Problem
Given the following values:
You have a cabin in the Pennsylvania wilderness far away from civilization and want to install a small hydro generator to provide electricity. A stream runs down a hill behind your cabin where you can construct a simple run-of-river hydro installation. You calculate that the effective head of the installation is 20 feet and that water would flow through the system at a rate of 320 cubic feet per minute. The simple inexpensive hydro turbo-generator (turbine mated with electric generator) that you intend to buy has a working efficiency of 85%.
i. How much power can you generate with this system?
ii. How many 15 Watt light bulbs can you power with this hydro setup?
iii. What type of turbine would you expect to find in your turbo-generator? Why?