A New Cross-Flow Type Turbine for Ultra-Low Head in Streams and Channels

In the last few decades, hydropower production has been moving toward a new paradigm of low and diffused power density production of energy with small and mini-hydro plants, which usually do not require significant water storage. In the case of nominal power lower than 20 kW and ultra-low head H (H < 5 m), Archimedes screw or Kaplan type turbines are usually chosen due to their efficiency, which is higher than 0.85. A new cross-flow type turbine called Ultra-low Power Recovery System (UL-PRS) is proposed and its geometry and design criteria are validated in a wide range of operating conditions through 2D numerical analysis computed using the ANSYS Fluent solver. The new proposed solution is much simpler than the previously mentioned competitors; its outlet flow has a horizontal direction and attains similar efficiency. The costs of the UL-PRS turbine are compared with the costs of one Kaplan and one cross-flow turbine (CFT) in the case study of the main water treatment plant of the city of Palermo in Italy. In this case, the UL-PRS efficiency is estimated using a URANS 3D numerical analysis computed with the CFX solver.