The Online Journal on Power and Energy Engineering (OJPEE) Vol. (1) – No. (2)

Reference Number: W09-0014 62

Traditional Water Wheels as a RenewableRural Energy

G. Akhyar Ibrahim1, C. H. Che Haron1 and C. Husna Azhari1

1Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan MalaysiaBangi Darul Ehsan, Selangor, 43600, Malaysia

Abstract- Renewable and sustainable energy isincreasingly gaining interest in current research circlesdue to the debates on renewable energy resources. It isessential for scientists and researchers to search forsolutions in renewable energy resources, with effectivetechnologies, and low cost in operation and maintenance.Hydro resources can be considered a potential renewableenergy resource. The traditional water wheel with simpleconstruction coupled with a basic concept of technologycan be utilised as a renewable and sustainable ruralenergy system. This paper discusses the case of the waterwheel as a renewable energy system employed in Padang,Indonesia. The Padang water wheel is constructed fromhardwood material with a diameter of 300 cm and widthof 40 cm. It is built on a river using water flow to generatethe movement of the wheel. The water wheel applicationin the area showed that it is suitable to be utilised toelevate and distribute water to rice fields located at ahigher level than the water level of the river. The waterwheel capacity is about 100 – 120 liters/min. It couldcontinuously irrigate 5 ha. of the rice fields. One of theadvantages of this water wheel type is to function as agreen technology concept promising no negative effect onthe environment. The traditional water wheel has also abig economic impact on the rural economy, increasing theproductivity of the rice fields. The people of Padang live ina water landscape encompassing the water wheel as anubiquitous part of their lives, hence they relate to it andthe technology of fabrication as well as the utilisation,making it an amenable and effective technology, findingrelevance in the modern world.

Keywords: Traditional water wheel, sustainable andrenewable energy, rural area, economic impact.

I. INTRODUCTION

Hydro resource is one of the most potential energy resourcesamong the other interesting resources such as solar cell,geothermal, fossil and hydrogen energy systems. Hydroresources can be considered as a renewable and sustainable ruralenergy system because it is obtainable in the free environmentmainly on a water landscape [1]. Hydropower on a small-scaleis one of the most cost-effective energy technologies to be

considered for rural energy systems in less developed countries.It is also the main prospect for future hydro development inmany countries including Europe and Asia. Small hydrotechnology (in terms of the water wheel) is extremely robust(systems can last for 50 years or more with little maintenance)and is also one of the most environmentally benign energytechnologies available [1,5]. In historical background,hydropower started with the hardwood water wheel. Waterwheels of various types had been in use in many parts of Asiafor some 2,000 years, mostly for milling grain as well aselevating and distributing the water to rice fields. By the time ofthe Industrial Revolution, water wheel technology had beenimproved to a fine art, with efficiencies approaching 70% beingachieved in the many tens of thousands of water wheels in use.Enhanced engineering skills combined with the need ofdeveloping compact and higher speed devices in generatingelectricity, led to the development of modern-day turbines[2,6,7].

In Padang, Indonesia, water wheels (PWW) are the mostpopular in terms of traditional rural energy systems due to thelow cost of construction, and operation, low maintenance, andthe availability of materials. Two major materials for waterwheel found in Padang, Indonesia are hardwood and bamboo.Actually, many traditional water wheels had been applied tohelp people’s agricultural activities in rural area. One of theoldest water wheels found by Raffles in Padang at 1718 wasconstructed from bamboo and was used to irrigate water to ricefields. The PWW is mainly constructed from bamboo andhardwood due to the presence of natural resources as well aslimited electrical energy conditions to generate pumps [4]. Theindigenous use of natural energy resources in Padang has beenacculturated as long as two-centuries ago [3].

Hydro-turbines or water wheels convert water pressure intomechanical shaft power, which can be used to elevate water orto drive an electricity generator. The power obtainable isproportional to the product of pressure head and volume of flowrate. The flow of water from the channel/injector enters to bladewith high velocity, then continuously rotates the wheel andelevates the water simultaneously.

II. INVESTIGATED METHODS AND MATERIALS

The water wheels studied were selected from two areas inthe Padang Coastal Region (Palupuak and Durian Taruang );one in the coastal region and the other in the mountainous

The Online Journal on Power and Energy Engineering (OJPEE) Vol. (1) – No. (2)

Reference Number: W09-0014 63

area, Aia Angek, Bukittinggi. The PWW were selected by theDepartment Officials of the Principality of Padang and theyprovided the informants who supplied the background of thelocal knowledge. The informants were interviewed on theirindigenous knowledge of fabrication of the WW. Theresearchers went on location, measured the WW and tookdetailed photographs, which were then rendered into sketches.An investigation of the cultural landscape was alsoundertaken to see the perspective of the PWW within itscultural context.

Most materials for the water wheels come from hardwoodand bamboo base, which is from the environmental forest.Now, the construction of water wheels is assembled fromsteel to strengthen and making them more durable but itraised costs in the construction and operation. However, usingwood and bamboo in the making of water wheels wouldreduce the cost of operation and maintenance. Tables 1 and 2list the materials used and specifications of the PWW. Itfunctioned to elevate water from a lower place to a higher one,then to distribute water to rice fields (Table 1). When used(Figure. 1) to mill rice grain, the PWW is called a water mill.

Table (1): Materials and specifications of the PWW toelevate and distribute water to rice fieldsMaterials Specifications

Wheel Hardwood Wheel diameter 300 cmWaterchamber

Hardwood Wheel width 40 cm

Bearing Steel (used) Wheel thickness 25 cmBlade Hardwood Shaft diameter 20 cmShaft Hardwood Blade numbers 30Tunnel andpiping

Zinc (used) Chambernumbers

30

Blade angle 30Flow waterangle

30

Table (2): Materials and specifications of water wheel formilling

Materials SpecificationsWheel Hardwood Wheel

diameter150 cm

Waterchamber

Hardwood Wheel width 35 cm

Bearing Steel (used) Wheelthickness

20 cm

Blade Hardwood Shaftdiameter

30 cm

Shaft Hardwood Bladenumbers

25

Blade angle 30Flow waterangle

30

III. MECHANISM OF THE WATER WHEEL

The PWW is an undershot water wheel type where thewater flows to blades at the under side of the wheel (Figures.1 and 2). The advantage of the undershot water wheel is thatit is a simple design and can be operated on a small river withlow cutting speeds. The water impact on the blades caused therunners or wheels to rotate and thus develop mechanicalenergy. When the wheels rotate, the chamber elevates waterfrom a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir reaching as highas 3 m. After that from the higher reservoir, the water isdistributed to rice fields using a piping installation system,which is constructed from bamboo. The water capacityelevated depends on the geometry of the water wheel, wateravailability, size of chamber and the height from the lower tothe higher reservoir.

Wheel

Shaft

Figure (1): Schematics of the PWW used to elevate anddistribute water to rice fields.

Figure (2): Water wheel constructed from hardwood used toelevate water to a 3- meter height.

The Online Journal on Power and Energy Engineering (OJPEE) Vol. (1) – No. (2)

Reference Number: W09-0014 64

Figure (3): Water mill constructed from hardwood with adiameter of 75 cm.

IV. WATER WHEEL CAPACITY

The water wheel elevates water from a lower to a higherreservoir using chambers on the inside of the wheel. Thecapacity of water depends on the geometry of the chambersand velocity of wheel rotation. A medium water wheelmeasures 300 cm in diameter, 40 cm width, for 30 chambersand a capacity of 100 –120 liters/min (Fig. 4). According tothe designer of the water wheel, the capacity can increase byincreasing the water flows or the adding of chambers. Toproduce the maximum water wheel capacity, controlling thewater flow is very important. There are two ways to controlthe water flow; one is to reduce/increase number of water andthe second is to decrease/increase the flow water using abrake under the wheel. Using a brake under the wheel is easyto set manually.

Figure (4): the capacity of water wheel to elevate water

The PWW WM (PWW water mill) can generatemechanical power for traditional rice milling or rice pounders.This WM capacity is smaller than the WW because togenerate the pounders requires only low energy. Theparticular WM studied in Bukit Tinggi, a mountainous area of

the Padang Region consists of seven pounders (Figure. 5).Usually, the pounders are made from hard and heavy wood.According to the informants, the water-mill with sevenpounders could produce 600 kg of rice powder in a day. Thisis equated to the capacity of the WM. The capacity can beincreased by increasing the number of pounders. An increasein the speed of rotation can also increase the powderproduction capacity.

Figure (5): Water mill generates seven pounderssimultaneously

The input in the water mill system, using the drop of waterand transforming the water’s potential energy into kineticenergy, which moves the blades of the vertical wheel, whichin turn causes the shaft to move the pounders. The rotation ofthe wheel depends on the velocity of flow water in the tunneland waterfall angle (Figure 6a). The bearing functions toreduce the friction between the shaft and casing. Constructionof pounders, shaft and supporting wheel also contributes toreduce energy losses in the water wheel system (Figures 6b,6c & 6d).

(a)

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Reference Number: W09-0014 65

(b)

(c)

(d)

Figure (6): Construction of water mill: (a) the tunnel andwaterfall on wheel, (b) pounders mechanism, (c) ball bearing

used (d) shaft and supporting wheel.

V. COST OF CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION ANDMAINTENANCE

In terms of manufacturing process, the operation andmaintenance costs are considered as very important items tosustain a system. For this WM, the construction cost is lowdue to the construction using hardwood, which comes fromthe natural environment. Some parts are taken from steel suchas bearings but they are also from recycled materials. The lowcost of operation is also due to the non-dependence of usingan electrical power to generate the movement of the wheel.The power resource is water flow, used to continuouslygenerate the movement of the wheel. Therefore, the waterflow is considered a renewable and sustainable energy. Thecost of maintenance is also very low since there is no need formaintenance annually or monthly. Based on the experience ofthe informants, a change of components seldom occurred;hence further contributing to the reduction in cost.

The cost estimation to construct a PWW of 300 cmdiameter is about US$ 300 – 400 using hardwood as themajor material and recycled bearing. The cost estimation for aWM is lower. The actual total cost for water wheel dependson the size and model. PWW in some areas are constructed ofbamboo to reduce costs. Such a WW will give a shorter lifecompared to that constructed from hardwood.

VI. ECONOMIC IMPACT ONTHE RURAL ECONOMY

In the rural area, most activities centered on usingtraditional technology, sometimes resulting in lowproductivities. The PWW, using water flow from rivers canincrease productivities. The development of energy systemsbased on water energy resources is vital to enhance thelivelihood of people. Padang is a community that has longbeen in close affinity with a water landscape, water has beenpart of the geographical, cultural and intellectual landscape,thus it is only natural that many traditional innovation arisefrom this landscape. The pervasive cosmological landscape ofthe Padang people is a house situated in a valley; beyond thehouse are gentle rolling hills; next to the house is a waterwheel attached to a water mill. The river that provides energyto the water wheel runs to a lake. The whole country has asystem of irrigation and drainage, which are inter-connected.

In this landscape, it is expected that water wheel has aneconomic importance; developed for irrigation and drainage.As a role of thumb, one water wheel can irrigate about 5 ha ofrice field of more should the number and size of water wheelsmaybe increased, therefore the greater the area that can beirrigated. Hence, there is a need to design efficient pipingsystems from reservoirs to the rice fields.

Similar to the WW, the WM also gives a significanteconomic impact to the rural environment. A WW with 150cm diameter and 40 cm width can pound 600 kg of powdersin a day. For one of the informants, the money from the

The Online Journal on Power and Energy Engineering (OJPEE) Vol. (1) – No. (2)

Reference Number: W09-0014 66

family WM in Aia Hangat has supported a family consists offive persons since twenty years ago, including sending twooff springs to university. It was observed that the WW andWM have a big economic impact on the rural economy. Onthe whole, this system holds enormous potential in terms ofeconomic impact due to its low cost, sustainability, andenergy renewability.

VII. EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY INTHE RURAL AREA

Modern turbo-machinery based on advanced technologysuch as the pump and turbine are difficult to be applied in therural areas due to non-accessibility of electrical power. Butthey still need machines to support agricultural activities. TheWW and WM are suitable and effective technology systemsto support the system of irrigation (Figure 7). One of the mostimportant aspects of the traditional water wheel is that it isconstructed using a simple design with very basic technology.No special expertise is required in constructing the waterwheel but knowledge on how to transfer the energy from thewater to be mechanical power is very important.

Figure (7): Two types of water wheels were constructedfrom hardwood and bamboo.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS

The PWW, a renewable and sustainable energy systemwith effective technologies, low cost of operation andmaintenance is very suitable in rural area with a waterlandscape environment. The traditional water wheel and watermill, which were constructed with a simple design with verybasic technology, have a big economic impact on the ruraleconomy. The traditional water wheels and water mills wereconstructed from hardwood, bamboo and recycledcomponents from steel functions as a new green technologypromising no negative effects on the environment.

REFERENCES

[1] M.G. Simoes and F.A. Farret, 2004, Renewable EnergySystem: Design and Analysis with induction generators,CRC Press, Florida, USA.

[2] Oliver, P., 2002, “Small Hydro Power: Technology andCurrent Status,” Renewable and Sustainable EnergyReviews, Vol. 107, No. 6, pp. 537-556.

[3] http://www.pelaminanminang.com/sejarah/sejarah_sumatera_barat.html)

[4] S. Muin, 1993, Pesawat-Pesawat Konversi Egergi II,CNR Pres. Jakarta.

[5] R.S.R. Gorla and A.A. Khan, 2003, Turbo-machinery:Design and theory, Marcel Dekker Inc. USA.

[6] A. Earthxcan, 1981, New and Renewable Energy,Russell Press Ltd. Nottingham, UK.

[7] O.E. Belje, 1981, Turbo-machinery: A Guide to design,Selection, and Theory, John Willey & Son Inc. USA.