To introduce myself, our OTG Solar home is located on the Cumberland Plateau, north of Chattanooga. We use Solar electric, propane and diesel with some wood for energy needs. Our home sits on a bluff that rises 150' above a raveen with a creek. We have a 1 acre pond up on the bluff that is fed by a wet weather stream that runs 8 or nine (winter)months. The out flow from the pond goes over the bluff to the creek below.
I have surveyed a route for a 4" penstock from the spillway over to the bluff and down the slope to a suitable turbine location. Total length of the penstock will be around 800 ft. The Penstock will be buried from the pond to the edge of the bluff. The slope is too rocky to bury it from there to the turbine site, the last 200'. Difficulties will be the length of the penstock, the fact that it traverses a dip before droping over the bluff, the need for concrete thrust and slider blocks on the steep slope, and the distance of the turbine from the house, probably about 600'. I have two questions I'd like some input on. One, I think I can place the intake for the penstock out in about 4 feet of water in the pond away from the spill way. Is that a good plan? And two, It is a wet weather stream that drains about 50 acres. This year has been unusualy wet, so the stream has almost not stopped running. But other years we have seen little or no flow in July, August and September. (Of course the solar panels crank then). How are these periods of intermittant flow handled? Does it require constant adjustment, or do you just shut it down till you have sufficient flow? Thanks for your input and glad I found this site, Tom ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microhydro/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
