CCWI2017: F40 'New test-rig for micro hydropower turbomachines'

Energy recovery in water supply systems has been pointed as an interesting opportunity. The available powers for recovery are usually small and, therefore, there is the need to develop cost- effective solutions. Pumps running as turbines are pointed as a prospective solution for this purpose. However, there are still some challenges to address, namely the prediction of turbine mode performance. For this purpose, a new test-rig was assembled to test different pumps in turbine mode and operational constraints. This paper shows the details of the developed experimental facility, data acquisition and control system. Preliminary experimental results are presented for the efficiency hillchart, as well as the influence of backpressure in the pressure fluctuations downstream the pump. The development of this test-rig aims at collecting reliable data for developing formulations to accurately predict the pump as turbine performance.