A Breakthrough in Clean Energy Technology: Taking advantage of a tremendous energy resource in the earth's atmosphere

The world’s appetite for energy continues to grow, as does the technology available to capture energy. A new system has been developed for eco"friendly hydroelectric power generation that facilitates the efficient, systematic transport of water into energy.

How it works
This system conveys water vertically, and then siphons it down onto a turbine generator to produce clean, safe, renewable hydroelectric energy. It will not produce direct waste, and will have a considerably lower output level of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) relative fossil fuel powered energy plants. This hydroelectric system can dispatch electricity safely through an existing grid to the consumer, dedicated freestanding hydroelectric projects, electronic storage devices such as ultra capacitors, hydroelectric backup systems, and portable units for emergency assistance missions and military operations.

All applications can be built onsite or prefabricated offsite and transported to, and later assembled, at the designated location. At the heart of the system is a unique hydraulic pump design.

“The main principle of this system is the combination of input energy from a water pump and gravitational energy, similar to the standard hydroelectric systems,” explains Franco Gaspari PhD, assistant professor of physics at the UOIT Faculty of Science. “This allows for the output energy to be greater than the energy expended by the pump. The major innovation in the system is, indeed, the internal and external pump set-up, which brings the water with a relatively high flow at heights three to four times greater than those achieved by similar, standard water pumps.”

Scientific background
A basic Thermodynamics law (Carnot’s principle) states that it is impossible to build an engine that produces more energy than it uses. However, this principle holds for closed system, that is, for those systems that are isolated from external input. This set-up uses input energy from the pump, plus the gravitational field (in the form of pressure). Therefore, the output is still less than the input, but more than the man-made power.

There are similar existing systems that use a combination of water pump and gravitational field. Indeed, city water is usually delivered from a high water tower, which is kept filled by a water pump. Also, hydroelectric systems use dams that are filled overnight by water pumps (during the time of lowest rates for electricity cost), to deliver during peak demands (at highest cost of electricity); thereby, making such a set-up economically viable. However, these systems do not produce more energy than that used by the water pump. This system uses a modification in the design of a low-power water pump to maximize the contribution of the external factors (gravity), and obtain a higher output that the energy used by the pump.

Experimental results
Preliminary testing conducted on a prototype confirms the advantages of such a system. A modified 3hp water pump (~ 2.2 kW) was used to draw water through a 2.5" tube from a height of approximately 5m. The water was then pumped through a 2" tube to a height of 20m. The total height (head) achieved in this configuration was 25m and a flow of ~ 15 l/s.

Calculations of electricity conversion from the water flux were done using standard industry formulas for commercial turbines. The main parameters used in these calculations are the head (25m, 20 meter from the pump discharge height plus five meters), and the flow (15 l/s). Efficiency losses are dependent on the turbine characteristics. For a 100% efficiency the output power would be ~3.5 kW. For a (low) 70% efficiency, 2.5 kW would be obtained. Turbines with 85% to 90% efficiencies are available. It is worth noting that consumption tests of the 2.2 kW water pump indicated an actual power of 1.96 kW.

Summary
The main functions and components of the system can be summarized as follows:

1. The water pump is a “well” pump that uses the gravitational field to raise the water from a depth (h1) of approximately five to seven meters (ideal maximum limit is ~ 10 meter. The low"pressure side of the pump creates the “sucking” effect to allow the water to reach the pump level.

2. The second function of the pump is to raise the water at a certain height (h2). In the patented design, a 3hp pump is able to create a high pressure at the topside of the impeller.

3. Furthermore, the return tube goes below the pump level, adding an enhanced siphon effect, thanks to the high pressure from the pump topside, as compared to the output pressure of 1atm.

Power-generating stations can be scaled utilizing multiples of horsepower (pumping capacity of each pump) and number of pumps. Each particular application would determine the appropriate configuration. A one"megawatt configuration, for example, could generate an annual output of 9,743 mWh (70% capacity factor) to facilitate the electricity demands of 812 households*.
The above configuration was sited to provide perspective relative to a one"megawatt utility scale wind turbine that produces 3,066 mwh of electric energy (35% capacity factor).

Such systems for electrical power generation would be exceptionally useful for local applications. Modular units could be constructed through a variety of configurations within close proximity to meet the specific electric energy needs, resolve any existing transmission line capacity issues, and designed to conform to the surrounding environment.


*Based on per household electric energy consumption of 12, 000 kwh annually.

Fred Masciarelli is vice president of Investor Relations and Marketing at Genesis HydroElectric, Inc. and Strategic Media Council for VMC Media.

Genesis HydroElectric, Inc.

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