Design and Building a Prototype of Microhydro Gravitational Power Plant (MHGPP)

Abstract

Indonesia is an archipelagic country and has abundant water sources. These water sources can be used to meet community needs, one of which is the need for electrical energy. Currently, there are still several households in Indonesia, especially in remote areas, that do not have access to electrical energy. One of the obstacles in providing electricity in remote areas is expensive construction costs. Microhydro Gravitational power Generation Technology (MHGPP) is a technology that generates electrical energy using hydropower. MHGPP has simple and cheap construction, so it can be used to overcome electricity problems in Indonesia, especially in remote areas that have abundant water sources. This research aims to create a flow of water from a calm water source by using a tool, namely a pump that works with gravity, and then utilizing the water flow from the gravity pump to produce electrical energy. Furthermore, this research also aims to find out the type of generator that is suitable for use as a prototype or initial design of a MHGPP. Based on the research results, it is known that the prototype has succeeded in creating a water flow with a water flow of 0.2 liters/second. The prototype of the MHGPP has also succeeded in spinning the turbine at a speed of 83 RPM and then produces an output voltage that is sufficient to make the load which is a lamp (6 Volt, 8 Watt DC lamp) light up even though it is dim. The generator that is suitable for the MHGPP prototype is a low RPM generator which can produce a large output voltage for a small rotation.