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The ES Pipe Waterwheel, designed by Korean innovator Ryan Jongwoo Choi, is a simple plumbing accessory that turns simple workaday activities—running a bath, washing your hands, hosing off the dog—into hydroelectricity generative tasks.
The ES Pipe Waterwheel can be attached to most any standard water piping, simply by screwing it into place between any piping juncture. Once attached, generating energy is as simple as turning on the tap.
As water churns through the ES Pipe’s interior waterwheels, hydroelectric energy accumulates and is stored in the removable bulbs that fit into the top of the pipe. When needed, the bulbs can be removed and used for light.
While developing the product, Choi researched certain African countries where access to a running water supply network is disproportionate to electricity. The ES Pipe Waterwheel is one proposed solution for energy saving in countries that need it. It has been named a finalist in the Industrial Designers Society of America’s 2012 International Design Excellence Awards and is currently being pitched to product manufacturers for production.
[Yanko Design via Inhabitat]
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Wouldn’t this increase the back pressure in the water system resulting in higher electricity costs for the utility that does the pumping?
thats precisely what i though. but then you dont need to pay for it.
That was my first thought – you’re effectively stealing power from your water company.
There will definitely be consequences for using devices like this, but it’s still worth considering. Perhaps something can be arranged?
Interesting, I guess I need to learn more about our water systems and pressure etc.
I had made the (too basic) assumption that this device would simply use some of the kinetic energy of whatever water flow rate you already had. Meaning that whilst you would maybe have a crappier shower for example, you would actually use less water and gain electricity.
In most places the water pressure in the system is derived from the gravitational energy of the water; the utilities pump the water to a storage tank at a high point and gravity does the rest. This is because this system keeps pressure more-or-less constant with changes in demand. Pumps cannot adapt to changing demand nearly as well. Therefore this invention would reduce pressure at the tap resulting in a lower flow rate.
In any case you would need to release a lot of water for it to generate a meaningful amount of power. If you think you probably have a tap running on a normal day for max 30 mins. This thing probably generates around 10-15W at a high flow rate = useless invention.