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Hydro-electric; Alt energy
Topic Started: Aug 12 2011, 08:49 AM (432 Views)
HandFarming
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We finally got a mini-hydro electric unit running. We still need to channel the water from the shallow part of the creek, but first test went really interesting! You can see the videos starting Saturday on our water bug hydro electric page.
We'll start to advertise them soon so if anyone here wants one, let me know so I get a bottom line price for you. Just pm me.
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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HandFarming
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[IMG]<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/23DUFIDDEEQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/23DUFIDDEEQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>[/IMG]

We still need to re-direct the creek water toward it but it puts out a little power...now to get bigger!

The motors we ordered for small scale production of these are 400 watt and the final model will have 2 - 4 per unit depending on how fast water flows...creek is really down this time of year but we thought we'd give it a try.
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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HandFarming
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see if this code works-
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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Mommacat
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Looks like it works - both the video and the elec. thingy!! :)
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Raven
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How technical you talk Mommacat! :D

Actually it looks like a do-able thing for us. Does your water run year round? How much can you run on the power that it produces...this is more of a Griz thing as he understands such things and I am more in the "if it doesn't work, go get Griz" catagory. LOL
The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand
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Mommacat
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I did think of your set-up when I saw the "thingy" - okay, okay, the hydro-eclectro current whatchamacallit. I was wondering, after seeing the disturbance in the water that it caused, if that would be enough to keep the water from freezing? If it did, that would be handy! But, it might have to be in slightly deeper water than pictured to do it. Anyway, neat gadget!! :)
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HandFarming
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Raven, we get a good freeze here but the uncurrents keep moving the water. I saw a Clemons beaver dam diverted with plastic pipe, about 8" dia, you stick in the beaver dam and they build it back up. Then you add a concrete anchored trolling motor to the outlet and it might run 12 volts all winter.
What's nice about these things is they don't need to be adjusted with the water level or get wiped out in a flood since the arm should be long enough to just let them rise.
Yeap, MommaCat, it's a thing-a-ma-jiggy!
Hubby put this one together for demo but the final ones run with 2 400watt motors to put out 400 -800 watts, but it really all depends on the water flow. Ours would be much better if we channeled off a single shallow side of the creek. Then when it floods, the extra water would just go over the channel wall.
The retirement plan is to get enough in the 3/4 miles creek as we can afford and sell the power one day after TSHTF....or sell some of these to help others make power.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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HandFarming
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As for winter power, been working on that and will post about it some time. But if the creek froze solid, then it could only make about 12 volts per beaver dam...about a battery charged a day. We have 3 dams, still not much power.
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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Mommacat
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Amazing! It looks quite simple - but I expect a person would have to have some knowledge about elec power, etc. to make use of it. But, even if a person didn't get enough power to keep the Hoover and Fridgidaire going, I imagine that it could be used to pump water for irrigation and livestock and it would still be worth having for that.
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HandFarming
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Hi MommaCat,
Yeah, one Water Bug might not do a lot but charge a battery or two for phone or laptop, run some lights, pump water (depending on how high it had to pump), but they can be "snaked" together to put as much power out as the flowing water will allow.

The ones for manufacture can have as many as 3 motors depending on water flow speed, and it depends on that because water flow speed has some lift to the unit and 3 motors can get weighty.
You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think.
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