Tube turbine Turbinator^®

The working range of the Turbinator is not properly covered by other turbine types. Outside of the primary range of both Kaplan Francis and Pelton turbines, it is optimised for sites with medium water flow and medium head (see "Working range" box).

Small mini hydropower plants tend to become costly, as the civil works (plant building, foundations, ...) are approximately the same regardless of power plant size. And as small plant give less income than large plants, the civil works costs have stopped many mini hydropower plant projects at the planning stage.

• Turbine / generator construction reduces appurtenant civil works costs to a minimum
• Turbine / generator construction main focus has been robusteness, a simple construction in a minimum volume

This is why the Turbinator is made to stand outdoors, exposed to the elements - and requires only a concrete slab foundation by the pipe.

The machine is constructed to be simple and robust, and patented solutions yield high efficiency.

The main properties of the Turbinator are:

• It is sealed against the environment, and can stand exposed to the elements

• The generator is directly on the water pipe, and is cooled by the water flow

• The runner has fixed pitch

• The turbine has guide vanes (surfaces that gives the water optimum direction towards the runner) that are not adjustable

• The generator is permanent magnetised, unregulated, and in its initial version directly connected to the grid (optional equipment for rotational speed regulation will come later)

• Turbine and generator constitutes one compact, integrated unit - significantly simplifying the installation

• The Turbinator can be installed at any angle from horizontal to vertical, and is therefore fully adaptable to the situation at different sites

• Patented solutions gives the machine a competitive efficiency in a simplified construction