<![CDATA[The high cost of conventional hydraulic turbines limits the application of pico-hydropower systems in small-scale and decentralized settings. Repurposing waste automotive components offers an alternative strategy to address this barrier. This study experimentally investigates the performance of a waste automotive turbocharger repurposed as a hydro turbine under a constant gross head of 4 m. Experiments were conducted at valve openings of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, with resistive electrical loads of 15, 25, 60, 75, and 100 W across inverter capacities of 500, 1000, and 1500 W. Evaluated parameters included flow rate, hydraulic power, rotational speed, DC and AC electrical power, and overall system efficiency. Increasing the valve opening from 25% up to 100% elevated the flow rate from 1.9 L/s up to 6.2 L/s and hydraulic power from 74.6 W up to 243.4 W. Optimal performance was recorded at 100% valve opening, and a 15 W load, producing a peak rotational speed of 2,760 rpm, maximum DC power of 54.2 W, and maximum AC power of 42.2 W, corresponding to a peak overall efficiency of 20.7%. Higher electrical loading reduced rotational speed due to increased electromagnetic torque from the alternator, whereas varying inverter capacity caused minor variations of less than 1.5% in power output, confirming hydraulic input as the primary governing factor. The modified turbocharger operated stably under all tested conditions, demonstrating technical feasibility as an accessible option for decentralized pico-hydropower generation using repurposed automotive components.]]>
