In 1987 in the river Vecht, next to the
weir 'De Haandrik' in the municipality Gramsbergen, the power company
Ijsselmij built a hydropower turbine with an electric power capacity of
100 kW. The project consists of a hydropower turbine and the necessary
construction work. The investment amounted to about 1.5 million Dutch
guilders (approximately € 700,000). Expectations are that the turbine
will generate 530,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year; which will
be supplied to the public electricity network. Subsidies from the Ministry
for Housing, Regional Development and the Environment (non profit) and
the Dutch Power Development Company (demonstration project) made the realisation
of the project possible.
Moreover; the kind co-operation of the Department of Public Works and the Department of Domains must not go unrecorded. As part of the co-operation with developing countries, the Dutch Government also aims at developing products which in the third world can lead to local economic development. This starting-point prevailed upon developing the water turbine adopted in this project. As a power company, the ljsselmij wishes
to contribute to the afore-mentioned aim by investing in a model project.
Upon planning the project, Ijsselmij handled the principle that the project
would be executed when the costs of the generated power could be compared
with those of generation in conventional power stations. A Government
subsidy is therefore required.
By means of a gearbox, the low rotor speed of 150 revolutions per minute is increased to the required operating speed of the synchronous generator of 1500 revolutions per minute. An automatic control valve enables the power of the turbine to be controlled. This valve is situated in front of the guide blades and replaces the complicated conventional system of adjustment of the guide blades. The function of the valve is the adjustment of the generated power with preservation of the highest possible output. The building height of the turbine could be limited as the diffusor (outlet opening) is also the base of the turbine. This is very important with a limited drop height. In view of the applicability of the turbine in developing countries, special attention was given to the reliability and the low sensitivity to disturbances, together with a favourable price/performance ratio. The maximum drop height is about 2 meters.
Based on the water flow and the drop height, the output of the turbine
is estimated at about 530,000 kilowatt-hours per year; which means that
it can be compared with the consumption of electricity of about 180 families.
 Technical data:
Source: leaflet Ijsselmij (March 1988) Generated power kWh
Economic data Initial investment (1988) Fl 1,440,735
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