Utilization of Water Energy Potential on Tail Race for Very Low Head Hydro Power Plant

In a hydro power plant (HPP), water that passes through a turbine will flow into the tailrace and flow back into the water channel. Water energy can be used to generate electrical power using a very low head-type turbine. However, currently, energy from HPP tail water has not been appropriately utilized. This paper discusses the study of various types of very low head hydro power to exploit the potential of electrical energy in the HPP disposal channel. The chosen location is the Dago HPP, located in Bandung, West Java, owned by PT. Indonesia Power. Technical studies are necessary to determine the magnitude of electrical energy's potential, the suitable type of technology application, and the investment costs requirement. The location survey knew that the Dago HPP has an average flow rate of 1.192 m
³
/s, 1.7 m of the head, and the potential electrical energy generation is around 13.9 kW. Several types of very low power plants apply as alternatives: water wheels, Archimedes screw turbines, propeller submersible turbines, and vortex turbines. Building Micro Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) using a waterwheel required an investment cost of around IDR 335 million, an Archimedes screw turbine of IDR 445 million, a submersible propeller turbine of IDR 360 million, and a vortex turbine of IDR 315 million. The comparison from the four VLH shows that the Vortex turbine is the most potential technology because it produces a large amount of electrical energy at the cheapest investment cost.