homebrew hydro installation in chile - Page 2

 @newsfe13.iad:


Very impressive.  I found that site a while back when I was first trying to
build mine.  HOLY CRAP.. it makes my small effort look like cheeze wiz

 
 

Maybe so but I bet your return on investment is far better.  He has a
small fortune tied up in that system, even with 3rd world labor.

I see several problem areas ahead too, not the least of which is
running a machine designed for horizontal orientation in the vertical.
Absent a retrofitting of proper thrust bearings, the bearing life on
that generator will be minimal.  With that kind of mechanical power
available, I just hope that a bearing failure doesn't tear up the
whole machine.

My other MAJOR concern is no over-speed protection.  He's relying
solely on that electronic dump load controller for speed control.  If
that thing fails or trips off-line, generator disassembly is likely.

I'm impressed with the guy's audacity for tackling such a project and
for his "f*ck the 1st world" lifestyle in general but I am NOT
impressed with the hydro project itself.  I see lots of maintenance
and failures ahead.

John

 

From what I understand, his powerhouse is a fair walk from his
dewelling. I bet he gets tired of walking up and down that hill several
times a day to turn off valves and such.  If it was me, I would have
moterized valves, a remote control panal in the house, and an overspeed
shutdown, and I would tie the load dump controler into one or more of
the motorized valves to reduce the machanical input instead of dumping
the output.

 manfred sent me a message with replies/comments about some of the comments
posted to my post about his hydro installation, i'm forwarding them to the
group. (<gulp> <cringe>)

 On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:45:36 -0500, "William Wixon"


Based on the overall thoroughness of the project I already assumed
that he'd have answers for any criticisms. I'm not sure he's correctly
relating to US bureaucracy though. Here, paperwork generally comes
before construction, enforced by stop-work orders. Even in our county
where building permits weren't required outside of cities until
recently, the code weenies are hard at work trying to justify their
continued employment. I visited an unusual and high-quality project
recently. As tough as some of the technical problems were, the owner
reported that his most difficult issues have been with know-nothing
building inspectors who seem to believe that it's their job to drag
down anyone more ambitious than themselves. This particular owner had
the fire to survive a couple years of harassment, but a lot of others
would have tired and given up.

Wayne