FRENSHAM MILL
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT
FROM HISTORIC CORN MILL TO HYDROELECTRIC HOME.
  • Home
  • Hydropower
    • Live Feed
    • Estimating power potential
    • Evaluation of alternatives
    • Process
    • Need for new channel
    • Control system
    • Time series
    • Economics of hydro
    • Highs and lows
  • Heat Pumps
    • How does a heat pump work?
    • Water source heat pump
    • Economics of heat pump
  • History
    • Historical origins
    • Victorian heyday
    • Remodelling in 1928
    • Extension & Renovation 2009/12
  • Environment
    • Fish pass
    • River bank restoration
    • Wildlife
    • Overall carbon 'payback'
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Assessing the power potential of your river

The power available from your river is a function of the flow of water and the drop (head).  We were able to get estimates of flow from the Environment Agency but there are formulas for estimating flows over a weir that are a function of the width of the weir and the height of water over the weir's edge.  The estimates suggested that the flow would exceed 1 m³/sec for c.66% of the year and this was used as the flow to size the system.  With 1.0 m³/sec of flow,  an effective head of 1.5m and allowing for 75% efficiency factor indicated a power potential of 11KW 
 Power
=
Head (m) x Water flow (m³/sec)

 x
Water density (kg/m³) x 9.81 (coefficient of gravity)
=
  1.5m x 1.0 m³/sec x 1000 x 9.81 x 75% efficiency
  =
11 KW

Potential to serve 14 average homes...

Allowing for 70% efficiency factor implies...
Potential for 70,000 KWhr per year or electricity consumption of 14 average homes

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