Study of Micro Hydropower Plant Operating in Gravitational Vortex Flow Mode

This paper refers to experimental study of a new type of micro hydropower plant for energy conversion of low river water heads into mechanical work by imposing gravitational vortex flow in spiral form through a vertical conical channel. In this vortex, at different heights of the conical channel, are positioned rotor blades of the turbine with different values of specific speed. The characteristics of the gravitational vortex of water flow through the conical channel, the speed and the power characteristics of the micro hydropower plant were investigated and attempts to efficiency modeling were performed.