A Low-Power Floating-Turbine Generation System for Small Rural Communities

Abstract

The use of a floating turbine, a low-power hydraulic turbine which transforms the kinetic energy of water into mechanical energy using the same principles as those for producing wind power, can potentially help to produce electrical energy in some areas near rivers. This paper addresses the relation between the wind and floating turbines, presents a theoretical analysis of a floating turbine power generation system, shows the system simulation in MatlabTM/simulink environment and illustrates the feasibilities of the proposed ideas by presenting experimental results on a scaled-down prototype.

Keywords: Floating turbine, rectifier, DC/DC converter, permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), and inverter

Rwanda Journal, Volume 23 Series C, 2011