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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.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday March 14 2017, @06:57PM (1 child)
My understanding is that the innovation here is that his bladeless turbine can operate at very low pressure differences and flow rates - such as you might find in a small stream, rather than requiring fast-moving rivers or large dams.
I.e. it's not some innovation that's going to replace large-scale hydro-electric generation, but rather make hydro power viable in lots of places where it's currently. That said, I'd love to see some direct efficiency/production comparisons between his turbines and, say, a simple paddle wheel immersed in the same slow-moving stream.
If nothing else it's interesting that someone has managed to harness a previously undocumented aspect of fluid dynamics, though it does seem like the necessity of that small gap through which water is flowing would make them far more prone to blockages than most of the alternatives.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Wednesday March 15 2017, @10:21PM
"My understanding is that the innovation here is that his bladeless turbine can operate at very low pressure differences and flow rates..."
you mean like it makes a point of saying in the very first sentence ? ? ?
huh, funny all those close readers missed that...
'TL;DR' applies to the first sentence, now ? ? ?