System installation – Asian Phoenix Resources POWERPAL MHG-T2 User Manual

Page 8

Advertising
background image


SYSTEM INSTALLATION

Mechanical Aspects

After locating a suitable site and completing the civil works, your PowerPal is ready
for installation. To do this:

1. Bolt the turbine to a turbine stand or base which allows at least 300mm clearance

between the turbine and the ground. This clearance is required to prevent
splashback that will disrupt turbine performance. The turbine stand should be
made from concrete with the four M12 foundation bolts embedded. Bolt spacing
is shown in the system diagram but check this against the turbine casing.


2. Turn the handle of the spear valve until the valve is fully closed.



Always turn the handle slowly and smoothly.

3. Affix an elbow bend into the forebay wall. This should be fitted with an

atmospheric vent (hollow bent pipe), which allows air to escape from the
penstock. The upper opening of the atmospheric vent should be higher than the
water level in the forebay. Divert water away from the forebay or else block the
top of the penstock pipe during the installation procedure.


4. Affix a suitable elbow bend to the turbine to allow its connection to the penstock.

A gate valve may also be installed at this point, if required.


5. Start installing the penstock. Assembly can begin from either direction but it is

usually easier to begin uphill – the turbine is much easier to move around than the
forebay is. The penstock should be well secured i.e. strongly supported with
periodic anchors or buried at regular intervals to support its weight when full –
this is particularly important at any bends and at the bottom of the penstock so that
PowerPal cannot be knocked over. At least two people should handle the
penstock, one uphill and one downhill, until it is fitted into both elbow bends.


Electrical Aspects

The generator is a double-winding, capacitive, modified 3-phase induction motor
which has zero-load voltage built up by residual magnetism. Its direction of rotation is
clockwise when viewed from the generator end. It has been modified to produce
single-phase electrical power. This conversion takes place in the control box. Load is
controlled by an electronic load controller (ELC) which is installed as part of the
control box. The ELC is designed to maintain constant voltage and near-constant
frequency by keeping a constant electric load on the generator. To do this, the ELC
switches any power not being used by the consumer to a ballast load (supplied) where
the surplus energy is burnt off as heat. The ELC is wired in parallel with the generator
output so that it can’t be inadvertantly switched out of the circuit. The system is
connected as follows:

PowerPal™ T2 Turgo 8

Advertising