Egger Axial Turbine Pump for a Mini Hydroelectric Plant on the Birs River
Egger RPG 351 pipe bend propeller pump in use as a turbine – flow analysis with scFlow (Image source: Emile Egger & Cie SA)
Since March 2024, a DN 350 axial pump (RPG 351) with suction by the elbow has been operating as a turbine on the Birs river in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland. It uses a part of the energy lost in the fish pass of an existing hydroelectric power station equipped with a Kaplan turbine. Our pump-turbine enables the plant to produce between 75 and 125 kWh of electrical energy per day.
Compared with a conventional Kaplan turbine with guide vane, this is a simplified machine in which the elbow replaces the distributor. This success was achieved without modifying any parts of the axial pumps already in our portfolio. The addition of a frequency converter enables the operating point to be set as close as possible to the PaT’s best efficiency point. Installation is based on a vertical motor axis, with horizontal suction and vertical discharge. This means that only one elbow) needs to be installed in the entire system – apart from the pump.
With this new application, Egger is able to offer axial pump turbines for users with a flow rate of 100 to 500 l/s and a head of 2 to 10 m. They can thus benefit from a simple, compact, robust and cost-effective machine for permanent power generation in running water. The counter-clockwise rotating pipe bend propeller pumps are available in sizes DN 250, 300 or 350 for the above-mentioned volumes.
Source: Emile Egger & Cie SA
