Hydro Power 5

I've been thinking about how to better mount and support the generator I have now. If I add nozzles to it, I need more and better attachments, and it would be nice to have something more stable than an old cinder block as a foundation. A better enclosure would make the operation quieter as well, not that I have a big objection to the white noise of water. A square bucket or aluminum enclosure of some sort with the generator mounted on top of the lid would allow the machine to be opened up for inspection and make exchanging nozzles a lot easier.

Eventually, I'll get my big tax return, and I've already decided that a small part of it will get invested in a commercial hydro plant. There are quite a few choices, I have 180 feet of head, with about 125 gpm in the winter. Thinking of a pair of two-inch penstocks. Return line to the house would be about 600 feet.

Today was cloudy and drizzly, and my 12 volt PV array would never have been able to recharge the batteries from last night's consumption. It's almost 4PM and the NiCd's are just now coming up to full after the hydro plant ran all night and all day, perfect timing for tonight's consumption.