Calculated Results
Results appear here after submission and remain visible above the form.
Calculator Inputs
Energy Growth Chart
The graph plots cumulative electrical energy across the selected runtime.
Formula Used
Hydraulic Power: Phydraulic = ρ × g × Q × H
Electrical/Useful Power: Puseful = ρ × g × Q × H × η
Energy: E = Puseful × t
Mass Flow Rate: ṁ = ρ × Q
Here, ρ is fluid density, g is gravitational acceleration, Q is volumetric flow rate, H is hydraulic head, η is efficiency as a decimal, and t is runtime in seconds.
This calculator converts all entries to SI units internally, then reports power and energy in practical engineering units such as watts, kilowatts, megawatts, kilowatt-hours, and megajoules.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the vertical head available to the water source.
- Choose the correct head unit, then enter the flow rate.
- Select the flow unit that matches your project data.
- Adjust density if the fluid differs from freshwater.
- Confirm gravity or keep the standard default value.
- Enter overall efficiency for the full hydro system.
- Provide runtime and choose seconds, minutes, hours, or days.
- Press calculate to show results above the form.
- Review the chart, then export results as CSV or PDF.
Example Data Table
| Case | Head (m) | Flow (m³/s) | Efficiency (%) | Runtime (h) | Useful Power (kW) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro Hydro | 18 | 0.35 | 72 | 8 | 44.47 | 355.78 |
| Run-of-River | 65 | 1.20 | 84 | 10 | 642.90 | 6428.96 |
| High Head Plant | 140 | 3.00 | 90 | 6 | 3706.91 | 22241.47 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does hydro potential energy mean here?
It represents the energy available from water because of elevation and flow. The calculator converts that available hydraulic energy into useful power and energy using efficiency and runtime.
2. Why is head important in hydro calculations?
Head measures the vertical drop available to the water. More head means more gravitational energy per unit volume, so power increases directly when flow and other inputs stay constant.
3. Why do I need flow rate?
Flow rate tells you how much water passes through the turbine each second. Greater discharge increases the amount of energy delivered, so hydraulic power rises linearly with flow.
4. What efficiency should I enter?
Use the combined efficiency of the turbine, generator, drive system, and other losses. If you only know separate efficiencies, multiply them together first, then convert to a percentage.
5. Can this calculator handle units like feet and gallons?
Yes. It accepts meters or feet for head and several common flow units, including liters per second, cubic feet per second, and US gallons per minute.
6. Does the calculator give hydraulic power or electrical power?
It gives both. Hydraulic power shows theoretical water power before losses. Useful power applies the entered efficiency, which better represents practical output available from the system.
7. Why is energy shown in multiple units?
Different projects use different reporting units. Kilowatt-hours are common for energy production, while joules and megajoules help with physics, engineering, and technical comparison tasks.
8. Can I use this for fluids other than water?
Yes, provided the formula assumptions still fit your case. Change the density value to match the fluid, and verify your efficiency estimate reflects the actual equipment and operating conditions.