Hi all,
I live off-grid on a boat, and I am looking at ways of getting
electricity (heating is fine - I just catch firewood as it floats
past) - does anyone have any experience of water generators? I have a
friend who has tried one of those torpedo things you tow behind
yachts, but the current doesn't get fast enough even in flood. (i
reckon it touched about 8kph before the banks burst). I made a little
windmill from a bicycle wheel - I reckon something similar would do
the job...

any ideas?

thanks in advance,

Jim Potter
UK

Posted by Neon John on July 16, 2008, 10:35 am

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On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:43:06 -0700 (PDT), JimChufff

>Hi all,

> I live off-grid on a boat, and I am looking at ways of getting

>electricity (heating is fine - I just catch firewood as it floats

>past) - does anyone have any experience of water generators? I have a

>friend who has tried one of those torpedo things you tow behind

>yachts, but the current doesn't get fast enough even in flood. (i

>reckon it touched about 8kph before the banks burst). I made a little

>windmill from a bicycle wheel - I reckon something similar would do

>the job...

>any ideas?

>thanks in advance,

There's a page on the net, though I didn't save the URL, that shows what a guy
did in a similar situation. Large volume, low velocity stream, not legal to
build a dam.

What he did was lay a shaft from shore to shore. ON that shaft he placed
multiple large squirrel cage fan wheels. The blades of the wheels laid just
under the surface of the water, making a crude but effective undershot water
wheel. The pillow blocks were mounted on tethered floats to keep the wheels
at the right height above the water. Through a series of step-up pulleys, he
drove a car alternator that generated about half a kilowatt.

I have no idea how to find that page again (nothing obvious in google) but the
above should be enough info for you to work with. Even if you span only a
little bit of the river, anchoring the far end pillow block support, you
should generate enough power to operate your boat.

John

--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables!

Posted by harry k on July 16, 2008, 11:14 am

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> On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:43:06 -0700 (PDT), JimChufff

> >Hi all,

> > =A0I live off-grid on a boat, and I am looking at ways of getting

> >electricity (heating is fine - I just catch firewood as it floats

> >past) - does anyone have any experience of water generators? I have a

> >friend who has tried one of those torpedo things you tow behind

> >yachts, but the current doesn't get fast enough even in flood. (i

> >reckon it touched about 8kph before the banks burst). I made a little

> >windmill from a bicycle wheel - I reckon something similar would do

> >the job...

> >any ideas?

> >thanks in advance,

> There's a page on the net, though I didn't save the URL, that shows what =

a guy

> did in a similar situation. =A0Large volume, low velocity stream, not leg=

al to

> build a dam.

> What he did was lay a shaft from shore to shore. =A0ON that shaft he plac=

> multiple large squirrel cage fan wheels. =A0The blades of the wheels laid=

just

> under the surface of the water, making a crude but effective undershot wa=

ter

> wheel. =A0The pillow blocks were mounted on tethered floats to keep the w=

heels

> at the right height above the water. =A0Through a series of step-up pulle=

ys, he

> drove a car alternator that generated about half a kilowatt.

> I have no idea how to find that page again (nothing obvious in google) bu=

t the

> above should be enough info for you to work with. =A0Even if you span onl=

y a

> little bit of the river, anchoring the far end pillow block support, you

> should generate enough power to operate your boat.

> John

> --

> John De Armond

> See my website for my current email addresshttp://www.neon-john.comhttp:/=

/www.johndearmond.com<-- best little blog on the net!

> Tellico Plains, Occupied TN

> I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables!

Should work if there is a flowing current in the river. Towed behind
a boat? No. The energy to tow the rig will be more than would be
recovered from it.

Harry K

Posted by Bob F on July 16, 2008, 12:11 pm

Please log in for more thread options

> On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:43:06 -0700 (PDT), JimChufff

> >Hi all,

> > I live off-grid on a boat, and I am looking at ways of getting

> >electricity (heating is fine - I just catch firewood as it floats

> >past) - does anyone have any experience of water generators? I have a

> >friend who has tried one of those torpedo things you tow behind

> >yachts, but the current doesn't get fast enough even in flood. (i

> >reckon it touched about 8kph before the banks burst). I made a little

> >windmill from a bicycle wheel - I reckon something similar would do

> >the job...

> >any ideas?

> >thanks in advance,

> There's a page on the net, though I didn't save the URL, that shows what a guy

> did in a similar situation. Large volume, low velocity stream, not legal to

> build a dam.

> What he did was lay a shaft from shore to shore. ON that shaft he placed

> multiple large squirrel cage fan wheels. The blades of the wheels laid just

> under the surface of the water, making a crude but effective undershot water

> wheel. The pillow blocks were mounted on tethered floats to keep the wheels

> at the right height above the water. Through a series of step-up pulleys, he

> drove a car alternator that generated about half a kilowatt.

> I have no idea how to find that page again (nothing obvious in google) but the

> above should be enough info for you to work with. Even if you span only a

> little bit of the river, anchoring the far end pillow block support, you

> should generate enough power to operate your boat.

> John

> --

> John De Armond

> See my website for my current email

> addresshttp://www.neon-john.comhttp://www.johndearmond.com<-- best little blog

> on the net!

> Tellico Plains, Occupied TN

> I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables!

Should work if there is a flowing current in the river. Towed behind
a boat? No. The energy to tow the rig will be more than would be
recovered from it.

********************************************************************8

Unless it's a sail boat.

Posted by harry k on July 16, 2008, 11:16 pm

Please log in for more thread options

> > On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:43:06 -0700 (PDT), JimChufff

> > >Hi all,

> > > I live off-grid on a boat, and I am looking at ways of getting

> > >electricity (heating is fine - I just catch firewood as it floats

> > >past) - does anyone have any experience of water generators? I have a

> > >friend who has tried one of those torpedo things you tow behind

> > >yachts, but the current doesn't get fast enough even in flood. (i

> > >reckon it touched about 8kph before the banks burst). I made a little

> > >windmill from a bicycle wheel - I reckon something similar would do

> > >the job...

> > >any ideas?

> > >thanks in advance,

> > There's a page on the net, though I didn't save the URL, that shows wha=

t a guy

> > did in a similar situation. Large volume, low velocity stream, not lega=

l to

> > build a dam.

> > What he did was lay a shaft from shore to shore. ON that shaft he place=

> > multiple large squirrel cage fan wheels. The blades of the wheels laid =

just

> > under the surface of the water, making a crude but effective undershot =

water

> > wheel. The pillow blocks were mounted on tethered floats to keep the wh=

eels

> > at the right height above the water. Through a series of step-up pulley=

s, he

> > drove a car alternator that generated about half a kilowatt.

> > I have no idea how to find that page again (nothing obvious in google) =

but the

> > above should be enough info for you to work with. Even if you span only=

> > little bit of the river, anchoring the far end pillow block support, yo=

> > should generate enough power to operate your boat.

> > John

> > --

> > John De Armond

> > See my website for my current email

> > addresshttp://www.neon-john.comhttp://www.johndearmond.com<-- best litt=

le blog

> > on the net!

> > Tellico Plains, Occupied TN

> > I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables!

> Should work if there is a flowing current in the river. =A0Towed behind

> a boat? =A0No. =A0The energy to tow the rig will be more than would be

> recovered from it.

> ********************************************************************8

> Unless it's a sail boat.- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -

In which case, the additional drag won't be worth it. Better to use a
small motor/gen set on board.

Harry K

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