DOI: https://doi.org/10.61435/ijred.2025.61660

Renewable energy from irrigation infrastructure: Experimental insights from a Michell-Banki micro-hydropower prototype in a Colombian irrigation district

Programa de ingeniería agrícola, Facultad de ingeniería, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Huila, Colombia

Received: 11 Aug 2025; Revised: 28 Sep 2025; Accepted: 7 Oct 2025; Available online: 25 Oct 2025; Published: 1 Nov 2025.
Editor(s): H Hadiyanto
Open Access Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Centre of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE)
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This study presents the experimental characterization of a Michell–Banki micro-hydropower prototype implemented in the Túnel del Río Neiva irrigation district (Colombia), aimed at promoting distributed generation in off-grid rural areas. The system was designed for a nominal flow of 0.24 m³/s and a net head of 18 meters, capable of delivering up to 20 kW of electrical power. The turbine-generator performance was evaluated under progressive load and variable flow conditions using direct measurements of voltage, current, power, and rotor speed. A custom-built experimental resistor bank (ERB) was implemented to simulate real load scenarios, enabling the analysis of electrical response as the number of luminaires increased. The results revealed a strong linear correlation between rotor speed and generated voltage (R² = 0.9953), validating the electromechanical design. However, a saturation trend in power output was observed beyond the tenth luminaire, attributed to reduced rotor speed under load. Polynomial regression models were developed to describe the influence of flow rate on speed, voltage, and power. The cubic models for voltage and power achieved coefficients of determination above 97%, with RMSE values of 5.41 V and 375.47 W, respectively. Residual plots confirmed the validity of the models and highlighted the importance of operating close to the nominal flow rate to ensure optimal performance. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using Michell–Banki turbines for rural electrification through irrigation infrastructure. The methodology and findings provide valuable insights for future implementations, emphasizing the need for hydraulic regulation to maintain system efficiency under variable load conditions.

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Keywords: Distributed generation; Energy saturation; Experimental correlation; Polynomial modeling.

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Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
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