Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power:

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• Pros

        Most efficient source of power

        Lowest cost/watt

        Easy to predict what your energy generation is going to be.

        Allows you to reduce your battery bank because you can easily match battery storage to production.

• Cons

        Need elevation and high flow for quality production

        Moving parts break down and need to be maintained.

        Generation area may be far from home and wiring can get very expensive.

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How Does This System Work?

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• Water is directed into blades (turbine) connected to a shaft which spins a motor.

• Think of a box fan functioning in reverse.

• The shaft can be direct coupled or use belts to convert energy.

• A generator has a rotor and a stator. The rotor creates a magnetic field that induced the current into the stator. The stator is where you pull usable energy from.

• If you have a DC Alternator Generator you will have to send that power to a converter before it is usable. If you have an AC rectifier generator AC will come out and all you have to do is send it to your rectifier board or a component.

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Producing Hydroelectric Power In a Survival Situation:

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• There are blueprints to make hydroelectric power from a bucked system, cd and Styrofoam system or articulated PVC designs but Ken suggests the water wheel with belts or chains to change the gear ratio.

• It is a tried and true method that has a low speed but very high torque.

• You can couple your generator to the system with a homemade transmission or you can couple it directly to your tool like a mill for example.