers must also factor in costs of shipping and customs duty etc.
Rainbow Power Company ship their products worldwide and offer discounts on bulk purchases.
At an average power output of 150 Watts payback time for this system would be around 17 years not including the costs of purchasing and maintaining the
battery bank. This means that this power limited system is best suited to off-grid and remote locations.
In terms of price per installed Watt the costs of installing the 300 Watt HYD-200 are similar to those of a 300 Watt
solar system however a
hydro power system will usually run for 24 hours per day every day rather than just a few hours per day and the hydro power system will therefore generate many times more electricity.
Basic
HYD-200 Hydro Generator details are available here on the Rainbow Power Company website. The
HYD-200 hydro generator manual (PDF) can also be viewed online and is packed with useful information whether you plan to purchase the HYD-200 or install any other
micro hydro generator.
Article Last Modified: 12:44, 27th Jan 2012Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Pico Hydro PowerFind out more about Pico Hydro power (sub-5kW generators)
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydroCalculation of Hydro PowerWork out how much hydro power can be taken from flowing water with our new online automatic hydro-power calculator
Article Last Modified: 12:47, 10th Mar 2008hydro | educationIntroduction to Hydro Electric PowerA brief introduction to Hydroelectic power generation
Article Last Modified: 15:37, 18th Jul 2007hydroRun of River Hydro PowerHydro electricity generation without a dam
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydroMicro Hydro Simplified GuideA simple guide to small scale hydro power generation ideal for DIY
Article Last Modified: 08:00, 21st Aug 2007hydro | educationPermanent Magnet GeneratorBuild a wind or water power system with around a PM Generator
Article Last Modified: 15:43, 6th Apr 2010wind | hydroLow Head Waterwheel Invention70% efficiency waterwheel prototype invented for low head situations
Article Last Modified: 15:09, 25th Jan 2007hydro | newsBuilding a WaterwheelThe story of the construction of a DIY waterwheel in the UK
Article Last Modified: 13:16, 6th Jun 2008hydro | educationElectricity from WaterwheelsHow to generate electricity from a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 13:12, 27th Mar 2006hydroIntroduction to Water WheelsFind out more about using the power of a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 10:16, 12th Nov 2008hydro
|
|
|
