# Five Gallon Bucket Hydroelectric Generator Build Manual



## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I need opinions on this project. I am looking for a good science project for my nephews. In your opinion is this a good project?

Five Gallon Bucket Hydroelectric Generator Build Manual
https://www.engineeringforchange.org/static/content/Energy/S00070/5%20Gallon%20Bucket%20Build%20Manual.pdf


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

It looks like enough to keep them busy but I don't see an electric motor that would that would be required to produce electricity


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I didn't read the entire document but after scanning the material list, yes I think it would be good science project. I would also suggest digging holes outside and doing pushups between completing various parts of the build.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Slippy said:


> I didn't read the entire document but after scanning the material list, yes I think it would be good science project. I would also suggest digging holes outside and doing pushups between completing various parts of the build.


These boys carry 50lb feed bags like they are nothing. The project that they are working on now, that will be finished soon is a new duck pond. They said the one we had was to small so I told them to get some shovels and make a bigger one. So that is what they have been working on, in between everything else. I have been looking for a good indoor project for them and ran across the hydroelectric generator. They dislike being inside because it is 'boring'


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Auntie said:


> These boys carry 50lb feed bags like they are nothing. The project that they are working on now, that will be finished soon is a new duck pond. They said the one we had was to small so I told them to get some shovels and make a bigger one. So that is what they have been working on, in between everything else. I have been looking for a good indoor project for them and ran across the hydroelectric generator. They dislike being inside because it is 'boring'


Sounds like they are good boys! And hats off to you for your involvement. Family is important.

(But you know me...I think the best thing that we can do for young men is keeping them busy. Digging holes and doing pushups are always a good supplement to whatever they do. :joyous


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Their mother worked very hard to raise "respectable young men that will contribute to society not drain it". 

Their Scoutmaster thinks the same way you do. 
Yeah instead of yes or yes sir = 10 push ups
Forgetting your scout book = 25 push ups
Not being in uniform = 25 push ups and a song (his choice)
Forgetting one of the 10 essentials = 10 push ups for each item, so if you forget them all that is 100

There are more but I can't remember them.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Auntie said:


> There are more but I can't remember them.


Sounds like you owe us 10 push ups


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

auntie said:


> i need opinions on this project. I am looking for a good science project for my nephews. In your opinion is this a good project?
> 
> Five gallon bucket hydroelectric generator build manual
> https://www.engineeringforchange.org/static/content/energy/s00070/5%20gallon%20bucket%20build%20manual.pdf


The project is interesting, however did you read the water requirements? 
That can be a problem.
One thing I do not like is the spool (rotor) size, much too small. If it were the size of the bucket head, the capacity would almost triple or the head dropped by eight feet apx.
I have some background with steam turbines, the smallest built were with twelve inch spools, they were for evacuating fumes from powder magazines on navy ships. They were hooked up to the ships steam boiler.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I thought we might be able to use the pump from the pond and recirculate the water?


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Auntie said:


> I thought we might be able to use the pump from the pond and recirculate the water?


That might work, take the hose and point it straight up in the air, turn pump on and measure how high it sprays, needs to be at least 30 feet it think. 
I forgot what the gpm was, but the pump has to meet or exceed it.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> That might work, take the hose and point it straight up in the air, turn pump on and measure how high it sprays, needs to be at least 30 feet it think.
> I forgot what the gpm was, but the pump has to meet or exceed it.


A great reason to cool off on a hot summers day!


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Autie,
That project is a great one! Now where will you get your water from to power it? You will need about a 30 foot head (15 PSI) to run it but if you use a pump it will cost you more power than it will produce.
You need to find a water source that is 30 feet above the generator or put the generator at least 30 feet below its water source (vertical feet).


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

PaulS said:


> Autie,
> That project is a great one! Now where will you get your water from to power it? You will need about a 30 foot head (15 PSI) to run it but if you use a pump it will cost you more power than it will produce.
> You need to find a water source that is 30 feet above the generator or put the generator at least 30 feet below its water source (vertical feet).


The point of the project is to teach them about how generators work and learn about putting things together. However, you do bring up a good point about the electricity. Would it work if we dropped it into the lake on a 30' line? Then we could do a little fishing too.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

No, I'm afraid that won't work. in order to turn the turbine there has to be about a 15psi difference between the inlet and the outlet (across the turbine). The water has to push through the pipe and get to the nozzles with 15 psi and then the water has to be able to drain away at least as fast as it comes in (at zero psi). Putting it into the lake will give you 15 psi on both sides of the turbine with a net result of zero work.

Sorry, it has to be an open system unless you use a change of state process to run the turbine. (high temperature steam hitting the turbine at high velocity and then running through a large condenser to turn it back to water could be made to work if you had a way to reheat the water back to 1200F that used free energy - like a volcano) No system can be made that makes more energy than you put into it. As a matter of fact the best processes we have now lose 5 to 10% of the input energy to make the power it puts out. (if the alternator puts out 1170 watts then you have to put in 1300 watts to do so.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Well since there are no volcanoes around here I guess we will have to use energy to produce energy. Hopefully they will learn something.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

They will learn as much as they are interested in but the experience will teach them that things can be used for different purposes than what they are intended for. That will give them a better chance in a survival situation than a lot of folks!


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## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

50 gallons per minute.

Makes me thing you would need to also fashion a 50 gallon tank and use some of that electricity to power a pump that will allow the water to be recirculated, or risk a water bill higher than my car payment.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

I would consider a single wire GM alternator with internal regulator to eliminate the need for the shunt regulator.

My uncle made a water powered generator in the 1930s using a truck generator. It used a water wheel with a series of pulleys to step up the RPMs on the generator. It needed very little head from the stream.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

The initial plan is to pump water out of the pond then back into the pond. If that doesn't work then we will figure something out.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

I think it's a great idea. You used to be able to get "Heath" kits, to build radio's, metal detectors, etc.
Don't know if they are still available or not.
Radio Shack had them back in the 80's.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

baglady said:


> i think it's a great idea. You used to be able to get "heath" kits, to build radio's, metal detectors, etc.
> Don't know if they are still available or not.
> Radio shack had them back in the 80's.


Heathkit went out of business around 1992, iirc.

My first HF transmitter was a Heathkit AT-1 built by me in 1958, was 1957 x-mass present along with a Hallicrafter's SX-100 rcvr.

Second was a VFO for the x-mitter.

The last was a am/fm stereo unit in 86.

Quite a few others in between.

They made great kits for startups.

They added to my ability to read schematics at an early age.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I really appreciate all the help, comments and ideas! My nephews said to tell you all 'they rock!'


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

Make 100 ram pumps filling a tank mounted 80 feet high. Perpetual energy? lol


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Would a hydroelectric device on a river be considered a perpetual motion device? But I think that takes the definition of perpetual motion wrong hmm but still free energy.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Auntie said:


> The initial plan is to pump water out of the pond then back into the pond. If that doesn't work then we will figure something out.


Auntie,
You can use a pump to take the water out of the lake and then return it to the lake to watch it work. That should be considered a "proof of concept" for the boys. If there was a stream on your property you could go as high up on the stream as you could get and run a big pipe down hill to the generator and let the water run back into the stream. That way you could get "free" power" and show the working generator that the boys built. You will need as much rise as you can get and the size of pipe should be the same as the inlet for the generator or bigger and then reduce it down at the input.

Either way will work to make the pump produce power.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

PaulS said:


> Auntie,
> You can use a pump to take the water out of the lake and then return it to the lake to watch it work. That should be considered a "proof of concept" for the boys. If there was a stream on your property you could go as high up on the stream as you could get and run a big pipe down hill to the generator and let the water run back into the stream. That way you could get "free" power" and show the working generator that the boys built. You will need as much rise as you can get and the size of pipe should be the same as the inlet for the generator or bigger and then reduce it down at the input.
> 
> Either way will work to make the pump produce power.


Great ideas! I know the perfect place to do go in the mountains. Thanks again


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> Heathkit went out of business around 1992, iirc.
> 
> My first HF transmitter was a Heathkit AT-1 built by me in 1958, was 1957 x-mass present along with a Hallicrafter's SX-100 rcvr.
> 
> ...


That's a shame that they went out of business. All the good toys are gone...


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