Off Grid Micro Hydro - Building a 6kW Off Grid EMPIRE

[@Gridlessness]

Check out this Off Grid Micro Hydro System in Service for over 15 years: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqq6gmala9Wfj5osi=KB30ROoqHLfH4Snq

[@ARLGD]

Thank you for sharing that video! It's always great to see off-grid systems that have stood the test of time. If you're looking for a reliable portable power solution, I highly recommend checking out the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It offers a massive capacity, fast recharging, and a durable design. It's perfect for outdoor adventures and home backup power. Happy camping!

[@sebastienloyer9471]

Guys you should have walky talky

[@sebastienloyer9471]

What is the run ? What is the load resistance ? What is the gage or the run wire ?

[@ARLGD]

That Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series sounds like an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers! With its massive capacity, fast recharging, waterproof design, and versatile sockets, it seems like the perfect companion for extended outdoor adventures and ensuring uninterrupted power supply. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@jondoe598]

I've tried 2wice to tell you about k.r.i.s.H.a.r.b.o.u.r. and yt keeps deleting my comments stupid Ai bs man anyway he build designs installs them hydroz from scratch my bro if this message stays check him out ok knowledgeable 100% and some ok hope this stays and it helps 👍🏻

[@milespostlethwaite1154]

One thing I noticed is that a 440 foot pipe with 5” ID on a 24 foot head is not big enough to deliver the amount of water required for 850 Watts. At 316 gpm you will lose 7 feet of head due to friction losses. So 316 times 17 feet (dynamic) head, times gravity, times turbine efficiency - say 55% at best - would give you a maximum output of about 640 Watts. Low head systems are always very sensitive to losses so all in all I think you did well to get 495 Watts. Great video.

[@shenron611]

What if the bearings are shot and need greasing also?

[@TheXavier20000]

I thought that this didn’t apply to gravity fed systems. Doesn’t the friction loss get canceled out by the increased head from the elevation drop? I might be confusing static and dynamic head though.

[@killingtimeitself]

this was my immediate guess. They bunged up the math and forgot about friction or something.

[@killingtimeitself]

Flow is the primary restriction with the size of the pipe. So a certain size pipe is only capable of giving X amount of flow. It's just an inherent restriction. @@TheXavier20000

[@portnuefflyer]

I have a 3"" line and 147' of fall, in a bit less of 1/4 mile, and it puts out as much as 34 amps @ 26 volts// 884 watts. grid tied, and has for the last 16 years.

[@kletusbobby7029]

At 18 minutes, when you are reading the output, that is a MPT control unit, so if the batteries are charged, then the controller will reduce the power being put into the batteries. To correctly test the system, you need to test it as a stand-alone generator on flat batteries. Or if you can prevent over running and the high voltage that goes with it, try an open circuit test.

[@billysgeo]

Exactly! Every time he showed the voltmeter I was thinking "what's the load on this anyway?" But then he did the hairdryer test, so...

[@Timbo_tango]

Yep its all about the load. If the load isn't there then you aint gona get 800w

[@joew1865]

You can add timestamps to comments that will take people directly to that place in the video (e.g., 18:00). Just FYI 🙂

[@Play4Vida]

As a professional burger flipper, that's what I've been saying all this time ! Open circuit!

[@codyneitte9801]

This comment should be #Pinned tbh

[@ryanjones3043]

My dad is the OG of this set up He built it back in the 80s before any of these small scale hydro techniques were written about. We lived in the mountains of Washington state 5mi from the nearest neighbor and powered the house just like any house in the city….. just don’t let the intake clog or the pipes freeze in the cold

[@driverjamescopeland]

Modern systems are based on VASTLY more efficient generators, thanks to modern direct drive washers becoming commonplace. If your ol' man is still living and hasn't upgraded, he should consider the option.

[@ryanjones3043]

@@driverjamescopeland yeah he’s around he lives in a wealthy neighborhood on a lake in TX now lol I still long to be back up there but he enjoys the warm weather and abundant fish

[@JRAbbru]

Hey, just by sure coincidence, did you guys live on the Olympic Peninsula for this operation while living in Washington state.

[@ryanjones3043]

@@JRAbbru nah we were down in southwest WA outside of Washougal

[@douglassellers7528]

Was generator outlet restricting out flow.

[@scottpecora371]

Over in Idaho in the Frank Church Wilderness Area on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, we have a pelton wheel with a max out put of 45kw. We have a 1120ft head starting at 12" shallow wall PVC when decreases to 10" then goes into a thick wall 8", down to a six. From 4" diameter and smaller the pipe is metal 20ft from the powerhouse, it drops to 4" metal, 10ft later it drops to 3". At the pipe enters the power house it decreases to 2", 2ft from the turbine it drops to 1" then the two nozzles are 1/2"-3/4" depending upon time of year and water volume. At the turbine we have a static pressure of 260psi with a water volume of 250-300 gallons per minute with a maxium out put of 45kw with a governed turbine speed of 1800rpm with a pelton diameter of 28". One thing over looked by many is the transition point from m one diameter to the next. With metal, it's easier to shape a cone, permitting a smooth transition to each smaller size where a lot of people just drop from one size to the next, creating a lot of turbulence at each size reduction. Reducing your gpm because of friction in the pipe at each reduction.

[@squirrel_is_notamused4694]

Maybe checking the bearings on the generator would be a good idea. The waterwheel didn't seem like it was spinning freely when you moved it by hand. Also, the water output/exhaust at the end might not be exiting freely causing flow problems in the waterwheel chamber. I remember someone creating a Venturi effect with some simple piping after the generator to increase throughput. Just a thought. Cheers!

[@JP1AO]

The exhaust flow is what I was thinking. Too much back pressure. Like a plugged up muffler.

[@Frank-Thoresen]

​@@JP1AOSame thoughts. It needs a good clearance for the outlet water to not make a back pressure on the turbine

[@TheRonskiman]

I had the same thought as well. The systems also look prone to blockages, especially the smaller one.

[@totherarf]

The lack of free spinning could be the way the generator is configured causing cogging?

[@TheSilmarillian]

Have seen that venturi effect its interesting.

[@Brad-vs1lk]

For every 90 degree bend in the headstock piping you loose approx 15% flow rate. For every 45 degree you loose 8%. The generator has a 90 degree turn built right into it making it inefficient for that volume and flow rate of that creek! Those look like globe valves and they probably reduce flow by 10% each. They should probably be gate valves and I think you could probably eliminate the one near the generator all together! First thing I would do is straighten every pipe I could eliminating all the offset fittings. Then I would build a small dam creating a 5 foot wide head pond with a large inlet funnel down deep so as to eliminate bubbles and screened to eliminate debris. I would add another 5 inch pipe running alongside the existing one with a larger diameter wye pipe with a reducer at the generator. I would try to increase the length of the pipe as much as I could. All that would increase the pressure/flow rate to the generator. That is what you can try using the existing equipment. But the truth be told I would get another generator/turbine. That generator is too small for that volume/ flow rate. Or you could replace the piping with a smaller diameter one, say 2 or 3 inch. That would increase the flow rate greatly if you had a head pond with a larger collector/ funnel. But honestly I think the turbine is too small for that application and that is what I would either replace or modify. Try cutting a larger hole on the turbine for the water to be exhausted with no restrictions/diversions. The turbine is just poorly built. Get rid of any restriction after the water spins the blades. You don’t care if it sprays out in a large fan shape!! I would suck it up and just purchase a larger turbine/gen set! Trouble is it is so expensive to just get rid of. Maybe you can sell it as being barely used!! Someone else with a smaller creek could use that one. Good luck using the existing equipment!!! Being able to adjust the parameters on the controller is perfect. What’s installed in the control room is suitable for almost any application! It’s just the turbine/gen set that sucks!!!!

[@stewartmoir9464]

This^

[@studinthemaking]

How you know all this?

[@roostercogburn7243]

​@@studinthemakingHe asked AI

[@forbesmathews89]

Gawd Guys !!! Bless your hearts ! A good rain is gonna flush that thing down. But i am proud of you !! (this response is powered by off grid falling water like all else here for the past 30 years)

[@JohnSmith-uz8bb]

On both systems you need to build a "pond" at least 3 feet deep....with the excess flow able to pour over the dam wall and flow on downstream. Use an intake pipe twice the size of your penstock as the receiver of the water in that pond. The double size pipe (capped on the upstream end) needs to have very many small holes drilled in it...say 1/4 inch holes all over it.....then wrap fabric shade cloth or fabric wind break cloth around the pipe as a filter... Now suspend the drilled wrapped receptor pipe half way between the floor of the pond and the top of the water...the cleanest water zone as the silt drops to the bottom of the pond and the leaves etc. float over the top of the dam..... The small holes do not allow a vortex to occur...the number of small holes allow full flow of "solid" unaerated water to fill the penstock. Now you have also eliminated those small stones, leaves, sticks.... and the bubbles.... See Marty T channel (he is in New Zealand) for a washing machine motor based turbine putting out 885 watts continuous from a 229ft head 4 inch penstock....going 18 years on the original system.....

[@marsesola2696]

sir please give more info

[@andrewford80]

@@marsesola2696 It is right three in his comment, that is the info,.

[@oakvillefarmer]

I don’t have a working system but the little that I have messed around I had to start with a larger pipe and step diameter down the further I went. The long run of pipe I believed I had cavitation in the pipe as it accelerated creating an air lock. The old gold miners that washed hills away to retrieve gold used to do this. It helped me.

[@daveauman2339]

I used a Scott/Harris reactive for 3 years before giving up... mostly issues with the 3 phase alternators. I had 3 of them come apart before extending the penstock and going to a Turgo. If you really want use the Scott, I do have few suggestions... A tall collection box at the headworks, with a coanda screen works great. Do what you can to increase the head pressure. Install a pressure guage in the pipe, just above the lower shutoff valve. It will tell you a lot about your water system and help you diagnose problems. Don't overgrease the bearings. It can cut your rotor speed in half. I saw that you had a pretty good suction screen, but remove the valve from your Scott, so that you can see into the narrowing throat, to make sure that there are no sticks or rocks stuck in there. I have a few other suggestions. Let me know if you want to hear them.

[@Gridlessness]

Wow, that’s all great information, thank you! Interesting, this project has also had a couple issues with the alternator. I also don’t think this turbine is the most efficient, we’re running at about 25% (from theoretical) and I would expect closer to 50%. Any more information you have would be welcome!

[@udos46]

try putting 3 x 10uF delta capacitors on the three phases, try to bring the cosFy to 0.9 and make sure the batteries are not > 60%

[@daveauman2339]

@Gridlessness Looking at the large scoured areas and the size of the boulders in the channel suggests that that stream sometimes has much, much more flow. I would suggest getting the pipe out of the channel as close to your headworks as possible, while still maintaining a constant downslope. Get your turbine out of the channel too. This will not only reduce the chance of damage during regular rock streamload, but will also reduce the chance of your system getting destroyed by the occasional landslides that occur in canyons like that. A couple of years ago, I designed and built a small weir and collection system that cleans itself and diverts water into the pipe with minimal bubbles. The system allowed about 50 cubic yards of rock, gravel and wood debris to pass and did not require winter service. We can figure out a better way to communicate, and I can share my design with you. Additionally, I live in Washington State and am always up for a good road trip, to check out other microhydro systems.

[@MrPizzaman09]

@@Gridlessness I'm not a electrical expert, but the waveform being non-sinusoidal isn't helping I don't think. Also, that wheel in it looks not very efficient. I would sit down and start doing some math.... lets say there's 1000W of potential. Start multiplying by the efficiency of things.. Here's some theoretical values, like 95% for the wiring from the turbine, 70% alternator eff (maybe not matched well), bearing loss at 99% efficiency, pipe losses (90%) and rectifier efficiency (95%), MPPT efficiency (97%) and the turbine wheel (50%).... 1000*0.95*0.70*0.99*0.9*0.95*0.97*0.5 = 273 watts.

[@fablearchitect7645]

@@MrPizzaman09 The Scott Hydro 1500W Water Turbine is a permeant magnet alternator. It is normal for permeant magnet generators to have distorted voltage waveforms due to voltage clipping caused by the magnetic saturation and harmonics caused by the Irregularities in the Magnetic Field due to Rotor Shape and construction. These harmonics are cleaned up by the rectifier and inverter. The AC current waveform at 16:16 is perfectly normal for a 3 phase rectifier. The harmonic distortion is being caused by the DC filter capacitor charging and discharging between AC voltage peaks with respect to the diodes acting like a non linear load.

[@dubyajay7860]

People that understand electricity are wizards.

[@ClarkyMalarky]

Electricians 😂 .. we call them Sparkies 😊

[@arjayUU]

Should be common sense in the age of IT. Education needs to keep up.

[@elgringoec]

​@@arjayUU That's right. Any technology is magic to the ignorant.

[@markarca6360]

Especially those who are NOT electrical engineers, or licensed electricians.

[@elgringoec]

@@markarca6360 That would seem logical, and yet I've interacted with multiple electricians who lacked knowledge of electricity fundamentals. They could do what they were taught according to the rules developed for them, make everything neat and do what it's supposed to. Just don't ask them to figure out something they hadn't been taught. I've even met some who didn't know how three and four way light switches worked, but they could hook em up and get em working. But it was regimented, no understanding involved, just repeat the procedure. And known lots of electrical engineers who lacked capability to fix electrical things. (Often the most advanced in theory had the most difficulty in practice.) It all depends on people's specific interests and level of dedication. At ten I was fixing appliances, TVs, stereos, small engines, etc. It's amazing how reading library books and getting hands on things can lead to understanding. Like throwing a ball around can develop ball skills, and playing video games can develop mad gaming skills. It's about where people enjoy focusing their time and energy. Passing tests and getting credentials only guarantees that level of capability.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

Im grid-tieable, but choose to go it alone (off grid) as much as possible. To that end, I use several small solar PV panels, each driving a small dc motor, through a belt transmission (all homemade) coupled to tiny air compressors. I store the compressed air, then use it (sparringly) to produce electricity AS NEEDED. My point in telling you all this is, when you decide to go off grid, that action alone REQUIRES "intentional" living. Basically, you learn to do more with less. As counter-intuitive as that may sound, I'm here to tell you it works! At least, it's worked for me for the past 13 years. I'm 75 and autistic, so if "I" can make it happen, for any "normal"(?) person, it should be a 👞 in. (Shoe) 😊

[@arjovenzia]

Im not sure I'd go with compressed air, but then im an electronics guy, and far more comfortable with electrons than spinny-things. but if it works then you cant really argue. your point is very apt. going off grid takes a shift in mindset, every light that is left on is ticking away at your energy reserves. you learn fairly quickly to only run the lights you need, put your dinner on early so your cooking with direct solar, shower during the day. and you'll have plenty of power, just a case of waste not want not. I started with an RV, then a suburban off grid, and have just recently gotten some land on an island with NO opportunity for grid power/water/sewer. Im pretty sure I'll be able to run A/C before long. the real trick is managing your resource, as you put it, 'intentional living'. I like that phrase.

[@tbix1963]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Retired power system operator that used to monitor the operations of a few thousand MWs of hydro generation. Love all aspects of hydro power large to micro. Can’t help wondering if your turbine is loosing efficiency with all the air in the wheel from the lack of a draft tube. If you could add one it might improve efficiency. If even a short section gives you any improvement then lengthening it down the stream should add more suction and more power. Wishing you and your family the best. Jealous of your location and the projects it facilitates. I know that draft tubes aren’t used with Pelton wheels and if you had a Francis wheel they are mandatory. Pondering if the turbine you have is more like a Francis wheel than a Pelton wheel.

[@paradiselost9946]

whereas i cant stand these micro hydro setups as they ignore all the wisdom of the last 150 years of power generation. not even worth watching, other than what NOT to do. i just click to shake my head, sigh... and work out whether to laugh at the stupidity of the modern world, or cry. batteries? inverters? charge controllers? WT literal F? an absolute joke. a disgrace. all you need is a proper nozzle, needle valved exactly as abner doble designed them 150 odd years ago, and governed to run a synchronous generator. a bit of rudimentary mathematics to match the water velocity to the wheel velocity to the generators required RPM. at 5-10kw, a large flywheel is more than adequate to deal with variations in load and give the governor time to react rather than the traditional deflector. my setup ran flawlessly for 15 years until the property was sold, dam was filled in, and the whole lot went into a skip bin as the new owners didnt appreciate the maintenance-free 24/7, 365 days a year, 240V 5.5KVA supply, or the guy living in the shack down in the bush...

[@zachansen8293]

@@paradiselost9946 make sure you don't say what is actually wrong and just pretend like you're an expert instead.

[@paradiselost9946]

@@zachansen8293 maybe you should do some investigation into how a REAL system works. say, hoover dam? then miniatuarise it ;) but, yknow, you can be an "ex spurt" instead... come on, point out exactly where i am going wrong, with constant velocity and synchronous generators and not relying on silly little electronic devices and some sort of chemical reaction for storage... when water at elevation is the storage system itself? come on, point out exactly why laminar flow is a "pretend" concept. come on, explain why the basic physics equation, 1/2mv^2, is incorrect. im waiting for you to explain how potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, and how to most efficiently extract that energy. give me a full rundown on why a ball valve restricting flow by reducing pressure into a fixed orifice nozzle is the best way to do things. and then maybe you can explain how to repair an inverter that has just blown its chopper circuit can be easily diagnosed and repaired with nothing but a spanner and screwdriver.

[@lorddranaut]

We need more ppl that understand that there is a wealth of knowledge that just isn't used anymore he'll I just learned about wood gasification generators today

[@tbix1963]

@@lorddranaut you might like the report that’s out there that was sponsored by the US gov on how to build one. If I’m remembering correctly it came out during one of the major gas crisis and the old guy that wrote it did service during world war 2 behind the lines and his day job was building gasifiers for cars to help keep the society behind the lines going with all available fuel going to the German war machine. It’s designed to power a farm tractor but gives the design calculations to make changes based on needed power output. www.driveonwood.com/static/media/uploads/pdf/fema_plans.pdf

[@motor2of7]

Not a hydro expert, but a mechanical engineer. To me it looks like the turbulence on the outlet is affecting the turbine efficiency…..looks like the aerated water is partially getting caught back into the turbine blades. Good call on building up the settling pond and getting the air out of the intake.

[@nautibuoys2792]

The inlet valve coulr be causing cavitation befor the generator if you move the valve back 30 diameters to allow the water to reattach to the pipe you should get better flow over the impellor. Worth a try. Great video best of luck 😊

[@Omnesum]

The "more bubbles" outlet looked like the perfect setup for a trompe. Depending on the changes made it could be a way to harvest more power easily.

[@jefferyshall]

That water wheel in the big system seemed EXTREMELY hard to spin it and the fin design didn't look like they would take very good advantage of that massive flow rate. Seems like it would be WAY better to run multiple of the small ones on the big creek unless you can make a big version of the small one with a big pelton wheel or something.

[@ditzfough]

Was my thinking aswell. Blades seemed inefficient.

[@heartobefelt]

true , the vanes are not deep enough to produce torque from the full volume of water , and the diameter is too small , lost torque again, I would like to use two peltons side by side , with 2 - 3 large jets each

[@dwaynet2184]

Now that you have the pickup much deeper. The head and 1st 100 ft of pipe need to be 8 or 10 inch to build speed with the weight of the water, using the same idea as the hydro ran gold monitor's used to blast gold out of the ground 100 or more yrs ago. Going from an 8" or 10" pipe to the 5" will speed up the water and raise the pressure also raising the output by 2 or 3 times.

[@MrPizzaman09]

I haven't done a calculator for this one.... are the losses high for 480 GPM on 400' of 5" pipe?

[@carlcarlamos9055]

There were a number of books published in the ‘70’s with this info. Pipe construction(concrete, wood, metal, plastic, etc.); turns; joints; valves; everything counts. The info is out there. It may not be that easy to find on the internet. Some good hard research may be in order. Good luck and take care.

[@paradiselost9946]

@@carlcarlamos9055 the books from 1890 are vastly superior. no batteries. no inverters. fixed velocity jet. synchronous generator. wheel diameter matched to jet velocity and generator RPM. keep the pipe as large as possible, you want pressure in the pipe, not velocity. the full head should be acting on the back of the nozzle. the nozzle is the only place where the pressure should be converting to velocity, the potential to kinetic. nowhere else. as per bernoulli, the bigger the pipe, the lower the velocity, and the higher the pressure at the nozzle. nozzle should be a needle valve aka doble nozzle. maintain velocity and control flow rate to suit load. maintain laminar flow. why is humanity determined to become more stupid as we "progress"?

[@SSteeleify]

Yep. More pool. Less pipe. More better.

[@menos50]

I agree with Miles, about too little head, the easiest fix is to add enough pipe to get 50 to 70 ft of head and you will achieve full power without a problem and will give you the extra to allow for some intake fouling. Great learning video!

[@sldkjh]

At exactly 17:00 the volt meter jumps up two times. I wonder what happened during those two bumps in voltage. Maybe it is an indication of what needs to change to make it work better. Good luck!

[@andrewj99]

the bearings unjammed

[@tonymaddever5917]

When I was young, I lived on a farm that my parents owned we had our own power. It was a generator run by a Pelton wheel produced 220, Volts, DC couldn’t turn lights off, but the Pilton wheel we could take the generator off, put a belt onto the saw bench and cut our firewood, the pipe coming into the system was 18 inches by memory, the jet at the end hitting the pedals in the Pilton wheel was about a inch. The drop was about 70 feet. The pipe was 500 m. There was plenty of water in the creek very permanent and being in New Zealand. We didn’t get too much ice in the creek, so went 24 seven at the head of the system was a small dam with permanent gauze and then we put bird netting across the top of that so we could remove to remove leaves which was the biggest problem in keeping it going, especially in the autumn

[@S_AM_bot]

Beautiful and harmonious family, I always watch your videos

[@Maxid1]

The intake needs a settling pond (Edit: Oh, you actually say that later. Nevermind). He's got it right in the stream bottom so it's going to get clogged and the water, like you pointed out, is aerated. Personally with that much vertical drop I'd build a fairly large water wheel. More output and way easier to trouble shoot and fix. Your generator is hooked to a pto and you can put a disconnect on the pto for servicing. You could also put in a sluice gate and not even have the water wheel in the main stream path (just divert flow onto the wheel and back into the stream) so you can do maintenance on the wheel much more easily. No more tiny pebble jams. I've talked myself into this!

[@Tool-d5w]

I agree, the 5" setup some folks dream about that kinda flow ya picked the wrong type / size wheel it seems to be flooding the squirrel cage looking wheel make old school mill type wheel and gear it

[@matthias7534]

6kW is INSANE! wow amazing!

[@OmDesk]

I love hydro power more than Solar. This is so FKIN SICK I want to make it too !

[@joshjones3408]

11:44 the water deep enough where he is standing.....you are right with the bubble's...an if it was about a foot or 2 deeper it would be +pressure at the top to instead of neutral pressure at the top an some what+pressure at the bottom 👍👍👍👍

[@brockm1663]

This is what dreams are made of. Always really like the idea of hydro systems. As long as you have a good flow of water endless power.

[@MichaelrennieG]

I am impressed by using available nature energy and converting to electrical but the amount of energy matters for practical use and longevity of the equipment needed to produce it, thanks for the video

[@timtv2826]

Very cool video, you are always doing something interesting and always involving and teaching the kids. Have a warm, cozy winter.

[@new_romemusic4212]

Had me hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely love your production style! Also, that area looks beautiful

[@cancelbubble6535]

Great job. I was going to suggest what you guys did: 1) Create a much calmer intake pool 2) Create more drop. It seems like there is more room for dropping as well, why not add another run of pipe at the end where the pipe is a smaller diameter?

[@guygillmore2970]

Maybe not lower the electrics too close to spate level but I think those Banki turbines can work with negative pressure on the exit, using a suction tube

[@retrofitter]

3) Get rid of those harsh 45 degree bends

[@johnmichaelkarma]

@@retrofitter yes!

[@jwstolk]

3) The holes in the mesh at the intake should be smaller than the hole in the nozzle at the bottom.

[@98f5]

Why not put the generator at the bottom of that 3 meter cliff. The height difference will make a much bigger change than the intake pool

[@Boneyard24]

You have some great comments,..good info,...I was thinking about the 90s and 45s reducing the flow and the need for a pond on the intake,...but mostly the drop, or head,...there will be your power,...and you gotta admit one thing,...that wave form does look like it's communicating in sign language,...

[@udos46]

at the dam, use a cylinder of expanded polyurethane to inject between the stones under water, it inflates and binds tightly between the stones Avoid the formation of a whirlwind entering the pipe with sheet metal the pipe starts are made with orange construction site plastic cones with an easy to clean grid (progressive from large to small diameter and not suddenly fixed diameter)

[@harold4356]

May have been mentioned somewhere but put a Y strainer in line just before each jet (or any where debris is likely to clogg) and you can flush on the fly without disasembly.

[@dirtyburger7528]

Ya or even a tee y, valve then strainer

[@jasonlightfoot4145]

Thank you Gridlessness you make my Sundays a lot better 💫your enthusiasm is infectious and inspiring I love seeing you and your beautiful family work so well together 😊

[@CplSkiUSMC]

I've never been good with electrical, DC is about my limit. All of that was head splitting... I'm glad you understand that stuff Jeff, because I'd fall flat on my face trying to make that setup work.

[@fella704]

A good starting point to learn about AC: it's not that much different. Power goes in one way and out then other. Instead of a closed circuit, one side just goes to the ground.

[@CplSkiUSMC]

@@fella704 When I was a kid I was superb with mathematics... until I hit algebra. The a + b = c threw me for a loop. I was used to getting numerical values - long division was a snap, fractions - no problem, anything with a number... but I didn't catch on to expressions with variables. I did learn it later in college as a non-trad, but it took some good instruction to turn on the light bulb in my brain (pun intended). That's what I need with AC. Take that basic knowledge with DC and add some good instruction and time to connect the dots.

[@mtman2]

No one can be an expert at everything, why it's best to call on an expert/professional when needed...!

[@kickgas7171]

Great choice with the Schneider Electric low frequency, transformer based XW series inverter.

[@jeb3415]

Your channel is a never-ending source of learning, beauty and fun. Never thought I would be interested in smaller scale hydro-electric generation, but Kris Harbour Natural Building was the first time I saw a utuber exploring the subject. Even more so it is your entire family’s spirit of exploration into self sufficient solutions that I have found so captivating throughout these years. Again, thank you for a fine video and may God bless you and your endeavors!

[@TheFastphill]

As a plumber fit a Tee in line facing down with a valve on the end to collect the rocks and leaf litter if will keep the system cleaner

[@gsdtdeaux7]

Right before the green generator there needs to be a bleeder valve,1”-2” should be fine, with a pressure gauge so u can have a place to vent bubbles, check flow and pressure without having to break the flanges about. Also, bad bearings would cause a drop in power.

[@SevenOneTv.]

Absolutely love this. Planning something like this too soon.

[@simombreeds9501]

You Guys have do much + Energy just what the World needs.Livin the Life🙏🙏👏🏻👏🏻

[@davidtrammell4453]

Always learning something interesting from your video's , you all ROCK !

[@Jay-pm1sh]

In Souix St Marie MI there is an old low head hydroelectric powerstation with 74 small turbines. It is 1/4 mile long, and generates the power for 1/5 of the eastern UP. The takeaway from visiting was that it's not the size or number of turbines that's important, it's the overall efficiency. I think that straightened piping and a greater number of smaller, more efficient turbines would be the move for your situation. Multiple units add redundancy. Would also run the output through a VFD to smooth the waveform. Looks like an extremely interesting project! I'm a bit envious of you guys :)

[@n2kto]

Love your channel! I am very intrested in helping you and your friends get the most from your radio purchases. If you hold your radio so that all the radios antennas are VERTICAL at ALL times you will get the logest and most clear transmissions the radio is capable of providing. You substantially reduce the radios performance by holding the antenna in any other orientation other than VERTICAL. Could be the difference someday of L&D.

[@AnnieScott-g8q]

Dobra robota! Dziękuję za ciekawy film. Pozdrawiam. The expertise you share in this video is incredibly insightful. Thank you!️.

[@AlfredoAyagjr]

You must secure your pipe intake in concrete to avoid water distraction if there is water serge or keep distance your dynamo motor to the water stream, if there is strong current of water it ruens your whole set up...

[@gr575]

It's good to add a "T" in the pipe closer to the intake end and a pipe that goes straight up to a point higher than the inlet. This will let out any bubbles.

[@dansams303]

Vent the inlet

[@cannedham3774]

Even on-grid power doesnt have a 'clean' wave-form. Most modern day equipment is very forgiving.. You produced about as good as its going to get with what you got.. nice work.

[@711yada]

I'm always so happy watching your videos. Thank you.

[@AlexMadinger]

Can you explain more of the hairdryer test? Was that to test how much power could go into the hairdryer vs. how much you were seeing go into the charge controller? To see what the loss of the charge controller is?

[@jlskee]

As I understand, yes, they put hairdryer (just alternative electric load, that maximum loads turbine) after rectifier and measure power that come out from turbine, before charge controller. Because they not sure charge controller work properly. But this method also doesn't says anything about maximum power point of turbine. In this case hairdryer load may be before, or after maximum power point.

[@udos46]

if the batteries are almost full, the mppt reduces the power to the batteries, as seen on the oscilloscope which partializes the ac sinusoid there will also be high losses in the cables, with such low voltage, you can put the rectifier near the generator and make the DC line the least grounded in the river, and the three wires of the former phases, bring only the positive to the house or a three-phase UP 100/300 car transformer at the turbine and a DOWN 300/100 three-phase transformer at home

[@josephsichting8162]

I would go gridless if I had land and water to do hydro electric. Awesome stuff you are showing! Thanks for sharing!

[@El_Guapo74]

I have micro hydro, 300' head with flow rates that go from a trickle to a torrent depending on season. Solar is crucial in long dry summers, I love the quiet and lack of moving parts during that time of year. However the best improvement in getting through periods of low power production was upgrading the trash lead/acid L16 batteries to LFP's. Way more efficient, no wasted power boiling electrolyte, twice the lifetime at half the price. Highly recommend.

[@paradiselost9946]

better yet, toss the batteries and set your system up correctly in the first place.

[@Zorlig]

put a pressure gauge at the pump, use a little pipe (sticking up above the elevation of your inlet) to get any air out, then you'll see if the pipe is the problem or if you just need more head. Do the simple math of psi/pipe size to wattage and you'll see if you are in line with expectations or not.

[@parker1ray]

I have been flying drones for 10 years and yes you can get pulled in by prop wash!

[@theyoungsomali]

17:14 please give the output head more clearance to discharge the water. The splash back could be bogging up the discharge potentially causing lowered efficiency. You're inspirational!! 😅🎉❤

[@chemicalvamp]

My friend the full metal body of a leatherman/multi tool ensures maximum conductivity. Insulated screw drivers are cheap, in the lifetime you may save, you could buy thousands of em. Styropyro has a good video on how electricity can harm you, the good old volts vs. amps.. but In a wet environment ground connections are littered about.

[@markwebster8371]

I think you're right about that messy waveform. Something has the turbine running..... off balance? Check the wiring on its coils, or the angle of the flow against its blades? I'm not sure exactly, but your investigations are turning up a lot of detail.

[@Gainn]

The bearings on the big hydro are shot or not set right. Also wondering if it's aimed correctly - those overshot ones are a PITA to set up.

[@funkaddictions]

I wish I had a river next to my house. Great video guys!

[@sandman70131]

Try putting a stand pipe a ways after your intake and that should help with your airlock issues the air will go up the pipe and the water will go down. The pipe doesn't need to be huge and you can use a studor valve to avoid pressure loss

[@tealkerberus748]

Studying up in preparation to move away from an area where the most reliable source of electricity is sunlight landing on my roof, because I'm tired of droughts and heat waves. A climate where water falling down a hill is actually more reliable than bright sunshine looks incredibly attractive right now. Hydro looks easier to troubleshoot, too. More mechanical, less electronic.

[@videolabguy]

Take a whiz before watching this video. Excellent job, folks. Glad to see you had a proper oscilloscope for looking at the alternator waveforms. There is nothing better than the right tools for the job. AND, you knew how to operate the scope. Bonus! (I work with graduate engineers that have no grasp of o'scope fundamentals. Sheesh.)

[@ChrisWilson999]

Split the pipe in to 8 even sections. 24", 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, and then 8,. You'll see quite a bit more pressure. You could also do it by joining lots of pipes down to one. You'll need to reinforce how your pipes are secured.

[@shaner67]

That is an in depth system for sure, WOW!! thanks for making such a great video..

[@CorkyPorky-lq7jz]

Check the brushes in the motor and check the axel maybe it might be off balance. Check bearing oil them or grease them . Hopefully this might solved your problem.

[@dunckeroo1987]

Matching the load impedance to source impedance made for best power transfer (or lowest losses). Of course I can see how it would be tricky to get the inverter to draw the right current to not reduce the voltage or cause the turbine to spin to slow.

[@64marine]

Applegate River headwaters gen system had a centrifugal trash separator to keep the screen clear for the hydro gen setup. Ran at least 10 yrs that I knew of before repair / replacement.

[@brucec2635]

Interesting. Tells me I need not bother until I move. My basic electricity says it will provide 3.5 amps to a 120 VAC household appliance. Good video.

[@jneale7715]

If you are just wanting head pressure then you don't need to have the high end in running water. As long as there is enough drop, which it sounds like you have plenty, then just having it submerged somewhere is enough, and key the Syphon commence!

[@williamleopold507]

Intelligent people no less ! God given talent !!

[@theradioweyr]

I agree, the TriStar 600s like a much higher voltage. Mine do not start working well unless they get at least 250 and really start to perform well at 525.

[@richardgrippa6245]

I'd look at the clearance around the discharge on the 850W hydro, preferably mounted with a few feet of clearance below the discharge point. If the water cannot flow away readily, it could be creating back pressure at the discharge.

[@januszkomentator2689]

Dobra robota! Dziękuję za ciekawy film. Pozdrawiam

[@Hustonscience365]

I believe the problem is in your tail race for the large system. it seems there is not enough space for the exhausted water to leave the turbine without causing back pressure. The back pressure resisting the flow of water over the turbine. Simply put keep the head, the same, but let it exhaust in a space where the water can flow freely. (Not right overtop of the rocks). Let me know if you get the chance to test this.😊

[@TheSilmarillian]

Remote rural NSW Au here totally off grid unfortunately I dont have a water source as in river or creek but understand the principals you are employing, solar and wind gen here. Understand the fluid dynamics water will always find the lowest point and a few small turbines introduced into the system works. I have thought about a pen stock pumping water into it during the day then reversing the system of an evening , havent set that up yet , workable though with the drop as in feet per pounds flow. You have made me get up of my butt and set that configurations up. Have some old washing machine motors ( I know that sounds archaic ) to put into system then convert the AC to DC, I run a 24V system its adequate for a three bedroom house out gathered sheds and workshop . So wish I had a river and I know its doable without a river or a stream , I tap bore water here. @18:30 Morning Star nice better for my system than the Tri Star version as a voltage regulator, I run both, regs., its not just the price difference as basically they are the same mppt tech but different in subtle ways and I know its the same company just manufactured in a cheaper country, or they where guess looking at your system its the best available on the market, my system is five years old since the last upgrade about a month ago, but I digress have been told I do that. See the disappointment with 230 watts less than a 700W causes me concern and the amps on mppt not much there, sorry 2 rain on the parade. Yep those voltage regs are designed for solar and wind just watched the end didnt even think about that the din switches setting need 2 be set for the applications ..I did notice no wind turbine I run a cheap one and it keeps the batteries topped at night just a thought prolongs the life of the batteries and these days they have become the most expensive part off an off grid system...............Aggggggg, will see myself out good people.

[@fablearchitect7645]

Yes, the TriStar MPPT used seems to be designed only for solar and not pico hydro which is probably resulting in poor impedance matching for the Scott Hydro 1500W Water Turbine

[@DaveS-gf4ik]

great videos i love the hole thing thank you for all the hard work you put into making the videos dave s from ct

[@princedemiterios2488]

As long it is not the pipes and nkt the controller then the only factor remained is the alternator generator So to increase that power 50% or more take that giant micro hydro to workshop and fix it's alternator with suitable rpm's until it produces that 2000Watts instead of 480~500 watts with such powerful waterflow, all the best , great work .

[@Bob-j5o3b]

Coanda screen will enable only particles small enough to pass through the jet so no more clogs like those. This video is a good way to demonstrate the importance of sufficient design on the intake in order to secure sufficient flow and pressure of clean water for the required output. A permanent weir with a Coanda screen on it from a pool where the flow is curved so "most" of the detritus bypasses the screen. Maximizing the time between maintenance is proportional to the sustained generating capacity

[@NarnianRailway]

Jeff is always impressive sharing his years of skills and talents... and awesome friends 🏆

[@udos46]

a 11 .5 , if you fit a ball valve, you can close it suddenly and immediately clean the inlet filter. It is clear that the joints must withstand water hammer

[@0055-g3i]

Thanks for your explanation and teaching

[@theraylfamily4520]

22:04 30% more head is great in my line of work.. most husbands would agree! 😂

[@codyneitte9801]

😅

[@wendydekruyff1819]

The drone made it! Amazing.😅

[@chrisregister8021]

Now that's a dream house!

[@rustyshackleford5937]

Add a few air vents before your last valve downstream. That will let a majority of the air out ahead of the turbine and speed up the water flow

[@offgrid-bound]

Ok, it’s official: you are invited to Vancouver Island and our cabin to teach me all you know, lol! I could follow most of what you did there, but not sure I could figure it out myself. Great trouble shooting!!! ❤️

[@RenéWeerts-p5y]

There is a bit of cavitation, build a big collector for the water like a dam, you could thottle up the water and increase the wattage...

[@brentmcmahon8188]

It looks like one problem would be a better discharge the water coming after the turbin is pushing straight down and I think you would gain more if the discharge is going to be better if you hand longer clear discharge area so if you could bust out the rock or move it out farther and had a 4’ clear drop. That’s what I see so you should try to move the discharge head farther out so nothing would hold the water back and do you know what I mean? No restrictions going in to turbin and no restrictions where the water is being discharged from turbin .

[@brianmixan2085]

Funny I have not seen any of your videos show up in my thread for some time. Had to go out and make sure you were still making them.

[@leonardkjellberg729]

These are some factors most people will over look when building a small hydro generator. If your inlet pipe is not protected by something like a big long "silt sock" over a perforated pipe buried under chunky rocks in a free flowing pool used in the similar way commonly used for drainage for retaining walls, fine chunky stones will accumulate in any section of the pipe that goes down then up again. This will immediately result in decrease flow in the pipe. Also if you get air bubbles into the pipe and the pipe in any place goes up then down the air bubbles can easily accumulate in the uphill part of the pipe, again reducing the flow . (Use a simple small carpenters level to detect such ups and downs ). The obvious answer to any pipe that must go up to go down is to intersect the pipe with a T join, with a tap and pipe in a vertical position to expel any air build up.

[@Kentuckyoffroad]

Man idk where you are but it is so beautiful. I'm jealous lol.

[@radicalradiotech4944]

Hi Guys If You have Low Head But Lots Of water then a 4 ft pelton wheel is works more torque. Also the only filter on the head of the penstock is a long flutes. Ive tried all sorts sand filters grills , river bypasses with a deep reservoir its just nuts always needs lots of maintenance

[@tofo2]

What you want in turbine setups like this is to have an MPPT regulator that regulates power to set the turbine voltage (thus the RPM) to any value desirable. Then you are able to check at what RPM the entire chain of penstock, turbine, generator and wires outputs maximum power. A decent MPPT regulator will adjust the load till it finds the optimum load/voltage on the power source. I think you can trust the MPPT does its work as long as the voltage from the alternator is higher than the load it is supposed to feed. A simple MPPT will not be able to pull the voltage lower than the load and can not force the generator to go any lower. Just in case the alternator is poorly selected for a lower voltage output it can not be loaded down properly and will operate on a too high RPM. To not have the alternators free spin at high RPM when idle regulating the nozzles or just the valves would be nice. But at fast disconnects of the load a dump regulator is a nice solution. For general maintenance a pressure gauge could be useful at the turbines. You do not have to run wires to read pressure out in the woods there are plenty of wireless communications to select from that can send data. Even Bluetooth can be used up to 1000 feet.

[@billyingram8347]

you should measure the generator ac power factor on each phase, its likely inductive & simple rectification is clipping the reactive power potential, adding some reactive compensation pre-rectification (likely 3 phase cap) and some post rectification smoothing (DC caps), you could gain as much as 8-12% more power!, this is often overlooked on hydro systems

[@quantumbitz3473]

Impeller redesign on #2 will improve the resistance created by the paddle wheel.

[@erikev]

You pretty much have to fix everything. Get the dam in order, and get a clean intake. Loose the squirrel cage, and get an adjustable francis. Dont put a rectifier without power correction on the 3 phase. All in all, just plan it all out. You will get a lot more power, reliability

[@tracelee7332]

Awesome 👍 thank you for the video