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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday March 14 2017, @08:03AM   Printer-friendly
from the roll-with-it dept.

This unique concept unlocks the potential for electricity generation in low volume waterways such as a stream or a brook. Opening up a whole range of unexplored sources of sustainable energy in many areas of the world. The rolling fluid turbine is a viable alternative to conventional hydroelectric generators, which have been providing power from water since they were developed in the 1880s. Typically hydroelectric power requires a huge head of water to function, relying on blades submerged in high-velocity water streams. The rolling fluid turbine relies on physics to convert water's natural flow into upward pressure to generate electricity, this promises to change how water current is transformed into electrical power.

This is achieved by exploiting a unique hydrodynamic principle, the rolling fluid principle vortex dynamic, which can create a large amount of energy. This is achieved by using the naturally occurring suction of water by driving it through a specially shaped turbine casing, Sedlacek and his team have managed to generate power with an output of up to 10 kWh per day at 60% efficiency from a small turbine. This is enough power to meet the requirements of 5 European families or an entire African village.

The invention is a tubular canister that floats like a buoy on the surface of a small body of water. Beneath the surface, the natural flow of water is directed through a tube driving the water pressure upwards with increased suction as a result of the vortex principle. Inside the turbine shaft, the vortex energy rotates a cup mounted on a generator shaft that converts the rotation into electrical energy.

When installed in a slow moving stream, the turbine can generate energy for a small house at levels of up to 400 watts. Ideally, the bladeless turbine operates more effectively at flow levels of 22 to 250 litres per second, but it can produce results in flow rates as low as 2 L/sec.

The mechanism is unclear, but other designs exist that convert low-head flow into electricity.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2017, @10:51AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2017, @10:51AM (#478849)

    one image would replace a thousand words ... time for [img src] tag allow maybe?

    Or you could always RTFA ... or at least open it and look for a picture (or in this case a video).

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2017, @02:59PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2017, @02:59PM (#478933)

    i just mentioned it because i come across sensational headlines (or videos, like trump mustering a alien invasion) only to have to click AT LEAST 3 click-deep until the real "meat" is revealed, sorta because you have to PAY to see the whole details.
    one site w/ article links to another and another and ... nobody wants to actually show the picture or video (because maybe uploader didnt allow embedding, duh, or the uploader didn't allow "my" country/region).
    it's totally starting to suck ...

    maybe poster could just do all the "de-boning" and also straight up provide the youtube link or direct link to an image (but hotlinking is probably turned off ...)
    anyways, about abuse ... if the editor can read the submission maybe they could also glance at the provide image or video? the xenix (?), xenax(?) article seems to get a .. screenshot of a computerscreen : )