Hydro Power
The generation of electricity from a water source is commonly referred to as Hydro Power.
One of the most common styles of hydro power is by the construction of a dam to harness river flow rates
an other common style takes advantage of a terrane elevation drop.
Pumped hydro is a combine method of electricity generation and energy storage by cycling water
between an upper and lower reservoir.
The Recovery 2.0 system takes advantage of a combination of both a
Gravity Fed
and
Pressure Pumped
water supply.
The process utilizes a
Short Cycle Regeneration
method.
Pressure Pumped Hydro Electricity
Pressurized Water may be pumped through a water wheel, impeller, turbine or other device to produce rotary generated electricity.
Alternatively, Pressure driven water flows may be directed through Double acting linear pumps and may be used in
conjunction with a linear induction generator configuration to produce harvestable electric energy.
Gravity Fed Hydro Electricity
The most common style of hydro electric power is based on the gravity assisted fall of water channeled through a
water wheel, impeller, turbine or other device to produce rotary generated electricity.
Short Cycle Regeneration
Hydro Energy Generation on a Short Cycle Regeneration basis.
By designing the water phase of a
thermal recovery
system to hold a modest reservoir of water at an elevated level,
the potential to generate Hydro Electric power exists.
Relying on pumps to circulate the water, from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir to overcome the volume restrictions,
under pressure to amplify the water flow rate to compensate for lack of drop or fall of water.
Tapping into symbiotic activity across the recovery system, to drive the pumps as required, a small scale
Hydro Generation system may produce electricity.
The strategic use of a Ram Pump at the bottom of any uninterrupted falling water flow may allow for the return of 10 - 20 % of the
volume of the flow back to the upper reservoir. In addition to the 10%+ fluid dynamics efficiency advantage the Ram Pump may
also produce a small volume flow of compressed air.
Hydraulic Power
Work tasks maybe performed throughout the Recovery 2.0 operation by using water as the working fluid in Hydraulic Cylinders.
The Hydraulic Cylinders are used for various forms of kinetic motion and most commonly used for lifting.
More integrate closed systems may be designed to harness the energy of Hydraulic Pressure.
Throughout history Hydraulic Accumulator Towers have been used as large scale energy storage
to power lift bridges, cranes, water elevators or loch systems.
Hydraulic Pumps are a convenient method to move water through the system and also may be incorporated in energy harvesting
modules.
The potential to harness the energy contained in a oscillating water column is ripe for novel approaches for exploitation.
Energy Storage
Potential energy may be stored in the form of water reservoirs to be converted into hydro electric power on demand or as required.
One of the limiting factors is the restricted storage capacity within any facility so some sort of rapid regeneration strategy
must be devised.
The
cycling of water
between an upper and lower reservoir system allows for the charging of the potential energy storage
by filling the upper reservoir.
By releasing the stored water into a lower reservoir as and when desired, you have the opportunity to
pass the water flow through an energy harvesting (hydro generation) step.
While not a new concept Hydraulic Accumulators (Water Towers) have been used as large scale energy storage
to power lift bridges, cranes, water elevators or loch systems.
By utilizing a Weight loaded column of water, that operates much like a hydraulic jack,
a system may be charged to store potential energy for an indefinite period of time.
The discharge cycle generates a controlled flow of pressurized water that may be directed or harnessed as desired.
One option of dispatchable hydro power is the GLIDES (Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage) approach,
which takes advantage of the potential energy storage assisted by compressed air.
Water is used as a liquid piston to compress air inside of a column/cylinder to create an artificial head pressure
and upon release the water is forced threw a turbine to generate electricity.
Pressurized Hydro Storage
A Pressurized Hydro Storage module is a two sided system that combines a Hydro Accumulator Tower on side A
and a
Compressed Air
Storage Chamber on side B.
To charge the system, water is pumped from a water storage reservoir into the closed hydro accumulator tower,
as additional water is pumped into the module it acts as a liquid piston and the confined air is pressurized and compressed
into the Compressed air chamber.
As the air passes from side A to Side B it passes through a
Wells style Turbo
and generates electricity.
To discharge the system, a release valve allows the pressurized water stored in the hydro accumulator tower to exit
through a turbo/generator to produce electricity on demand, and water is routed into a water storage reservoir.
As the stored compressed air from side B forces the water out of the hydro accumulator in side A it passes threw the
wells style turbo/generator and produces an additional flow of electricity.
The Pressurized Hydro Storage (PHS) module may be recharged at will and if a renewable source such as
wind harvest
are tapped to drive the pumps, this cycle may prove to be extremely desirable.
Recovery 2.0
- Energy and Recovery
Understanding Energy & Recovery
- Energy as a Commodity
- Recovered Energy
- Thermal Reduction
- Steam Stage
- Condensing Stage
- Water Phase
Energy Sources
- Solar
- Electricity
- Waste Heat
- Energy Sidestreams
Energy Storage
- Battery Banks
- Thermal Energy Storage
- Compressed Air Storage
- Exothermic Element Storage
Short Cycle Regeneration
- Hydro Energy
- Wind Energy
- Gravity Energy
- Gradient Energy
Recovery 2.0
- Summary
