Thegravitation water vortex power plant is a type ofmicro hydro vortex turbine system which converts energy in a moving fluid torotational energy using a lowhydraulic head of 0.7–3 metres (2 ft 4 in – 9 ft 10 in). This technology is based on a round basin with a central drain. Above the drain, the water forms a stableline vortex which drives awater turbine.
Precourse designs were patented in 1877[1] and 1967.[2]
The specific design described here was first patented by Greek-Australian Lawyer and Inventor Paul Kouris in 1996,[3] who was searching for a way to harness the power inherent in a vortex.[dubious –discuss]
Later, Austrian Inventor Franz Zotlöterer created a similar turbine while attempting to find a way toaerate water without an external power source.[4]
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The water passes through a straight inlet and then passes tangentially into a round basin. The water forms a vortex over the center bottom drain of the basin. A turbine withdraws rotational energy from the vortex, which is converted intoelectric energy by a generator.[5]
The turbine's theoreticalenergy conversion efficiency is up to 85%;[6] a test installation reported 73% efficiency, and after a year of use the installation cost was just under oneUS dollar perwatt of output capacity.[4]
The turbine'saeration of the water is used to improve water conditions, while the reduced speeds of the turbine and the lack ofcavitation are designed so that most types offish can pass through the turbine freely, something which is much more difficult to achieve at normal hydro plants that require additional structures for the fish migration.[7]
