more about bits and pieces

We can re-use electric bike wheels and electric hoverboard wheels as generators, we need to get them rotating and generating under the power of the water, then collect the electric power.

If... we generate enough power, we can use it to contribute towards electric power use here at the Vale. (This is where the grid-tied-inverter comes in; it converts low voltage power from the electric generators to standard mains voltage which we can use in our arts centre buildings.)

We will research existing hydro-power installations in our locality and learn how this stuff works. Then we can experiment and build our own prototypes which we can develop and improve as we gain experience and knowledge.

bits and pieces

We've been collecting items to experiment with and make some working hydro generators of various sizes. Most of these items are second-user / recycled.

When we speak of new technologies coming along to solve the climate crisis, we often think of renewable energy such as solar and hydro as a modern concept. 
Cragside in Northumberland is just one example of how this viable technology has been capable of generating electricity for over a century. 

Lord Amstrong was an engineer, scientist, innovator and industrialist. In collaboration with the architect Richard Norman Shaw, he built Cragside in the Northeast of England,the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. He had the foresight to question Britain's reliance on coal in the decades following the industrial revolution. Addressing the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1863 he asked the vital question: could Britain keep up with its growing demand for fuel? At that time the concerns were wholly about the depletion of the supply of coal rather than its negative environmental impact. Yet in proving this technology could work on a large scale over a century ago he paved the way for advances in clean power. 

The house, now owned and managed by the National Trust, once again runs on hydro power. In 2014 the National Trust underwent a project to reinstate the system and installed a 55metre long Archimedes screw into the stream. As the water passes down through the spiral blades, the devices uses its energy to turn the screw. The energy is converted into electricity by a generator. The system produces about 12kWs and when converted to electricity is enough to provide 10% of the estate's current energy requirements. This power is now put into the national grid rather than solely feeding the house.

new type of waterwheel

there are some new design efforts attemptng to design super efficient water gnerators for small scale projects, which are also relatrively simple to make

here's one I found today

waterwheel design 1

also here's the basic equation;
Power output in Watts = Head in m * Flow rate in m^3/s * efficiency as a fraction of 1 * g in m/s^2 * density in kg/m^3.

vale hydro project blog, first post

starting the vale hydro blog with a few hints;

short film 1



short film 2