Abstract

Three laboratory-scale Archimedes screw generators were tested for their power production. They were tested at different inclination angles corresponding to their lengths in order to maintain a constant head for each screw. Experimentation was used to develop initial insight into the effect of inclination angle on Archimedes screw power production. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were then compared to the experimental data and evaluated for their accuracy. The model was found to be acceptable and was then used to extend the data set to a total of seven inclination angles across the range of β=10°–40°. It was found that Archimedes screw generators with shallower inclination angles produced more power. It was also noted that shallower inclination angles correspond to longer screws and, thus, more civil infrastructure costs. The authors suggest that the ideal inclination angle for an Archimedes screw generator installation is between β=20° and 25° based on this laboratory-scale testing.

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Data Availability Statement

Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

Acknowledgments

Aspects of this work were financially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) program (Grant No. CRDPJ 433740-12) and Greenbug Energy (Delhi, Ontario, Canada). The assistance of Tony Bouk and Brian Weber of Greenbug Energy is gratefully acknowledged.

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Go to Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 147Issue 3March 2021

History

Received: Jan 21, 2020
Accepted: Sep 23, 2020
Published online: Jan 5, 2021
Published in print: Mar 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jun 5, 2021

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Scott Simmons [email protected]
Ph.D. Candidate, School of Engineering, Univ. of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1. Email: [email protected]
Associate Professor, ICUBE (UMR 7357)—École Nationale du Genie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg, 24 Blvd. de la Victoire, Strasbourg 67070, France. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5537-8225. Email: [email protected]
Murray Lyons [email protected]
Research Associate, School of Engineering, Univ. of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1. Email: [email protected]
Abdelali Terfous [email protected]
Associate Professor, ICUBE (UMR 7357)—Institut National Des Sciences Appliquees, 24 Blvd. de la Victoire, Strasbourg 67000, France. Email: [email protected]
Abdellah Ghenaim [email protected]
Associate Professor, ICUBE (UMR 7357)—Institut National Des Sciences Appliquees, 24 Blvd. de la Victoire, Strasbourg 67000, France. Email: [email protected]
Associate Professor, School of Engineering, Univ. of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3862-2895. Email: [email protected]

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