On the use of a laboratory-scale Pelton wheel water turbine in renewable energy education

A laboratory-scale Pelton turbine for hydroelectric generation has been constructed and used in the educational curriculum of The Renewable Energy Programme at the University of Jyväskylä. The construction of the Pelton turbine, the experimental apparatus and the measurement procedure are described. The apparatus is simple to make and uses inexpensive components, most of which can be found in standard science laboratories. From the experimental results, the turbine was found to have a maximum mechanical efficiency of 0.47±0.020.47±0.02 for a water flow rate of 0.17l/s. The Pelton turbine and apparatus demonstrate the principles of hydropower and are well suited for education in renewable energy.