HARNESSING FREE SURFACE VORTICES FOR CLEAN ENERGY: TECHNICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL REVIEW OF GRAVITATIONAL WATER VORTEX POWER PLANT (GWVPP)

Abstract

The extracted discharge from fossil fuel operational systems and power generating plants is considered a huge concern for the developed countries since they are accountable for several epidemics, lung diseases, and environmental hazards. Hydroelectric power-generating plants provide an alternative solution to the recent energy contingency of the world, since they utilize the stored energy in a free stream of water to deliver electricity instead of utilizing oil and other fuels. Gravitational Water Vortex Power Plant (GWVPP) under the class of Mini Micro Pico Hydropower have been observed as a suitable technology to produce power from the flow of water with a hydraulic head of 0.7 - 3.0 m with a flow rate as low as 0.05 m.s^-1. This type of turbine is used in regions where the water-powered head isn't high, with high to medium stream rates. Since this technology is still in its infancy, experimental validation of theoretical work is the utmost necessity to cover the gap between claimed and achieved efficiencies. In this review work, an attempt has been made to gather the findings of experimental studies carried out by different researchers & pilot projects installed worldwide, to present the actual scenario and determine the gap between the claimed and desired results. Technical, economic, and ecological parameters of GWVPP are compared with those of other micro hydro power plants, and it is concluded that GWVPP is the most efficient of all these, having low cost, being environmentally friendly, and most useful for aquatic life.