Engineering Principles
Hydropower is created from the energy of falling water, which may be harnessed and used for producing electricity. The power available from falling water can be calculated.P=DQgh
Where:
•P is power in watts (W)
•D is the density of water in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m^3)
•Q is the flow in cubic meters per second (m^3/s)
•g is the acceleration due to gravity in meters per second (m/s)
•h is the height difference between inlet and outlet in meters (m)
Waterwheels can draw power from the flow of a body of water without necessarily changing its height.
Our water wheels are constructed of:
- * Plastic boxes/lids as the paddles to direct the water
- * Tire spokes to mount the paddles
- * Rubber stoppers to mount the tire spokes on to the axle
- * Aluminum rod as an axle attached to the motor
- * Motor to convert mechanical energy caused by the spinning axle into electricity
- * PVC Composite Deck Boards (waterproof structural material)
As water flows out of the two tubes it falls on to the paddles of the water wheel causing it to spin. This wheel rotation causes the axle in the center to spin axle within the attached motor. As the motor's axle is rotating it generates an electrical output which is shown by the speed of a fan spinning (for visual purposes).
The trail trace as shown in the photo will then be pumped back up to the top of the subsystem for a continuous cycle.
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