Generation of Electricity From a Hydraulic Turbine in the Djonou River (Benin)

Abstract

The shortage of electricity in rural areas despite the hydraulic potential they possess is becoming a challenge for Benin. To date, nearly 140,000 people spread over the 42 lakeside villages of this country live in energy inaccessibility, insecurity and poverty. To overcome this situation, the present study is therefore interested in the production of electrical energy on an experimental basis in low water periods thanks to an Archimedean screw turbine which operates at low flow rates and height of fall on the river. Djonou located in southern Benin a few kilometers from the University of Abomey-Calavi. The geometrical and hydraulic parameters of the screw were therefore determined and the device was modeled using Autocard software. A prototype was then made with local recycled materials and tested on the river. The screw specifications indicate an inside and outside radius of 0.072 m and 0.135 m. The length of the screw was set at 0.46 m for a blade radius estimated at 0.137 m. The number of screw blades is equal to 2 with a flow rate of 0.049 m3=s. The inclination angle of the screw is 25◦. The device on the experimental site produces a voltage of 16 V and provides a current of about 0.12 A which can power a 2 W lamp. This performance of the prototype made on a small scale is a reliable indicator of the optimal use of this technology in the national hydraulic network of Benin to supply populations with electrical energy.