Author : Ajit Singh Aidhen and Pratibha H. Gaikwad

About 85% of the energy use in US and world is obtained through fossil fuels the prices of which are always growin. Around 16% of the electrical energy supply generated in world is through hydro power. In rural high terrain areas with low population density the energy per capita is low compared to city needs. Grid supply to these areas is not economical. RE presently is costlier compared to fossil-based and nuclear energy. Micro hydro and Pico- hydro are most appropriate for rural high terrain areas with water streams. The initial cost mainly involves construction and equipment cost. Pico-hydro plant does not require construction of dam it is a run-off-river plant. Pumps as turbine provide huge relief in the equipment cost. Centrifugal pump which are readily available have advantage over custom made turbines for micro and Pico hydro power generation. This review presents suitability, limitations, and selection criteria for PAT and review of research carried out by other researchers. Induction generators are useful in applications such as mini, micro and Pico hydro power plants because they can recover energy with relatively simple controls. The Selection of capacitors for induction generator used for standalone Pico hydro is also explained in this paper.

Keywords: The Pico Hydro, Pump As Turbine, Renewable Energy, Induction generator.

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.6, No.5 (Oct-2016)