Hydrodynamic Screw

IBS Ingenieur- und Beratungsburo Sommer
Germany

In the form of the Archimedean screw, the water extraction screw has been known since ancient times. Actually it is very well known in water technology.

What is new is the application, which by an inversion of the energy flow in its operation, turns the Archimedes' screw trough pump into a power generator for the extraction of energy.

With this new product application the hydrodynamic screw a new model has been added to the classical water power generators, the waterwheels and turbines.

A water power generating facility makes use of the energy difference between two different levels of flowing water by transferring the water from natural bed of the stream at the higher level to the bed at the lower level and effectively extracting its potential energy, which is then made available at the rotor shaft for further use.

Through the utilisation of this energy, which is left unused by nature, an energy source is tapped, with whose help a part of our energy requirements can be covered, which would otherwise have to be covered by fossil fuels.

The excellent properties of the hydro-dynamic screw are its minimal disturbance to the environment, the environ-mental friendliness and long service life.

A capacity of 0.1 to 5.5 cubic meter per second and a head up to 10 m, enables it to utilise hydrodynamic powers which are ruled out for turbines for reasons of cost.

Applications

* Replacement for small turbine units which require reconditioning.
* Replacement for defective water-wheels.
* Clean water outlet of sewage treatment plants.
* Residual water screw for installation into existing channel or weir.
* Production of low-level hydrodynamic power in former irrigation weirs.

Advantages Of The Hydrodynamic Screw Over Turbines And Waterwheels:

* No control system - the screw matches itself automatically to the supply frequency and the water supply.
* The efficiency is greater than with comparable waterwheels and small turbines.
* Flat stable efficiency gradient.
* Robust, long wearing, trouble free.
* No cleaning, little maintenance.
* No fine screens necessary
* Very friendly to fish
* Little underground digging required in comparison to turbines.

The rotation rates of hydrodynamic screws are low, they lay between 80 min-1 for small screws and 20 min-1 for large screws.

With hydrodynamic screws, even minimum hydrodynamic potentials at powers from 1 kW can be made use of economically.

With hydrodynamic screws, fine screening installations for protecting against floating objects and fishes, needed for turbines, are not necessary.

Energy losses leading to a decrease in head are also done away with, likewise losses in flow rate from the screening installations, both of which can have a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the facility.

The constructional effort required for a hydrodynamic screw is small compared to that required for a turbine. If the compact version of a hydrodynamic screw (hydrodynamic screw + trough + power take-off unit combined as a single unit) is used, the constructional effort can be further reduced.

Small hydrodynamic facilities hide an immense potential for extracting natural energy from water power. In the process, the "water" is only used and not used up. Another positive aspect is that the water becomes enriched with oxygen, which in turn improves the quality of the water downstream.

Hydrodynamic screws can be optimally introduced into the environment with little effort and without disturbing effects.

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