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Powering Your Home With Water – Hydro Energy

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:51:46 +0000

Hydro Energy is one of the best sources of natural, clean power. For centuries streams, rivers and oceans have been used to generate power. In much the same manner as wind turbines capture the power of the air, the hydroturbine makes use of the constant water movement. In some cases, the natural movement of water is enough to generate a good supply of electricity. In other cases, funneling the water to increase speed may help to increase the potential output.

Setting up a home hydro power system is very simple if there is running water near the home. There are five pieces of equipment needed to begin harvesting this natural source of energy.

* Conveyance – pipeline or channel that focuses the water direction.
* Turbine – waterwheel or underwater blades attached to the electrical generator.
* Generator – the source of the power.
* Power Regulator – keeps the generator output in check.
* Wiring – delivers the harnessed power to a battery system or the home.

Setting up the system is simple and straight forward. Some electrical knowledge is required, but this is a small cost when compared to the potential input of free electricity into the home. However, some states and countries will require permits be purchased before a hydro power system can be installed on private land.

A hydroelectric system has the potential to generate up to 100 kilowatts of electricity which is well more than a home will need. Businesses located near water can also use hydropower to supplement their electrical needs.

To read more about hydro energy and home hydro power, visit Biofuelswatch.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_Mustafelli

Hydro Power – The Answer to the World’s Energy Crisis?

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:50:34 +0000

The world faces an energy crisis. Scarcity of conventional energy supply has combined with a rising global population and the rapid industrialisation of third-world countries to leave humanity facing the prospect of a severe lack of energy in the near future. If present trends continue, there simply will not be enough power to meet mankind’s needs. A variety of solutions have been proposed for this: an expansion of nuclear power, drilling for oil in previously protected areas such as Alaska and Antarctica, increased research into energy-saving technology and a large-scale switch to renewable energy. The latter can be split into a variety of areas, the main ones being solar power, wind power and hydro power. Of these, it seems that at present hydro power has the best chance of widespread adoption; indeed significant hydroelectricity producing projects are already in operation.

The most common large scale hydro power systems are incorporated into dams and reservoirs. Stored water is released down chutes in the dams containing turbines; as the turbines work electricity is created. The potential energy of the stored water is transformed into usable power. This is a relatively simple method that has been used for centuries: in the past waterwheels have powered mills, and the at the start of the industrial revolution the main method of powering factories, especially in areas where iron and steel were being processed, was hydro power. Now, though, giant hydroelectric power stations are being constructed to provide energy in place of conventional sources such as fossil fuels, the prime example being the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. At the time of writing providing three percent of the energy needs of the whole of China, this is a truly stupendous engineering achievement.

Other large scale systems are beginning to be implemented in tidal and coastal areas. Tidal barrage systems operate across the mouths of river estuaries, where the ebb and flow of the tide can be exploited to provide energy. Wave farms operate on the open ocean, with floating turbines moored in areas where wave activity is strong enough to generate electricity efficiently but not so strong that there is a risk of damage to the turbines. Being less familiar than hydroelectric dams, these systems are taking longer to design and implement but could prove to be an effective solution for countries with extensive coastlines.

The benefits of such hydro power systems are clear: once constructed, the energy produced is cheap and clean when compared to other power sources; the amount of pollution produced is minimal. There are, however, negatives. The construction of hydroelectricity systems can lead to environmental problems: the building of the aforementioned Three Gorges Dam led to the displacement of millions of people and the submerging of the habitats of endangered species such as the Siberian Crane. Also, tidal barrage systems have also been criticised for their potential to upset the ecological balance of the estuaries in which they are located, though system designers have responded by promising to attempt to minimise such disruption.

Despite these problems, it is clear that hydro power is an attractive option for future provision of energy, especially in coastal countries. Problems associated with other forms of energy will ensure that one of mankind’s oldest power sources will continue to be exploited well into the twenty-first century.

To find out more about hydro power, including the emergence of small scale systems usable by businesses and homeowners, visit http://www.electricitygeneration.co.uk – This site also contains information on a wide variety of conventional and non-conventional energy sources, allowing the visitor to assess how they can ensure their power needs are met for years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Drabble

Hydro Power Explained

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:00:55 +0000

Harnessing the power of water has been used for centuries for many useful purposes. Initially it was used for irrigation and operating various machines, such as windmills and dock cranes. But these days it has a more important use: as a renewable source of electricity.

So what is hydro power?

Well, basically it is the generation of electricity by using the natural force of water.

And how is hydro power generated ?

It is generated in 3 different ways: hydroelectric power, tidal power, and wave power.

Hydroelectric Power:

This is the most common form of hydro-power, making up the majority of all renewable energy produced. Electricity is produced in hydroelectric dams where the force of falling water drives massive turbines.

The advantage of this type of power is that not only does it produce electricity, but the dam helps collect water for our use, so it’s a power and water source in one. Furthermore, the force of the water is so strong that megawatts of electricity can be produced to help power entire cities.

There is also a large amount of control over how fast the turbines spin. If more power is needed, the controller simply opens the wicket gates more, which allows more water through the turbines and spins them faster.

The disadvantage is the devastating effect dams can have on plants, animals and even humans. When dams are built they flood large tracts of land that were once occupied by various species and communities of people. Furthermore, the water-borne animals, such as fish can also be affected. An example would be salmon that are blocked from swimming upstream to spawn by the newly erected dam.

Tidal Power:

The second most popular type of hydro power, tidal energy is produced by currents caused from the natural ebb and flow of the tide.

This has been achieved by France and Russia since 1966 in areas with a large tidal range, such as bays and estuaries. One of the systems of tidal power works by trapping water at high tide with a tidal barrage, then releasing that water in one quick burst at low tide. This gushing water drives turbines to produce power.

Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).

A second, more recent, tidal system looks very much like an underwater wind turbine. Large windmill like turbines are sunk in shallow water, where they are slowly spun by shifting tidal water.

The advantage of this system is that it is an adaptation of an already technologically advanced wind turbine – so all the refinement has been done. Furthermore, the dense water is far more efficient than wind at spinning these turbines. Thus even slow-moving water is just as effective as a strong wind.

The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities – like oyster farming – occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.

Wave Power:

This is the youngest of the three hydropower solutions. The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.

Although this technology is relatively new, it has been estimated that there is enough energy in ocean waves to produce up to 2000 Megawatts of power.

But, as with all hydro-power solutions, it has potential environmental issues. Conservationists are worried about the impact these structures will have on the coastline’s fauna and flora. Also, there is a possibility of water pollution if – for example – the hydraulic fluids accidentally leaked into the sea. This can be expected if the wave generators are constantly battered by rough seas.

Closing thought:

Man has come up with ingenious ways to harness the power of nature to produce electricity, hydro power being one of them. Although it is an important renewable energy for the future, there is still much controversy over its long-term environmental impact.

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to get off the grid and save thousands on your electricity bills, then be sure to Try Earth4Energy For FREE, and learn to make your own diy renewable energy at home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_McDonald

UAV Blimps Powered By Hydro-Electric Motors Using Hydro and Fluid Dynamic Theory

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:36:56 +0000

I believe it is possible to design a pilot-less hydro-electric blimp which would have a propulsion system which never requires fuel and would be based on a Perpetual Motion Machine which uses fluid dynamics in a hydro-electric. First the shape of this thing would be similar to the new shopping mall shade cover on the Las Vegas Strip. An oblong flying saucer shape would be two of these, which would be stacked like pancakes. They would be apart by 1/3 the length of each symmetrically shaped oblong saucers shaped lighter than air blimps. In the middle would be an hourglass shaped unit. Attaching the two blimps, similar to the struts on a Baby Great Lakes Acrobatic Aircraft.

There could be two or even three of these. Each would have a hydroelectric motor with a direct drive propeller. Water tanks would be on both saucers above the hourglass configuration for thrust. There would be circulating tracks perpendicular to the direction of travel of this craft. When the water is depleted on the above tank where the water flows down the blimps would rotate and put the water back on top. This mechanism would be battery powered hooked to hydraulics.

The battery would be trickles charged by solar panel thin membranes on top of the saucers and also a little power by magnetic charges on the inner mechanism of the spinning propeller. This unit would once launched, could fly forever. And never need recharging. The issues with weight of the water providing the dynamic pressure for the at 8.2 pounds per gallon would not be an issue. Because you do not need that much water because you could increase the spin change interval of the saucers. This unit could be made big or small. Micro-hydro powered units are now being used in the houses, which allow condensed water to flow down hill and provide power for the house.

These small units can provide as little as 1-2 amps of power for mini-UAV flying balloons the size of two smashed shoe boxes for aerial surveillance. The solar micro thin cells would also heat the water a little and there for provide additional heat for the helium in side to keep the atoms moving around and providing more life. Depending on the drop of water height and speed of water, you could have the propellers hooked to a counter rotation system where by you could put two propellers front and back of each hourglass strut. The first idea for a use of this devise is to use it to patrol borders in low winds and in high winds tethered but always under power. Right now over our US Mexican border the lighter than air blimps are only up 60% of the time.

A friend in Yuma, AZ a former Boeing Research Engineer living in a Winter Snow Bird park tells me as soon as the blimps go down the flood of illegals come across. They just wait until they stop flying the surveillance blimps and come over in droves. A surveillance blimp needing no fuel has plenty of possibilities for so many applications.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Hydro Power – How it Works and What We Need

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:35:44 +0000

Part of the beauty of hydropower lies in its simplicity. Moving water (kinetic energy) spins a turbine or wheel (mechanical energy), which drives a generator (electrical energy). Archaeologists have found evidence of water storage dams in Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East that date back 5,000 years to 3000 BC. One of the earliest designers to document his plans was Vitruvius (c.70 BC-c.25 BC), a Roman architect and engineer, who described an undershot waterwheel that could generate power. The Romans built many waterwheels, with the most ambitious being the one is Barbegal, France, in the 4th Century AD. Connected to a large aqueduct system that fed water to the city of Arles, Barbegal was a massive flour mill with not one but sixteen waterwheels in two parallel rows. The water turned the first pair of wheels, then flowed downhill to the second pair, then downhill again and so on until it had flowed through and turned all eight sets, after which it ran into a runoff pool at the bottom of the hill.

Today hydropower generates about 15 percent of the world’s electricity (about 6 percent of the total energy supply). Rather than using waterwheels on a moving river or through a duct, most hydroelectric plants extract energy from the potential energy that comes from the vertical distance the water drops (the “head”). The water is channeled through a sluice or gate, or through enclosed pipes that funnel the water down to the turbines; these channels are called penstocks.

Hydroelectric Plants The typical hydroelectric plant needs four things to generate power:

Dam – The dam holds back a river, raising the level, and controls the flow through the penstock(s). Dams create reservoirs that can be used for recreation, but it is the height difference between the stored water above and the turbines below that represents the potential energy.

Turbines – The water behind the dam is channeled through the penstocks past the blades of turbines, which spin. This converts the kinetic energy to mechanical energy. 2. Turbine. The force of falling water pushing against the turbine’s blades causes the turbine to spin. A water turbine is much like a windmill, except the energy is provided by falling water instead of wind. The turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy.

Generator – The shafts of the turbines turn a generator, thus converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Transmission lines – The electricity is transmitted to substations and transported to consumers through the power lines.

Microhydros Hydroelectrical plants are big and powerful, but did you know that you can have your very own microhydro plant? All you need is a stream or a river with enough water running through it at the right pressure, and you can set up a system that feeds into turbines and generators, and into your home or business. Just as you can with your solar and/or wind systems, you can design a system that is grid-connected with battery backup, grid-connected, or standalone.

Microhydros come in two basic flavors: low-head and high-head. Head, you’ll recall, is the height differential between the water and the turbine. That corresponds to pressure. Think of a high-head system as one running off a waterfall, and a low-head system as one running off a fast-moving stream, although that isn’t always the case.

In a quick search online for microhydro resources, the names “Don Harris” and “HarrisHydro Systems” turn up over and over, with good reason: Harris is a well known pioneer in microhydro. He designs and manufactures turbine and generator systems in a shop that he powers with a microhydro system of his own. His designed feature a Pelton wheel, a highly efficient tangential-flow impulse turbine with spoon-shaped blades that capture a jet of water.

Impulse turbines transfer energy according to Newton’s second law of motion, which is roughly paraphrased as “the momentum of an object, or force, is equal to the object’s mass multiplied by its acceleration. It works like so: first, the water’s potential energy (the head) is converted to kinetic energy by being funneled through a nozzle to form a jet. The jet of water moves at a given velocity, but when it strikes the spoons/buckets of the turbine, it loses velocity or acceleration, so the momentum changes. That change in momentum translates to an exertion of force that turns the shaft. The water pressure itself doe not change. Impulse turbines are the most commonly used turbines in domestic systems, and those with high heads.

Reaction turbines transfer energy according to Newton’s third law of motion, which is roughly paraphrased as “for every action force there is an equal, but opposite, reaction force.” The water moves through the turbine, losing pressure, which forces it to give up its energy. The turbines have to be either encased (to contain the water pressure or suction) or be completely submerged by the flowing water. Water wheels are reaction turbines. Most turbines are reaction-type turbines. They are used for systems with low and medium heads.

A typical microhydro system, then, needs a stream, an intake system, a penstock, and a powerhouse. Although the actual components are much more high-tech and specialized, you can envision a high-head microhydro system as this as a box or funnel at the top of a waterfall, a garden hose or a trough running downhill from the intake, the water from the hose/trough shooting onto a turbine (probably Pelton-style), and the turbine turning a generator. A low-head microhydro system is equally simple. They have a screened intake (or a mini-dam), and this feeds into a settling basin or forebay for any silt to precipitate out; this empties into a short canal that feeds into a ten-foot draft tube. The water flowing through turns a turbine (probably Turgo-style). Note that in neither case do you block or divert the stream (for which you would need a permit anyway, even if the water is on your property, and which may turn out to be prohibited in your area).

Hydropower Advantages

1. As long as the water is there in sufficient quantity, hydro stations can generate power 24/7.

2. Large hydro stations can shift into maximum capacity to meet peak demands simply by controlling the amount of water released.

3. Microhydro systems produce no pollutants.

4. Hydropower is a renewable resource.

5. Most countries have access to waterways that can be used for hydro power.

6. Large dams can be useful for flood control.

7. Microhydro systems can provide power without affecting water quality, without affecting the habitat, and without altering the course of the river or stream. It leaves a very tiny footprint.

8. Large and mega-dams can create recreational lakes in areas where before there were none.

Hydropower Disadvantages

1. Large hydro stations that create reservoirs actually dump huge amounts of methane and CO2 into the atmosphere. When the area behind the dam is flooded, the trees and other plant material that get covered up rot and sift to the bottom where they continue to decompose without oxygen. This creates methane, which is released when the water flows through the turbines.

2. The reservoirs created by large dams and mega-dams destroy local habitats. When the area is flooded, plant life is submerged, and any animal and human life in the area must relocate or perish.

3. Large hydroelectric dams are expensive to build.

4. Large hydroelectric dams can only be used in a limited number of places those with large water supplies.

5. Damming rivers and streams changes the natural waterways, diverting water from areas that depend on it.

6. Damming rivers changes the quality, quantity and even the temperature of the water that flows downstream. This can have disastrous effects on agriculture as well as potability.

7. Changing the path of a river can cause serious disputes between neighbors, from individuals to nations.

8. Water moving over a dam can pick up nitrogen, causing fish kills downstream.

9. Many small and medium dams built in the past to power industries such as mills and factories are no longer used, and are growing unstable. Allowing them to self-destruct rather than removing them in a controlled manner can lead to serious flooding, including loss of life and property.

10. Dams alter the spawning patterns of the fish, and often result in absenting entire species from an area.

11. When large amounts of water are released from a large dam or mega-dam the shores of man-made reservoirs naturally recede, leaving behind mud flats and reducing the surface area leaving less space for fish. Sometimes Mother Nature plays a role, as with Lake Powell, created by the Glen Canyon Dam. With reduced flow of the Colorado River, evaporation, and seepage back into the canyon banks, Lake Powell loses an average of 860,000 acre feet of water each year about as much water as Los Angeles consumes annually. While it is perhaps one of the most beautiful lakes in the U.S. with its red-rock canyon sides, 150 feet below its 266 surface miles lie centuries of archaeological riches as well as the canyon itself.

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