The hydraulic energy is the energy that has the water from a river when making a jump or when moving by an unevenness.

This energy can take advantage with a turbine and become to electricity by means of a generator. So much more electrical power will have as greater is the unevenness conducted by the water.

In order to obtain hydroelectric power stations of great power, some surpass the 6,000 MW, enormous prey is even constructed in which they elevate this unevenness of hundred meters , cutting completely the course of the river and flooding thousands of hectares, arriving to evacuate whole towns forzadamente.

The social and environmental impact of these power stations is very great, and creates injustice since they produce electricity that will be consumed in a distant zone.

Mini hydraulics

The minihydraulic power stations, however, have an environmental impact very reduced, adjusting better to the morphology of the river and being able to produce energy with the passage of the water, avoiding therefore the construction of great prey.

So that they are considered minihydraulic, the power stations cannot surpass the 10 MW of power and, in the case that is constructed a prey, this cannot be higher of 15 ms.

The minihydraulics is very useful to supply to towns or remote mountainous regions of the network, or to take better advantage of the hydric resources, coverall of rivers not very mighty, and to sell the electricity generated to the network.

The most excellent property of the hydraulic energy is that it allows to be used on small scale, of very economic form, with the application of microturbines and hydraulic pic turbines.

Micro turbines

The microturbines have power inferior to 100 kW, and are very adapted to provide electricity to small villages, farms or isolated rural hotels of the network.

In addition its environmental impact is practically null, since for its use is not necessary any construction of prey , only the creation of a channel to turn aside part of the volume of the river. After use this water, this volume is given back to its channel.

For its operation they need a height 5 to 30 ms between the channel of supplying and the water-drainage, and a volume that varies based on the power to generate, from 35 to 500 l/s.

Pic turbines

The pic turbines are constructively equal that the microturbines, only that with smaller power. It is why commercially microturbines are denominated and distinction between those of more of or less power does not become.

The pico turbines allow to use the hydraulic energy of torrents or streams and to provide electricity to independent applications of small power, inferior to 5,000 W.

This power allows to electrify a cabin or a refuge of mountain, being generated the necessary watts for illumination, one radio and even a small refrigerator.

They can work with very little height or very little of great volume, being able to place the class of suitable pic turbine for each stream.

The minimum altitude that needs to generate electricity is of 1.5 ms, and the volume varies between 35 to 130 l/s. . If it is had more height, of 3 to 15 ms, the minimum volume necessary diminishes to 5 l/s

As much the picoturbinas as the microturbines, that are the same machine but of different power, can generate alternating current to 220 V or DC to 12 or 24 V.

This fact is very attractive since they can be integrated to an independent hybrid system, with solar paddles or wind generator, and to use the same accumulating of DC.

Also they allow to work , if the water volume is always constant, like generators to 220 V uninterruptedly, doing without storage cells and consuming the electrical energy that is taking place at the same moment.