Programmable Turbine Failsafe System for Pico-Hydroelectric Power in the Nepal Himalayas

Abstract: In this paper, we describe a novel turbine failsafe system designed for a pico-hydroelectric power generation. We designed and built a pico-hydroelectric system in a remote rural Himalayan village. We developed a Prioritized Load Control System (PLCS) that diverts excess electrical power to useful purposes such as heating up bath water and the air in the community center when the electrical demand from the village is low; instead of dumping the excess electricity back into the river in the form of heat. A critical part of the PLCS system is the failsafe mechanism where the turbines and electrical components on the grid are protected in case any part of the PLCS system stops functioning, possibly intermittently. Our novel failsafe system contains the following enhancements compared to previous systems: (1) adjustable threshold voltage, (2) controllable fractional power diversion with adjustable parameters, (3) automatic reset with adjustable parameters. In addition, the failsafe subsystem uses the widely available Arduino platform and programming environment, and JSON for human readable and writable communications, demonstrating their suitability for critical applications.