Hydro generation info for a novice

[pconwayfarms]

I would appreciate your advice or resources to help me understand what it would take to have installed a hydro turbine.

All I can find are methods for calculating head/volume, etc. but I need to start more basic and then go more detailed than the info I have seen thus far.

I have a property that is 32 acres in very rural South Central Ky. I would like to build a small cabin and start really living the self-sufficient lifestyle I am only able to make strides toward where I am now.

The land is in an area where rainfall is abundant and I have a small lake (approx. 3 acres) with a large watershed. My curiousity is whether the spillway from the lake could possible be used to generate power for the cabin.

Please give advice or comments as well as sources of other info.

 

[patandchickens]

I was just reading an *old* article (from the Harrowsmith Reader III, it's a book of collected Harrowsmith articles from the early 80s) about water-powered mini electric generation.

To summarize greatly, they said: at least in the 80s it was about midrange in terms of price of different types of alternative energy sources for the homestead. To determine feasibility, you need to figure out both what head is available (vertical drop from water level to where turbine would be) and flow rate, the latter requiring WORK to estimate but NEEDING to be done, preferably year-round but at least during the drier part of the year as that is what limits electricity production, because the system needs to be carefully matched to the flow rate parameters to avoid ending up with something that doesn't work well. Once head and flow have been determined, you can estimate potential in kilowatts as (flow in cu ft per minute times head times plant efficiency (usually between 70-90%, they say), all divided by 709. They STRONGLY suggest that once you have head and flow data, you consult with an engineer or at least a micro-hydro equipment seller who offers very detailed customer consultation, because of the necessity of matching the plant to the situation.The article closes with a discussion of converting the generator's output to AC or leaving it as DC and storing in batteries, which to my eye looks to be the same general issue as for any other non-grid electrical generation system.

No personal experience whatsoever. We have plenty of water here, for *some* of the year, but no useable head whatsoever LOL

Good luck,

Pat

 

[johnElarue]

I have no real experience with hydro as well,(just a little experimental) but from what you've described I'd consider researching a low head hydro system

http://www.absak.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/33_89_91/products_id/705

http://www.powerpal.com/lowhead.html

3 acres is considerable size. If you've got some head besides even better. If you're looking to power a small cabin(minus large appliances , freezers, etc) a 'stream engine' or 'water baby' would do fine.

http://www.microhydropower.com/

http://www.firemountainsolar.com/microhydro.html

My guesstimate would be 5K$ on a small setup,

But it all depends on how far your turbine is to the house, and how much power you really need. In my opinion hydro is best, it's 24/7 even 100 watts going 24/7 beats any small wind or solar setup.

Hope this helps