Small Decentralized Hydropower Program National ... - Cd3wd.com

La Tecnologia de las
Turbinas Pequeiias
Examen Selective
Roger E. A. Arndt
Roger E. Arndt examina 10s aspectos de la
ingenieria relativa al desarrollo de las pequeiias cen-
trales hidroelectricas. El presta particular atencion a
las ocasiones en que la tecnologla para las pequeiias
centrales hidroelectricas difiere de la experiencia
ganada en proyectos de mayor escala.
Introduccidn
Las turbinas hidraulicas producen una cuarta
parte, aproximadamente, de la energla ektrica de1
mundo. St. Anthony Falls (el Salto San Antonio), que
puedo ver desde la ventana de mi oficina, sirve para
recordarme constantemente el papel que la energia
hidrkrlica ha desempenado no ~610 en el desarrollo de
Minneapolisl, sino t;imbien en el desarrollo de
nuestra civilizacidn tal coma la conocemos hoy. Se
preve que la energia hidroekctrica seguira
desempeiiando un papel importante en nuestro
escenario energetic0 y que tendra un impact0 cada
vez mas importante en el progreso de las regiones
menos desarrolladas de nuestro planeta.
La turbina hidraulica tiene una rica y variada
histori,2, 3 y ha sido desarroilada coma resultado de
un proceso natural que ha evolucionado a partir de la
rueda hidraulica. El empleo de la turbina hidraulica,
para la generaci6n de electricidad, utilizada
originalmente para impulsar directamente la
maquinaria, es una actividad relativamente reciente.
Gran parte de su desarrollo ocurri6 en Francis, que,
al contrario de Inglaterra, no disponia de las fuentes
de hulla, baratas y abundantes, que impulsaron la
revoluci6n industrial en el Siglo XVIII. La Francis
de1 Siglo XIX encontr6 que su recurso energetic0
m&s abundante era el agua. Ha&a el dia de hoy. la
houilk branche (literalmente, la hulla blanca) es el
tkrmino franc& para la energia hidraulica.
En 1826, la SocieM de encouragement pur 1, In-
dustrie Nationale ofreci6 un premio de 6000 FF a
toda persona que “aplicara en gran escala, de forma
satisfactoria, en las fabricas y talleres de manufac-
turas, las turbinas o ruedas hidraulicas con las ruedas
curvas de Belidor.“z Belidor fue un ingeniero
hidraulico y militar de Sigio XVIII que, en ei period0
1737-1753, escribi6 una obra monumental de cuatro
Roger E. A. Arndt
Roger E. Arndt examines the engineering
aspects of small hydro development. He gives
particular attention to those instances where
small technology differs from experience gained
in larger projects.
Introduction
Water turbines produce approximately one-
fourth of the world’s electric power. The St. An-
thony Falls, just outside my office window,
serves as a constant reminder of the role that
hydropower has played, not only in the develop-
ment of Minneapolis 1, but in the development of
our civilization as we know it today. It is ex-
pected that hydropower will continue to have a
place in our energy picture and will have an in-
creasingly important impact on the growth of the
less developed parts of our world.
The water turbine has a rich and varied
history%3 and has been developed as a result of
a natural evolutionary process from the water
wheel. Originally used for direct drive of
machinery, the use of the water turbine for the
generation of electricity is a relatively recent ac-
tivity. Much of its development occurred in
France, which unlike England, did not have the
cheap and plentiful sources of coal which
sparked the industrial revolution in the eigh-
teenth century, Nineteenth century France found
itself with its most abundant energy resource be-
ing water. To this day houille bianche (literally
white coal) is the French term for water power.
In 1826, the Societe de Encouragement pour
I’lndustrie Nationale offered a prize of 6,000 FF
to anyone who “would apply on a large scale in a
satisfactory manner, in factories and manufactur-
ing works, the water turbines or wheels with the
curved wheels of Belidor”3. Belidor was an eigh-
teenth century hydraulic and military engineer
who, in the period 1737-1753, authored a
monumental four volume work on water wheels.
The water wheeis he described departed from
convention by having a vertical axis of rotation
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