Priyabrata Adhikary, Pankaj Kr Roy, Asis Mazumdar / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 3, Issue 1, January -February 2013, pp.426-430 426 | P a g e Selection of Hydro-Turbine Blade Material: Application of Fuzzy Logic (MCDA) Priyabrata Adhikary*, Pankaj Kr Roy**, Asis Mazumdar*** *Asst. Professor - Mechanical, S.V.I.S.T. (WBUT), Kolkata-145, **Asst. Professor, S.W.R.E., Jadavpur University, Kolkata-32, ***Director & Professor, S.W.R.E., Jadavpur University, Kolkata-32, ABSTRACT The primary aim of this paper is to provide background information, motivation for applications and an exposition to the methodologies employed in the development of fuzzy logic based decision making in hydro or water power engineering by optimum selection of hydro turbine blade material. All the works on the application of multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA) or fuzzy logic to material science and engineering for selection of proper material have reported encouraging results till date. In our views, the lack of negative results might be due to the simplification of engineering or commercial material problems to manageable and predictable situations. Our appraisal of the literature suggests that the interface between material science and engineering and artificial intelligent systems or multi criteria decision analysis or fuzzy logic technique, is still blur. The need to formalize the computational and intelligent systems engineering methodology used in materials engineering, therefore, arises. Although our study focuses on hydro power related engineering or commercial materials in particular, we think that our finding applies to other areas of engineering as well. To the best of the authors knowledge this novel multi criteria decision analysis or fuzzy logic approach of optimized selection of hydro turbine blade material for small hydro power generation is absent in material science for renewable energy literatures due to its assessment complexity. KEYWORDS: Fuzzy logic; hydro power plant; engineering material selection; Multi Criteria Decision Analysis; MCDA INTRODUCTION: We know that all engineering or commercial materials have physical properties, electrical properties, magnetic properties, chemical properties, manufacturing properties, material cost, product shape, material impact on environment, availability, cultural aspects, aesthetics, recycling, etc and mechanical properties that have been already studied and accepted in the material science and engineering literature including knowledge of the various relationships between engineering or commercial materials constituents, structure and properties at a level that allows composition and processing parameters to be selected to create alloys or composite materials with required properties for any specific applications. Such relationships can be discerned by empirical experiments or by the use of mathematical and/or computational models. Various approaches had been proposed to help address the issue of material selection till date. However, all these systems and methods are complex and knowledge intensive. Modern engineering or commercial materials, from those used to make simple things such as plastic carry bags to complex things such as airplane or electronic chips, do not occur naturally. The need to find optimum material that meets specific requirement then arises. To achieve this, engineering or commercial materials experts apply the knowledge generated in engineering or commercial materials. Production engineering as well as material science and engineering [2, 3] includes the expertise involved in the selection, design, analysis, fabrication or manufacturing and evaluation of specific engineering or commercial materials in their various forms and in different operating conditions with the aim of developing target property for an application. In water power generation “Water -the white coal” is used non-destructively by the force of gravity, which is a totally carbon-free and inexhaustible resource to generate power [7, 10]. The function of the turbine blades in the K.E. conversion system is to convert the linear momentum of water jet into rotational motion that can then be transformed into electrical energy by the generator or alternator. Naturally flowing rivers and streams, flow towards lesser elevation and thus provide suitable site for hydropower generation [1, 8]. The falling water of waterfalls can be used directly to drive turbines due to its sharp elevation. If the natural fall is not steep, a head is created artificially by damming the river or stream, making a reservoir, and diverting its water to a nearby location with a penstock where the water is made to fall under gravity, driving a turbine for power generation. Initially hydro power became increasingly popular as an advantageous clean – green – friendly