Education for A Better Life

verasj (65)in #steemit • 8 years ago (edited)

A MicroHydro scheme is one of many hydropower systems. They are site specific. This means a MicroHydro scheme is designed around its environment. It is not possible to apply a ‘one model fits all’ methodology. The figure below illustrates a typical MicroHydro scheme with the main components identified.

A typical illustration of Micro Hydro System

Basic Principle

The basic principle of hydropower is that if water can be piped from a certain level to a lower level, the resulting water pressure can be used to do work. If the water pressure is allowed to move a mechanical component, then that movement results in the conversion of potential Energy of the water into mechanical Energy. Turbines convert water under pressure into mechanical shaft power, which can be used to drive a Generator.

Developing

Developing a MicroHydro scheme requires a comprehension of the site, an understanding of the factors that influence design, an ability to relate design considerations to construction, general mechanical knowledge and electrical knowhow. This broad range of factors is best learnt via resources in the classroom and practical sessions in the field. With this in mind, the Centre of Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technologies (CREATE), located in Malaysian Borneo, has developed a basic training education for local communities.

Objective

The training has been developed specifically for villagers with minimal formal education. It’s main objective is to facilitate the development of MicroHydro technicians that would be able to construct MicroHydro schemes with minimal supervision. It also aims to instil qualities that would enable the technicians to explain the technicalities and economics of a scheme to village folk they liaise with.

It is hoped that once trainees have gone through the curriculum, and as their interests and natural aptitudes become apparent, they may go on to develop niche skills such as becoming a MicroHydro Turbine fabricator, a site survey specialist or a team leader.

Training activities

Activities 1

The following is a list of activities that would be carried out at CREATE to reinforce the training material covered

Dropping Objects - Trainees undertake an experiment that demonstrates that the earth produces the same acceleration on every object and that air resistance can effect that acceleration.
Obstacle Course - Trainees learn that resistance leads to loss of Efficiency via participating in an obstacle course.
Battery and Light Bulbs -Trainees explore the relationship between Energy and Power by connecting different rated light bulbs to a battery system.
Measuring Head - Trainees are trained in the use of various Head estimating devices at a prospective MicroHydro site – Tube and Pressure Gauge, GPS and Theodolite.
Measuring Flow - Trainees are trained in the use of various Flow estimating methodologies at a prospective MicroHydro site – float method, bucket method and salt conduction method.
Plant Factor Derivation - Trainees undertake an exercise that requires them to obtain the relevant information behind each variable within the Plant Factor equation and then calculate Plant Factor.
Village Interviews - Trainees interview various households in a village to obtain social data of the community.
Village Mapping - Trainees summarise CREATE and the village surroundings in the form of a sketch.
Community Organising - Trainees play an active role organising villagers as workforce during the development of community based MicroHydro scheme.

Community organising

Lesson Plan

The following is a list of lesson plans that the training material is based around. It is divided into Fundamentals and Core Subject Matter. The Fundamentals bit grounds the trainees in basic principles that may have eluded them to date due to their lack of formal education. Once the trainees have been brought up to speed, they would only then move on to the Core Subject Matter. This bit focuses on MicroHydro components. Where applicable, the principles learnt in the Fundamentals bit are reemphasised

Activities Plan 1

The following is a list of activities that would be carried out at CREATE to reinforce the training material covered.

Moyog River Walk – Trainees take a walk by a river and are guided so as to see the relationship between barren hills and murky river water.
Phone Book - A demonstration using a phone book is carried out to illustrate the tensile and compressive stresses that arises when bending happens.
Observational Jar - A demonstration using a big jar filled with water, sand, soil and small rocks is shook to different degrees to show the relationship between turbulence and silt suspension and settling time.
Water in Bottle - Trainees observe an experiment where the pressure exerted by different column heights of water is investigated.

Activities Plan 2

Moyog River Walk - Trainees take a walk by a river and document any indications of a flood plane.
Prospective Site Visit - Trainees summarise in the form of a sketch the conditions of a prospective MicroHydro site.
Two Half Pipes - Trainees carry out an experiment using two half pipes of different internal roughness to understand the impact of friction on water Flow.
Rubber Hose - Trainees carry out a mini Penstock simulation at CREATE using a long rubber hose to investigate the factors that influence cost and design of a Penstock.

Skills Developed

The following is a list of skills that the trainees would acquire, both directly and indirectly, by going through the Site Survey and Civil Works training programme.

Selected principles of mathematics and physics: Developed via the foundational lectures necessary to understand the core subject matter
Surveying: Developed via undertaking a site survey and documenting the environmental observations made.
Basic mapping: Developed via the sketching of a map during a site survey.
Problem solving: Developed during the site survey when trainees would have to troubleshoot environmental constrains to determine the most cost-effective and logistically sensible placement of components.
Organisational: Developed via site work. Each day in the field, a different trainee would be responsible for organising the others as well defining, structuring and designating the tasks for the day. The trainee responsible would be supervised by an experienced site developer.
Teamwork: Developed via cooperation among trainees during site work.
Interpersonal: Developed via the interaction of fellow trainees, most of which would come from different villages and cultural backgrounds.
Innovation: Developed via improvisation of construction methods to overcome cost and logistical constraints.
Building knowledge: By way of building the site components, trainees will become familiar with building materials and gain experience using construction tools.

Conclusion

At the end of the programmes, trainees are equiped with knowledge and skill. The science concept on how a Micro Hydro Project system is build and at the same time educate and equip them with knowledge.

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