PowerSpout PLT Cube - Hydro Turbine

We are very proud of our PowerSpout PLT Turbine which has been continually improved over the years. We do however understand that some people have real budgetary constraints so for these people we have developed the PLT Cube. Our focus has been to reduce the cost and weight of the turbine while retaining the essential qualities of efficient and robust turbine.

Note: If your delivery address is in Africa, Asia, South or Central America then your PLT Cube will be assembled as a goodwill gesture to developing countries. All other delivery addresses will receive their PLT Cube as a DIY kit. Please read below for more information. 

The PowerSpout PLT Cube is a highly efficient pelton turbine which on a suitable site can produce up to 1.2kW 24/7, 365 days a year. If a larger output is required you might want to consider our premium PowerSpout PLT turbines or you can stack these units together to generate up to 12kW on the same penstock and power cable. PowerSpout turbines are tailor made products which match your unique resource and personal requirements.

We also offer the PLT Cube as a Twin Pack and in a bundle with a Coanda Intake.

The PowerSpout PLT Cube:

• Has 14 PMA options
• Has comprehensive documentation covering product installation, maintenance and system design. (There is no free personalised support for this product but you can purchase a support ticket if you need our assistance)
• Is a double insulated product

The differences between the existing PowerSpout PLT and the new PLT Cube are very minor from an installation and service viewpoint. Click here to read the differences in detail.

The Cube is a lower cost version designed to twin pack (lower weight and boxy shape with a higher packing efficiency) that has been developed mainly for the less affluent markets of Asia, Africa, Central and South America. The Cube is also available in all other markets as a DIY (do it yourself) turbine kit.

Click here to watch the assembly video of the Cube.

Click here to read the Cube installation manual once it has been fully assembled. 

Specifications:

• Dynamic head range: 3 to 100m (10 – 328 feet)
• Static head range: 3 to 130m (10 – 426 feet)
• Maximum flow/turbine: 8 l/s (130 gpm) at 8m head
• Minimum flow/turbine: 0.2 l/s (0.8 gpm) at maximum head
• Dimensions: 415 x 415 x 415 mm (16.3 x 16.3 x 16.3 inches)
• Maximum power: 1200W
• Common version available: PLT Cube 28/40/50/56/80/170/200 (the number refers to the operating voltage Vo, the runaway Voc can be 3 x higher)
• Maximum current rating: 32 amp

Voltage

Turbines are specified according to their operating voltage under your reported site conditions. "Cube XX" is designed to operate for you at XX volts. (It will work at a different voltage on a different site)

The Cube is available as a Cube 28/40/50/56/80/170/200.

When used with MPPT charge controller (or Grid Tied Inverter), the maximum input voltage limit of the MPPT (or GTI) must be 3 times higher than the turbine operating voltage to avoid damage to the controller. Open circuit voltage (Voc) can damage your controller.

Which Cube you choose will depend on your battery voltage and the make of MPPT regulator or GTI you intend to use. Read this charge controller guide for more help.

Each Cube turbine comes with:

• 6 Jets (2 for turbine and 4 spares)
• 2 valves (2” BSP threaded valves are supplied as standard unless you advise us that you need NPT threads in the drop down menu above)
• A mid-range oil filled pressure gauge
• Manual grease fitting as standard (automatic greasing options available on this website)
• 2m of 4mm2 tinned PV wire for +/-
• 2 x MC4 cable connectors
• 4 x Tek screw fixing kit
• Rotor packing set

The Cube is a double insulated product and has no exposed conductive parts; hence there is no need for an earth/ground/protective conductor in the wiring. Only two wires are needed.

Regardless of whether you buy directly from us or from a dealer you will need to collect your site data, assess your energy needs and complete a calculation. If you need help doing this please read our getting started guide.

DIY Cube Kits

We will determine if a cube ships fully assembled or as a DIY kit based on the shipping address. If you live outside Africa, Asia, South or Central America and want a fully assembled turbine please take a look at our premium PLT turbine.

Click here for detailed instructions for the assembly of your turbine

The performance of DIY Cubes is not guaranteed as you are making it yourself.

Unfortunately many DIY hydro turbine projects will never get completed. Those that do may be highly inefficient and unreliable due to the complex nature of designing a hydro turbine for a specific site, voltage and power conversion equipment (PCE). This is especially true when the designer/builder has no or little experience with the calculations needed to achieve the best result. Making a hydro turbine work is one thing, making it highly efficient, reliable and cost effective in both your time and capital outlay in another. The DIY Cube makes this possible for those DIY turbine builders who want to have a go. If you just want to have a play you will find lower cost (and lower quality) hydro parts online. If you want a serious DIY product then we challenge you to find a more cost effective offering than our Cube DIY product.

We wish you well with your DIY project, but be aware our time is not free just because you bought a DIY kit from us. If you require help beyond that contained in our free PDF guides and videos, then you will need to pay for a support ticket.

Our Gesture

We often hear of sub-performing, broken or abandoned hydro systems in developing countries. We believe if implemented and maintained correctly that our micro hydro turbines have the potential to power thousands of homes in an affordable and sustainable way. There are many complex factors in creating a sustainable system one of which is cost, another can be availability of tools and mechanical skills. If your delivery address is in Africa, Asia, South or Central America then your PLT Cube will be assembled as a goodwill gesture. As the turbine has been assembled by us it will include:

• Guaranteed performance up to 1200W (or your money back)
• 1-year warranty

Refer to PowerSpout Document Index Links for a complete index of Cube documents.