Template:Projectinprogress


Team Micro Hydro

  • Meghan Heintz
  • Jessica Lamb
  • Rachael Rivera
  • Matt Allan

Work Division

Meghan

  • Arcotete (check)
  • Organize site (ip)
  • Diagram of system (check)
  • RET screen (ip)

Rachel

  • Las Canastas
  • Ocosingo
  • Microhydro in Mexico and Centroamérica
  • Grid tie-in possibility and cost of local electricity

Matt

  • Corralito
  • Alcanfores
  • Permits locally for sites
  • Find other site?

Jessica

  • Molino Los Arcos
  • Pricing on rest of supplies
  • Maintenance and labor costs
  • Diagram of system

--Rayrivera 23:50, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

Project Description

Objective

We are a small team of Humboldt State University undergraduate students working on a project to investigate the feasibility of constructing, installing, utilizing and maintaining a run-of-the-river micro hydro system to provide electricity for a rural community near San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. The feasibility tests will include studies on potential power available from several rivers and a survey of the available building materials and operation costs. If the results of the feasibility are positive the design and implementation, design, and construction of this project may be completed by another party in the near future in coordination with the community that would benefit from the micro hydro system.

Figure 1:Blackbox diagram describing problem analysis and solution image created by Jessica Lamb

Background

Hydro power is already a common method of energy generation in Mexico. Mexico's total installed power capacity from the year 2000, which needed 20% of the Mexican Energy Supply (6368 PJ) was 36,697 MW. The capacity profile was: fuel oil 38.9%; hydro electricity 26.2%; natural gas 15.7%; coal 7.1%; dual 5.7%; nuclear 3.7%; geothermal 2.3%; 0.3% diesel. Hydro power provides 26.2% of Mexico's electricity, but mainly from large dams that greatly disrupt the ecosystems surrounding the rivers.[1] This project is to investigate run-of-the-river hydro power systems which generate less electricity but have a more benign environmental impact. The autonomous communities and the mountainous terrain of Chiapas seem to make micro hydro power an appealing option. The communities may benefit from electrification by furthering their independence from the central Mexican government and providing electricity for lighting, refrigeration for medicines and communication systems. The mountainous terrain may provide the drop in elevation or the head necessary for sufficient energy generation from a micro hydro power system.

Local Energy Alternatives

In Chiapas several alternative power generation methods are available. The most common among the indigenous community is burning biomass or wood gathered in the surrounding areasWood density for estimating biomass: the use of wood density in biomass and carbon estimations: a case study from Chiapas, Mexico.. This alternative is a shrinking resource, it is becoming more and more difficult to find dry wood due to deforestation. This method is a form of incomplete combustion and releases black carbon into the atmosphere. Black carbon is reputed to be worse for climate change than carbon dioxide. Another form of power generation in Chiapas is large scale hydro power. Cañon de Sumidero is a popular tourist attraction and at the end of the tour a large dam and hydro power plant are visible. This dam is called Chicoasen and it is the 5th largest in the world. Large scale hydro power has several major drawbacks. According to New Scientist Hydroelectric power's dirty secret revealedhydro power dams produce significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. They also destroy Eco systems and disrupt the migration of fish populations.


Literature Review

What is Micro Hydro?

Most simply, micro hydro systems utilize the kinetic energy of falling water to turn a turbine that converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy can either be used to turn water wheels or a generator can convert the mechanical energy into electric DC power. Micro hydro can be used to power remote communities or provide a renewable energy resource to existing electric grids.

Here is a short video about the basics of how micro hydro electric power works. This is just one example of a micro hydro system. There are many variations and designs they can take on depending on the conditions of your site.

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  • Micro-Hydropower Systems: A Buyer's Guide by Natural Resources Canada. 16047612-Canada-Micro-Hydro-Guide.pdf
    • A handbook from Natural Resources Canada providing a complete description of what micro hydro is, conducting a feasibility study, determining energy demand, components of a micro hydro system, and approximate costs of materials.

Micro Hydro in Latin America

  • La Pita del Carmen, Nicaragua[2]
    The community of La Pita del Carmen is located in northern Nicaragua and has a population of about 400. Northern Nicaragua is home to many relocated combatants of the 1980-90 Civil War, so many communities lack electricity and are located far from any federal power infrastructure. La Pita del Carmen is located 70 kilometers from the nearest power availability, thus a micro hydro system provided them with a cost effective way to bring electricity to the town and put them on track for future economic growth. The Association of Renewable Development Workers (ATDER) assisted with the coordination of the system that brought electricity to homes, farmers, businesses and the local school for the first time. The micro hydro system on the La Pita River began operating in 2000 and provides the people with 120,000 kWh per year. It is one of four micro hydro installations planned by ATDER in Northern Nicaragua in the next few years. The community also benefitted from overcoming differences forged by the Civil War in order to work together towards a mutually beneficial goal.
  • Camata, Department of La Paz, Bolivia [3]
    Camata is a small subsistence community of 70 households whose people live mainly by producing coffee, chile and corn. The hydro installation provides 27 kilowatts of power that provides electricity to homes, a police station and a school as well as a new agro-processing plant. The agro-processing plant is the perfect complement to the micro hydro installment for Camata because the plant uses the same power during the day that households use in the evening. The plant helps both save and generate income for Camata: it provides the locals with a way to process their crops of coffee, corn, and chile instead of selling their crops to someone else for processing. Members of surrounding communities can sell their products to the plant instead of taking them to town. The community formed the Committee for Electrification after the suggestion that their location was ideal for micro hydro by the Hydraulic and Hydrology Institute. The Committee for Electrification was responsible for the planning and construction of the hydro system and agro-plant and now oversees power regulations and system operations.
  • Chel, Quiché, Guatemala [4]
    The rural community of Chel is located in the northern region of Quiché, Guatemala. This area was greatly affected by the Civil War and left without access to water, energy or transportation. The people of Chel put their trust in Fundación Solar (a Guatemalan non-profit) to organize the planning and installation of the micro hydro system. This represented a big step towards healing the fear of the outside world instilled by the massacre of Chel during the war. The people worked together to build a road into the community and carried in the necessary supplies on foot from town. The micro hydro power system was built in 2000 and provides 110 kilowatts of power for 440 homes. The community was very enthusiastic about the quality of life improvements created by having electricity. These improvements included purchasing a solar powered satellite telephone that generated an income for Chel because it saved surrounding communities a 10-hour journey to the nearest phone. The success of the phone then helped them afford a fax machine, computer and truck for transporting supplies.  The introduction of micro hydro power empowered the town of Chel to plan for their future instead of being fearful of outside life.

Components of Micro Hydro System

  • Microhydro: Clean Power From Water by Scott Davis
    • This book contains descriptions and graphics of the components of a micro hydro system including the intake screen, forebay tank, penstock and powerhouse.
  • Micro-Hydropower Systems: A Buyer's Guide by Natural Resources Canada. 16047612-Canada-Micro-Hydro-Guide.pdf
    • This handbook contains descriptions of the function of each component in the system.
Figure 2:Diagram demonstrating common micro hydro system components image courtesy of practicalaction.org


Intake

Here is a short video of a Micro Hydro system beginning with the intake and ending at the waterwheel. The first image is of a submerged intake used for a reaction turbine.

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  • "Microhydro Intake Design" by Jerry Ostermeier HP124 pg68 Ostermeier.pdf
    • Ostermeier provides a comprehensive list of Micro Hydro intake designs covering different methods of diverting water broken down by best application, benefits, drawbacks and average cost.

Settling Basin

Water drawn from a river to a turbine usually carries suspended small particles that are hard and abrasive, such as sand or sediment. The settling basin, which connects the intake channel and the penstock, is used to settle the suspended particles. This allows the diverted water to pass through the penstock to the turbine without carrying particles that could clog the penstock or harm the turbine parts.[5]

Forebay Tank

"The forebay tank forms the connection between the channel and the penstock. The main purpose is to allow the last particles to settle down before the water enters the penstock. Depending on its size it can also serve as a reservoir to store water. A sluice will make it possible to close the entrance to the penstock. In front of the penstock a trashrack is normally installed to prevent large particles entering the penstock."[6]

Penstock

The penstock pipe transfers water to the turbine where the pressure created by the head turns the turbine. The penstock must be designed specifically to the site's river flow and head pressure conditions for optimal performance. Water running through a pipe encounters friction that slows its flow rate, essentially reducing the amount of head.


Turbine Types

  • Micro Hydro Power Design Booklet by Jim Norman http://www.scribd.com/doc/31432159/Micro-Hydro-Power-Design-Booklet
    • Defines the functions of and differences between impulse and reaction turbines as well as the right conditions for each one. Also gives specifications for 9 brands of turbines.
    • Appendix 6 has an equation and table to assist in choosing the right turbine after finding the head flow and electricity requirements.
  • Appropedia Microhydro
    • Provides a rating of the effectiveness of impulse turbine types based on the amount of flow and the amount of head of a given site.
Turbine Type Flow Head
W Lowest Highest >10ft
W Intermediate Intermediate >4ft
W Highest Lowest <4ft

Tail Race

  • File: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Hydro/WaterTurbineAppendix.pdf
    • The tail race must be designed such that the flow of water returning to the river does not cause too much erosion. Page 35 provides a list of velocities of water that will reduce the amount of erosion based on the type of soil. Page 36 has a table of Water Flow Through Various Nozzle Diameters based on head and pressure to assist in the design of the tail race.

Electrical Components

  • Homepower Magazine Microhydro Electriciy Basics provides a basic overview of different Micro Hydro Electric System Types and a list of necessary components.
    • For a brief overview of the basic method for generating electricity and various methods of converting mechanical energy to electricty see Encyclopedia of Energy by Scott Bennett, especially the Introduction and the "Electricity Travels in Circuit" sections Encyclopedia-of-Energy.pdf.

Transmission Lines

In an AC Direct system, there must be wires to carry the electricity to the community. An ideal system is placed near a community so the electricity loss is minimized in transfer.

System Types

Mechanical Power System

Micro hydro, which converts the potential energy of water into mechanical energy, can use mechanical energy without converting it to electricity. There have been instances where micro hydro has been used to power a grinding mill or other useful device by simply attaching belts to wheels.[7]

Error in widget YouTube: Unable to load template 'wiki:YouTube'
  • This is a video of a water mill in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Power from the waterwheel (turbine) is transferred to the inside of the mill extending from the waterwheel, which is connected to a large gear wheel called a pit wheel. Power is then turned through 90 degrees by bevel gears to turn a large, vertically mounted shaft leading to the upper floor of the water mill. At the lower level, the shaft drives a large spur wheel which provides power to turn millstones, like the one seen in the video. It is also possible to attach another large wheel called a crown wheel to the top of the shaft to drive other machinery such as sack hoists.[8]

Battery Based

A battery based system is used for a micro hydro system that cannot create enough electricity for the highest load requirement of the day. Storing the energy created overnight in batteries helps to meet peak energy need midday. Battery systems can also be used for communities that only need lighting and appliance power. Available power is limited by the size of the inverter.

Figure 3: Electrical components of a Battery Based System from [http://homepower.com/basics/hydro/

#MicrohydroElectricSystemComponents Homepower Magazine Micro Hydro Electricity Basics]

AC Direct

AC integrated systems bring the generated electricity directly to a user. Available power is limited by the potential of the stream, so if the site has enough flow and head this system can be designed to the highest load requirement of the community.

Figure 4: Electrical components of a AC Direct System from [http://homepower.com/basics/hydro/


Pros and Cons of Micro Hydro

Pros Cons
  • Water is a concentrated and continuous source of energy
  • Energy availability is fairly predictable
  • Very little maintenance is required
  • There is very little environmental impact
  • Greenhouse gases are reduced by reduction of fossil fuel usage
  • Good sites close to communities are hard to find
  • There is not much room for expanding the power generated
  • Variations in seasonal river flow can limit power availability
  • Other uses for the water, such as irrigation, can take away from the desirability of the system
  • Lack of government support and subsidies
  • The additional work and maintenance may be undesirable if the electricity recipients are already grid tied.


Feasibility Study

The feasibility of a micro hydro system is firstly dependent upon the flow and head available at the site, and secondly, the electricity load and proximity of the system to the community.

  • For one example of one type of feasibility study, see Tamburrini.pdf.

Data Collection Methods

  • Micro-Hydropower Systems: A Buyer's Guide by Natural Resources Canada. 16047612-Canada-Micro-Hydro-Guide.pdf
    • Section 2.5 describes the types of questions to answer in a feasibility study including:
      • How much head is available?
      • What are the maximum and minimum flow rates?
      • How long does the penstock have to be?
      • How much power can be generated at the flow rates?
      • Initial and annual costs?
      • Potential environmental effects of installing micro hydro?
    • Appendix B has a form to fill out based on the site's stream info and electrical needs.
  • Micro Hydro Power Design Booklet by Jim Norman
    • Appendix 2 describes how to measure head and how to find a flow rate based on finding the speed of the water and cross sectional area of the river as well as the bucket method.
    • Appendix 3 has a Load Evaluation Form to determine the amount of power output needed from your system to meet the needs of the community.
  • The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence by Daniel D. Chiras
    • Describes an effective way to measure head using a carpenter´s level and calibrated pole.
  • Appropedia - How to Measure Stream Flow Rate
    • Appropedia page with concise and simple descriptions of several ways to measure stream flow rate.

Power Output Equation

  • Appropedia Microhydro provides the equation to determine the energy output of a micro hydro system based on Flow Rate, Head, and Gravity of the water source.

Maintenance of System

  • http://canmetenergy-canmetenergie.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/fichier.php/codectec/En/ISBN066239914/Intro_MicroHydro_ENG.pdf
    • Micro hydro systems require regular maintenance although the cost of this maintenance is generally low. These tasks can generally be completed by one part time operator. Filters must be cleaned on a regular basis but the number of cleanings can be reduced. By installing the filter at an angle the filter will be mostly self cleaning. Penstocks must be unclogged after a certain period of time but the better the filter the less often the penstock will become clogged. Machinery within the powerhouse must be greased to continue running at optimal performance. If batteries are being used to store energy they must be equalized on a regular basis. Minimum wage in Chiapas is 49 pesos/hour [1] for an estimated 3 hours of maintenance a month maintenance ends up costing 1,764 pesos annually.

Equation

The amount of energy released by lowering an object of mass by a height in a gravitational field is[9]:

where is the acceleration due to gravity.

Converting these units, a common field equation to measure the maximum power available in a moving body of water is:


Where:

  • Pmax=Maximum Power Available (kW)
  • Qmax=Flow (Volume/time)
  • Hmax=Head (Vertical drop in ft)
  • emax=Efficiency of the turbine (use a value of 1 for max power available)
  • K=Unit conversion factor (see table below for some common values)
Template:Hl3 align="center"|For Q measured in Template:Hl3 align="center"|K is equal to
ft3/min 708 (ft4)/(min*kW)
ft3/sec (CFS) 11.8 (ft4)/(sec*kW)
l/sec 102 (l*ft)/(sec*kW)
gal/min (GPM) 5302 (gal*ft)/(min*kW)

To find the actual power you will get from that moving body of water, calculate Pnet with the following changes made.

Where:

  • Pnet=The net power extracted from the river, not including loss in delivery from power station to load (kW)
  • Qnet=Flow (Volume/time) - Only take a portion of the max flow (%take). For delicate streams this may be a small percentage of the total flow.
    • Qnet=Qmax*%take
  • Hnet=Head (Vertical drop in ft) - This is the actual head that you have available due to losses from friction. Calculate friction loss using tables based on the materials you use for diversion (e.g. PVC).
    • Determine equivalent length of pipe by adding actual length of pipe and equivalent lengths of fittings based on tables using pipe size.
    • Find Frictional Pressure Loss Ratio (FPL) coefficient in ftloss/ftpipe based upon flow rate and pipe size
    • calculate Hloss=equivalent length of pipe * FPL

Hnet=Hmax-Hloss

  • enet=Efficiency of the turbine - Always between 0 and 1, usually between .5 and .9 depending on the turbine type and flow rate. A value of 0.78 is a good guess for modern turbines in average conditions.
  • K=Unit conversion factor (see table above for some common values)

Note that these equations are static in time. You must run these equations for with a resolution high enough to cover periods of variation (e.g. monthly river data).

Conversion Factors

Cost

The cost of a system is dependent on the location, power needs, locally available materials or components, and type of system you build. According to Retscreen Canada 75% of costs are site specific. Small Hydro Project Analysis The typical range in cost is $1,200 to $6,000 per installed KW.

Materials

Information pending further investigation of local material availability and actual project design which can change quantities.




AC Direct Materials     Cost (MXN)
Intake Construction Materials  ?
    6" PVC Pipe     81.50/m 
  6" PVC Pipe Fittings 90 degrees  60/piece
 6" PVC Pipe Fittings 45 degrees  49/piece
 6" PVC Pipe Fittings Tee Branch  64/piece
Turbine/Generator  1,080
Dump Load Controller  1903.45  
Transmission Line Wire  ?
Controller  ?
Powerhouse Construction Materials  ?
Permits  ?

Financing

  • Microfinance for Renewable Energy: Financing the 'Former Poor. Srinivasan, Sunderasan. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Volume 3, Number 1, January 2007 , pages 79-89.
    • Applying micro finance projects that are not necessarily income generating but are 'quality of life' improvements that may be able to generate payback in terms of cost avoidance.
  • Small Hydro Power: Technology and Current Status. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Volume 6, Issue 6, December 2002, Pages 537-556 SmallHydroPower.pdf
    • Section 6 and 8 provide conditions for increasing cost-effectiveness of a project. Aside from ideal site conditions the cost per kW can be reduced if indigenous/local labor and expertise can be used, where there are high load requirements (ideally, industry during the day and domestic needs at night), income generating activities, and easily maintainable and replaceable system parts.

Permits and Grid Tie-In Feasbility

  • Permit of Construction for Work under 40.00 m2
    • Required Application
    • Copy of property payment for the year
    • Copy of owner´s identification
    • Copy of exact location and official updated number
    • Sketch of what will be constructed and a copy (architectural and with structural details, legal size or double letter size)
    • Copy of feasibility and use of site (in case of commerical use or if there is more than one occupant in the same property)

Environmental Considerations

Climate

  • Map of Chiapas climate
Figure 5: Map of different climate regions in Chiapas


Source: http://mapserver.inegi.org.mx/geografia/espanol/estados/chis/climas.gif

  • Indicates year-round rainfall in the humid jungles in the north of the state and abundant summer rainfall north and

east of San Cristobal.

Rainfall

The amount of rainfall in a region determines the seasonal water flow in a river. A more feasible location for siting a micro hydro system has a small annual range of flows (as opposed to an area with a wide range of slows between seasons).

  • Map of Annual Precipitation for the State of Chiapas
Figure 6: Map of rainfall statistics in Chiapas


Source: http://mapserver.inegi.org.mx/geografia/espanol/estados/chis/precipit.cfm?c=444&e=07

  • Table of Precipitation for States in Mexico
Figure 7: Table of rainfall data for Chiapas
  • Micro-Hydropower Systems: A Buyer's Guide by Natural Resources Canada. 16047612-Canada-Micro-Hydro-Guide.pdf
    • Section 2.1, page 9 of the book provides information on flow duration curves and how seasonal changes in flow will affect energy calculations.
Flooding
  • http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inundaci%C3%B3n_de_Tabasco_y_Chiapas_de_2007
    • Description of October 2007 flood that occurred as a result of above-average rainfall from tropical storm Noel. The Grijalva River separates Chiapas from the neighboring state of Tabasco and has several dams which generate the majority of Mexico´s electricity. The Peñitas Dam was overwhelmed by the high river level from rains falling in Chiapas and began to flood the deforested Tabascan plains. This destroyed the Tabascan capital of Villahermosa, which is surrounded by rivers. It sits below river level and is protected by a system of canals and dikes. A landslide also occurred in Chiapas in the town of Juan de Grijalva, destroying 100 homes.
    • This type of flooding caused by deforestation, faulty city planning and the construction of large-scale hydroelectric power also falls under the cultural considerations of micro hydro power in this region and illustrates an advantage of building small-scale hydroelectric power.

Cultural Considerations

  • http://xojobil.blogspot.com/search/label/Mapas
    • Zapatista blog containing maps of indigenous groups, armed groups and paramilitaries, and autonomous Zapatista communities
  • Article regarding protest march held by the indigenous community of Huixtán in March 2009
    • The community was protesting an increase in electricity taxes levied by the Federal Electricity Commission that they cannot afford. The community felt angered by the fact that although Chiapas remains one of the pooerst states, it also contributes a great portion of the country´s electricity and should have a right to its own electrical power. Many communities for this reason resist paying the federal government for power and instead have learned how to maintain their own repairs on power lines, so they did not feel obligated to pay this tax.
  • Electrical Energy in Mexico and Chiapas: Rights, Resistances and Privatization
    • Focuses on the unequal distribution of taxes affecting the poor who can least afford to pay them, the privatization of hydroelectric power, ecological problems resulting from the construction of dams in the Chiapas region that power the the city of México D.F., and the resistance of indigineous communities to paying electricity taxes and bills.
    • An interesting fact of note: In Chiapas, 8% of the electricity users account for 50% of electricity use.
  • November 2008 public denouncement of government tariff increases by Pueblos Unidos en Defensa de la Energia Eléctrica (PUDEE)
  •  Recommendations on the Use of Mico-Hydro Power in Rural Development
    • Considerations for developing a successful micro hydro installment that promotes widespread use and has a meaningful and significant impact on rural electrification needs.
  • Why Mami Wata Matter: Local Considerations for Sustainable Waterpower Development Policy in Central Africa
    • Cultural considerations can extend beyond simply new technology introduced to an undeveloped area. This article from January 2006 provides insight into the problems that might be encountered when attempting to install a community driven Micro Hydro system in a rural area. Though this article is concerned with a different region of the world, it examines a culture with beliefs concerning nature that can be considered similar to some of the beliefs of some of the cultures that are found in Chiapas that stem from ancient Maya belief systems.

Criteria

Criteria

Criteria Description Weight
Aesthetics Meets cultural needs. 6
Community Involvement Community has interest and need. 5
Cost Efficiency Cost/kW, availability of local materials, and low maintenance. 9.5
Educational System educates community about sustainable energy. 6
Environmental Effect Diverts an appropriate amount of water and does not harm aquatic life. 7
Location of Site Close to community with access to a continuously reliable water source. 9.5

Sites

River near Pueblo Molino de los Arcos

     MolinoDeLosArcos.jpg

Date Visited: 12 July 2010
Flow rate calculated: 3015 GPM
Head:
30 feet
Length of Pipe:
110 feet
P max:
17 kW
P net:
540 Watts
Feasibility: 
This community is within San Cristóbal they currently have a hydro system installation that is not in use. Federal power has been cheap enough to make the cost of repairs unjustifiable, but recently the community expressed an interest in repairing the system. Since the infastructure is already in place the feasibility study would be on the cost of replacing parts and getting the system running again. In the past the mechanical power was used to drive a mill. A more modern application for the community would be supplementing the grid with hydro power.

Río de Alcanfores

     El Río de Alcanfores

Date Visited: 17 June 2010
Flow rate calculated:
120 GPM
Head:
15 feet
Length of Pipe:
87 feet
P max: 670 Watts
P net:
220 Watts
Feasibility:
This river is close to the neighborhood of Alcanfores, outside of San Cristóbal, the amount of power generated by this stream during the rainy season is sufficient to consider the site feasible for the construction of a pico-hydro system. This stream is of interest, because the community of Alcanfores is near the site surveyed, and a Zapatista community seeking independence from the government lies approximately an hour further upstream.

Río Jataté en el Pueblo de Corralito  

     ElCorralito.jpg

Date Visited: 14 July 2010
Feasibility: This site lies a bit further from San Cristóbal on the way to Ocosingo and Palenque. Winding down out of the mountains, we could see that the vegetation grew more lush and the maps indicated that heading in this direction would be an ideal zone in terms of rainfall, topographic variety and community location. Corralito is a tiny farming community known for its small touristic attraction of a waterfall in the headwaters of Río Jataté, which goes on to power the Cascadas Agua Azul. It was a river of approximately 5 or 8 meters in width, narrowing to 1 or 2 meters at points, with a strong flow and what looked to be substantial depth. We did not take measurements because of its width and depth and lack of both time and proper introduction to the community. We did speak with a local agronomist, who said that the large power lines we saw were from the government and we observed a billboard near the center of the community reading that it was being supported by the PRI political party and the government was funding construction there. On the way back, Rachel was advised by a local combi driver to continue towards Ocosingo in search of small communities with power needs and river assets and given the names of a few such communities. We also passed many signs for other communities reading that they were in protest of paying high government taxes for electricity to power their lights, which may present other opportunities for investigation.

 Parque Ecología Las Canastas, San Cristóbal

     El Rio Las Canastas

Date Visited: 21/23 July 2010
Flow rate calculated: 197,800 GPM
Head: 15 Feet
Length of Pipe: 80 feet
P max:
558 kW
P net: 220 Watts
Feasibility: This site is about 20 minutes outside of San Cristobal. A pen stock and dam have already been constructed on this site for irrigation purposes. A road brings you about 100 feet from the dam. The fact that much of the infrastructure necessary for a hydro set up makes this location very promising.

Parque Ecoturística Arcotete, San Cristóbal 

     ElArcotete.jpg

Date Visited: 23 July 2010
Feasibility: This river is part of an ecological park outside of San Cristobal. Attempting to test the flow of the river proved unsuccessful. Matt took one step into the river and immediately began sinking rapidly into the mud. Tests were discontinued for safety reasons. In addition to difficult testing conditions there did not appear to be any communities nearby. For these reasons Arcotete was ruled out as a feasible location.

Río de Ocosingo

Date Visited:
Flow rate calculated:
Head:
Length of Pipe:
P max:
P net:
Feasibility:

References

  1. Islas, J., F. Manzini, and M. Martinez, "Cost-benefit analysis of energy scenarios for the Mexican power sector," Energy 28 (2002): 979-992.
  2. Royce, Michael, "La Pita Micro Hydro: Bringing Power to the People," Hydro World Review March 2000: 32-33.
  3. GEF Small Grants Program. United Nations Development Program. Micro-Hydro Power for Agro-Processing in Rural Areas, Bolivia. Micro-Hydro Power for Agro-Processing in Rural Areas, Bolivia.
  4. Hanei, Jeff. USAID. Micro-Hydro Energy for Post War Rehabilitation. [www.usaid.gov/our_work/economic.../guatemala_riverofpeace.pdf Micro-Hydro Energy for Post War Rehabilitation]
  5. Centre for Rural Technology (31 July 2005). Manual on Micro Hydro Development. Kathmandu, Nepal: Prepared for NGO Capacity Building for Poverty-reducing Sustainable Energy Solutions in South Asia Project. Manual on Micro Hydro Development
  6. Tamburrini, Mark, A Feasibility Study for a Microhydro Installation for the Strangford Lough Wildfowlers & Coversation Association: A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science, Glasgow, UK: Energy Systems Research Unit Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Strathclyde (September 2004): 34 Tamburrini.pdf
  7. Centre for Rural Technology (31 July 2005). Manual on Micro Hydro Development. Kathmandu, Nepal: Prepared for NGO Capacity Building for Poverty-reducing Sustainable Energy Solutions in South Asia Project. Manual on Micro Hydro Development
  8. "The Watermill," top-alternative-energy-sources.com The Watermill
  9. Some high flow, low head situations can use hydropower systems such as a water wheel to convert just kinetic energy of the flowing water with very little change in the potential energy. In those cases, where is the velocity of the water.
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