Micro-Hydro Turbines Embedded In Water Pipes - Viable alternative to Coal?

[Dover]

Pint-size hydro power on tap
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--It's hamster-size hydroelectric power.
Rentricity, a start-up in New York City, has come up with a hydroelectric generator that lets municipal water facilities generate power. Pressurized water from the facility passes through a turbine, and the turbine produces electricity. The water subsequently comes out of your faucet.

The company doesn't like to use the term "hydroelectric power"--which conjures up images of large construction projects and regulatory tangles--but the principles are the same, Frank Zammataro, president of Rentricity, said during a meeting here at the Dow Jones Alternative Energy Innovations conference.

The system works because municipalities process millions of gallons of water a day and the water gets highly pressurized during the purification process. Some facilities process 9 million gallons of water a day and hold the water at 45 psi (pounds per square inch). If water came out of the faucet at that pressure, you'd have trouble washing your face without getting welts. Thus, water districts have to artificially bleed off the pressure.

But instead of doing that, the utility can make electricity. A single "Flow-to-Wire" micro-turbine generator from Rentricity can produce anywhere from 20 to 300 kilowatts of power, depending on the pressure and water flow. (A U.S. home solar system typically generates about 3 kilowatts.) Sensors and software from the company also monitor performance.

"It won't reduce the flow," Zammataro said. "We are taking off-the-shelf technology but configuring it in unusual ways."

At a minimum, the system needs to be put in a facility that processes a million gallons a day and holds the water at 35 psi. Potentially, there are 25,000 sites that could accommodate this equipment, according to the company.

Combined, these sites could produce a gigawatt of power, conceivably. While the generator alone isn't a solution to global warming, it can generate as much power as a big coal-driven power plant. Zammataro estimated that 1,000 of the systems could generate $30 million worth of electricity.

cont'd

http://news.cnet.com/Pint-size-hydro-power-on-tap/2100-11392_3-6215142.html

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RELATED MICRO-HYDRO STORIES

SA Water is now recovering energy from the River Murray, thanks to innovative hydro electric technology at SA Water’s Hope Valley Terminal Storage tank site in Adelaide’s north east.

A joint venture between SA Water and Hydro Tasmania has resulted in the development of a mini-hydro plant capable of producing electricity from the flow of water in large water mains.

The Hope Valley mini-hydro turbine came on-line in 2003 and is powered by water as it flows through the pipes from the Anstey Hill storage tanks in the Adelaide Hills into the Hope Valley Terminal Storage tank.

The mini-hydro diverts the water to flow from pressure dissipater valves through a turbine located within a powerhouse where water jets drive the turbine buckets causing the "runner" to spin. This kinetic energy is transformed into electricity - supplied into the grid via a high voltage connection.

The mini-hydro plant is designed to produce up to 7000 megawatt hours per year or enough electricity to power 1000 homes. This will reduce carbon emissions by more than 8000 tonnes - equivalent to taking about 1900 cars off the road.

SA Water is continuing to explore mini-hydro opportunities for the future.

http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Environment/SaveWater/Innovation/Mini-Hydro.htm

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Jin Woo Han's Faucet Mini Hydro Generator
http://en.my7475.com/483.html

The device would capture the "free" energy of your tap to spin a little generator. It can be attached to the end of your faucet or between two pipes.

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Hydropower from Old Washing Machines

EcoInnovation still reminds you a little bit of Road Warrior. Founder and chief engineer Michael Lawley has built his "renewable energy store" on the ingenious redeployment of everyday household appliances.

Among other things, the company recycles SmartDrive motors from salvaged washing machines to generate hydropower. Of course, you need to be near a river or stream.

Yes, micro-hydro turbines that can tap into the movement of medium flowing streams and turn a turbine that can deliver most of the electrical requirements of a small home.

Lawley says the company has been able to recycle the motors from salvaged domestic washing machines - aka Whirlpool. The company claims its already made 1,000 successful installations of its micro-hydro device as well as wind and solar power systems.

-- cont'd --

http://www.ecoworld.com/blog/editor/guest/tag/micro-hydro-turbines/

[scubadude]

1. I thought nothing in the energy business is free.

What this item shows me is that there is a lot of wasted energy in the delivery system. This is were the problem should be solved. Remove the waste. That will save energy in the most efficient and long lasting way.

Scuba

[Dover]

2. True. We're seeing that mindset used in hybrid cars (breaking systems, etc) and

recovery of heat and water in heating/cooling systems, etc. And I think we'll discover many ways that the elements (heat, kinetic energy, water, wind etc.) can be tapped...right down to the energy we use to walk (kinetic body movements).

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. Harnessing waste energy is a great way to either generate electricity, or counteract waste

Take natural gas turbines, for example. Most are set up to co-generate. Gas directly fires a turbine, and a second system uses the discharged heat to fire a second, steam turbine.

[scubadude]

10. If you avoid putting the waste in, you don't have to worry about removing it later.

Why not just properly size the system in the first place?

Regenerative braking is totally different. In this case energy is recouped from what would otherwise be 100% waste.

Scuba

[AZCat]

15. It doesn't quite work like that.

Since water delivery systems are branched systems, not all the pressure drops from point of supply to point of use are the same, because enlarging pipe to reduce frictional losses only works to a point (material and installation costs can become the controlling variables very quickly). Typically, houses closest to the point of supply have the highest available pressure, while houses farther away have less (assuming all other variables, like altitude, are equal). In order to provide safe pressures at a house with available water pressure that is higher than a certain limit, a pressure reducing valve is installed in the line. The hydroelectric generators described in the article are intended to replace this pressure reducing valve, since they can provide a similar pressure drop while recovering some energy instead of throwing it away.

[Wednesdays]

4. K&R

:kick:

[Ready4Change]

5. Interesting.

The water pressure in my home/development is known to be too high. A wide open faucet REALLY pumps out the water, so we have restricted flow faucets/shower heads in most sinks etc.

The water company installs restrictors if people complain. (Some older faucets/appliances appear to have difficulties with the high pressures.) I wonder if it would be viable for me to install a micro turbine generator attached to a battery charger/battery, and get some energy out of that extra pressure while taking a shower and doing wash?

[Vincardog]

14. Why not install it at the water intake and generate electricity every time you run any water?

[Dover]

6. Water To Wire - How The AC Electricity Is Generated

http://www.homepower.ca/basics.htm

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Miniature Faucet-driven Hydroelectric Generator (Design Project)

I. Introduction

Our group will design and build a Miniature Faucet-driven Hydroelectric Generator. Designed to use water from a faucet for emergency power in blackout situations, the device will be as compact and user-friendly as possible. It will consist of a small 12V DC motor used as a generator, driven by a turbine connected to the faucet, and converted to 120VAC 60Hz power via a DC/AC power inversion circuit and transformer. We will also power (from the generator itself) a small flow sensor and LED output display showing the faucet's flow, necessitating more power conversion to 5V. Our goal is to get 50W of usable power, not counting the additional load of the sensor and display. This is a real-life application of power principles and a challenge on many levels: design, construction, and utilization towards a fully functioning device.

Objectives:

The main goal of this project is to generate 120V at 60Hz, up to 50W of power for household use. We are converting and harnessing (water) energy to provide a viable source of domestic power. This product is intended to function during emergencies, as a backup power supply for crucial household devices.

http://courses.ece.illinois.edu/ece445/projects/summer04/project6_design_review.doc


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Developing Renewable Energy Within The Water Industry
http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gph/publications/IDS_Draft.pdf

[Confusious]

7. Lets not mention the waste of water

Which alot of people in the world are having problems getting to.

[Confusious]

8. No - Viable alternative to Coal

You have to get energy to pump it up to that PSI. You can't get that energy from nothing. They're just recovering waste energy, like using the heat from running your car engine.

[Jane Austin]

9. What a neat story!

Thanks for bringing it.

[doc03]

11. You can't get something from nothing

you can't get more electrical energy from the water than the electrical energy applied to pump the water. If you put a turbine in a water line that will take energy in the form of pressure from the line. If the water pressure is provided by gravity yes you could but not electricity I don't buy that.

[Gregorian]

12. Haha. I have to laugh.

I wonder how this idea ever made it into production.

But unless the energy removed from the water pipes is only used for a couple of people, it will remove enough kinetic energy that the pumps at the pumping station will have to add more, or people will have dribbling nothing coming out of their faucets. It's just so silly.





Ok, I actually read part of the article. The water won't dribble out of the faucets of the users who are all using hydroelectric generators. That's not the issue. But despite what us naysayers are saying, they can pull this off. But it's not free. What people need to realize as they read this story is something unrelated. There are processes that are just throwing energy into the wind, either because the demand requires it, as in convenience, or because the process demands. What this tells us is that we are simply wasting energy by virtue of our modern lifestyle.

This is very alarming stuff if you realize just how much energy is thrown away. And it gets rather personal. But I took a shower in hydraulic fluid when my back hoe blew a hose a while ago. So it's off to the shower for me. And no hydroelectric.

[NYC_SKP]

16. I thought that also, at first, but....

If the generation units are placed where pressure reduction is desired, and in place of other hardware that does that job, then there is not a problem in the energy equation.

The existing pressure reducers are wasting energy in the forms of turbulence and/or waste heat, so these are the energy forms that would instead be converted into electricity.

If the system works and does not require more energy input upstream, then it is a viable concept.

[AZCat]

17. Exactly my point upthread.

This is also the same reason variable frequency drives (VFDs, also known as variable speed drives) are used on pumps and fans instead of adding a valve or damper upstream (for pressure control). Because control devices are more sophisticated now, we can make systems more efficient. Hydroelectric generators would just be another example of increased system efficiency.

[NYC_SKP]

18. I saw that!

It's just a matter of capitalizing on energy waste, like cogeneration or regenerative brakes.

Sure, as someone pointed out, better that the system be more efficient to begin with.

OK, all we have to do is completely gut all infrastructure and start from scratch.

Not gonna happen, as it is many municipal water utilities are insolvent and are selling off to multinationals.

It was happening in my town and was the subject of a PBS show.

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/8/1/stockton_california_city_council_reverses_water

:patriot:

[AZCat]

19. That's pretty frightening.

"Cadillac Desert", IIRC, predicted the privatization of water supplies but not necessarily the water utilities themselves. I can't imagine a worse utility to privatize. And Stockton privatized that along with waste and stormwater systems!

On a lighter note, occasionally events transpire that do allow a complete redesign of city infrastructure. I'm keeping my eye on the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas (wiped out by an EF5 tornado two years ago). I haven't seen the documentary yet (shown on Planet Green) but have read a number of articles discussing the various "green" measures that the city plans on implementing.

[NYC_SKP]

20. I visited Greensburg last August.

Two associates and I did a one-day science camp with the entire K-12 student body, about 180 kids and all the teachers and principal.

Three HS students took us around town for a visit to the Big Hole, the new Platinum LEED gallery, and a few other places.

To visit the town, spend time with the kids, take the tour and to take in the whole business of what happened there was very moving.

Rebuilding seems to be slow, much of what is being done is of a very high standard.

Of course their economy was devastated before the recession as a result of the tornado, so they are going to need a lot of support.

I support whatever federal support we can imagine, and hope that the private sector will continue to fund projects there, even if for PR purposes.

:patriot: Page with links to photos: http://www.accesskansas.org/ksadjutantgeneral/Disaster-Emergency/2007/Greensburg%20tornado/Greensburg%20Tornado%20-%20May%204,%202007.htm

What was left of the High School:



The tornado went right through the center of the community, leaving a few structures and trees at the East and West edges.

[AZCat]

21. That would have been a moving experience.

I was back in Kansas last weekend visiting my parents but didn't have time to get over to see Greensburg (my grandmother's garage needed cleaning). I've done a few LEED projects so I am eager to see the new community center, plus they seem to be planning on using geothermal heat pumps and I'd like to see those installed.

Is the world's largest hand-dug well open for visitors yet?

[NYC_SKP]

22. Yes! The big hole was open last year, and the little gift shop next door.

Surrounded mostly by empty blocks when I was there.

I bought a few trinkets.

I'm hoping to go back, all the people were really grateful that two people from VA and one from CA came all they way out there to conduct lessons with model wind turbines, hydrogen fuel cell cars, and we baked s'mores in solar ovens.

It had been some time since Bush and Leonardo DiCaprio had visited... :P

[quidam56]

13. Forget "CLEAN COAL" !!!

The only thing green about clean coal is the dough the politicians and the profit machines stick in their pockets at our expense. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=138 See for yourself what "clean coal" looks like.

[One_Life_To_Give]

23. 45 PSI isn't squat

Normal tap pressure should be in the range of 45-60PSI IIRC. Although I am partial to 80 myself.