Water pipeline can be tapped for electricity

[ahhming]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDKTXvreGo8




Lucid Energy has developed a renewable energy system that makes use of water moving through pipelines.
 


The company's LucidPipe Power System converts pressure in water pipelines into electricity.

A 200kW LucidPipe Power System installed in a Portland Water Bureau water pipeline in Portland, Oregon, came online and began generating renewable energy for Portland General Electric.

 

LucidPipe simply replaces a stretch of existing gravity-fed conventional pipeline, that's used for transporting potable water.

 

 

The company said on their website that one mile of 42" diameter pipeline could produce as much as 3 megawatts or more of electricity.)

 

Discussing the process, Ben Coxworth in Gizmag said, "As the water flows through, it spins four 42-inch (107-cm) turbines, each one of which is hooked up to a generator on the outside of the pipe. The presence of the turbines reportedly doesn't slow the water's flow rate significantly, so there's virtually no impact on pipeline efficiency."

source:

http://www.lucidenergy.com/lucid-pipe/

http://phys.org/news/2015-02-oregon-pipeline-electricity.html

[Tonylu1595]

I guess they are recycling a little bit of energy from the total of what it takes for them to pump the water up there in the first place.

[Briggsy]

in other news, 500,000 hamsters are out of work.

 

j/k, glad to see some innovation that can utilize existing technology.

[werto165]

Recapturing energy that is lost through pumping water, I'd say that's pretty awesome. What percentage of the initial energy do you think is recaptured? 

[JeffreyEagan]

OREGON COMES THROUGH ONCE AGAIN! WHOO!

[Ekin]

I wonder how many gravity-fed pipes there are? It sounds to good to be true.

[Aniallation]

The company said on their website that one mile of 42" diameter pipeline could produce as much as 3 megawatts or more of electricity.)

 

lbr still not enough for 295X2 /s

[Tonylu1595]

lbr still not enough for 295X2 /s

You mean the 395X2

[Enderman]

Recapturing energy that is lost through pumping water, I'd say that's pretty awesome. What percentage of the initial energy do you think is recaptured? 

This isnt recapturing energy. This is complete BS.

It takes energy in the first place to pump the water, all they are doing is reducing water pressure to convert that energy back into electricity.

 

Since energy is lost during conversion, not only are they losing energy, but they are literally just moving it from one place to another.

 

If there actually is that much spare energy due to water pressure, they could just reduce the power of the pumps to save more energy than they get back by reducing pressure with these turbines.

 

 

Logically this is a waste of time and money to get electricity from one place to another instead of using cables.

[d3sl91]

As much as I want to be excited for my city... I guess you can call this recycling energy. I guess we will need to see how well it actually works. Less pressure because of a generator in the pipe = more pressure needed at the start (more power used). So.... yeah, that's a concern to me. 

 

Unfortunately, we will probably never know how much this will actually help, or make it worse. Just, yknow, our tax dollars used for "renewable energy" that may or may not be helpful at all. But hey, "renewable" so, it must be good. All I know is I can count a dozen streets in my area that are not even paved.... just giant mud pits. And We are about a mile from Portland's Airport..so by no means "outskirts". Just question political priorities sometimes. 

[han_han08]

^ gravity-fed, right?

[Beskamir]

Hold on... thanks to the law of conservation of energy this cannot possible be a good technology that is more energy efficient.

 

Basically what will end up happening is that you will just need more energy to pump the water through the pipes since you will need to account for the amount of energy that these things will be taking away from the water flow.

[ComradeHX]

lbr still not enough for 295X2 /s

It's not enough to cool a 295x2 either.

But it's getting close.

[patrickjp93]

Hold on... thanks to the law of conservation of energy this cannot possible be a good technology that is more energy efficient.

 

Basically what will end up happening is that you will just need more energy to pump the water through the pipes since you will need to account for the amount of energy that these things will be taking away from the water flow.

Is it not remotely possible some of this water could be coming in off a damn or a lake above as well? If water is already being moved there for waste treatment, then using the potential gravitational energy as it comes falling out of the plant is a good thing.

[Tonylu1595]

Hold on... thanks to the law of conservation of energy this cannot possible be a good technology that is more energy efficient.

 

Basically what will end up happening is that you will just need more energy to pump the water through the pipes since you will need to account for the amount of energy that these things will be taking away from the water flow.

In a perfect flat world with no friction, that would be true. However, due to slopes and whatnot, more pressure is needed to push the water up and then there's too much pressure when it goes back down.

[Trik'Stari]

Is it not remotely possible some of this water could be coming in off a damn or a lake above as well? If water is already being moved there for waste treatment, then using the potential gravitational energy as it comes falling out of the plant is a good thing.

It is, but that would simply lessen the pressure of the water traveling where it needs to go.

 

In a perfect flat world with no friction, that would be true. However, due to slopes and whatnot, more pressure is needed to push the water up and then there's too much pressure when it goes back down.

Some people might like a good bit of water pressure when they take a shower.

[nims0c]

This isnt recapturing energy. This is complete BS.

It takes energy in the first place to pump the water, all they are doing is reducing water pressure to convert that energy back into electricity.

 

Since energy is lost during conversion, not only are they losing energy, but they are literally just moving it from one place to another.

 

If there actually is that much spare energy due to water pressure, they could just reduce the power of the pumps to save more energy than they get back by reducing pressure with these turbines.

 

 

Logically this is a waste of time and money to get electricity from one place to another instead of using cables.

 

My thoughts exactly.

[d3sl91]

^ gravity-fed, right?e. 

Possibly, but, in our area we use water towers and and water reservoirs to generate appropriate pressure to different areas. And we use pumps to fill those. So, It just depends on where they put them, and if we have excess pressure to loose. 

[ForsakenLive]

Where I am from, all the water in the pipes get pushed in by strong industrial electric pumps, that are very power hungry. I imagine, the majority of cities are doing this. There is no net gain with this! As the entropy point is too low (2nd law of thermodynamics), effectively we are both loosing power and applying resistance to the water network.

 

Some are saying it's another way of transporting energy, however why would it replace a wire? There are extremely few (or even none) scenarios where water pressure can be forced through pipes but there is no way to put a wire in.

Also, people says it salvages the 'excess' pressure on the water delivery system. Everything is designed so water goes equally and even using the path of least resistance, in parts that pressure builds up it allows to unfed piping to get filled. Of course there is lost with this, but it gets better each time the system gets revisited.

[han_han08]

It is, but that would simply lessen the pressure of the water traveling where it needs to go.

 

Some people might like a good bit of water pressure when they take a shower.

 

it could lessen the pressure than what the residents are used to..but im sure the design will still meet per capita requirements..

 

the potential energy available should be so ginormous for them to think of this, otherwise, it really is just a waste of money/time..how long could've been those pipes have been there before this was thought of??

[patrickjp93]

It is, but that would simply lessen the pressure of the water traveling where it needs to go.

 

Some people might like a good bit of water pressure when they take a shower.

According to the article the change in pressure is near-negligible, and given the equations of gravitational force, I'm not surprised.

[EpicAdom]

If this actually works by using downhill pipes, then cool. Otherwise, it's dumb.

[Lazmarr]

I guess they are recycling a little bit of energy from the total of what it takes for them to pump the water up there in the first place.

They don't pump the water, gravity moves it through the pipes

[d3sl91]

They don't pump the water, gravity moves it through the pipes

In Portland they do. They pump water from our treatment/filtration centers into several Reservoirs and Tanks. So at some point, they do pump  

 

Source: I live in Portland and know where several pumphouses are. 

[han_han08]

In Portland they do. They pump water from our treatment/filtration centers into several Reservoirs and Tanks. So at some point, they do pump

 

Source: I live in Portland and know where several pumphouses are. 

 

yes, im sure pumping water is usual for most areas. the wonders of engineering.lol

 

hopefully, water through these gravity-fed pipes wont be supplying areas which pump water..

(but if energy created were to be used in pumping those water, then perhaps it has its uses, no?)