IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i20p7214-d1265636.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessment of a Francis Micro Hydro Turbine Performance Installed in a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Author

Listed:
  • Paweł Tomczyk

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Krzysztof Mastalerek

    (Eneris Alternative Fuels Sp. z o.o., Koszykowa 65, 00-667 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Mirosław Wiatkowski

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Alban Kuriqi

    (Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Jakub Jurasz

    (Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, pl. Grunwaldzki 9, 50-384 Wrocław, Poland)

Abstract

The purpose of this research work was to examine the hydroelectric potential of wastewater treatment plants by harnessing the kinetic and/or potential energy of treated wastewater for electricity generation. Such a concept encapsulates the essence of renewable energy and resonates with international sustainable development mandates and climate change adaptation strategies. The primary objective was to analyze the performance parameters of the Francis turbine, a key component of this energy generation system. An experimental analysis encompassed model tests on the Francis turbine, simulating varied flow conditions using the GUNT turbine. Additionally, historical data from the Toruń Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) 2018 annual wastewater discharge were employed to validate the findings and shed light on real-world applications. The tested efficiency of the Francis turbine peaked at 64.76%, notably below the literature-reported 80%. The turbine system’s overall efficiency was approximately 53%, juxtaposed against the theoretical value of 66.35%. With respect to the Toruń WWTP data, the turbine’s power output was highest at 24.82 kW during maximum wastewater flow, resulting in a power production of 150.29 MWh per year. The observed turbine efficiencies were consistent with the previously documented range of 30% to 96%. The turbine displayed optimal outputs during heightened flow rates and maximized production at more frequent, lower flow rates throughout the year. Implementing such turbines in wastewater treatment plants not only aligns with global renewable energy goals but also boasts lower construction costs and environmental impacts, primarily due to the utilization of existing infrastructure. Furthermore, wastewater flow consistency counters the seasonal variability seen in conventional water treatment plants. These findings pave the way for more energy-efficient design recommendations for turbines within wastewater treatment and hydropower plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Paweł Tomczyk & Krzysztof Mastalerek & Mirosław Wiatkowski & Alban Kuriqi & Jakub Jurasz, 2023. "Assessment of a Francis Micro Hydro Turbine Performance Installed in a Wastewater Treatment Plant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:20:p:7214-:d:1265636
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/20/7214/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/20/7214/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kuriqi, Alban & Pinheiro, António N. & Sordo-Ward, Alvaro & Garrote, Luis, 2019. "Flow regime aspects in determining environmental flows and maximising energy production at run-of-river hydropower plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    2. Du, Jiyun & Ge, Zhan & Wu, Hao & Shi, Xudong & Yuan, Fangyang & Yu, Wei & Wang, Dongxiang & Yang, Xinjun, 2022. "Study on the effects of runner geometric parameters on the performance of micro Francis turbines used in water supply system of high-rise buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    3. Ram Adhikari & David Wood, 2018. "The Design of High Efficiency Crossflow Hydro Turbines: A Review and Extension," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Gallagher, J. & Harris, I.M. & Packwood, A.J. & McNabola, A. & Williams, A.P., 2015. "A strategic assessment of micro-hydropower in the UK and Irish water industry: Identifying technical and economic constraints," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 808-815.
    5. Bousquet, Cécile & Samora, Irene & Manso, Pedro & Rossi, Luca & Heller, Philippe & Schleiss, Anton J., 2017. "Assessment of hydropower potential in wastewater systems and application to Switzerland," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 64-73.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Paweł Tomczyk & Krzysztof Mastalerek & Karol Kociszewski & Wojciech Orzepowski & Mirosław Wiatkowski, 2025. "Economic Analysis of the Operation of a Hydropower Plant in a Wastewater Treatment Plant: Toruń, Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Derick Lima & Li Li & Gregory Appleby, 2024. "A Review of Renewable Energy Technologies in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-52, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rosa M. Llácer-Iglesias & P. Amparo López-Jiménez & Modesto Pérez-Sánchez, 2021. "Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Strazzabosco, A. & Kenway, S.J. & Conrad, S.A. & Lant, P.A., 2021. "Renewable electricity generation in the Australian water industry: Lessons learned and challenges for the future," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    3. Petras Punys & Linas Jurevičius, 2022. "Assessment of Hydropower Potential in Wastewater Systems and Application in a Lowland Country, Lithuania," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Boroomandnia, Arezoo & Rismanchi, Behzad & Wu, Wenyan, 2022. "A review of micro hydro systems in urban areas: Opportunities and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Bekker, A. & Van Dijk, M. & Niebuhr, C.M., 2022. "A review of low head hydropower at wastewater treatment works and development of an evaluation framework for South Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. Kucukali, Serhat & Al Bayatı, Omar & Maraş, H. Hakan, 2021. "Finding the most suitable existing irrigation dams for small hydropower development in Turkey: A GIS-Fuzzy logic tool," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 633-650.
    7. Wang, Kaijie & Wang, Shuli & Meng, Puyu & Wang, Chengpeng & Li, Yuhai & Zheng, Wenxian & Liu, Jun & Kou, Jiawen, 2023. "Strategies employed in the design and optimization of pump as turbine runner," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    8. Elgammi, Moutaz & Hamad, Abduljawad Ashour, 2022. "A feasibility study of operating a low static pressure head micro pelton turbine based on water hammer phenomenon," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1-16.
    9. Zhai, Yijie & Ma, Xiaotian & Gao, Feng & Zhang, Tianzuo & Hong, Jinglan & Zhang, Xu & Yuan, Xueliang & Li, Xiangzhi, 2020. "Is energy the key to pursuing clean air and water at the city level? A case study of Jinan City, China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    10. Golpîra, Hêriş, 2020. "Smart Energy-Aware Manufacturing Plant Scheduling under Uncertainty: A Risk-Based Multi-Objective Robust Optimization Approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    11. Wang, Peng-Tao & Wei, Yi-Ming & Yang, Bo & Li, Jia-Quan & Kang, Jia-Ning & Liu, Lan-Cui & Yu, Bi-Ying & Hou, Yun-Bing & Zhang, Xian, 2020. "Carbon capture and storage in China’s power sector: Optimal planning under the 2 °C constraint," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    12. Wang, Guotao & Liao, Qi & Wang, Chang & Liang, Yongtu & Zhang, Haoran, 2022. "Multiperiod optimal planning of biofuel refueling stations: A bi-level game-theoretic approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1152-1165.
    13. Cook, David & Malinauskaite, Laura & Davíðsdóttir, Brynhildur & Ögmundardóttir, Helga, 2021. "Co-production processes underpinning the ecosystem services of glaciers and adaptive management in the era of climate change," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    14. Venturini, Mauro & Manservigi, Lucrezia & Alvisi, Stefano & Simani, Silvio, 2018. "Development of a physics-based model to predict the performance of pumps as turbines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 343-354.
    15. Yakun Zhang & Wenzhe Tang & Colin F. Duffield & Lihai Zhang & Felix Kin Peng Hui, 2021. "Environment Management of Hydropower Development: A Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, April.
    16. Antonopoulos, Ioannis & Robu, Valentin & Couraud, Benoit & Kirli, Desen & Norbu, Sonam & Kiprakis, Aristides & Flynn, David & Elizondo-Gonzalez, Sergio & Wattam, Steve, 2020. "Artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to energy demand-side response: A systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    17. Farrell, C.C. & Osman, A.I. & Doherty, R. & Saad, M. & Zhang, X. & Murphy, A. & Harrison, J. & Vennard, A.S.M. & Kumaravel, V. & Al-Muhtaseb, A.H. & Rooney, D.W., 2020. "Technical challenges and opportunities in realising a circular economy for waste photovoltaic modules," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    18. Delgado, J. & Ferreira, J.P. & Covas, D.I.C. & Avellan, F., 2019. "Variable speed operation of centrifugal pumps running as turbines. Experimental investigation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 437-450.
    19. Ram Adhikari & David Wood, 2018. "Computational Analysis of a Double-Nozzle Crossflow Hydroturbine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-15, December.
    20. Lavrič, Henrik & Rihar, Andraž & Fišer, Rastko, 2019. "Influence of equipment size and installation height on electricity production in an Archimedes screw-based ultra-low head small hydropower plant and its economic feasibility," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 468-477.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:20:p:7214-:d:1265636. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.