Author(s): E. Quaranta; G. Muller; I. Butera; L. Capetti; W. Franco; W. H. M. Van Der Weiden

Linked Author(s): Emanuele Quaranta

Keywords: Water wheel; Power take-off; Low-speed hydropower; Friction drive

Abstract: Water wheels are hydraulic machines that employ the water’s weight to rotate. Because of their large diameter, the rotational speeds range from 2 to 10 revolutions per minute. Such conditions require innovative power take-off systems. For this paper, a new power transmission system for low-speed water wheels is presented and tested, showing maximum global efficiency. The new power take-off consists of two friction wheels made of Perspex that transmit the motion to a central shaft, as wide as the water wheel, without a gearbox. The friction wheels were in direct contact with the external circumference of the water wheel so that, in rolling without slipping, they had the same tangential speed of the wheel. Instead, friction wheels and roller shafts share the same rotational axis, i.e., the rotational speed of the wheel and the rollers is the same. Hence, gearboxes with multiplication ratios of more than 100 are avoided, leading to expensive power take-off systems.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_179-cd

Year: 2018