We install our self-produced hydropower plants on rivers and streams, channel drops, irrigation systems, drinking water pipelines, wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial water supply and drainage systems, as well as on dams of previously existing hydropower plants.

We manufacture equipment for small hydropower, which we broadly categorize into three types:

• Micro-Hydro — Power from 3 kW to 100 kW
• Mini Hydro — Power from 100 kW to 1 MW
• Small Hydro — Power from 1 MW to 30 MW

Small Hydro and Mini Hydro are often collectively referred to as SHP.

Stages of Small Hydropower Plant Creation

To create a small hydropower plant, we perform a comprehensive range of work, which includes the following stages:

1. Surveying the water body to assess its energy potential.
2. Justifying the choice of technological equipment, placement, and layout of hydraulic structures.
3. Preparing a technical proposal for construction.
4. Conducting engineering surveys (geodesy, geology, ecology, meteorology).
5. Developing project and working documentation.
6. Obtaining necessary permits and passing project expertise.
7. Construction.
8. Manufacturing, delivery, installation, and commissioning of hydropower equipment.

The choice of technology and methods for creating a small hydropower plant depends on the natural conditions at the construction site and the characteristics of the water flow.

Typically, small hydropower plants on rivers are created using a diversion scheme. Water is diverted from the river using an intake and flows through a conduit laid along the terrain to create a height difference between the intake location and the other end of the conduit, where the hydropower unit is connected.

Main Components of a Hydropower Plant

In the process of creating a small hydropower plant, we design hydraulic structures:

• Water Retaining Structures (if necessary) — dams, levees. These block the water flow completely or partially to increase the water level and create head.
• Water Intake Structures. Used to divert water from the river and to separate floating debris.
• Water Conveying Structures — diversion channels, pipelines. Used to convey water to the units.
• Spillway Structures. Used to discharge excess water, including floodwater, to the section of the water flow below the water retaining structure (tailrace).
• Hydropower Plant Building.
• Hydro Units, including hydro turbines, electrical generators, and automatic control systems.

Determining the Power of a Hydropower Plant

The power of a hydropower plant is calculated based on two parameters:

• Head — The height difference between the start and end of the conduit minus the losses incurred in the conduit due to water flow.
• Flow Rate — The volume of water per unit of time entering the hydro unit through the conduit.

To determine the head and flow rate, a survey of the water flow is required, along with calculations.

Seasonal factors such as floods, dry seasons, and rainy seasons are considered in calculating the average annual flow rate.

Selecting the Turbine Based on Flow Characteristics

Head and flow rate are key parameters in choosing the type of hydro turbine:

• Pelton Turbine (Impulse Turbine). The principle of operation involves water jets hitting buckets mounted on the runner, causing it to rotate. After transferring impulse energy to the runner, the water flows out through a discharge pipe at atmospheric pressure. Pelton turbines are used only with very high heads and have the lowest water flow requirement among turbine types.
• Kaplan Turbine (Propeller Turbine). This turbine’s operation principle involves water flowing over the blades of the runner (propeller), causing it to rotate. This rotation is transferred to the turbine shaft, which is connected to an electrical generator. Kaplan turbines are used for large flow volumes (high flow) and low heads, typically in flat rivers or channels with small height variations.
• Francis Turbine (Radial-Axial Turbine). It occupies an intermediate position in terms of head requirements between propeller and impulse turbines, typically used for heads of 30-180 m with medium flow rates. Francis turbines have the widest range of operational conditions and the highest efficiency among all turbine types.

For each specific combination of water flow and head, an optimal turbine type is chosen. However, the operating ranges of different turbine types overlap, so a single hydropower plant may feature different types of turbines.

INSET - Optimal Turbine Design

INSET’s hydro turbines are designed to maximize efficiency across the broadest possible range of heads (blue line). This approach provides better results in small hydropower due to the significant seasonal variations in flow and head in small rivers.

In comparison, the red line shows the design parameters for turbines used in large and medium-sized hydropower plants. As seen from the graph, these turbines are designed for specific and stable flow characteristics at large water bodies, with maximum efficiency achievable only at a certain head Hi.

35 years of experience in designing, manufacturing, and operating turbines.

The flow parts of all turbines are developed using mathematical modeling methods.

Automatic Control System

We have developed original technical solutions for automatic control systems for small and micro hydropower plants.

The automatic control systems for hydro units produced by INSET do not require constant presence of service personnel on site, and the hydro units operate reliably in automatic mode.

The control system is based on a programmable controller that allows monitoring the operational parameters of the hydro unit on a computer screen.

INSET Ready Solutions

Based on our experience and over 400 surveys of small rivers, INSET has developed a range of hydro units of various types and capacities that cover 96% of our clients' requests. Turbines, gearboxes, generators, and other hydro unit components are manufactured in series at specialized factories in St. Petersburg. All products are certified.

Thus, there is no need for custom-designed hydro units, which significantly reduces the final cost of the small hydropower plant.