Methods Used for Determining the Discharge at Low Head Hydropower Plants

In general low head hydro power plants are generally plants equipped with Kaplan or bulb turbines. To be able to perform calculations of efficiency of a hydraulic turbine that equips low head hydro power plants is necessary to know several parameters such as kinetic and potential energy of water, turbine discharge, net head. Discharge of water through the turbine is determined by the volume of water flowing hrough the turbine in time unit. Determination of turbine discharge is one of most difficult tasks in hydraulic turbine tests. Three basic methods of turbine discharge measurement will be presented and analyze in this chapter.