Human power idea #2

[exxcomm0n]

It certainly does!

It addresses the idea of EFFICIENCY!!!!

I don't consider fossil fuel power devices as inherently evil. I see the inefficient deisgn of those  engines using them  that are mass produced or employed to be though.

I DO want to "witch up" new and undiscovered sources of energy for mass consumption, BUT I want to design them the most efficient way I know how, and failing that, to make the MOST of the energy I use today to make sure it's available later.

Efficiency may not be the easiest or cheapest to design, implement, or purchase; but it makes the most sense over time.

[erickdt]

I've often wondered whether you could put small water turbines in the piping that goes to your shower, sink, etc. to use the water pressure released when you turn on the water to generate electricity.

[Creativity]

i had a similar idea but i imagined one turbine placed on a main water feed pipe.Second step was to pre heat cold water by warm waste water. both concept would be nice in a fully "green house" :)Also on-demand water heaters so no idle warm water boiler energy needed (only pilot flame in gas heaters).The same for central heating system-only when water moves then its needed to be warm.And so on.. a lot of improvement is still there

[erickdt]

i had a similar idea but i imagined one turbine placed on a main water feed pipe.Second step was to pre heat cold water by warm waste water. both concept would be nice in a fully "green house" :)Also on-demand water heaters so no idle warm water boiler energy needed (only pilot flame in gas heaters).The same for central heating system-only when water moves then its needed to be warm.And so on.. a lot of improvement is still there

Or you could install such a turbine system at the base of municipal water towers...

[exxcomm0n]

Power siphoned from gravitational effect of water pressure or weight will result in lower water pressure in the sink unless it's in a region where water pressure has to be reduced for sane output to the sink because it's close to the water tower, but lower than the end point where weight of the water in the tower converts downward potential energy to sideways potetial energy for delivery due to restriction and plumbing.

But there are those areas.

Plumbing is gravitational engineering. Delivery of a weight to it's highest point, and disposal to that same level of origin(waste).

If the pressure to convert 600 lgpm (liquid gallons per minute) is acheived by a diaphram with a tiny hole to serve 3 houses  @ 60 lgpm, isn't it acheived just as easily with a hole twice as large  and add a turbine or pump equal to the newly opened area converting the pressure to energy?

It may not equal more than the energy it took to get the necessary weight of water to that point where it had all that energy, but it recoups it better than diaphram wear.