Pumps as Turbines

This second edition of the classic title on practical energy provision for isolated houses and remote locations has now been updated with a new chapter. Pumps as Turbine is a practical handbook for engineers and technicians involved in designing and installing small water-power schemes. It concerns the use of standard pump units as a low-cost alternative to conventional turbines to provide stand-alone electricity generation for isolated houses and remote communities. This second edition has been updated and extended to include a case study from a recent scheme installed in collaboration with ITDG Kenya. The pump selection process is described through this step-by-step example, where the site head would have been too low for a Pelton turbine. The case study demonstrates that now, possibly more than ever before, the use of pumps as turbines offers a reliable, low-cost option for rural electrification. Arthur Williams has been involved in micro-hydro research and development since 1987. While completing his PhD he worked with ITDG to set up successful pump-as-turbine demonstration schemes in the UK and Pakistan. He is now a senior lecturer at the Nottingham Trent University where he continues to work on micro- and pico-hydro power.