Micro-hydrokinetic river system modelling and analysis as compared to wind system for remote rural electrification

•Off-grid micro-hydrokinetic river system with PMSG has been modeled and simulated.•Simulations have been performed using MatLab/Simulink.•Micro-hydrokinetic river system performance has been compared to wind system under same conditions.•Technical advantages of micro-hydrokinetic power generation compared to wind have been highlighted and discussed.

Micro-hydrokinetic river (MHR) system is one of the promising technologies to be used for remote rural electrification. In rural areas with access to both wind and flowing water resources, wind generation is selected as a first electrification priority. The potential benefit of generating electricity using flowing water resource is unnoticed. Hence, this paper presents the modelling and performance analysis of a MHR system as compared to wind generation system using MATLAB/Simulink software. These performances are compared to generate the same amount of electrical power. A permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) has been chosen or used to investigate the behaviour of each system under variable speeds. The developed model includes horizontal turbine model, drive train model and PMSG model. The simulation results illustrate the ability of a hydrokinetic turbine driven PMSG to generate electricity markedly better and cheaper than a wind driven PMSG within South Africa. Hence, the MHR system presents a cheap electrification opportunity for poor rural households.