Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland

Steven Lake
Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FA2H1HiL3o

This looks to be a novel way to do small scale hydro. It makes you wonder how practical it would be for an individual cabin or house along a river.

Comments

  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland

    What I find particularly intriguing is the comment that a 20kW turbine can produce enough energy for 20 Swiss households. I wish we could do as well.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland

    Actually 1 kWH * 24 hours * 30 days per month = 720 kWH per month... The number I have seen thrown around for US/North American homes is ~903 kWH per month--Which should include summer A/C in the south. Maine is ~531 kWH per month average--Closer Switzerland in Latitude.

    Not that different...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Lee Dodge
    Lee Dodge Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland
    BB. wrote: »
    Actually 1 kWH * 24 hours * 30 days per month = 720 kWH per month... The number I have seen thrown around for US/North American homes is ~903 kWH per month--Which should include summer A/C in the south. Main is ~531 kWH per month average--Closer Switzerland in Latitude.

    Not that different...

    -Bill

    Yes, living in the Colorado mountains, I do not need air conditioning, and the average monthly electricity use for last year was 285 kWh. This does not include space heating, water heating, and cooking, which averages 631 kWh/month (21 CCF/month) worth of natural gas. The net source energy used (including the natural gas usage) averages around zero annually using a modest-sized PV system (3.15 kWh).
  • peakbagger
    peakbagger Solar Expert Posts: 341 ✭✭✭
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland

    I am missing something, it looks to me like a vertical pit turbine which was the standard turbine used on low head high flow rivers. There are several plants with 20 minutes of my house that have been up and running for 90 plus years.
  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland
    peakbagger wrote: »
    I am missing something, it looks to me like a vertical pit turbine which was the standard turbine used on low head high flow rivers. There are several plants with 20 minutes of my house that have been up and running for 90 plus years.
    Do vertical pit turbines leverage the high ratio of inlet radius and discharge radius and also actually operate the rotor in the air space formed by the vortex?
    The vortex technology lets you concentrate the fin surface over a relatively small area without worrying about the flow patterns around a central hub.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
  • ZoNiE
    ZoNiE Solar Expert Posts: 100 ✭✭
    Re: Water Vortex Power Plant Debuts in Switzerland

    Ahh... "A Fish Blender"