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Governing Equations

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Puerto Rico Hydro Turbine 2.0

Team Members: Arleigh Berner, Christian Hewling, Brian Pava, Dalton Self, Riley Walter

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Eliza Banu

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Green Power Technologies Puerto Rico (GPT-PR)

is developing modular small-hydropower systems (an underused strategy in power generation) to provide reliable, low-maintenance energy in remote and infrastructure-limited regions.

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Site of Interest: (Rio Tanama)

  • ~40 MGD of water is currently unused
  • Flow is routed through a discharge system and penstock
  • Available head enables small-scale power generation

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Challenge

Turbine performance is highly dependent on inlet/manifold geometry. Poor designs result in:

  • Non-uniform flow into the runner
  • Increased turbulence and energy loss
  • Reduced efficiency and higher maintenance

Project Background

Proposed Design & Testing Methodology

Sponsor/Client: Pat McKay, Green Power Technologies Puerto Rico

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Objective

Design and evaluate inlet manifold

geometries to improve turbine

performance

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Engineering Targets

  • Minimize pressure loss
  • Maximize velocity uniformity
  • Reduce turbulence intensity
  • Stabilize vortex flow
  • Keep geometry simple/scalable

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Tools Used

  • Autodesk Inventor (CAD models)
  • ANSYS Fluent (CFD Analysis)
  • MATLAB (initial and post processing calculations)

Objectives & Specifications

Conclusions & Future Design Direction

Results & Design Evaluation

Design Parameters Tested

Housing Diameter

42''

48''

54''

Inlet Angle

0°

5°

10°

Vortex Slope

30°

40°

50°

Runner Opening

18''

24"

30"

Control Model CAD

Hydro Turbine Diagram provided by GPT-PR

Descending Ceiling + 50° Vortex angle + 5° Inlet Angle

  • GPT-PR plans to continue refining this design based on site-specific needs
  • Mountain runoff may introduce corrosive conditions that can degrade turbine components
  • Material selection and protective coatings are being explored to improve durability
  • VFH Turbine aims to apply these designs to additional sites across North America

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Performance Metrics

  • Pressure drop (ΔP)
  • Average & peak velocity
  • Velocity uniformity
  • Turbulence intensity
  • Flow structure (vortex behavior)

CFD Methodology

  • Models created through Inventor and imported into ANSYS Fluent
  • Mesh quality verified (>0.8)
  • Residuals set to 10^-6
  • 250 iterations per
  • Area-weighted outlet values used for comparison

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Conservation of Mass

Conservation of Energy

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[ft]

Turbulence Intensity Pathlines on Control Model

Volume Extraction of Control Model

Rio Tanama Site Picture

Addition

Metric 1

(Pressure Drop)

Metric 2

(Velocity Uniformity)

Metric 3 

(Turbulence Intensity difference)

Descending

21.6 lb/ft^2

0.97

5.2

50 Vortex

16.0 lb/ft^2

0.98

8.7

5 inlet

31.4 lb/ft^2

0.98

13.1

Descending ceiling model showing velocity gradients