Mobile Hydro Rotor

Product Description

The Mobile Hydro Rotor is designed by Mobile Hydro to be an inexpensive, low maintenance, and modular hydropower system to generate electricity.

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Mobile Hydro is creating an online Do-It-Yourself manual to allow use of different materials available locally. Additionally, Mobile Hydro is also developing an affordable pre-fabricated construction kit that includes important parts, such as tire tube, blade profiles, canvas cover and a generator.

Manufacturing/Building Method

This product is currently in the prototyping phase and not yet manufactured at scale.

Intellectural Property Type

Open Source

User Provision Model

Product is still in prototyping stage but users can contact Mobile Hydro for open source information to build a personal hydro turbine.

Distributions to Date Status

None

Design Specifications

The Mobile Hydro Rotor is a modular kinetic hydro power plant designed to be low cost by allowing the use of recycled materials and standard components that can be built and assembled by the user. It is designed to be user friendly, with the system allowing for plug-and-play installation on site. It is a floating vertical axis pico turbine for economic performance at even low water flow velocities. The H-Darrieus rotor used in this product has a diameter of 1.4 m and a height of 1 m.

Technical Support

Provided by the manufacturer

Replacement Components

Replacement components are available

Lifecycle

Unknown

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The turbine is designed to provide 1 W of power at a river flow rate of 0.3 m/s, and up to 703 W at 2.5 m/s. The product is expected to produce 100-500 W on average.

Vetted Performance Status

Testing performed by the manufacturer confirmed functionality and electricity production of up to 2 kW depending on water flow velocity.

Safety

The turbine must not be placed in water bodies that people frequent.

Complementary Technical Systems

An energy storage system could work in conjunction with the turbine.

Academic Research and References

Zeiner-Gundersen, D.H., 2015, A novel flexible foil vertical axis turbine for river, ocean, and tidal applications, Applied Energy, 151:60-66.

General information on hydropower:

Cada, G., et al., 2011, Potential impacts of hydrokinetic and wave energy conversion technologies on aquatic environments, Fisheries, 32(4):174-181.

Robb, D., 2011, Hydro’s fish-friendly turbines, Renewable Energy Focus. 12(2):16-17.

Ortega-Achury, S.L., McAnally, W.H., Davis, T.E., Martin, J.L., 2010, Hydrokinetic power review, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS.