A SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR CONVERSION OF PUMP TO TURBINE (PAT) FOR RURAL AREAS APPLICATION

Electricity plays an important role in our daily life. Thus, the generation of electricity becomes a first priority issue. Electricity that generates from non-renewable energy such as coal or diesel is a common method for decades. More research had done on renewable energy such as hydro, wind, and biomass in order to produce green energy. For example, hydro turbine utilizes water to revolve the shaft hence generate power. On the other hand, pump is commonly used to displace water from one place to another by using electricity. This paper shows a simplified hydro turbine design to power a small village. By reversing the method of pump and convert it into turbine where electricity generated. This method is known as Pump as Turbine (PAT). Developed PAT has advantages in terms of size and cost. The pump is smaller and compact compare to conventional turbine. In addition, the cost of the pump is relatively cheaper than the normal turbine. In terms of maintenance, the spare parts of the designed pump are cheap and available. The designed PAT will benefit the rural area especially in Sarawak, where transportation is a problem and do not connect to a grid. Lastly, green energy is produced and it can replace the application of using combustible fuel in a diesel generator.