Feasibility study of harnessing hydro power for electricity generation in water transmission pipelines of Kermanshah city

The present study analyzes the main water pipelines of Kermanshah city in the western of Iran for the sake of power and electricity generation. Generally, pressure relief valves or break pressure tanks are used in water pipelines to regulate the water pressure. However, micro scales of hydro turbines could instead be used to generate green electricity without any side and harmful effects. For that purpose, the five main water pipelines in Kermanshah city were investigated numerically. With the help of hydraulic properties of the pipelines and also their topographic characteristics, the conservation laws were employed to find the pressure drop together with the energy potential along the pipelines. Of the transmission lines investigated in this study, the results revealed that the Gavoshan water transmission line is the best one based on the power generation potential. Moreover, the analyses show that 2.4 MW of electricity could be harnessed from that line.