| dc.description.abstract | Gravitational water vortex power plants (GWVPPs) have recently gained popularity due to
their low initial investment, simple design, ease of maintenance, and low head utilization.
However, the technology suffers from poor performance issues caused by the non-optimized
parameters of its crucial components, such as the runner. In this study, the performance of a
runner (16° blade-hub angle, six blades, and a curved blade profile) for a GWVPP was
experimentally examined. The study also employed an exergy analysis. The experimental
results revealed that the efficiency of the GWVPP system was in the range of 9.84% to
25.35%, the torque was in the range of 0.08 to 0.23 Nm, and the output power was in the range
of 2.96 to 7.33 W. Furthermore, an exergy analysis of the system showed an exergy efficiency
of 43.58%. Additionally, the error analysis of the GWVPP revealed ranges of 0.1 - 0.5 W for
power, 0.01 - 0.03 Nm for torque, and 1.3–3.1% for efficiency, suggesting that the
experimental setup and instrumentation of this study were reasonably accurate. Based on the
results, the new vortex runner and GWVPP system are recommended for energy generation in
low-head, low-flow small hydropower plants. | en_US |
