Learning Micro Hydro Power in depth

How MrHydrohead became proficient with Micro Hydro Power. It describes his path with education in Micro-Hydro over nearly 3 decades of practical experience and training.
If you wish to donate: www.paypal.me/MrHydrohead or click the Super Thanks button under the video
Contact Links:
www.solarenergy.org/micro-hyd...
MrHydrohead: [e-mail]
Micro Hydro Francis Turbine Part 1:
• Micro Hydro Francis Tu...
Micro Hydro Francis Turbine Part 2:
• MicroHydro Francis Tur...
Micro Hydro Power from IRRIGATION WATER:
• Micro Hydro Power from...
MrHydrohead links:
SYNOPSIS PLAYLIST:
• SYNOPSIS Parts 1,2,3
Part 21 • Part 21 Micro Hydro Po...
Part 20-3 • Part 20-3 MicroHydro P...
Part 20-2 • Part 20-2 MicroHydro P...
Part 20-1 • Part 20-1 MicroHydro P...
INSTALLATION AND RUNNING OF SECOND SYSTEM PLAYLIST:
• Redesign & Install ont...
Part 19 • Part 19 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 18 • Part 18 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 17 • Part 17 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 16 • Part 16 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 15 • Part 15 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 14 • Part 14 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 13A • Part 13A MicroHydro Po...
Part 13 • Part 13 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 12 • Part 12 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 11 • Part 11 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 10 • Part 10 MicroHydro Pow...
Part 9 • Part 9 MicroHydro Powe...
Part 8 • Part 8 MicroHydro Powe...
MEASUREMENTS FOR SECOND SYSTEM:
Part 7 • Part 7 MicroHydro Powe...
Part 6 • Part 6 MicroHydro Powe...
INSTALLATION AND RUNNING OF SECOND SYSTEM w/o MUSIC PLAYLIST:
• MicroHydro Rebuild w/o...
FIRST SYSTEM PLAYLIST:
• Original Spring Fed Hy...
Part 5 • Part 5 Micro Hydro Ele...
Part 4 • Part 4 Micro Hydro Ele...
Part 3B • Part 3A Micro Hydro El...
Part 3A • Part 3A Micro Hydro El...
Part 2 • Part 2 Micro Hydro Ele...
Part 1 • Part 1 Micro Hydro Ele...

[@hassmakki]

Love this channel, thank you for sharing

[@mrhydrohead]

Thanks for watching!

[@r.janssen3037]

Thanks again. Keep up the good work.

[@mrhydrohead]

Thanks, will do! Thanks for watching!

[@HayWilliamJohnson]

Thank you for all the videos you have made!

[@mrhydrohead]

I’m glad you find them worthwhile and thanks for watching!

[@jamesondewitt1076]

Thank you for continuing to release videos😊

[@mrhydrohead]

You bet! Thanks for watching!

[@TheOneAndOnlyTBash]

love the content . Thank you for branching out beyond your own system and showcasing other micro hydro systems.

[@mrhydrohead]

I hope to be able to continue sharing other systems, both larger and smaller in kWh potential. Finding systems within a reasonable driving distance and owned by people willing to allow documentation is a bit of a challenge. But, I will keep trying. Thanks for watching!

[@jerowm5568]

Absolutely fantastic video!

[@mrhydrohead]

Thank you very much! Hopefully it assists people with learning.

[@horoshiyvibor]

Хорошая работа! Thanks for your hard work. This is amazing.

[@mrhydrohead]

Thank you very much!

[@richysee]

Great presentation as usual thanks 😀

[@mrhydrohead]

So nice of you. Thanks for watching!

[@garynicholls72]

Great video a big thanks for it and for all your hard work you put in to it I found it very informative and interesting, useful too 10/10 keep up the great work 👍

[@mrhydrohead]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching

[@peoplenewstoday]

Imagine unlimited power that just needs basic maintenance and cleaning. Never pay electric, taxes, or have power limited by a politician. Freedom.

[@mrhydrohead]

An apt description! Thanks for watching and posting!

[@SpencerLAPower]

I enjoy your videos keep up the good work been designing and building Hydro for 18 years

[@mrhydrohead]

I have heard of you via Land to House channel I think. I've sub'd and will be watching some of you vids. Glad you enjoy mine and I do intend to continue. Congrats on being a fellow Hydrohead. Its addictive isn't it! Thanks for watching!

[@SpencerLAPower]

@@mrhydrohead not just addictive but it's a way of life most of my hydro systems are on the economical side DIY friendly hope you have a blessed week take care

[@anshumansarkar3206]

Keep working dude... Great work 👷

[@mrhydrohead]

Thank you, I will. Thanks for watching!

[@Conservator.]

Thank you for making these videos! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching all of them. Greetings from (the unfortunately very flat;) Netherlands.

[@SolarWebsite]

Ah hello fellow Dutchie!

[@gregorythomas333]

Check out the Archimedean Screw turbines...they need only a couple meters of head to work.

[@mrhydrohead]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching!

[@Conservator.]

@@gregorythomas333 Thanks but there really is no elevation to speak off in my part (and most) of the country. I also live 4m below sea level (and that’s no exception either) so any turbines here are used to pump water up towards the sea! 😉

[@Conservator.]

@@SolarWebsite 👋😁

[@mulletjocks]

I bought a property in a Hydro friendly area of Australia 5 years ago after watching you videos on dodgy wifi in Cusco Peru on a whim some years before that. Our town has a viable turbine micro hydro feeding the State grid, and a demonstration waterwheel as the town mascot/figurehead. Unfortunately my property is not a suitable site, as I am spring heads with only 50 metres of gentle slope to the river. Always on the lookout for my ideal micro hydro property thanks to you! Keep going on with your quality content! It is a valuable resource and also a source of much inspiration to all interested parties around the world. Bravo Mr HydroHead!

[@mrhydrohead]

Wow Thank you for the kind words. I will continue with the vids as long as I can find appropriate projects within a reasonable distance from home. Good luck on finding a good site. Its one of the toughest things to find. 50 meters is a good head and it makes me wonder what the flow from he spring(s?) is. Even a small power system adds up when combined with batteries/inverter. I'm hoping to find systems that are smaller and benefit from the continuous output that adds up. Thanks for watching!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Have a look at the Marty T YT channel. He is a Kiwi and shows a home-built 50 metre head producing 885 watts 24 hrs a day using a pelton wheel with a rewired washing machine motor as the generator...on a low-flow stream. His original turbine/gen built on this principal has done 17 years of service.... If you only need that amount of continuous hydro (20kwH per day) ...with possible supplementary solar...it may be a start..

[@mzimmerman1988]

Thanks!

[@mrhydrohead]

Thank YOU so very much!!

[@mzimmerman1988]

@@mrhydrohead you're welcome. I appreciate the videos.

[@richardbradley961]

THANK YOU REGARDS FROM THE U.K.

[@mrhydrohead]

You are welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@hhattonaom9729]

this is cool

[@letsnotmakethispersonal6021]

Love it

[@mrhydrohead]

Thanks for watching!

[@jaybash2944]

Very interested in this. I am working with multiple developers in Central Florida who are looking to build self-sustainable systems. Well funded and very serious. This video is great, I look forward to getting a reply from the request I put in at that link you provided. Cheers

[@mrhydrohead]

Florida would present an interesting challenge as there may be a lack of substantial head given the flat nature of the state. A viable system would therefor require a large amount of flow to enable a good system. A combination of either high head with lower flow or low head with very high flow are the measures which determine the potential amount of power to be extracted. These may be a couple of good sources to investigate for low head applications. emrgy.com & www.turbulent.be Thanks for watching!

[@walterhiegel3020]

So I think it would be great if you made a video of the different types of micro hydro systems available and what their use cases are so that when you showcase different installations we can have at a least a basic understanding of the type used and why. The turbines used on the industrial scale are generally the same but I see many different types for micro hydro. Maybe I am mistaken.

[@mrhydrohead]

There ARE numerous forms of turbines and various other methods for micro hydro. I would do a video about all the different types compared, however finding all those systems to actually film is tough. I don't really want to do a video just with diagrams and drawings as part of the fun of it for me is I'm a retired cinematographer and love to film things first hand and apply my filmmaking skills with drones etc. I may have enough systems one day to do that sort of comparison. Hope to keep doing this until most everything has been done, but it will take time. Thanks for the good suggestion though and thanks for watching!

[@walterhiegel3020]

@@mrhydrohead well was just a thought. So what do you see for a camera other than drones?

[@mrhydrohead]

Funny that no one has ever asked about that. Its Ironic that my skillset in Hollywood (30yrs.)was primarily with 35mm film cameras/lenses and that most of the MrHydrohead videos have been shot with an iPhone and later using a DJI gimbal with that. Its always been my belief that any camera is a box and a bottle (camera/lens) and that its not the gear but where you put it and choose to tell your story thats important. Digital has made things SO much easier and cost effective. I have a point and shoot Lumix DC-TZ90 which is nice for the Zeiss longer lens range (30:1) and a DCM-ZS40 which preceded it. However I recently purchased a Lumix GH6 and used that for my on camera shots and some portions of the last 2 videos. I'm excited to see what the iPhone 14 ProMax will offer and plan to replace my iPhone 7+ with that should it be too compelling to resist. Sorry to be so long winded, but you asked. 😉

[@conkshell9445]

HELLO FROM JAMAICA !! I had just a grant from the EFJ (Environmental Foundation of Jamaica)for a small hydro lant to serve a community about 20 miles away. I thought that I should get more hands on time and hydro instruction. Course was June 20 - 30 1994.at the old Carbondale site, our instructors were Bob Mathews (B.C.) and Ken Olson/ Bob Weiss, I think was running things at S.E.I. then. I remember the flight from San Fran, the Grand Canyon, then Denver, the bumpy flight up to Aspen, and there was an AMAZING smell of coniferous trees in the air... and looking around, and thinking "This is where exec. jets come to mate !!" My sis came up, and drove around the countryside.. She later moved up to Cheyenne after retiring. Also made contact with Bob Weir (such an appropriate name !), and got to meet him on his holiday to a villa on our South Coast. My project crashed, and I was left with a turgo-type turbine from the OAS a PELTAX 20.. (from another "incomplete" site) near where I visited with Bob Weir. THAT SITE WHICH REALLY NEEDED A MUCH LOWER HEAD TURBINE ...NOT THE 160 FT. Head ONE I WAS GIFTED. Still have the turbine in my garage for sale asking $1500 US. if you know anyone interested.... Anyway, I followed all your vids on the project.. waay meticulous !! tony*peeniwalli*com ALL THE BEST..

[@mrhydrohead]

Hey there! My class was Oct 11-21,1993 so we just missed meeting each other by a few months. Bob Mathews, Ken Olsen and Dan New (Canyon Hydro) were my instructors in Carbondale. Sorry to hear your project fell through. I'm not familiar with the turbine you mention. I would love to see some photos or specs on the unit if you are willing to share them. I might be able to find an interested party. Probably best to send any of that info to my email mrhydrohead@gmail .com off from this comment section. Nice to hear of a fellow SEI grad. Thanks for watching too. 😝

[@Lecon60]

I've watched every one of your videos. I'm in Alaska and I was pleased to see that your system runs below 17. We get to minus 20 here in the Cook Inlet Region Area. My property includes 250 acres surrounding a lake. Every outlet runs through a culvert system. We got a 150 thousand dollar grant to improve water flow throughout wetlands as this is a salmon spawning lake. This summer I will be looking at how water flows into the lake and if I can increase flow while still taking flow from. The lake for a hydro. My elevation may not allow me to get the type of flow. I'm at 150 feet. Thanks to your videos I'm able to see something workable. Last year my community got a study grant for alternative energy. We have 66 homes in my community and we also have a major river 2 miles away. There is potential for water wheels as the flow of the river is strong at about 4 miles an hour on slow days. I've watched this river for the past 50 years and notice changes in flow.

[@mrhydrohead]

I'm glad you have found the videos useful. We have had nights down to -10° F this winter and 75" of snow since late October. The system keeps running even with the cold. Moving water doesn't seem to freeze. I'm sure the penstock being buried and snow covering the ground helps. I'm not sure if I'm reading this right but if you have 150 ft of head, that would be enough to harness power. Maybe you meant 150 above sea level, not sure. I remember seeing a video about water wheels when I was in hospital and I found it for you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gX7EhHivm8lkb7s You may have seen it already, but if not, I hope its worthwhile. Thanks for watching!

[@Lecon60]

@@mrhydrohead thank you. Yes I am 150 above sea level.

[@gregorythomas333]

I have been investigating the Archimedean Screw turbines...it needs very little head (as low as 2 meters) as long as the flow is high enough. This is important in my area because it is rather flat here compared to your mountainous region. The RPM's are also very low starting at about 50 RPM's and up...so the noise level is much lower as well. I hope to get my property soon and will be installing turbines soon after.

[@mrhydrohead]

I've been looking at those myself out of curiosity. If I found one I could document I would do so. Low Head/High Flow works too, but you might consider a crossflow turbine as well. Its a smaller install and works on low head. Good luck Thanks for watching!

[@stephenauty2402]

Screws are seriously expensive and you need a large flow to compensate for the low head.

[@richysee]

Once again a great presentation thanks 😀

[@mrhydrohead]

So nice of you. Thanks for watching

[@danieldragota2985]

Hi...Colorado😊👋👋👋

[@mrhydrohead]

Hello backatcha! Thanks for watching!

[@RobertoMaurizzi]

I was quite sure I was subscribed to your channel from when you showed your second system build... but I was not... 🤔 Anyway now that's fixed, thanks for the video, now I learned what's the name of what I call "the Vietnamese hydro generator" I see in many video (the Kaplan) and I was able to find some shops that sell them. Greetings from South East Asia 😄

[@mrhydrohead]

Thanks for the sub! And Thanks for watching!

[@turmuzitv6630]

Hadir bos, mantap, good2 master,

[@mrhydrohead]

Terima kasih telah menonton!

[@BanglaRemixBoys]

Next part plz❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@mrhydrohead]

I have posted part 2 @ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqCoaJuLgcqZd5Y Thanks for watching! I also posted a new video today.

[@mrhydrohead]

Sorry, the indication of what video you watched came up wrong. So my first reply makes no sense. Not sure when next vid will come, but thinking about different themes now.

[@marblemastersofmiddlegainc3681]

My next runner is this 4 blade. My current 6 blade runner has been flawless for 2 years, but loves water. This new one has slightly flatter blades. Current output 2.7 to 2.9KW.

[@marblemastersofmiddlegainc3681]

Can not add photo😢

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Can you "make a vid" and upload it on your channel?

[@mrhydrohead]

Sounds like a good amount of power you already have. Hope your upgrade turns out to yield more to you. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@marblemastersofmiddlegainc3681]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq I sent MrMicroHead a video in email recently. He might can post it? It’s only 1:20. I also made a slide show several months ago of the process, but not on KZbin… yet.

[@GlyphZero]

have you seen info on performance of turbulent hydro's? i'd like for that to be demystified and see how good/bad its done over the years of install in the limited areas it's been installed.

[@mrhydrohead]

Sorry for the slow reply. I've been very interested in the Turbulent system myself. Unfortunately I've not seen an installation anywhere near me close enough to go document. From what I can tell they have very few running installations of their system worldwide. What they have said the system produces is quite impressive and it also seems like it might be a very expensive installation to do. The engineer Ken Gardner is interested in these as well. Maybe we might find a situation where one could be installed. If so, I will make every effort to document it. Sorry I can't provide more clarity to your question. Just the same thanks for watching the channel.

[@couchyrick6300]

Damn bro got me twice im fucking slow maybe i need it

[@couchyrick6300]

Is this an add for college

[@chrisdaniel1339]

Could you feature a modern laser cut, welded waterwheel system instillation. Many people do not realize how efficient steel waterwheels(Fitz Waterwheels, Hanover, PA) back in the 1920's and 1930's. Companies like Hydrowatt in Germany produce modern steel waterwheels that will last well over 100 years as they are welded from Cor-ten weathering steel or galvanized after welding. Waterwheels are perfect for high flow, lower head hydro sites, they do not need intake screens, they do not need much in the way of maintenance other than greasing bearings occasionally, and they last a long long time.

[@mrhydrohead]

That's a good suggestion. I'm limited in how far I can travel to document projects. So far I've only done my own and another in Colorado and one in Utah. However, thanks for the info on the mfgs in PA and Germany. I will attempt to reach them and see if they have any of their equipment installed in Colorado which I might be able to access. I'm not really familiar with the type you have suggested, but will research them. Thanks for watching and the suggestion. 😉👍🏻

[@user-dy9zy5kr5p]

Wetland filter 💪

[@NudeGuru]

Awesome channel. Do you have any recommendations for a practical portable/mobile micro hydro solution? More particularly I am about to leave the city for permanent nomadic country life in an RV, and will be free roaming around and boon docking. It would be great if I could utilize micro hydro for power during the travels where water is, which is plenty of places in my neck of the woods. Most likely a combination of solar and wind with the micro hydro will be the right way to go.

[@mrhydrohead]

Sounds like a bold path you’re setting out on. The two critical factors for power are head(fall) which governs pressure and flow (amount of water). To harness pressure you would need a good length of pipe and a site where water exits far below the intake. That is something that requires a good deal of time to install and could likely be restricted by local ordinances. I’ve seen small units that can be submerged in flowing water, but their output isn’t very much. I don’t have a link to one, but will look around to see if I can find one. I’ll post a link if i can. Thx for watching and safe travels to you

[@mrhydrohead]

You might investigate this www.nooutage.com/aquair-uw.htm

[@NudeGuru]

@@mrhydrohead Thanks. Much appreciated.

[@shaunmccrickett4221]

Would intermittent flow be able to charge a battery, I was thinking if you added one of these micro hydroelectric converters to the mains water supply at home would it be able to charge a battery every time you ran a tap, took a shower etc?

[@mrhydrohead]

Its an interesting thought experiment. A formula for determining the power potential of micro hydropower would be (Net head x Net flow in GPM) / 15 for DC watts or / 9 for AC watts. You could calculate the potential power that way, but with maybe 60 psi (2.31 * 60 = 138 head) from the utility and maybe 1-3 GPM on an intermittent basis, you would find a very limited amount of power. (138 * 3) / 15 = 27-28 watts. That wouldn't justify the cost of buying equipment, batteries and inverter. There is also the question of once the pressure is utilized to harness kinetic power from the flow, what is left to push the water through the pipes to your shower, toilet or sink? Thanks for watching and asking the question.

[@gamelover2594]

I would like to ask you how to calculate the prospective power of pelton turbine if I want to use the domestic water supply. It is just an experiment(I have pressure 6 bars and flow 3l/s). Thank you!

[@mrhydrohead]

I don't think its going to be worth the expense once you subtract the cost of your water bill. But anyway you will have to convert the units in this formula. Watts produced = Net(not static, but flowing) Head in Ft. multiplied by Flow in GPM divided by 9 for AC or Watts= Net Head x Flow / 9 for AC. For DC you would divide by 15 as it is a less efficient method. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!

[@darrenbenson2606]

I’m looking for land with a good creek. I have solar now but I want a water turbine and a couple windmills.

[@mrhydrohead]

Sun Water AND Wind. Sounds like a tough bill to fill. I hope you find at least the creek, as Water has so much more a steady output. Our creek in the rest of our channel puts out 100-180 kWh/day depending on how much water we are running through it. Winter is where we can actually use all that power and no need to hassle with batteries. Thanks for watching!

[@-whackd]

Wow the skies look so clear there, Id get 4kw worth of solar panels, ground mount them next to the house and be done with it. The glass ones are cheap. Batteries get cheaper every year and you can just expand capacity slowly

[@mrhydrohead]

Perhaps, but for the amount of power provided you need an enormous array of panels to equal the output of micro hydro systems. No intermittency from day/night or cloud cover as well. And when it snows, would you want to clear the panels? Each person needs to make choices as to what is best. Thanks for watching

[@gamelover2594]

nice video

[@mrhydrohead]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ngoatomagane7552]

what if I stay in another country and would like to join the course solar energy international, how can I do that?

[@mrhydrohead]

www.solarenergy.org/contact/ is the link to get in touch with the school. They have numerous classes available for many renewable technologies. Look over their website and see what they have to offer. There is a 5 day micro hydro course at their facility and also a free online introductory course which gives an overview of many of the renewable technologies. I hope this is helpful to you. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼

[@leonidbrezhnev9917]

Hey hope you're well. How have things been where you are with all the rain?

[@mrhydrohead]

I am well, thanks for asking. Its been a particularly cold and early winter here in Colorado with temps around -10°F at night and 75" of snow since late October. The snows are welcome as they ultimately are the source of most of our hydro water and we are hoping the cold will have an impact on the beetle kill.

[@leonidbrezhnev9917]

@@mrhydrohead I watched on the news a lot of people were hit hard with the deluge although it was badly needed I think. Hopefully you don't get a sudden thaw and the melt has time to enter the water table. I enjoyed your videos, you've done a lot of great work, keep it up, I look forward to more. Best of luck!

[@toyotayiaris6797]

Hello, I have a 14 kilowatt generator of what diameter Francis turbine should I put

[@mrhydrohead]

It depends on what the power potential of your site is, whether a Francis would be the best equipment. I suggest you take a look through my entire series of videos where I describe my process of moving my Pelton system from a high head/low flow spring source to a medium head/higher flow off of a creek. I attempt to teach how to determine the potential of a site. Only then will you know if a Francis turbine is the best choice. A 14KW generator can be used to harness any quantity up to and including 14kw as a top output. The choice of turbine depends on best efficiency and cost considerations. Thanks for watching

[@toyotayiaris6797]

@@mrhydrohead thanks for answers

[@Mike368314]

How can I get in touch with you

[@mrhydrohead]

Email me at [e-mail]

[@abidullahkhan9024]

how we will contact with you

[@mrhydrohead]

[e-mail]

[@embededfabrication4482]

Is there a system that will make AC power?

[@mrhydrohead]

Sure thing! check out the majority of content on my channel. My own system is Direct AC without batteries and is fully off grid. Here is a synopsis playlist of the system which I have owned since 1996: kzbin.info/aero/PLtTypVpmDd-vkT9bJQkXw4I1t0e_4jMYA Thanks for watching

[@embededfabrication4482]

@@mrhydrohead I'm looking at a farm property that has a water tower, thinking using wind and solar to pump water into the tower and use it like a water battery to feed a microhydro

[@tomjacobs5221]

I would like to inter-grate a system with a school in India ...creating power for a aquaponic food system to feed the 312 students (1st.-12th grade) ...can you help me learn more ?

[@mrhydrohead]

I think the expense of attending the SEI class would be well worth it. You would come away with enough knowledge to compare different designs with cost factors. The older videos on my channel are a documentation of the step by step process I went through moving my system. I tried to lay out as much how to in the series. At the time there were very few vids on the topic and hence my desire to fill that void. Finding an experienced hydro engineer who knows the local regulations as well as available equipment in India would be one of the best ways to compare cost/benefits of different system designs. I don't have any contacts in India, but hydro equipment manufacturers in India could likely steer you to someone who could help. Myself, I'm not in the biz of providing designs as I'm not a licensed engineer and only a retired cinematographer who has had the good fortune to find a property and manage my system for the last 26 years. Micro Hydro is well worth the cost and effort. I commend your dream of helping younger students with your efforts. Thanks for watching.

[@MetricZero]

Hey there. I'm building a community in Virginia and in addition to wind and solar, i'd like a third option for electricity: micro-hydro. Do you know of anyone who might be able to come out and help set something up like that?

[@mrhydrohead]

I have two people you could contact. If you send me your email and phone # to [e-mail] we can discuss it further. I think it’s best to keep your and other’s info private from this platform.

[@MetricZero]

@@mrhydrohead Thank you! I'll reach out once the project can be started.

[@jeffpowell1616]

Just hydro? nothing else like solar or wind with batteries would these systems be cheaper and more portable to install? assuming the sun is shining and the wind is blowing.

[@mrhydrohead]

My experience is with Micro Hydro and SEI certainly teaches other renewable disciplines. My channel has been solely about hydro which was the best choice for me when I started in 1996 and continued to be through our upgrade process 2013-2015. We get up to 177kWh/day which heats our home at 8600ft in Winter. We have intermittent sun and wind, so it was by far the best choice. Take a look at the rest of my channel if you have interest. There is a synopsis playlist (~25min) here: kzbin.info/aero/PLtTypVpmDd-vkT9bJQkXw4I1t0e_4jMYA Thanks for watching

[@jeffpowell1616]

@@mrhydrohead thanks for your response, I will have a look. 177kwh per day is a lot of power! I get 20 - 40 kWh of my solar installation for around half the year. I can see why hydro is a good option, if you can get it.

[@mrhydrohead]

@@jeffpowell1616 You bet! We have to dial the flow on the system down in all seasons but Winter as we have no need for that much power.

[@Renegade30]

As a fellow engineer I'd love to know what Ken Gardner thinks of pump as turbine pumps for pumped hydro? I notice that the preference seems to be natural falls using Francis Turbines for the obvious benefits. Does Ken think that pump as turbine pumps are worth it or would a dedicated pump and dedicated turbine be the best choice?

[@mrhydrohead]

Just waking up here in CO. Ken saw your comment and said this “I noticed someone asked about pumps as turbines. I have enclosed a case study for using reverse running pumps as turbines. The challenge with reverse running pumps is that they normally function at one head and one flow.” If you send me your email via mine [e-mail] I can forward the info sheet to you. Thanks for watching!

[@RubenKelevra]

Still wondering why you haven't used a Crossflow. Your projects def. inspired me and I'm currently planning a system on my own. I have a pond which can be emptied to 50% and be used as temporary energy storage. The turbine will be a Crossflow, as it's most efficient in a very large variety of different loads. As I don't use a battery system, I will use an old 230V AC gasoline generator and remove the engine. The governor which controls the engine will be used to control the speed of the generator as well, but with a little twist: The Crossflow turbine takes quite a long time to spool up and output more power or spool down to output less. So it cannot be used directly for turning a net synchronous generator. So I'll install a flywheel in between with CVTs on both sides. The flywheel speed is measured and depending on the measurement the Crossflow-Turbine-Valve will be opened or closed. The CVT allows the Crossflow turbine RPM to be decoupled from the Flywheel RPM for short durations and also allow for a smooth start without stalling out. On the output side the CVT need to be adjusted precisely by the governor instead of weights - to get the precise 50 Hz

[@mrhydrohead]

Wow that sounds like a very interesting project. Any you sound like you're a highly technically proficient person. I believe one of the next projects that Ken Gardner is working on is indeed a crossflow which will be built by Gabe the man that works with Ken. I went to see the site which will run off water diverted from a creek to a pond. The turbine will be installed on the water returning to the creek. It has only about 12 ft of head and it currently has a system which is going to be upgraded to the crossflow. We shall see how it turns out. Thanks for watching and sharing your plan!

[@RubenKelevra]

@@mrhydrohead yeah my installation is similar in head pressure: we're currently planning on 24 meters, but not sure if we can build there securely enough for the storms in the area. :) The whole plan is to be able to get 10-12 A out of the generator without it ever stalling when loads are turned on or run away when loads are turned off. Hope this all works out :)

[@suntzu6122]

My biggest question is how do you know which property to buy that will allow tampering with the stream or creek? Who is in charge of such things. Im sure the gov thinks they own the water or something. 😂

[@mrhydrohead]

In the US, I believe every state has different rules governing water rights. In Colorado where I live, water rights are adjudicated by state water courts. You file for a non consumptive right for use and are initially granted a "conditional" right which must be proven as beneficial use within 7 years. If you put in a system and prove beneficial use you then file to make the water right "absolute". If you don't prove in that time period, you can refile to get another 7 years. It is considered non consumptive or run-of-river in that it puts the water back in the waterway it came from. Sorry that I don't have info on how it works in different states or different countries. Thanks for watching

[@suntzu6122]

@@mrhydrohead thank you!!! Very intetesting!!

[@suntzu6122]

You could power bitcoin miners to convert free energy into digital gold.

[@mrhydrohead]

I did research using some of my excess power for this, but I decided that to try to compete with large server farms would not be a practical undertaking. It would require always upgrading to newer cards and ongoing costs without a guarantee of success.

[@suntzu6122]

​​​@@mrhydroheadi wouldnt go too deep in it but being a part of a pool will increase your chances of payout. If your mining pool hits the block reward you will get paid accordingly. Maybe youre only .5 percent but because of a mining pool you get more community hash rate. And i strooongly believe in btc. More than everything else, basically. Id rather plug in a 10,000 miner than give the grid back electricity for example. Bitcoin will almost certainly hit 1million per. So if you could mine it for the cost of a miner and hold in a personal wallet it should in theory be a great way to A + B combo this amazing hydro power tech. Please keep up the good work man i just found your channel and you do a great job!!