[01] Obinna Ajala CHINYERE, Department of Engineering Infrastructure, Renewable Energy (Small Hydropower) Unit, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria. [02] Emmanuel Adewale AJANI, Department of Engineering Infrastructure, Renewable Energy (Small Hydropower) Unit, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria. [03] Emmanuel Osiewundo OJO, Department of Engineering Infrastructure, Renewable Energy (Small Hydropower) Unit, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria. [04] Fidelia Ifeyinwa MADUKA, Department of Engineering Infrastructure, Renewable Energy (Small Hydropower) Unit, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria. [05] Nkiru Rosemary OBASIH, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. [06] Edward Udoka MAFIANA, Department of Engineering Infrastructure, Renewable Energy (Small Hydropower) Unit, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria.

Proper feasibility analysis is key to the success and sustainability of Small Hydropower projects (SHP) as the feasibility studies serves as a guide wither such projects should be embarked upon, as well as a preventive tool against such projects failure, breakdown or even abandonment. The Technical Analysis of Aku (SHP) project was investigated. In appraising the technical analysis, the flow, head and power to be generated were considered. The Aku river flow was measured during the peak of dry season using velocity area method to estimate a dry season flow of 2.75m³/s, while the head of the river 7.9m was gotten using a digital altimeter, producing an estimated run-off power of 152.1kW from calculation. A Load estimate of 639.013kW of Aku surrounding villages was gotten using the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation(NCEEC) standard which was a far cry from the run-off generation capacity of 152.1kW, hence the adoption of the dam-toe scheme, to meet the power requirement of Aku load demand. The flow duration curve shows that the flow of 0-3m³/s is available 97% of the year, while 5m³/s the approximate design flow for the dam-toe model is available 85% of the year. The penstock economic diameter and length of 2.58m and 127m respectively will be suitable for the scheme from calculation, while the use of charts and tables guided the selection of two units of Kaplan turbine of 350kW each for the implementation of the scheme.

Technical, Feasibility, Aku-Dam, Small Hydropower

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