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How to Create Energy From Water Flow & Turbine Systems

For thousands of years people have been harnessing hydroelectric power using water wheels. This type of energy generation led to the industrialization of many processes across the globe. In the 18th Century, Jan Andrej Segner invented the reactive water turbine, which laid the groundwork for modern turbines. This simple design is still in use worldwide, especially for small-scale power generation. Since then, people have improved the technology, developing different types for various water flow regimes.

Things You'll Need

Runner or propeller
Shaft
Alternator
Batteries
Power diverter
Water source

Instructions

- 1
  
  Much like an airplane, a propeller catches water to turn a shaft.
  
  Attach a runner, or propeller, to a shaft. The water flow will turn the propeller and the shaft, which will be hooked up to an alternator. An alternator generates alternating electric currents. The coil inside is operated by the turning shaft of the turbine which creates electricity through its motion.
- 2
  Determine the turbine style based on the water source. How much water and how consistent the flow will provide the key factors for making this decision. There are two main types of water turbines: Reactive and Impulse. Reactive turbines are fully submerged in the water flow and are encapsulated by a pressure casing. Impulse turbines are not submerged and turn when water jets stream pressurized water at the propeller.
- 3
  Install a load diverting charge controller. This device is a necessity because it prevents the excess power generated from overloading the batteries or other storage devices. This special equipment is installed between the alternator and the batteries. Once batteries are full, the controller either diverts the charge to another electric device, such as a nonessential appliance, or reduces the percentage of electric flow allowed to the batteries until enough power has been used to reinstate full charge again.
- 4
  Connect batteries to the turbine system. The batteries will act as the storage units for the generated electric. A matching voltage DC system can be connected, or an inverter can be used for AC power or mixed AC/DC systems. The power can then be routed directly to appliances in the home or small business that need allocated electric usage.

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