Slashdot Mirror
Off Grid Via Slow Moving River?
einstein writes "I live out in the middle of nowhere, and I lose power at the drop of a hat. My house is right next to the Susquehanna river, and all the kinetic energy going past my house makes just want to go off grid. Most homebuilt hydro power is lower volume/high speed. What would be a good, unobtrusive way to generate electricity from a high volume/low speed body of water? I'm between two large hydro dams, so the water level is fairly constant, but does tend to fluctuate 4-6ft in the winter due to ice floes and melting snow. I think maybe a miniature version of one of the recent submerged tidal generators might work... Does anyone have some suggestions on how I might go about this project?" More than a few people have done this before.
Didn't anyone ever tell you that water and electricity don't mix? That's good enough for me.
Doesn't everybody have there own anti-matter reactor?
You woudn't happen to wear a 50's era bifocals and live in a van down by the river?
I've noticed while wearing socks and walking on carpet, I often generate static electricity. Is there any way to harness this electricity to power my home, rather than shock me when I touch metal objects? In a related question, could I somehow generate power by rubbing balloons against my hair?
The basic idea behind hydro power is that you take the potential energy of water falling a vertical distance, and convert it to electrical energy. You will have trouble with that in your area. The fact that the river is slow movign tells me that the gradient in the area is very gradual, so it will be difficult to rig up a system where the water is able to travel a vertical distance. Basically you would have to build a dam to block the flow of water so it rises on one side.
I don't think tidal power would work unless the river level fluctuates daily (tidal generators produce power only during a level change).
My suggestion: forget hydro power, and build a windmill!
But then I saw that you were in England
Have you considered gas powered generators at all? They're likely to be cheaper, easier to maintain, more powerful, and reliable.
What are your electricity needs?
Linux - Because Mommy taught me to Share.
Why not just use humans? Just make a computer based reality world to keep them happy, and harness the energy.
well here goes -- move
-- everyones not everybody and neither is everybody like everyone.
Sneak out and clamp 12 to 120 volt convertors on passing motorboats, with wires going back to your house. The wires had better be long
Stand on the shore with a big shotgun, and demand that passersby pay you a toll in killowatt hours in order to pass.
Provide all the catfish with treadmills connected to generators.
Per Max Screck of Batman 2, set up your own power plant and connect to the nearby hydro plants. Provide a lot of paperwork that no one reads, that includes the part that says that your power plant actually drains power from the grid instead of adding to it.
Power hot air turbines from meetings of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
If all else fails, I'm sure that the orgone writings of Reich, the magic energy fields of Tesla, or the spoonbending force of Uri Gellar will give you an answer.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
pfft, a mere toy! I use one of these
XP is basicly 98 with a lot more extra features to hunt down and disable. --Dram
You'll need township approval before even thinking of constructing something that could possibly damn or slow down the flow of water.
Crap. Better rethink my plans to build a Church of Satan on the bank of the Animas River (in my backyard). The people of Durango might not be too happy that their river has been condemned to eternal damnation, especially since "animas" is Spanish for "soul".
pi = 3.141592653589793helpimtrappedinauniversefactory7
But what happens when the cats over-eat, get fat and die?
Money for nothing, pix for free
I know they're meant to be smarter than dogs, but how the hell do cats know to keep the fish out? And do they work in shifts or what??
But what happens when the cats over-eat, get fat and die?
Then you get dogs to eat the cats. If these become a problem, you get gorillas to eat the dogs. The gorillas won't be a problem, because, come winter, they will freeze to death.
I don't think the cats will be a problem, however. Garfield has been over-eating and very fat for 30 or so years now, and I still see his sarcastic face in the funny papers every morning.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
do cats know to keep the fish out? And do they work in shifts or what??
Some work in shifts. A few work in loincloths, but most wear the catsuits they were born with.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Who are you? John Connor or something? haven't you seen the films? Going off grid is all very well, but it doesn't change the outcome, and all the trees and plants you save with your off-grid power will die in the nuclear war... sheesh!
So clearly the solution is to invade some neighboring town, taking the people as slaves to turn a giant generator for you.
Those Romans were smart people...
This side up.
ya know... Canada... hmmmm....
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
That's freaking brilliant. I'm sure the massive gear and belt-driven factories that were the peak technology of the Industrial Revolution were designed by engineers that constantly thought to themselves, "what a disaster, I'm wasting 20% of this FREE ENERGY."
Sheesh.
We're pretty lazy...I wouldn't try it.
You mean besides the DMCA and the Patriot Act?