Effect of Weir Height on Undershot Water Wheel Turbine Performance

Abstract

Undershot water wheel turbines are suitable for operation in low-elevation regions and locations with very low water head. Turbines with curved blade configurations are commonly implemented to optimize efficiency. This research examines how variations in weir height influence the performance of undershot turbines when operating under limited water flow conditions. A turbine with six blades is tested experimentally and numerically using seven weir heights ranging from 0.02 m to 0.14 m. The study used both experimental and computational fluid dynamics approaches, employing the dynamic mesh model. The results indicate that applying a curved weir as a passive flow-control device can significantly enhance turbine efficiency. At a weir height of 0.10 m, the maximum efficiency reached 80.83% based on the experimental approach and 84.69% based on the computational approach. These findings demonstrate the potential of weir-assisted undershot turbines for energy harvesting in shallow rivers under low-flow conditions.

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