When I was about 7, I toured a geothermal power plant in New Zealand. I don't remember technical details but they had boiling mud. At 7, boiling mud was pertinent to my interests.
That is all.
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Jan. 27, 2012 10:26 a.m. Keith SuperDork
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Jan. 27, 2012 10:38 a.m. MrJoshua SuperDork
In reply to SVreX:
Partially serious/partially fantasy answer: Multiply the head/drop. Use the current flow to push slightly less water to a higher location that does provide enough head to use constantly while you are there. A DC swimming pool pump being pushed backwards might be usable as a generator. Use that to charge the battery pack on your PHEV converted hybrid which you use to power your place.
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Jan. 27, 2012 10:49 a.m. petegossett SuperDork
In reply to Keith:
And that's changed now???
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Jan. 27, 2012 10:50 a.m. Keith SuperDork
Well, now I might pay a bit more attention to the power plant as well
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Jan. 27, 2012 11:08 a.m. Conquest351 HalfDork
DILYSI Dave wrote:
SVreX wrote:
I have a remote cabin with a pond and a stream. The pond is spring fed and dammed, and the water flow runs completely through an 8" pipe. About 18' of head.
I'd like to do a couple of things.
First off, I'm planning on doing geothermal with the pond as a storage mass. Later.
I'd also like to capture the flow for point of use power generation. The flow/ head is not enough to power things directly, but I think I can generate DC power from a turbine put in-line in the pipe, and store it in batteries. I could then run DC lighting or appliances. I use the property only a couple of days per month, so it could store energy for 27 days, then I could use it for 3.
Anyone have some low budget approaches to this one?
I'd be real tempted to use an automotive alternator / generator, hooked to some sort of turbine. Turbo maybe?
I like the alternator idea. Get an old diesel turbo, remove the turbine side housing and blade, install an adaptor to directly bolt an alternator to it, or you could put a pulley on it and belt/chain drive an alternator or 2 or 4 depending on the force generated by the water. I also like the idea of necking down the pipe and generating more force/pressure onto a turbine.
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Jan. 27, 2012 11:24 a.m. fasted58 SuperDork
for low flow/ head conditions how 'bout a hydraulic ram (Atlas) or solar water pump to pump water to a elevated water tower to increase head pressure then released to turbine wheel and alternator/ generator
just my .02
