UNDERSHOT FLAT PLATE WATER WHEEL PERFORMANCE AS A WATER LIFTER

Waterwheel as one of the oldest water distribution technology and electricity generator in the world and as the beginning of the industrial revolution. The water wheel technology utilized itself as a an equipment to distribute water for agriculture, could also be used for electrical power generation, especially in areas with high speed water flow. This study aims to observe the blade length effect toward the bucket and to find out how much efficiency is produced. In waterwheels, blade length would affect the bucket lift power to raise water from a low place to a higher place. From the three undershot blade length variation, the highest efficiency occurred at a the 60 mm blade length with a value of 35.839% compared to the 50 mm blade length with an efficiency value of 34.956% and the 40 blade length with the low efficiency, with a value of 32.322%. All blades have the same width, which is 70 mm.