Modeling and Simulation of a Micro-Hydropower System for Rural Electrification [A Case Study of Temcha River, Ethiopia]
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Date
2021-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
As a fact, there is an imbalance of the electricity demand and supply in Ethiopia. Since the country has the potential for a micro-hydropower (MHP) system, development of the MHP system is an important technology to solve the problem of energy scarcity in the world. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to do modeling and simulation of a micro-hydropower system for rural electrification in the case of Temecha River, Ethiopia. The methodologies followed to finalize this study are: - Firstly, literature reviews section covers the theoretical framework and related work reviews on hydropower, specifically the MHP system. Secondly, the data collection and analysis section for yearly flow data was collected from Ethiopian Basins Development Authority and used to estimate the design flow rate. Thirdly, the modeling and simulation section of the research includes the design analysis of the system components and simulation of the system using MATLAB SIMULINK. Some of the SIMULINK results are power duration curve, flow duration curve, and others are included. The gross head and design flow rates are 7m and 0.7376m3/s, respectively considered for this research. Based on the preliminary analysis, the turbine selected for the site is a Kaplan turbine based on net head and design flow rate. As a result, the runner diameter, hub diameter, blade tip diameter, the net mechanical power output values are 354mm, 378mm, of 840mm, 82.5W respectively. The final electrical power output of the system is greater than the electricity demand amount of the selected site for 346 days of the year. In addition, the cost analysis has done via RETScreen software. The total estimated cost of the system is around $ 764,400 with that of the pay-back period is 7.2 years and the net present value is $ 1,446,858, which is positive. The value of the NPV indicates the feasibility of the system for the selected remote area to solve the scarcity of an electricity access. Finally, the overall outcomes of the study and the recommendation for future development of the system are covered.
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Keywords
MHP, MATLAB SIMULINK, Simulation, Design Flow Rate, Kaplan Turbine, Runner Diameter, Mechanical Power.]