Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Water Generator??

Anyone put a water generator on the backside of there outflow pipe? We are finally getting ready to redo our dam that broke a few years back and are wanting to put in a water generator while were working on things. The pipe dumps around 4000 gallons a minute so we need a pretty hefty system. Anyone have any advice?

Tyler, while there are many on this forum who have done wonderous things, I can't recall ever seeing anything posted about a water generator.
My post will allow your question to run back through "recent posts", giving any knowledgeable person another chance to see it.
Although infrequently, there have been questions presented to the forum that have gone unanswered because nobody seeing the post was familiar with the topic.
Should your problem fall into that category, we will be interested in knowing where finding a solution to your problem takes you so that we can expand our own base of knowledge.

I have always wanted to do one but have never had enough water flow anyplace we have owned. The electric companies will usually buy your unused electricity that you generate. I would contact the electric producer in your area. This could be a big moneymaker for you.

This is an interesting topic. I have no personal experience to offer, but...

If you do a Google search on "water turbine generator" there is plenty of information to keep you going for a while.

tyler0421, here's a discussion we had on micro hydro power, I'm still planning on putting one in but the repair of my dam last year took available funds away.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=22115&Number=280692#Post280692

http://www.rockyhydro.com/shopping/start.php?browse=1&cat=6&=SID

I think our first step is going to be calling the power company and see if they can point us in the right direction. Thanks for the feed back guys. Looks like were starting Saturday opn redoing them dam so Ill post some pictures up when I get back next week.

Tyler the energy act of 2005 is what you are looking for. Look it up in the federal code, it requires your electric company to buy back any extra power you generate and can't use. You will not get rich off a hydro electric system, but it can be the cheapest power you can generate if you have the head and volume to run a good sized system.

About a hydro system to run, there are a lot to choose from. If you want to build your own, you can or you can buy a completed system. A simple google search will find lots of them around. You need to know how much water volume and what the head height or pressure is to size your system correctly.

They do have to buy it....but from what I hear they are mighty particular, and the process might require a lot of hoop-jumping (and $$$) on your part before you get to watch that utility meter turning backwards.....

I am currently negotiating a price on a KY property I will be building both a cold water and warm water species, specialty fish farm on. My first 5 year business plan includes hydro-electric to virtually eleminate any electric energy costs. I'm liking this thread also!

SP, the 2005 reg is straight forward and all they can do is make you comply with two or three IEEE standards. The price for your KW's will be the wholesale rate without line costs (a lower number). Currently for me it is a $50 application, three IEEE compliances, and a disconnect box in case they need to work on the lines. The current price around here is about 6.3 cents per KWH.

Rex, talk to the FREC before you plan anything. Hydro is the most regulated. And if you do it, you will be on a registry of exemptions.

Attaching to the grid equals regulations and exemptions. Using for your own use is simple.

There is an awesome generator that has very few parts as in three or four. You should check it out.

Are there any individual regs imposed by the utility companies themselves on a state-by-state basis? I know that some states will offer rebates to homeowners to help offset the cost of the equipment necessary to generate power. Indiana has no such plan...the customer foots the entire bill themselves, making alternative energy sources look pretty expensive when compared against what the utilities charge per kilowatt.

But I do agree that hydroelectric is a good option for those who desire to produce their own power. One of my neighbors uses solar and wind turbines to account for 80% of his electricity consumption. When I asked about the feasibility of going larger and selling power back to the utility, he just grinned and remarked that while it sounded good in theory, the math just didn't work.

Tyler as the other guys have mentioned you have alot of home work to do especially if you plan on a larger system that will be selling power back to the utility.
Even though you might have enough head and flow to run a larger system and sell back to the power company the cost could be prohibitive.
You could also put in a seperate siphon pipe to power a smaller generator that might fit your needs and budget without the complexities and cost of selling excess power.

The rocky hydro website I mentioned has some good info on it, good luck with your project.

Thanks for the advice! This will be entirely for on site use, plus all water from springs and watershed either emerge on, or drain the property... and the parcel comes with full water and mineral rights...Natural gas wells are being used on almost all adjoining properties and one is pumping oil too.

The start will purchase the property as the business, then section off a smaller acreage with the home to be built and a 3-4 acre aesthetically pleasing and purely recreational pond to get a conventional low interest mortgage and pay off the higher interest capital loan before year two.

So Rex are you finally getting away from that psycho neighbor and the gold ol' boy judges that refuse to rule in your favor? If so I'm glad to hear it.

AP,

Cool site! I've always wondered if I can recoup some of the energy cost of pumping my well water, which goes downhill underground through a four inch pipe and ends up in my trout pond. (There is a drop in elevation from the well pit to the trout pond.) If I can power my compressor that runs a diffuser in each of the three back ponds -- that only run at night-- that would be awesome.

$50.00 doesn't seem much to ask for the info they provide.

The size 34 motors that Rocky Hydro offers are made by Anaheim Automation: Anaheim Automation They make a real good product and have been around for nearly 50 years.

I've used their products in the past in automation applications, and they work great. I have a couple fish related project's in the back of my head that may get one of these, or a motor from Oriental Motor.

Hey Cecil you might be able to power a small generator to supply a small aerator, figure out your flow and the head where it reaches the trout pond and you can calculate the wattage from the formulas available, don't know how long it would take to repay the system where you are but here in NYS our rates are ridiculous, about 15 cents a KWH even with all the big hydro dams we have here NYC sucks so much power they stick it to all us upstater's.

Here's the system I'm probably gonna put in.
http://www.rockyhydro.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=20&=SID#MOREINFO

JKB it's good to know you've used some of the same equipment they sell and it's quality, I think the prices of their systems are very reasonable.

Yikes that more expensive than I thought!

I think these systems would be good for a guy like AP with his amount of flow and head height. I checked one calculator and 100gpm with 15 feet of head would make less then 300 watts. Maybe the site I checked was inefficient.
I don't think Cecil will have enough head and flow to make it worth while. You would be better off with wind or solar I think.

Your probably right Blair, Cecil's head and flow probably wouldn't produce much wattage and I'll bet his power costs half of what we pay in NYS.

I'm figuring about 500 watts output from the head and flow on my site but the system I want is for redundancy along with my generator in case of a major long term power outage, I'm not looking for payback since the system will remain off line unless there's a power outage and even then only when we move up to the cabin.

Does anyone have a system in operation now? I'm fascinated by this, and would like to see photos and get input from a firsthand basis.

sprkplug here's some good info on microhydro.
http://www.homepower.com/articles/microhydro-myths-misconceptions

http://www.homepower.com/articles/microhydro-systems-advice-pros
Here's a youtube of a small working system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jow1hCpWJM

Anyone ever get one of these set up? We put it on the back burner for a while but, with things going the way they are we may try to get it done just in case we go "off-grid".