Pico Hydro Power generation

[kellys_eye]

Waaaay 'out there' idea......

I've found a water course within 100 metres of my place (therefore easily cabled.... ) that has a flow rate of around 50 to 100 litres/second depending on the weather conditions. It crosses under a road and exits one of those 'ribbed' pipes in a torrent that I reckon could be tapped for power This is ground water run-off and it heads straight to a loch so no 'flooding' or course diversion issues.

Anyone got any suggestions for how I might go about this using just DIY skills? The electronics to convert the power at each end to something 'usable' is easily achieved - it's the mechanical part of knocking up some form of impeller-driven generator that I'm in need of help with. I don't want a paddle-wheel set-up as they are bulky and too 'obvious' - I'm thinking along the lines of 12" diameter HDPE pipe with impeller and externally mounted alternator/generator.....

Links or ideas would be great

Similar 'pico-sized' systems can be BOUGHT for bugger-all and can do 300W+

http://www.reuk.co.uk/Pico-Hydro-Power.htm

I reckon I would have a MINIMUM of 500W (after losses) but quite likely a LOT MORE based on this page:

http://www.reuk.co.uk/Calculation-of-Hydro-Power.htm

The 'head' is some 6m and my guesstimate of flow (based on how many 25 litre buckets it would fill in 1 second ) is 50 to 100 litres/sec.

Plug THAT lot in and we get 1.7 to 3.5kW at 60% efficiency. This seems to be a source of energy that is too good to pass on....

[big-all]

is it on your land and do you have the right to harvest the energy

would the cable needed to cope with volt loss not be prohibitive

[kellys_eye]

Q1 = who cares?

Q2 = not a problem

[Someone-Else]

.............I've found a water course within 100 metres of my place

There's your problem.

The cost of the cable to get power from the generator to your house is going to be more than you would save. (or to put it another way, it would take many years to get your investment back)

[BRUNO]

I really hope you do it.

Would you store the energy or just use it as you need it?

[kellys_eye]

Let us assume I already have the cable going spare so costs would be only for parts I'd have to source to construct the generating side.....

Even at a lowly 500W (the site is, according to various calculators I've downloaded, capable of 2-3kW easily ) - if this is available 24/7/365 you're talking 0.5 x 24 x 365 = 4380kW/hr @15p/kWhr = £657 worth of power annually........ and that's at the LOWEST of the possible generation scenarios (drought, probably).

Even PURCHASING cable would be worthwhile under these circumstances! As it stands we could power the whole household (less heating/cooking) with that basic source availability.

Chuff..... I've just remembered - I actually SOLD off FOUR brand new 24V/75A alternators a few years ago Always the fcuking same - bin it - end up needing it

[Someone-Else]

1) Cable aside then, what do you plan to use to generate the electricity?

2) You could have "cups on spokes" instead of a paddle wheel as in (for ease of drawing) X each arm could have a "cup" on the end. By cup I don't mean the vessel you drink tea from, but yet something along those lines.

[BRUNO]

Four new alternators....100mm of cable...?hey KE if you happen to find any earth moving equipment going cheap give us a heads up eh

[kellys_eye]

Generating the 'lecky is as easy as an old car alternator. I can SMPS it to 310VDC for transmission and back again to 24V to charge batteries and/or run inverters. The SMPS ends are 96% efficient so not much in the way of losses. Obviously I can't send 24V directly by cable for that distance without significant losses hence the SMPS route.

The impellers are a bit more scientific than simple cups-on-a-stick and I don't really want to do the paddle-wheel system but I'll go with whatever fits.

@ Bruno - the stuff that's been and gone through my hands (for a song) makes me cringe at times

[Someone-Else]

You initially asked:

...............Anyone got any suggestions for how I might go about this using just DIY skills?

So I suggested something along the lines of "cups on sticks"

The impellers are a bit more scientific than simple cups-on-a-stick and I don't really want to do the paddle-wheel system but I'll go with whatever fits.

I don't see any other suggestions.

[BillyGoat]

Consider buying something?

Search for Stream Machine turbines. Can you get pics?

Also, look here...... http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php?board=11.0

It's ALL about crackpot ideas for building/buying/making and harvesting power from hydro.

Make sure you put plans up here though :)

I think it's well worth it.....you could get a grid tied inverter (like solar or wind) and take it directly off your bill, from reading, I think there is a FiT tarriff too, whcih doesn't need MCS involved to get!!!!!

Jealous....

BG

[thescruff]

I've still got about 800mm of 250mm gas pipe Dave

Can you break into the source nearer the property, if it's traceable.

[BillyGoat]

Pelton Wheel - that's what I was trying to remember...

http://www.power-technology.com/contrac ... ring5.html

[ayjay]

Pelton Wheel - that's what I was trying to remember...

http://www.power-technology.com/contrac ... ring5.html

That's just a badly spelt paddle wheel.

[kellys_eye]

Already on to the Pelton wheel - the most efficient water wheel turbine you can get for the relatively low flow we might end up with.

We have a private water source as part of our property but it's currently unused due to a 'break' in the concrete storage tank (1000ltr) but the water flow from THAT source is still just running away as 'waste'. We've tried to find the original pipe coming over to the property as this could be quite a good source for powering a turbine wheel and 'right on our doorstep' too if we can find it!

Not really interested in FiTs as I believe they are just 'theft' from other tax payers so wouldn'tgo that route on sheer principle.