Simple water power

Free Energy! It’s everywhere! We are surrounded by free energy, and it is easily converted into standard electrical power. Six percent of the entire world’s energy supply is already being produced by hydroelectric facilities large and small. It is practical, requires little maintenance, and integrates easily into a standard power grid. There are two major sources of water power that could be tapped for the practical production of electricity: rain and waves.

The basic requirement for small-scale hydro is to have a pipe that rises from 50 to 100 feet, kept full of water. At the bottom is a hydroelectric generator for converting moving water into electricity. A single installation can easily produce enough electricity for a small community according to the formula:

P=.059 QH

Where P=power in kw; Q=quantity of water in cubic feet per second; H=the height of the feed pipe in feet; and .059 is an efficiency/conversion factor to make all the other numbers work right. To produce a half megawatt of electricity one must keep a 100-foot-high pipe full of water at 100 cubic feet per second. That’s a lot of water, yes. But it’s also a lot of free electricity that generates real money.

A common misconception is that you have to build a Hoover Dam to make it work. We’re not talking about powering Southern California, just an island in the Pacific. A survey of current facilities may reveal a number of sites that can be adapted to hydropower by storing water for the dry season using small up-stream ponds. These are commonly used because they are far cheaper than replacing the roads that get washed out each year. So, hydroelectric facilities not only provide controlled drainage and free electricity, but pay for themselves through environmental protection.

The hydroelectric generating system would be the same whether one is using rainwater running off the hills, or seawater pumped up by the power of waves. There are a variety of wave-powered pumps capable of raising water a mere 50 to 100 feet to drive the turbines. Basically, wave action is used to operate a pump that pumps seawater to the top of the feed pipe that runs the turbines. The nice thing about wave power is that it’s available 24/7 and large storage ponds are not needed.

There are a variety of efficient turbines available. Impulse and reaction turbines are popular, but Tesla and jet turbines are even more efficient and last longer. The jet turbine pictured is interesting, because it just redirects the water flow into jets that aim in opposite directions.

The Simple Hydropower unit shown can actually be made out of industrial plastic, and manufactured for sale in addition to local use. The feed pipe is connected directly to the jet turbine as a single piece unit. It rests on a thrust bearing such as the bearing from an automobile wheel. It would also need guides (not shown) to hold the whole thing in place vertically. The generator is connected through a large gear, and is raised up away from the water outlet to keep it all dry and working properly.

Small scale hydropower can be easily integrated into an existing power grid. The “generator” of choice is simply a standard AC electric motor, 200-500 kw or greater. When the turbine attempts to drive the motor faster than the motor drives the turbine, electricity is pumped into the power grid precisely synchronized with the main line, and needs no special equipment to keep it in sync.

There are many interesting projects described on the CoolScience website, and in CoolScience publications. Subjects include: Passive Annual Heat Storage, Improving the Design of Earth Shelters; Resonant Fields: The Fundamental Mechanism of Physics; Anticipating Terrorism; and How to Recycle Scrap Metal into Electricity. See www.coolscience.info. Click on Extraordinary E-books. The CoolScientist is also available for lectures at local schools. Email us at coolscientist@rmrc.org. © 2005 by CoolScience