Hyrdo Energy From a Pond??? Input on another crazy idea.

I haven't checked your calculations, would probably have to find my old fluids engineering book and would probably fry my brain right now. However what you are talking about is called a 'pumped storage' project. There are actually several of these built - I have visited the Raccoon Mountain facility near Chattanooga Tennessee it's quite interesting. Here are some websites you might want to check out - or do a web search on 'pumped storage' and you should find lots of information.

http://www.answers.com/topic/pumped-storage
http://www.tva.gov/sites/raccoonmt.htm
http://www.nypa.gov/facilities/blengil.htm
http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/pumped.htm

Dawn

14053 * 6 (days) = 84318 cu ft

84318 / 30 ft (depth of pond) = 2810.6 sq ft

square root(2810.6) = 53ft

So a square pond 30ft deep and 53ft to a side would hold the volume of water you were shooting for.

pi*r^2 = surface area of a round pond.

2810.6 / pi = 895.1

sqrt(895.1) = 30ft radius for a round pond. that's 60ft diameter.

Just a thought. 30ft deep is...well...pretty darned deep. I would imagine it would cost more to dig deeper than wider. What if you went 10ft deep?

84318/10 = 8431.8
sqrt(8431.8) = 92ft each side.

or 102ft diameter round.

And now you've got me thinking about ways to use the huge hill we live on to provide power for us.

If only we didn't live on the north side of the hill and end up in the shade so much.

I'm actually wondering what I could do with an inductive coil. Half our property is an easement with the big power lines on it. Our horse fence gets a little current from it.

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I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence - Doug McLeod

..................St , AS a General Proposition , DEEPER is better than Wider....because you will have LESS Surface Evaporation due to wind , etc . Just a Thought , fordy..

Good point. Didn't think of that. Was thinking start-up costs not long-range.

__________________
I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence - Doug McLeod