Whenever I consider how messed up and broken the UK is these days I look to videos like this of genuine people with can do attitudes and honest information about how we can live better in this world.
That setup looks like it would work well with a Tesla water pump/generator. Pressure from the axel out. "A house divided will never stand." "As it was in Jonah, Lot & Noah's day so to shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Jesus The mystery of the 7 star crossings Jesus held in his hand not you or co2 is causing these the birthing pains of this the millennium of climate change END TIMES. Repent believe in the word warnings of God our Father and be saved or
@@moonbrothers9098 You can then dump the excess into a fan heater to dissipate it.... using a PLC controller. or channel the hot water into say a circulation system to heat a glasshouse etc.
Seen a similar system that dumps the power into a heater and waterpump in a Greenhouse. The excess energy goes straight into growing food. It took a few years to get the system working properly (Many incidences of cooked crops) But it's great. The excess flow tends to happen during the wet and cold which is the poor season for growing. So his food production remains pretty good all year around. It takes time to get yourself in equilibrium when you're generating renewable energy, but it really changes your mindset when it comes to being resourceful and utilizing every drop you're generating.
There are leaf diverters available commercially where the rainwater falling through the downpipe falls through a mesh screen that is at 45 degrees to the falling water and is in a "window" in the side of the pipe. The leaf hits the 45 degree screen and rolls off the screen under the pressure of the falling water... and the leaf drops out of the window in the side of the pipe, dropping to the ground. The majority of the clean leaf free water continues falling down the pipe...and into your tank. There are also first flush diverters made commercially that divert the roof flush of the first rain that washes the crap off the roof (dust, bird poop etc.) and dumps it automatically. After the first flush the clean water then goes into your tank...
The self cleaning mechanism now seems to be the actual bottle neck, not providing enough water to the IBC? And how high from the IBC to the intake? It looks like several meters too? Why not place the IBC higher up for a test? To me it looked like about 4kw could be in reach next.
@@JamesBrown-ux9ds Your theory re the self cleaning mechanism being the bottle neck to sufficient intake of the water available, is, in my humble opinion....spot on. If a low dam was built with a small deep pool behind it... and the intake sunk to the half way point between the top of the water and the bottom of the dammed pool... the water would be relatively clean... and "still" (with out entrained air from turbulent flow). Cap the intake pipe and drill many many small holes in it to cancel vortices of water sucking air from the surface into the pipe... with a filter cloth on the outside as a last ditch filter... All the floating debris floats over the dam; all the silt drops to the bottom. All water excess to the intake requirement... flows over the dam wall and continues in the stream bed... No mechanical cleaning required. See Marty T channel and his series of 4 vids re a dam and water supply as described.
With regard to the "VFD only " motor, it is probably down to the fact that the squirrel cage is a different design as well as the stator layout. A VFD will have an output with a nominal frequency from 0 to 500Hz for example, but the sine wave is created from square waves at around 10KHz which is why you hear the high pich whine from drives and the motor squirrel cage in the rotor and stator windings are designed around this high frequency inductance . I am really glad to see that you've met another kindred spirit in the alternative energy world. This is a brilliant installation and very innovative in the approach to using what's available.
@@KrisHarbour- If not what @Pats-Shed said... What does the rotor look like? Is it a weird material such as ferrite? Could it be a Variable Reluctance motor, or perhaps Permanent Magnet?
Another important difference with VFD rated motors is that at least one of the bearings will be insulated. VFDs can induce eddy currents that circulate longitudinally along the rotor and back thru the motor housing by way of the bearings. These eddy currents will burn little pits in the bearing balls/rollers (much worse with ball rolling elements due to the smaller contact area and thus higher current density) and races which cause the bearings to chew up their own guts, so to speak. The insulated bearings break the conduction path of these eddy currents and thus prevent such damage.
Hydro is a fascinating subject....it doesn't matter HOW clearly you demonstrate your enormous skill and experience, Kris.... ...there are always HUNDREDS of people who think they can tell you how to do it better ....!! Please keep up the great work....!
Let's hope there is never a time when engineers think that we can't do it better. However, when offering opinions or advice to our fellows, we should do it with respect and humility.
hate saying it but some of us actually can and have done it better... its been in use for centuries. all the principles are well documented. sadly it seems the only GOOD information on the topic comes from books about 120 years old... its like noone is able to apply basic physics to the problem anymore, despite it all being clearly outlined... instead the modern approach seems to be just wing it and throw inverters and electronic black boxes at it, ignoring all the wisdom of our forebears... so much water with so much fall has so much energy, maximum energy is transferred when the water comes to a standstill and the blade recedes at half the velocity, and any water spraying around is a loss. i see about 3x the power available in that water than is being extracted... the way it is squirting out of that case, and almost completely filling it? that water, being carried around in the housing is mass being accelerated and absorbing energy...
@@ricos1497 nothing specific? just hunt teh second hand stores, garage sales, grab hold of anything old, with yellowing paper, on any form of engineering? the "holy grail" in a way is a six volume set by rankine kennedy... it covers literally EVERYTHING! also the only book i have that mentions tesla, his ignition coil, the AC motor, and the niagara power station. and rankine kennedy himself is worth researching... the scottish equivalent of "tesla", his own long list of patents that are still commonly found but the inventor is utterly forgotten. very limited information on-line... he hasnt been "discovered" by the cultists... the bigger the collection, the more you find how... backwards we seem to have become... and there was a complete change around 1930, with teh attitudes of certain educational material... went from "try thinking", to "this is how you should think, now shutup and do the equation" as soon as the drawings and BW photos start being replaced by glossy colour pictures... its useless. ffs, even a childrens book from 1950 has more educational material in it than most modern textbooks. are you educating yourself because you want "a good career with good salary and make your parents proud", or are you simply wanting to KNOW MORE? thats the problem with this modern world. too many "engineers" with no fundamental LOVE of "engineering". its all about grades and career options and how much money you make... the engineer that says "we werent taught this" is NOT an engineer... every day, try to learn something new. even if it seems utterly irrelevant and out of context...
so nice to see that the UK allows small hydro projects like this without a mountain of red tape and gov. regulation expense as they do in canada and other countries. these things should be encouraged everywhere.
Its a lot easier if you are a farm as the planning rules are different and the max limit allowed is 2.5 kilowatt otherwise its back to the bs needed for power stations without some special exceptions
@@highlandrab19 in the UK i'm pretty sure that if your local water company finds out, then they will want their cut or you will have to cease and desist. I seem to rememeber an episode of Dick Strawbridges TV program where he did a small water hydro using a stream on his land and the water company magicaly appeared and demanded money with menaces.
A water abstraction licence is required from the Environment Agency in England. That can be difficult to get, not least because of the potential negative environmental impact the reduction of flow has on the ecology of the water course between the abstraction point and the point where the water is returned to the water course.
@@tonyb83 It's just that sort of BS that is working against a greener future. The hydro is not extracting the water like land irrigation does, it just uses it and puts it back again.
If you have a VFD it converts the AC to DC and then back from DC to AC, so you can make the DC bus voltage higher and then drive a higher AC motor voltage, so this is why. You can get a higher power density in the motor if you can run it at a higher voltage. At work I do stuff with ~700V motors and design power electronics to drive them. Great to see what can be achieved with stuff to hand 😊
In 2021 my wife and myself became motivated to leave our careers behind ( V mandates), sell our home In the city and move to our remote property with our young kids. We really had to build up our off grid electrical system. Initially with Solar and backed up with a petroleum generator. Great for much of the year but less satisfying in the winter when having to supplement with the generator. There is a small seasonal stream across the property, last year we tapped into it and put together a small hydroelectric system. The learning curve was quite steep, however, by the late winter we had it running almost trouble free. A very small flow and not much head, but still a steady 5 KWhs per day into the lithium battery bank. It greatly reduced the use of the generator. This year we added another 43 KWHs of lithium battery storage and bought a pallet of 36 410watt solar panels (almost 15 KW). We’ve added heat pumps to the equation and even a freeze dryer (my wife’s request). Although feeling a little behind on getting everything up and running before the fall rains come, I’m actually looking forward to seeing how it all goes. Great video guys! I love to see I’m not the only one who is just a bit nuts :)
@@McDaniel77 I have considered it and regularly get asked this question. My answer is multi factorial. My biggest reason is that wife and I are very private and don’t really like putting ourselves out there for criticism in a public forum (like social media). The number 2 reason has to do with how I value time and where I prioritize my effort. We tend to spend our time working on our homestead and raising the kids rather than getting good at being a media content producer. There is more, but these are the top reasons.
This is absolutely weird - I was laid awake at about 0400hrs today not able to sleep and for whatever reason thought of Kris and how I haven't seen any videos in my feed for ages - lo and behold here he is 😊
I was getting Kris withdrawals lately do I decided to go back and watch your old videos again ♥ what you have achieved in the last 5 years has been incredible and a true credit to you ! Love from Australia x
Good job on the farmer showing us this issue. It is the same in the US, we work with what we have at hand and new for vital needed parts. Glad the farmer had you to help with a bit of engineering. Good job to all.
Great to see a different set up Kris 👌🏻 and good of you to help out , knowledge is POWER 😁, more so in your case 😉, great job 👏 well done that farmer for initial set up 👍🏻.
Kris that was beyond excellent in all respects. Fantastic result 60KWh per day (for almost free) is a very useful contribution to the farm and the return on investment is absolutely bonkers. Just a few observations: when the turbine shroud is in place the chaotic splashing may be inducing additional drag, I think a revised nozzle aiming system may get the angle of incidence with spoons dialled in better. Hope to see more of this one.😀👍
Some optimisation should see that system produce another 20% easily. What a fantastic job he's done with whatever he could find, love the rotating debris screen.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching that, thanks for sharing. 2.5kWh 24/7 is a phenomenal amount of power. The thing that always gets me is that if you could turn all of those 22,000kWh the farmers turbine creates every year into diesel, it would keep a HGV running for 8 x 8 hour days. The amount of energy we take from fossil fuels everyday blows my mind.
This is the stuff that originally brought me to your channel - I love the independence and the important knowledge related to these kind of projects! Not only that but you're like a frontliner for the fight against the insidious corporates that want us to lay down and be dumb and compliant. Keep it up Kris.
Kris brilliant video, loved seeing how the farmer managed so much from recycling 😮, looking forward to seeing the upgrade on your own hydro ,bringing both areas together ... just great, 😊
Plato: Necessity is the mother of invention. 6k power bill certainly focus the mind on the necessity; the invention, the fun part, using McGiver-like skills creating a wild ROI ratio. Kudos to Mr Farmer for being resourceful and you Kris for the fine tuning skills... really enjoyable vlog 🙂
2.5KW 24/7/365 is awesome. My renewables only occur during the day and the excess dumped into batteries for overnight. I wish I had a little stream nearby....
Great video Kris. Just a thought, but maybe if you increased the size of the enclosure around the Pelton wheel there would be less chaotic/turbulent flow on the spoons. This can only be causing losses. There is much more flow now than when it was originally made for a 300W generator, and all of that "spent" water needs to get away from the wheel, not be thrashing around it. The very fact that it's pushing the perspex cover off shows the build up of pressure in there.
@@bartdepauw1156 Bart and Nick yes I agree. It is similar to windage losses in the crank case of an engine. Need to get the low velocity water spray away from the pelton wheel.
Yeah, was about to make the same comment. I wonder if he measured the output kw/ hrs with that guard removed. All that water in there is surely causing some resistance. Great project, just wish I had some land.
I was thinking, wouldn't it perhaps be better to have an enclosure consisting of 2 half cases, surrounding the spoons. Something that resembles a Turbocharger, so the nozzle stream is concentrated on the spoons
Chris Duncan's the one who needs a Knighthood; Numatic 250 still selling strong seldom breaks down 50 years on a fine example of British engineering (Known as Henry to most) Plenty of Dysons available at the refuse tip
2.5 kw from a small stream 24/7 that is a lot of power ( 23 mega what hours 😳). All those net zero mp’s need to take note😳. There are tens of thousands of locations thst could use this type of technology never mind all the rivers. I guarantee if he had asked permission to do this there would have been a thousand reasons why he couldn’t do it. Love the self cleaning intake filter 👍
so impressive. 2.5kw doesn't sound much at first (when you think vs a decent solar array) but when you consider that is 24/7 its a huge amount of power... love these videos Kris!
It sounds like the motor you have is specifically designed for use with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). Motors that are labeled for VFD use are built with certain characteristics that allow them to be efficiently controlled by varying the frequency and voltage of the electrical supply. This allows for precise speed and torque control. Using a motor that is meant for VFD applications in power generation might present some challenges because: 1. **VFD-Specific Design:** Motors designed for VFD use often rely on the controlled and variable supply that the VFD provides. If you are trying to generate power with it (e.g., by spinning it to generate electricity), the motor may not be optimized to generate a stable current in this mode because it's not intended to function as a generator without a specialized setup. 2. **Winding Configuration:** Motors for VFDs might have different winding configurations or insulation systems that are optimized for variable frequency operation rather than the fixed-frequency generation typically expected from a generator. 3. **Electronic Compatibility:** The motor may have internal electronics that work best with a VFD and may not function properly or produce electricity in a generator setup. To use a motor for power generation, you typically want one that is designed as a generator or an alternator. If your motor is only designed for use with a VFD, you might have difficulty getting it to generate usable power efficiently. You might want to consult the manufacturer’s specifications to confirm if the motor can be repurposed for power generation, but generally, you would need an alternator or a motor that is known to work in a generator mode for this application.
Wow legendary flow rate, head, design, and to my surprise seeing such a successful induction motor. loved the spinning screen design too! so much epicness in this video much thanks to the farmer for allowing Kris to share this video!!!
This Project ist amazing. Have you ever tried to remove or enlarge the turbine enclosure? Looks like the off-flowing water spray of the turbine is braking the turbine spoons. Too small enclosures are a regular problem of pelton wheels. This is the reason, why pelton wheels of modern power stations have most of the time vertikal shafts and enclosures with a size of two to three times the wheel diameter, so the water can flow away without braking the wheel.
Great stuff! Loved this story, fantastic ingenuity from all involved :) Such a great solution with what would otherwise be categorized as junk, love it!
Great video. I believe you can improve the generator output by reducing the size of the exciter capacitors. The original 60 microfarad caps might be just right. At optimum generator RPM the water from the jets should leave the pelton wheel at exactly 90 degrees. On this setup the water leaves angled back towards the jets, indicating the generator is running too slow. I ran a small house for 20 years with a small pelton wheel & car alternator, and found maximum power output occurred when I set the revs so that water came out at exactly 90 degrees.
Have you thought of asking Big Clive on his channel, he might not know himself, but might be able to point you in the right direction to solve your vfd problems 😁
This is fantastic Kris. There's something to be said for "farmer ingenuity" working with what you have rather than what you can buy. Not sure if you'll see this but we're in the process of exchanging on a house in Wales with a 100 year old micro pelton turbine that used to power a slate quarry in a bit of a state of disrepair. I'd be interested in any help you might be able to give me when the time comes, if you'd be willing (obviously for a consultancy fee!).
Absolute magic watching yourself and the farmer .I am working on a simpler project to generate electricity for my river boat,intending to bolt or clip apparatus on the side of the boat so when I go up river it will charge a battery to work the electric builge pump when boat is on its mooring,unfortunately it won't work when moored as its tidal and river empties out completely at low tide
If you really want to overengineer something, you might consider running one bigger and one smaller nozzle and have a solenoid on the small nozzle. You could then have a level sensor in the flow bin at the top transmitting the level (LoRa probably, or if you have mobile service, that's not too difficult to do). You want to be able to keep the water level above the outlet pipe, so you would then switch the solenoid on when the level gets high and switch it off when it gets low. Otherwise just have a smaller nozzle with a ball valve and switch it off when the flow rate is low.
I am a big fan of repurposing what you have to make something happen, it usually involves more work and maybe time, yet the end results are worth it, plus you get a greater understanding of how you achieve your end results.
That is an absolutely brilliant setup. Just shows what you can do if you put your mind to it. Still can't believe its made from stuff lying round the farm! Amazing.
I have forgotten the exact numbers I heard several decades ago. But some rough ones might be as follows. For mechanical and efficiency reasons, you would install Kaplan turbines for water heads between 1 and 60 meters, then change to Francis turbines in head range 50 to 150 or 170 meters. Above that you would need to pick Pelton turbines. As it happens, I have seen Kaplan turbines and once an installation of some Peltons. Those were in Hammerfest, Norway, and sported a 900 meter head. You could not shut off the water flow, not at the turbine end anyway. What I recall, you had to turn the water jets to the side, if you needed to do any maintenance. Old tourist memories!
pelton can go to 60m as long as the Ns equation dictates, pelton though are low speed things you need to give the water time to react 𝐍𝐒 = 𝐍 ∙ sqrt(𝐏) ∙ 𝐇^-1.25 pelton is fine up to 125Ns
Yes, that would be typical guidelines. But despite being out of their typical most efficient head range, I think Pelton turbines are very attractive for diy setups. You can make adjustments to number and size of nozzles for example, while on a Kaplan or Francis turbine once you have chosen your wheel, it's set and can't adapt.
I agree with the people saying it is related to the windings and cage design. VFD motors, similar to motors used in electric bikes, are designed to operated in a wide range of frequencies. Industrial motors however are designed to operate a set frequency, or narrow range of frequency. Frequency determines the size of the field of wave. The higher the frequency, the smaller the size of field it produces. Because of this the windings in a VFD drive is smaller and more concentric. You could use these motors, but you would need a way to rapidly switch the load on and off in order to maintain the narrow field, before the field collapses
Howdy Kris & Dot!! Brilliantly done, you've got a great head on your shoulders. The young farmer had a vision & you helped him realize it!! Big bear hugs from Kenny in Ohio, USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is brilliant, its a lot of power from what seems like a small stream. I guess if you have a solar system too you can live with reduced hydro flow in summer. Could charge electric vehicles overnight with that system
Just a thought Colin was your VSD motor a synchronous motor they are different construction. These were used in the 70 / 80’s on the early inverters, and on some other special functions. Anybody looking for a cheap pressure pipe ask at somewhere that makes field irrigator reals, they often change the hose as they get worn out from rubbing on the ground when in use, or buy an old irrigator real. These ares Usually 4” pipe anything up t0 450mts long, will always have at least 200mts of good pipe
Kris, always love watching your uploads. I have a stack of butterfly valves and PE fittings that are available if you want them. I can email you a picture if required. All free, shame to see them go for scrap. Keep up the great vids
As an engineer that has worked on the Columbia River dams in Washington State, its fascinating to see power generation on a smaller scale. I saw a similar system in White Salmon Washington at their drinking water intake treatment plant. It's not on the power grid due to its location and doesn't even have cell service. Its been running for decades. I also worked on a project for a water district near Seattle that used the gravity drop from a drinking water pipeline to generate power. Those types of systems are starting to become popular for water utilities located in hilly areas.
Kris called it 9 years ago go back and watch his second video whenever he was just a kid I think it’s called “Why go off grid” he was right about everything 😊
Why isn’t it sensible to run his hydro in summertime? We have so many private photovoltaic installations that the local electricity company has to switch on the metal halide street lights to keep the grid stable. The end customers don‘t get paid for using electricity either 😅
great video as always and props to the guy that build all this. the rotating debree screen is a nice setup but a little less angle of attack wouldn't cause that much splash over and help filling that IBC tank earlyer in the autumn and keep it up longer towards summer. i'd rather have that buffer/deairation tank overflowing more (as the 2nd stage) then loosing about 20% right on the 1st sage at the screen. the next easy upgrade i'd do was the pelton setup itself. if you install serval alu sheetmetal scoops that divert the splashwater from the wheel. like a VTG turbo but in a reverse flow and away axially. so water splashes radially, gets redirected by 45° sheets around the circumfence into axial direction and then runs down the perspex cover. this would reduce drag on the wheel from the already 'dead' water that vapires energy off the wheel just to be tennisracketed further away. and then the last run of pipe from IBC to the turbine would have to be upgraded. by diameter and by not using corrugated pipe. (sir bernoulli prolly rotated in his grave 😅) but all in all a really good and resourceful build. using scrap parts to build something new properly takes special skills and knowledge.
Cool system! About the "VFD only" sticker. It means you can't run that motor using a contactor direct onto 50 Hz. I can think of a couple of reasons... 1- Does not produce rated power at 50 Hz. Work out the rated frequency from RPM and no of poles. Probably higher. 2- Poor PULLUP TORQUE. The motor will bog down if it is run direct on 50 Hz because it doesn't make enough torque too far away from synchronous speed.
Really interesting video. I think that the previous comment about variable speed machines needing a separate fan is correct. Also VFD driven machines need additional insulation in the windings to cope with the high voltage spikes associated with the square waves from the VFD.
Chris, Have that top dam just overflowing the dam all the time. This carries off any floating debris...no screen needed. All the silt drops out to the bottom of the dam..... Sink the intake/collector pipe (capped at the end) sunk half way between the top of the water and the bottom of the dam.... Now you are extracting only clean water from that middle layer. Have many many small holes (6mm) drilled in the collector pipe (pipe capped at the end) to stop vortices dragging in air... (surround the collector part of the pipe with a sock filter made of shade cloth or windbreak cloth as a last ditch filter) Now you have the full flow of the whole stream always completely filling the pipe down to the IBC.... It will also keep the IBC totally full.... In fact you could eliminate the IBC...there would be no air and no silt/sticks to trap at the IBC... There won't be much pressure on this part of the pipe from the dam to the IBC but the full volume plus gravity over the 70 metre drop will get you the extra oomph you need at the generator....IMHO.
Some interesting thoughts but in practice, the weir will collect loads of debris, much of which will over time sink into the collection pond, passing by the intake pipe on the way to the bottom. If the intake from the collection pond is large enough, there will not be any sucking of air. No need for strainer pipes. If your strainer pipe and it's position mid way up the column of water in the collection pond only collects clean water why the need for a "last ditch sock filter", which along with the strainer pipe will add a lot of resistance to flow? I am not sure what purpose the IBC has in this system, but as it's already there and not causing any hindrance to flow - leave it there. Ultimately, the flow will be limited by the available water at the stream and the pipe sizing/run length. Clearly from the video, the pipe sizing and run downstream from the IBC are not the current issue. It's either the pipe size above the IBC or the available water. If I had 2.5kW 24/7 for the sort of cost this set up has I would be over the moon. Perfection is beyond the reach of even the wealthiest mortal.
@@nickwinn7812 The floating debris floats over the dam... why should floating debris fall out of the top layer of water right there at that dam...right then? The silt falls out of suspension because the water slows down; there is less air entrained, less turbulence.... so the fine silt falls out (like dirt in old 30wt straight oil falls into the sump on an old engine with no oil pump sucking it up). The last ditch filter is there because it is the last ditch barrier for just those particles that are betwixt and between....if any.... and the fine fabric does not interfere with the flow of water into the many many small holes drilled into the capped collector pipe...
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Floating debris is not 2 dimensional. It will not all float over the weir. I did not state that the floating debris would fall out of the top layer right there right then. If it is trapped upstream of the weir, over time it will do so. How can fine fabric stretched over a strainer NOT interfere with the flow? If the filter is not needed why have it? If it is needed, it will interfere with the flow from day 1 and then more and more as it catches the "particles which are betwixt and between".
@@nickwinn7812 There is only a certain capacity to any pipe no matter how large...there is a limit to it's "uptake" whether that is through the open end...or through holes punched in the "sides" of the pipe. This pipe is capped. The cap prevents an inrush of water which can cause a vortex (swirl) that drags air down into the pipe from the surface.... . To counter this vortex but still have water enter the pipe MANY much smaller holes are drilled...far more than necessary to allow the full amount of water to enter the pipe. (Imagine a pipe section made of sieve type wire mesh) but in this case the filter mesh stops debris casually brushing up against the mesh and blocking it...because the "suction" from those tiny but many holes isn't strong enough to require anything but time and water flow bypassing the mesh to clean it. So; The cap stops a rush of water creating a vortex sucking in air. The filter cloth is a cheap "last chance" filter just in case. The flow of water gets into the pipe via many small holes with no vortex and no air entrapment. The full flow of the pipe is always available because the pool behind the dam is always full to overflowing.... No mechanical means of cleaning the water are necessary except perhaps after a flood.... when you would have to check everything anyway.
The only thing I could find on the web about VFD motors being different is that "some VFD compatible motors have built-in inrush current limiting features that prevent excessive current draw during start-up, reducing stress on the motor and the VFD." from ccs-motors. Maybe it has some varistors that break over on high voltage somewhere on the stator windings. Put an oscope meter on it to see if the output drops out above a specific voltage when loaded, If you used a variac with a series current limiting resistor and a multimeter in parallel on one of the phases you should be able to static test drop out voltage. Maybe you can remove the end cap of the motor and remove/shunt the varistors.
Whenever I consider how messed up and broken the UK is these days I look to videos like this of genuine people with can do attitudes and honest information about how we can live better in this world.
The images shown in the media do not reflect people's actual lives. No matter where in the world.
Mass immigration requires potential amounts of energy production. In the end the power system will collapse.
Just a shame that kids are taught not to do this type of stuff & expect somebody else to do it for you.
@@phaeton_buggy1575 kids in Russia are taught this type of stuff.
That setup looks like it would work well with a Tesla water pump/generator. Pressure from the axel out.
"A house divided will never stand."
"As it was in Jonah, Lot & Noah's day so to shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Jesus
The mystery of the 7 star crossings Jesus held in his hand not you or co2 is causing these the birthing pains of this the millennium of climate change END TIMES.
Repent believe in the word warnings of God our Father and be saved or
Big thank you to that farmer for letting you film their setup. I know how some farmers value their privacy, my dad was one of them.
Privacy? From the video it could be located anywhere since he didn't film anything that would identify the person or location. Lets not be paranoid.
From 300 to 2500 Watts is already amazing. Awesome cooperation Kris.
does the owner have a battery storage system? ill like to see that too.
@@alanmay7929 hydro is fairly consistent, so if it wasn't mentioned then I doubt it.
@@CorvetteAustin24 My system dumps all the excess energy into my hot water cylinder, i have an issue of to much hot water.. 😅
@@moonbrothers9098
You can then dump the excess into a fan heater to dissipate it....
using a PLC controller.
or channel the hot water into say a circulation system to heat a glasshouse etc.
Seen a similar system that dumps the power into a heater and waterpump in a Greenhouse.
The excess energy goes straight into growing food.
It took a few years to get the system working properly (Many incidences of cooked crops) But it's great. The excess flow tends to happen during the wet and cold which is the poor season for growing. So his food production remains pretty good all year around.
It takes time to get yourself in equilibrium when you're generating renewable energy, but it really changes your mindset when it comes to being resourceful and utilizing every drop you're generating.
Never tire of seeing people do stuff with scrap or turning motors into something else.
Crashed Tesla motors are 65 kwh generators.
Same
Thanks for the information.
@@gregorybyrne24530:43 aar
Genius self cleaning mechanism on the intake. I need to make a miniature version of that just to keep my rainwater tanks intakes clear.
There are leaf diverters available commercially where the rainwater falling through the downpipe falls through a mesh screen that is at 45 degrees to the falling water
and is in a "window" in the side of the pipe.
The leaf hits the 45 degree screen and rolls off the screen under the pressure of the falling water...
and the leaf drops out of the window in the side of the pipe, dropping to the ground.
The majority of the clean leaf free water continues falling down the pipe...and into your tank.
There are also first flush diverters made commercially that divert the roof flush of the first rain that washes the crap off the roof (dust, bird poop etc.) and dumps it automatically.
After the first flush the clean water then goes into your tank...
The self cleaning mechanism now seems to be the actual bottle neck, not providing enough water to the IBC? And how high from the IBC to the intake? It looks like several meters too? Why not place the IBC higher up for a test? To me it looked like about 4kw could be in reach next.
@@JamesBrown-ux9ds
Your theory re the self cleaning mechanism being the bottle neck to sufficient intake of the water available, is, in my humble opinion....spot on.
If a low dam was built with a small deep pool behind it...
and the intake sunk to the half way point between the top of the water and the bottom of the dammed pool...
the water would be relatively clean...
and "still" (with out entrained air from turbulent flow).
Cap the intake pipe and drill many many small holes in it to cancel vortices of water sucking air from the surface into the pipe...
with a filter cloth on the outside as a last ditch filter...
All the floating debris floats over the dam; all the silt drops to the bottom.
All water excess to the intake requirement...
flows over the dam wall and continues in the stream bed...
No mechanical cleaning required.
See Marty T channel and his series of 4 vids re a dam and water supply as described.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk I agree. This is a much cheaper and efficient use for gutter down spout filtering
Would like to see more of how that cleaning unit works
Kris! You look really relaxed, lovely to see you smile.
The benefits of being out of the rat race. More power to him ✊️
@@RedAndYellacuddlyFellamore power to him no pun😅
@@justSHAPPY😂 more hydro power to him!
I noticed to
My maiden name was Pelton, and one of my very old ancestors invented the Pelton wheel.
With regard to the "VFD only " motor, it is probably down to the fact that the squirrel cage is a different design as well as the stator layout. A VFD will have an output with a nominal frequency from 0 to 500Hz for example, but the sine wave is created from square waves at around 10KHz which is why you hear the high pich whine from drives and the motor squirrel cage in the rotor and stator windings are designed around this high frequency inductance .
I am really glad to see that you've met another kindred spirit in the alternative energy world. This is a brilliant installation and very innovative in the approach to using what's available.
Thank you, that makes sense.
@@KrisHarbour- If not what @Pats-Shed said... What does the rotor look like? Is it a weird material such as ferrite? Could it be a Variable Reluctance motor, or perhaps Permanent Magnet?
Your right about the freq
Another important difference with VFD rated motors is that at least one of the bearings will be insulated. VFDs can induce eddy currents that circulate longitudinally along the rotor and back thru the motor housing by way of the bearings. These eddy currents will burn little pits in the bearing balls/rollers (much worse with ball rolling elements due to the smaller contact area and thus higher current density) and races which cause the bearings to chew up their own guts, so to speak. The insulated bearings break the conduction path of these eddy currents and thus prevent such damage.
Is that high frequency inductance also the reason they won’t put out much useful torque below around 10000rpm when being used on milling spindle?
You can see the joy as he's found a kindred spirit.
Hydro is a fascinating subject....it doesn't matter HOW clearly you demonstrate your enormous skill and experience, Kris....
...there are always HUNDREDS of people who think they can tell you how to do it better ....!!
Please keep up the great work....!
Let's hope there is never a time when engineers think that we can't do it better. However, when offering opinions or advice to our fellows, we should do it with respect and humility.
hate saying it but some of us actually can and have done it better...
its been in use for centuries. all the principles are well documented.
sadly it seems the only GOOD information on the topic comes from books about 120 years old...
its like noone is able to apply basic physics to the problem anymore, despite it all being clearly outlined... instead the modern approach seems to be just wing it and throw inverters and electronic black boxes at it, ignoring all the wisdom of our forebears...
so much water with so much fall has so much energy, maximum energy is transferred when the water comes to a standstill and the blade recedes at half the velocity, and any water spraying around is a loss. i see about 3x the power available in that water than is being extracted... the way it is squirting out of that case, and almost completely filling it?
that water, being carried around in the housing is mass being accelerated and absorbing energy...
@@paradiselost9946 interesting. What books would you recommend for the beginner?
@@ricos1497 nothing specific? just hunt teh second hand stores, garage sales, grab hold of anything old, with yellowing paper, on any form of engineering?
the "holy grail" in a way is a six volume set by rankine kennedy... it covers literally EVERYTHING!
also the only book i have that mentions tesla, his ignition coil, the AC motor, and the niagara power station.
and rankine kennedy himself is worth researching... the scottish equivalent of "tesla", his own long list of patents that are still commonly found but the inventor is utterly forgotten. very limited information on-line... he hasnt been "discovered" by the cultists...
the bigger the collection, the more you find how... backwards we seem to have become... and there was a complete change around 1930, with teh attitudes of certain educational material... went from "try thinking", to "this is how you should think, now shutup and do the equation"
as soon as the drawings and BW photos start being replaced by glossy colour pictures... its useless.
ffs, even a childrens book from 1950 has more educational material in it than most modern textbooks.
are you educating yourself because you want "a good career with good salary and make your parents proud", or are you simply wanting to KNOW MORE?
thats the problem with this modern world. too many "engineers" with no fundamental LOVE of "engineering". its all about grades and career options and how much money you make... the engineer that says "we werent taught this" is NOT an engineer... every day, try to learn something new. even if it seems utterly irrelevant and out of context...
@@paradiselost9946 I completely agree
so nice to see that the UK allows small hydro projects like this without a mountain of red tape and gov. regulation expense as they do in canada and other countries. these things should be encouraged everywhere.
Its a lot easier if you are a farm as the planning rules are different and the max limit allowed is 2.5 kilowatt otherwise its back to the bs needed for power stations without some special exceptions
The only permit anyone really needs is stealth.
@@highlandrab19 in the UK i'm pretty sure that if your local water company finds out, then they will want their cut or you will have to cease and desist.
I seem to rememeber an episode of Dick Strawbridges TV program where he did a small water hydro using a stream on his land and the water company magicaly appeared and demanded money with menaces.
A water abstraction licence is required from the Environment Agency in England. That can be difficult to get, not least because of the potential negative environmental impact the reduction of flow has on the ecology of the water course between the abstraction point and the point where the water is returned to the water course.
@@tonyb83 It's just that sort of BS that is working against a greener future. The hydro is not extracting the water like land irrigation does, it just uses it and puts it back again.
If you have a VFD it converts the AC to DC and then back from DC to AC, so you can make the DC bus voltage higher and then drive a higher AC motor voltage, so this is why. You can get a higher power density in the motor if you can run it at a higher voltage. At work I do stuff with ~700V motors and design power electronics to drive them.
Great to see what can be achieved with stuff to hand 😊
What does VFD stand for?
A Voltage Fiddling Device?
Variable frequency drive
You meant AC to DC and then back FROM DC to AC? I think you made a typo error ....... or perhaps I'm too thick to understand?
@@nickwinn7812 yeah good spot, edited. For some reason the keyboard on my tablet is really dumb
@@gavster89 I assume when using a VFD you cannot do a proper grid tie and can only run independent 3 phase motor loads?
Your knowledge on small-scale hydro is valuable! Love to see water powering small farms and have less/no reliance on grid power 💸
Never seen Rotary based filter before that was pretty interesting 13:00
It's just absolutely incredible what you are doing. People like you could give this country a second renaissance if only we didn't get in the way.
what country is this??
In 2021 my wife and myself became motivated to leave our careers behind ( V mandates), sell our home In the city and move to our remote property with our young kids.
We really had to build up our off grid electrical system. Initially with Solar and backed up with a petroleum generator. Great for much of the year but less satisfying in the winter when having to supplement with the generator. There is a small seasonal stream across the property, last year we tapped into it and put together a small hydroelectric system. The learning curve was quite steep, however, by the late winter we had it running almost trouble free. A very small flow and not much head, but still a steady 5 KWhs per day into the lithium battery bank. It greatly reduced the use of the generator.
This year we added another 43 KWHs of lithium battery storage and bought a pallet of 36 410watt solar panels (almost 15 KW). We’ve added heat pumps to the equation and even a freeze dryer (my wife’s request).
Although feeling a little behind on getting everything up and running before the fall rains come, I’m actually looking forward to seeing how it all goes.
Great video guys! I love to see I’m not the only one who is just a bit nuts :)
Did you consider a documentary of your energy systems?
@@McDaniel77 I have considered it and regularly get asked this question. My answer is multi factorial. My biggest reason is that wife and I are very private and don’t really like putting ourselves out there for criticism in a public forum (like social media). The number 2 reason has to do with how I value time and where I prioritize my effort. We tend to spend our time working on our homestead and raising the kids rather than getting good at being a media content producer. There is more, but these are the top reasons.
4 minutes and I am loving the story already. I really like the background of how you/he came to this
This is absolutely weird - I was laid awake at about 0400hrs today not able to sleep and for whatever reason thought of Kris and how I haven't seen any videos in my feed for ages - lo and behold here he is 😊
I was getting Kris withdrawals lately do I decided to go back and watch your old videos again ♥ what you have achieved in the last 5 years has been incredible and a true credit to you ! Love from Australia x
Good to see you smiling like that! The happy hydro face makes me smile as well! Thanks Kris
Good job on the farmer showing us this issue. It is the same in the US, we work with what we have at hand and new for vital needed parts. Glad the farmer had you to help with a bit of engineering. Good job to all.
Fascinating! Juggling all of the many variables to tweak output at the motor takes the kind of experience Kris Harbour brings to the table!
Great to see a different set up Kris 👌🏻 and good of you to help out , knowledge is POWER 😁, more so in your case 😉, great job 👏 well done that farmer for initial set up 👍🏻.
Kris that was beyond excellent in all respects. Fantastic result 60KWh per day (for almost free) is a very useful contribution to the farm and the return on investment is absolutely bonkers. Just a few observations: when the turbine shroud is in place the chaotic splashing may be inducing additional drag, I think a revised nozzle aiming system may get the angle of incidence with spoons dialled in better. Hope to see more of this one.😀👍
Some optimisation should see that system produce another 20% easily.
What a fantastic job he's done with whatever he could find, love the rotating debris screen.
I could watch this all day, I don’t know why but you light a spark in me your knowledge is incredible thank you Kris 😇
Thoroughly enjoyed watching that, thanks for sharing.
2.5kWh 24/7 is a phenomenal amount of power. The thing that always gets me is that if you could turn all of those 22,000kWh the farmers turbine creates every year into diesel, it would keep a HGV running for 8 x 8 hour days.
The amount of energy we take from fossil fuels everyday blows my mind.
This is the stuff that originally brought me to your channel - I love the independence and the important knowledge related to these kind of projects! Not only that but you're like a frontliner for the fight against the insidious corporates that want us to lay down and be dumb and compliant. Keep it up Kris.
This was right in your "wheelhouse" Kris. Your enthusiasm was palpable. Nicely done.
Kris brilliant video, loved seeing how the farmer managed so much from recycling 😮, looking forward to seeing the upgrade on your own hydro ,bringing both areas together ... just great, 😊
Plato: Necessity is the mother of invention. 6k power bill certainly focus the mind on the necessity; the invention, the fun part, using McGiver-like skills creating a wild ROI ratio. Kudos to Mr Farmer for being resourceful and you Kris for the fine tuning skills... really enjoyable vlog 🙂
2.5KW 24/7/365 is awesome. My renewables only occur during the day and the excess dumped into batteries for overnight. I wish I had a little stream nearby....
Great video Kris. Just a thought, but maybe if you increased the size of the enclosure around the Pelton wheel there would be less chaotic/turbulent flow on the spoons. This can only be causing losses. There is much more flow now than when it was originally made for a 300W generator, and all of that "spent" water needs to get away from the wheel, not be thrashing around it. The very fact that it's pushing the perspex cover off shows the build up of pressure in there.
I'm having the same thought. Wondering how many hundreds Watt it will win.
@@bartdepauw1156 Bart and Nick yes I agree. It is similar to windage losses in the crank case of an engine. Need to get the low velocity water spray away from the pelton wheel.
I thought the same thing, back pressure essentially on the wheel. Some separator plates and better direction of outflow will help a lot.😊
Yeah, was about to make the same comment. I wonder if he measured the output kw/ hrs with that guard removed. All that water in there is surely causing some resistance. Great project, just wish I had some land.
I was thinking, wouldn't it perhaps be better to have an enclosure consisting of 2 half cases, surrounding the spoons. Something that resembles a Turbocharger, so the nozzle stream is concentrated on the spoons
I personally think you are making more of a contribution to society than Sir Dyson with all his vacuum cleaners. Arise Sir Kris.
Dysons suck!
@@chad6080 🤣
@@chad6080 😂
@@chad6080 Mine's just gathering dust.
Chris Duncan's the one who needs a Knighthood; Numatic 250 still selling strong seldom breaks down 50 years on a fine example of British engineering (Known as Henry to most) Plenty of Dysons available at the refuse tip
2.5 kw from a small stream 24/7 that is a lot of power ( 23 mega what hours 😳). All those net zero mp’s need to take note😳. There are tens of thousands of locations thst could use this type of technology never mind all the rivers. I guarantee if he had asked permission to do this there would have been a thousand reasons why he couldn’t do it. Love the self cleaning intake filter 👍
My thoughts exactly, so much rain and running water in this country. Have wondered for years how is it not utilised in this way?
23 MWh, how do you come up with that number?
@@ammerudgrendathey obviously do not understand how the real world works 😂.
@@ammerudgrenda2.5 kw o/p x 24 (per day) x365 ( per year) 2100kw hrs per year
3 kw x 24 x 365 = 26,280 kw h / year
Great video. I’m glad you are continuing with new jobs, and helping people at all stages of involvement in their projects. Good work!
Kris is seriously my spirit animal. His approach to providing solutions with such enthusiasm is an inspiration to me.
so impressive. 2.5kw doesn't sound much at first (when you think vs a decent solar array) but when you consider that is 24/7 its a huge amount of power... love these videos Kris!
The intake screen is fantastic. I have never thought of or have seen that design. All in all great project. Thanks for the view.
Great to see your spirts have been lifted, you were buzzin about this topic. Cheers for another insightful video👍
It sounds like the motor you have is specifically designed for use with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). Motors that are labeled for VFD use are built with certain characteristics that allow them to be efficiently controlled by varying the frequency and voltage of the electrical supply. This allows for precise speed and torque control.
Using a motor that is meant for VFD applications in power generation might present some challenges because:
1. **VFD-Specific Design:** Motors designed for VFD use often rely on the controlled and variable supply that the VFD provides. If you are trying to generate power with it (e.g., by spinning it to generate electricity), the motor may not be optimized to generate a stable current in this mode because it's not intended to function as a generator without a specialized setup.
2. **Winding Configuration:** Motors for VFDs might have different winding configurations or insulation systems that are optimized for variable frequency operation rather than the fixed-frequency generation typically expected from a generator.
3. **Electronic Compatibility:** The motor may have internal electronics that work best with a VFD and may not function properly or produce electricity in a generator setup.
To use a motor for power generation, you typically want one that is designed as a generator or an alternator. If your motor is only designed for use with a VFD, you might have difficulty getting it to generate usable power efficiently.
You might want to consult the manufacturer’s specifications to confirm if the motor can be repurposed for power generation, but generally, you would need an alternator or a motor that is known to work in a generator mode for this application.
Wow legendary flow rate, head, design, and to my surprise seeing such a successful induction motor. loved the spinning screen design too! so much epicness in this video much thanks to the farmer for allowing Kris to share this video!!!
You’re a really inspirational guy, making me think hard about how I can create a hydropower system on my property 👍
This Project ist amazing. Have you ever tried to remove or enlarge the turbine enclosure? Looks like the off-flowing water spray of the turbine is braking the turbine spoons. Too small enclosures are a regular problem of pelton wheels. This is the reason, why pelton wheels of modern power stations have most of the time vertikal shafts and enclosures with a size of two to three times the wheel diameter, so the water can flow away without braking the wheel.
Great stuff! Loved this story, fantastic ingenuity from all involved :) Such a great solution with what would otherwise be categorized as junk, love it!
Great to see the old farmer getting things done with bailing wire and scraps...
Nice to see someone watched your videos and thought "i can do that " and did, ❤
Really interesting video and set up. Massive win for practicality, resourcefulness and upcycling. Quality stuff! Mad respect to both of you.
Always good to be self sufficient
From 0.3 to 2.5 kW is a great achievement. And the noise reduction will make those cows happy! 😂 Thanks for sharing!
Where in the world is this blessed paradise. Plenty of water. One will never starved here.
I like farmers and I like hydro electric.
great combining the two.
It's nice to see that you're alright, and smiling Kris. 😊
Excellent system for mostly scrap! Inspirational! Great video.
Great video. I believe you can improve the generator output by reducing the size of the exciter capacitors. The original 60 microfarad caps might be just right. At optimum generator RPM the water from the jets should leave the pelton wheel at exactly 90 degrees. On this setup the water leaves angled back towards the jets, indicating the generator is running too slow. I ran a small house for 20 years with a small pelton wheel & car alternator, and found maximum power output occurred when I set the revs so that water came out at exactly 90 degrees.
Nice work! Making stuff that pays the bills from scraps is pure genius 😎
Incredible project, fantastic content. Thanks for sharing it, Kris.
Lovely project making use of what you got well done farmer and Kris...
Have you thought of asking Big Clive on his channel, he might not know himself, but might be able to point you in the right direction to solve your vfd problems 😁
What a sick setup that is! Loved the intake wheel!
This is fantastic Kris. There's something to be said for "farmer ingenuity" working with what you have rather than what you can buy.
Not sure if you'll see this but we're in the process of exchanging on a house in Wales with a 100 year old micro pelton turbine that used to power a slate quarry in a bit of a state of disrepair. I'd be interested in any help you might be able to give me when the time comes, if you'd be willing (obviously for a consultancy fee!).
Make sure the rights to use the water are conveyed, if possible
Absolute magic watching yourself and the farmer .I am working on a simpler project to generate electricity for my river boat,intending to bolt or clip apparatus on the side of the boat so when I go up river it will charge a battery to work the electric builge pump when boat is on its mooring,unfortunately it won't work when moored as its tidal and river empties out completely at low tide
Love it! Very impressed with the simple but highly effective self cleaning intake!
If you really want to overengineer something, you might consider running one bigger and one smaller nozzle and have a solenoid on the small nozzle. You could then have a level sensor in the flow bin at the top transmitting the level (LoRa probably, or if you have mobile service, that's not too difficult to do). You want to be able to keep the water level above the outlet pipe, so you would then switch the solenoid on when the level gets high and switch it off when it gets low.
Otherwise just have a smaller nozzle with a ball valve and switch it off when the flow rate is low.
On the ground, hands-on learning! That was a great video!
Wish you were my nabhior, you are so smart and industrious Kris and thrifty working with what you can find laying around property's. Love you channel
Vey nice to see a movie from you again! 😃
I am a big fan of repurposing what you have to make something happen, it usually involves more work and maybe time, yet the end results are worth it, plus you get a greater understanding of how you achieve your end results.
That system is a thing of beauty 🙂
That is an absolutely brilliant setup. Just shows what you can do if you put your mind to it. Still can't believe its made from stuff lying round the farm! Amazing.
I have forgotten the exact numbers I heard several decades ago. But some rough ones might be as follows. For mechanical and efficiency reasons, you would install Kaplan turbines for water heads between 1 and 60 meters, then change to Francis turbines in head range 50 to 150 or 170 meters. Above that you would need to pick Pelton turbines. As it happens, I have seen Kaplan turbines and once an installation of some Peltons. Those were in Hammerfest, Norway, and sported a 900 meter head. You could not shut off the water flow, not at the turbine end anyway. What I recall, you had to turn the water jets to the side, if you needed to do any maintenance. Old tourist memories!
pelton can go to 60m as long as the Ns equation dictates, pelton though are low speed things you need to give the water time to react 𝐍𝐒 = 𝐍 ∙ sqrt(𝐏) ∙ 𝐇^-1.25
pelton is fine up to 125Ns
Yes, that would be typical guidelines. But despite being out of their typical most efficient head range, I think Pelton turbines are very attractive for diy setups.
You can make adjustments to number and size of nozzles for example, while on a Kaplan or Francis turbine once you have chosen your wheel, it's set and can't adapt.
I am from Mississippi USA , I have watched you and I have enjoyed them very much, keep up the good work.
This is great thanks for sharing 😊 I learned a bunch and it’s nice to see cool stuff made for minimal money
I agree with the people saying it is related to the windings and cage design. VFD motors, similar to motors used in electric bikes, are designed to operated in a wide range of frequencies. Industrial motors however are designed to operate a set frequency, or narrow range of frequency. Frequency determines the size of the field of wave. The higher the frequency, the smaller the size of field it produces. Because of this the windings in a VFD drive is smaller and more concentric. You could use these motors, but you would need a way to rapidly switch the load on and off in order to maintain the narrow field, before the field collapses
Another magic video just perfect 👍
Kris, as humble as you are, you 🤴 Rule.👏👏
Thank you. I learnt a lot from this video.
Hi 👋🏻 Kris. How lovely seeing how excited you were working on the farmers hydroelectric system 👍🏻 Love watching your videos keep them up matey 😊
Another great video, your skills always impress me.
No matter what your video is about or what you are doing I always enjoy watching.
Howdy Kris & Dot!! Brilliantly done, you've got a great head on your shoulders. The young farmer had a vision & you helped him realize it!! Big bear hugs from Kenny in Ohio, USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is brilliant, its a lot of power from what seems like a small stream.
I guess if you have a solar system too you can live with reduced hydro flow in summer.
Could charge electric vehicles overnight with that system
You never cease to amaze me.😊
Just a thought Colin was your VSD motor a synchronous motor they are different construction. These were used in the 70 / 80’s on the early inverters, and on some other special functions. Anybody looking for a cheap pressure pipe ask at somewhere that makes field irrigator reals, they often change the hose as they get worn out from rubbing on the ground when in use, or buy an old irrigator real. These ares Usually 4” pipe anything up t0 450mts long, will always have at least 200mts of good pipe
Kris, always love watching your uploads. I have a stack of butterfly valves and PE fittings that are available if you want them. I can email you a picture if required. All free, shame to see them go for scrap.
Keep up the great vids
As an engineer that has worked on the Columbia River dams in Washington State, its fascinating to see power generation on a smaller scale. I saw a similar system in White Salmon Washington at their drinking water intake treatment plant. It's not on the power grid due to its location and doesn't even have cell service. Its been running for decades. I also worked on a project for a water district near Seattle that used the gravity drop from a drinking water pipeline to generate power. Those types of systems are starting to become popular for water utilities located in hilly areas.
Kris called it 9 years ago go back and watch his second video whenever he was just a kid I think it’s called “Why go off grid” he was right about everything 😊
Why isn’t it sensible to run his hydro in summertime?
We have so many private photovoltaic installations that the local electricity company has to switch on the metal halide street lights to keep the grid stable.
The end customers don‘t get paid for using electricity either 😅
great video as always and props to the guy that build all this.
the rotating debree screen is a nice setup but a little less angle of attack wouldn't cause that much splash over and help filling that IBC tank earlyer in the autumn and keep it up longer towards summer.
i'd rather have that buffer/deairation tank overflowing more (as the 2nd stage) then loosing about 20% right on the 1st sage at the screen.
the next easy upgrade i'd do was the pelton setup itself.
if you install serval alu sheetmetal scoops that divert the splashwater from the wheel. like a VTG turbo but in a reverse flow and away axially. so water splashes radially, gets redirected by 45° sheets around the circumfence into axial direction and then runs down the perspex cover.
this would reduce drag on the wheel from the already 'dead' water that vapires energy off the wheel just to be tennisracketed further away.
and then the last run of pipe from IBC to the turbine would have to be upgraded. by diameter and by not using corrugated pipe. (sir bernoulli prolly rotated in his grave 😅)
but all in all a really good and resourceful build. using scrap parts to build something new properly takes special skills and knowledge.
bloomin awesome Kris.... cool lessons thank you
Thanks a lot Kris
Very helpful!
I'm helping build an off grid homestead in Ontario Canada
Very inspiring ❤
very impressive setup
Cool system! About the "VFD only" sticker. It means you can't run that motor using a contactor direct onto 50 Hz. I can think of a couple of reasons...
1- Does not produce rated power at 50 Hz. Work out the rated frequency from RPM and no of poles. Probably higher.
2- Poor PULLUP TORQUE. The motor will bog down if it is run direct on 50 Hz because it doesn't make enough torque too far away from synchronous speed.
I'd love you to write a book all about about your hydro systems and how to build them
Really interesting video. I think that the previous comment about variable speed machines needing a separate fan is correct. Also VFD driven machines need additional insulation in the windings to cope with the high voltage spikes associated with the square waves from the VFD.
Chris,
Have that top dam just overflowing the dam all the time.
This carries off any floating debris...no screen needed.
All the silt drops out to the bottom of the dam.....
Sink the intake/collector pipe (capped at the end) sunk half way between the top of the water and the bottom of the dam....
Now you are extracting only clean water from that middle layer.
Have many many small holes (6mm) drilled in the collector pipe (pipe capped at the end) to stop vortices dragging in air...
(surround the collector part of the pipe with a sock filter made of shade cloth or windbreak cloth as a last ditch filter)
Now you have the full flow of the whole stream always completely filling the pipe down to the IBC....
It will also keep the IBC totally full....
In fact you could eliminate the IBC...there would be no air and no silt/sticks to trap at the IBC...
There won't be much pressure on this part of the pipe from the dam to the IBC
but the full volume plus gravity over the 70 metre drop will get you the extra oomph you need at the generator....IMHO.
Some interesting thoughts but in practice, the weir will collect loads of debris, much of which will over time sink into the collection pond, passing by the intake pipe on the way to the bottom. If the intake from the collection pond is large enough, there will not be any sucking of air. No need for strainer pipes. If your strainer pipe and it's position mid way up the column of water in the collection pond only collects clean water why the need for a "last ditch sock filter", which along with the strainer pipe will add a lot of resistance to flow?
I am not sure what purpose the IBC has in this system, but as it's already there and not causing any hindrance to flow - leave it there.
Ultimately, the flow will be limited by the available water at the stream and the pipe sizing/run length.
Clearly from the video, the pipe sizing and run downstream from the IBC are not the current issue. It's either the pipe size above the IBC or the available water.
If I had 2.5kW 24/7 for the sort of cost this set up has I would be over the moon. Perfection is beyond the reach of even the wealthiest mortal.
@@nickwinn7812
If it was allowed I would put in the Marty t channel for you to reference re the 4 vids showing this collector system in operation...
@@nickwinn7812
The floating debris floats over the dam...
why should floating debris fall out of the top layer of water right there at that dam...right then?
The silt falls out of suspension because the water slows down; there is less air entrained, less turbulence.... so the fine silt falls out
(like dirt in old 30wt straight oil falls into the sump on an old engine with no oil pump sucking it up).
The last ditch filter is there because it is the last ditch barrier for just those particles that are betwixt and between....if any....
and the fine fabric does not interfere with the flow of water into the many many small holes drilled into the capped collector pipe...
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Floating debris is not 2 dimensional. It will not all float over the weir.
I did not state that the floating debris would fall out of the top layer right there right then. If it is trapped upstream of the weir, over time it will do so.
How can fine fabric stretched over a strainer NOT interfere with the flow?
If the filter is not needed why have it? If it is needed, it will interfere with the flow from day 1 and then more and more as it catches the "particles which are betwixt and between".
@@nickwinn7812
There is only a certain capacity to any pipe no matter how large...there is a limit to it's "uptake"
whether that is through the open end...or through holes punched in the "sides" of the pipe.
This pipe is capped.
The cap prevents an inrush of water which can cause a vortex (swirl) that drags air down into the pipe from the surface....
.
To counter this vortex but still have water enter the pipe MANY much smaller holes are drilled...far more than necessary to allow the full amount of water to enter the pipe.
(Imagine a pipe section made of sieve type wire mesh)
but in this case the filter mesh stops debris casually brushing up against the mesh and blocking it...because the "suction" from those tiny but many holes isn't strong enough to require anything but time and water flow bypassing the mesh to clean it.
So;
The cap stops a rush of water creating a vortex sucking in air.
The filter cloth is a cheap "last chance" filter just in case.
The flow of water gets into the pipe via many small holes with no vortex and no air entrapment.
The full flow of the pipe is always available because the pool behind the dam is always full to overflowing....
No mechanical means of cleaning the water are necessary except perhaps after a flood....
when you would have to check everything anyway.
Thanks to the Farmer. I am just in awe of your talents.👍🇦🇺🙏
I'm saving this for later, go on Chrissy.
The only thing I could find on the web about VFD motors being different is that "some VFD compatible motors have built-in inrush current limiting features that prevent excessive current draw during start-up, reducing stress on the motor and the VFD." from ccs-motors. Maybe it has some varistors that break over on high voltage somewhere on the stator windings.
Put an oscope meter on it to see if the output drops out above a specific voltage when loaded, If you used a variac with a series current limiting resistor and a multimeter in parallel on one of the phases you should be able to static test drop out voltage. Maybe you can remove the end cap of the motor and remove/shunt the varistors.
Keep up the good work
Stuff of legends and how the universe was created, keep it up Chris !