Stream wheels for applications in shallow and deep water

Muller, G.U., Denchfield, S. and Shelmerdine, R. (2007) Stream wheels for applications in shallow and deep water. 32nd IAHR Conference 2007, Venice, Italy. 01 - 06 Jul 2007.

Abstract

The interest in renewable energies has initiated a re-consideration of hydropower resources. Currently there is no economical energy converter for the kinetic energy of shallow free surface flows available. Stream wheels or impulse type water wheels were employed in this role until the middle of the last century, and this type of water wheel could again be of interest today. Little engineering or performance information is however available for such machines. Following a literature review, three types of stream wheels were identified and theoretical models for performance evaluation were developed. Model tests were employed to verify theoretical predictions. It was found that both in terms of potential power production and number of possible sites the stream wheel in deep water is the most promising candidate for further development.

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