Measuring Water Pressure or Head

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WATER ENERGY
In this section you can find information on small scale microhydro systems such as small water turbines. Check out the Resources section for information on books,
magazines and articles on water energy applications.
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MEASURING THE WATER PRESSURE (HEAD)

Overview

In order to determine the feasibility of using microhydro, and to

determine the type of turbine you should use, you will need to
measure the head, or water pressure, that your site can generate. At
the most basic level this involves a measurement in the change in
altitude between the water intake and the turbine. There are several
approaches you can take to measure the head for your system.

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Measuring Head
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Remember that head is the pressure created by the force of gravity

and is a function of the difference in elevation between the intake of
your pipeline, and your water turbine. Normally head pressure is
measured in pounds per square inch, or for those of you on the metric system, newtons per
square meter. Fortunately, as Newton taught us, the force of gravity is a constant and
therefore it is possible to exactly calculate the pressure that gravity will create given a given
vertical drop. The formula is straightforward:
1 vertical foot = 0.433 pounds per square inch (psi)

FINDING THE BEST

One of the services we
want to provide our EB
members is a listing of
Recommended
Microhydro Contractors.
If you have used a
microhydro contractor for
your home or business
and were happy with
their work please provide
us their contact info by
clicking here and we will
do the rest. As soon as we
have a sufficient list
together we will publish
it on the site. Thanks!
--Editor
NEW PRODUCTS

or conversely
1 psi = 2.31 vertical feet
Direct Reading using a GPS or Altimeter
By far the simplest method is to take direct measurements using an altimeter or a portable
GPS unit. In our experience most altimeters do not have sufficient accuracy for most
measurement situations. However, GPS units have been getting progressively more accurate
and are often an excellent alternative if you can get access to one. In any event, look in the
manual and determine your instruments accuracy level. If it is accurate within a meter or so
you are probably fine. Then just take a reading at the area you are planning to put the water
intake, and another reading where the turbine will be placed and compare the difference.
Then just multiple the feet times the pressure constant of 0.433 pounds per square inch per

Harris Water Turbine

The multiple nozzle
arrangement allows much
more water to impact the

2015-05-06 14:22

Measuring Water Pressure or Head

http://energybible.com/water_energy/measure_water_pressure.html

Organizations
NEED HELP?
The EB team is happy to answer
any questions we can about
alternative energy. Just contact
us at editor@energybible.com.

foot and you have your pressure measurement.

Direct Distance Measurement
It would be nice if you could simply measure the change in altitude using an altimeter or a
GPS unit. Unfortunately, neither of these types of devices is accurate enough to give you a
useful reading. Therefore, to do a direct measurement you will probably have to directly
measure the height difference using a long pole, measuring tape and a level. If you have
access to a surveyors transit on a tripod that is great. If not, you can make something similar
by taping a measuring tape to a long piece of wood or PVC pipe.
To do the actual measurement you will need someone to assist you. The process is
straightforward. Have someone hold a marker to use for the initial spot. This should be at
the same height as where you plan to place the turbine to be placed. Then work your way
uphill to where the intake valve will be taking measurements as you go. To do each
measurement walk uphill, select a spot that is not higher than the top of your measuring stick,
and visualize a horizontal line from where you are standing to your measuring stick. Use the
level both to ensure your pole is vertical and to make sure the horizontal measurement is
exactly 90 degrees from vertical. For those of you who have access to a laser level, these can
be extremely handy in that they create a straight line that is easy to spot even over a
significant distance.
For most locations you will probably have to do multiple measurements to get a total
measurement of the vertical drop. Once you have added up all of your measurements take
the total and multiply it by the pressure constant .(433 pounds per square inch per foot) to
get your head measurement.
Water Pressure Measurement

runner resulting in greater

output at any head, and
more usable power at
lower heads. Multi-nozzle
systems include a PVC
penstock and individual
ball valves on each nozzle.
The pelton type runner is
lost wax cast of silicon
bronze. The wheel is 70 90% efficient, depending
on nozzle size and head
pressure. The bucket
shape allows high
efficiency for nozzles and
provides a flow range of
over 100/1. $1640 from
Harris Hydroelectric.
WATER FACTBOOK
The use of
hydroelectricity is
growing. Today 6.6% of
the total electrical
generation of the U.S.
comes from hydro
systems. In Canada 20%
of the energy comes from
hyrdro.

Another approach to determining the pressure is to simply measure it directly using a long
garden hose or piping. Get one or more hoses and start them at your proposed intake site and
run the hose to the proposed turbine location. If your slope is shallow then you may need to
connect several garden hoses together to do the measurement. Then attach a pressure gauge
to the end of the hose, fill the hose with water, and take the measurement.
There are a couple of tricks to making this approach work. First you need to use a pressure
meter that is designed for the range of pressures you are likely to be working with. Don't use
a 0 - 500 PSI gauge to measure 20 PSI pressure. Use instead a 0 - 30 PSI gauge. Another thing
to watch for is getting air in the hose, this can throw your reading off significantly. If you are
using multiple hoses, also make sure there are no leaks where the hoses are connected.
Gross Head vs. Net Head
Once you have determined the head pressure, which we will refer to as Gross Head Pressure,
you then need to account for the loss of pressure that will actually occur as the water flows
through pipes. In real use conditions the actual pressure at the turbine nozzle is always a bit
less because of this loss of energy due to friction in the pipes. Typically, the actual pressure
your turbine will have is about 85%-90% of the gross head pressure. This is referred to as the
Net Head Pressure. When you go shopping for a turbine use the net head pressure as your
indicator, not the gross.

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