Hydro-Stream Engine [RE-wrenches]

[Bob-O Schultze]

<x-flowed>Hiya Gary,
At 450' you're kinda in between too far for good wire loss @ 24V and 
too close to justify the expense of HV transformers. I'd go with AL 
4/0-4/0-2/0 URD. If you parallel one of the 4/0 and the 2/0, it works 
out to be roughly 250 MCM. The URD is a direct burial cable which 
costs about $1.22 ft. You just have to live with the loss, about 6.8% 
figuring 30V on the line and 28A.  Jeeez, most of my clients would 
KILL for that good of a hydro output, never mind the losses!
You don't say what low head, high flow means to you. (Some folks 
think  50' is low head, others think 50 GPM is high volume) I have 
30' of head and seasonally between 50-150 GPM before I get into 
severe pipe losses. I use the #1 Parallel Delta winding configuration 
and you bet the air gap adjustment makes a difference! I can go from 
5A to 18A at the same flow rate by adjusting the gap. If you find 
yourself adjusted right down close to the stator, reconfigure the 
windings down a setting. IE, from #2 Parallel Wye to #1 Parallel 
Delta. You'll likely get more amps.
I'd like a copy of your detailed version, please.
Good Luck, bob-O



>Hi Wrenches,
>
>I'm getting ready to install another Stream Engine, and this 24-volt system
>requires a run of around 450 feet. With a potential about 28 amps and 5%
>loss I'm looking at 4/0 copper. As we know 900' of this stuff is a tad on
>the pricey side. I've considered a few options, and would appreciate some
>feedback:
>
>1) Go with smaller or Al wire (4/0 Al is pretty reasonable at about
>$450/1000), and accept a loss of about 8%. This doesn't seem out of line,
>and may end up being the simplest and most cost-effective solution.
>
>2) Use a 48-24 converter at the batteries and let the Stream Engine run at a
>higher voltage. Anyone done this? With what?
>
>3) Remove the rectifier box from the Stream Engine and run the 3-phase AC up
>to the batteries. Bob-O mentioned this possibility in his Oct/Nov '98 HP #67
>article. Has anyone done this? What voltage would I use for the AC
>calculation?
>
>While I'm on the Stream Engine what sort of output improvement have you seen
>in adjusting the rotor, especially in increasing the air gap in a low-head,
>high-flow situation?
>
>Thank You!
>
>Gary
>
>P.S. If anyone is interested in a heavily-edited Stream Engine output
>adjustment procedure let me know and I'll send it to you. I found the
>procedure in the manual inadequate for for a client who wasn't familiar with
>the machine, and wrote a more-detailed version.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>     Gary Higbee  (ghigbee at efn.org)
>             (541)607-1818
>    Solutions from the Land--solar,
>  wind, and hydro site analysis, design,
>            and installation
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection
PO Box 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044
800.945.7587 fax 530-475-3401
www.electronconnection.com
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for info contact: <michael.welch at homepower.com>
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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