Calibration of Measurement Tools in the Experimental Test Rig for Hydropower Performance Evaluation

Abstract

The demonstration of a typical hydropower plant requires the development of a test rig with the installation of tools to measure the performance parameters. The measurement tools require a calibration process to improve the quality of recorded data. This study involved the calibration of traditional and automated measurement tools connected to the hydropower test rig through an Arduino microprocessor. The automated measurement tools included a pressure transducer, flow meter, digital tachometer, and torque transducer, while traditional measurement tools, including a pressure gauge, concrete water tank, contact tachometer, and force lever arm balance, were connected in the same test rig during the calibration process. Arduino microprocessor was employed with code to generate signals when connected to automated measurement tools. The results of automated tools varied linearly with traditional measurement tools, with R-squared closer to 1. Therefore, this study recommended that calibrating automated measurement tools during experimental testing is essential for accurately assessing the performance of the test rig development. Arduino microprocessor; head; hydropower test rig; rotational speed; flow rate.