EnergyInnovative hydroelectric solution harvests power from water flowing through municipal pipes
An innovative solution has made it so dams do not have to be built in order to get hydroelectricity; hydroelectric power can now be harvested from water flowing through municipal pipes; the innovation is creating energy by using existing infrastructure, as well as solving a problem in that infrastructure
A new invention has made it so dams do not have to be built in order to get hydroelectricity. Hydroelectric power can now be harvested from water flowing through municipal pipes.
Dr. Daniel Farb has unveiled the new invention, a turbine which turns excess pressure inside existing underground water pipes into energy for the electric grid.
The company Farb works for, Leviathan Energy, is still fine-tuning the invention at its testing site in Israel. The turbine has been named “Benkatina” in remembrance of the Second Temple High Priest Ben Katin, who made a machine to lower and raise the ancient Temple’s lever to and from the water table.
The modern version based on Farb’s vision was first engineered by Avner Farkash, Leviathan’s vice president for research and development.
Israel21c reports that The beta model of the Benkatina is currently being implemented in pilot areas by Mekorot, Israel’s national water supplier. An Italian partner is lined up next to try the Benkatina, and the company has met with a power company in Mumbai which is interested in talking business.
Farb says the invention is creating a buzz and picking up business quickly because it has created an energy industry using existing infrastructure, as well as solving a problem in that infrastructure.
“Managers of water systems already know where there is excess pressure, and often they put pressure breakers in those locations to prevent leaks from forming. One of the great things about what we’re doing is that we are battling the water and energy shortage at the same time,” Farb told Israel21c. “An estimated $14 billion worth of water is wasted each year through leakage, and decreased pressure means decreased leaks.”
A smaller version of the Benkatina can be used to provide off-grid electricity in remote areas of the world as long as there are water pipes nearby. According to Farb, this would be a much more consistent source of energy than solar or wind power. Farb also said that the Benkatina is radically different from the way hydroelectric power has been produced over the last 200 years.
“In the past, they used a dam, used up all the pressure, worked in an environment of stable flow, and used turbines that could be exposed to the air. In-pipe conditions are different, so there is no dam, which makes it more ecologically viable,” Farb told Israel21c. “Only the excess pressure is used so the integrity of the piping system can be maintained, the flow is variable, and it functions in a difficult, closed system environment with splashing water.”
The success of the Benkatina could lead to new of ideas of creating energy in general as technology and experimentation can play a large part in reducing the worlds biological footprint and making the planet more green and sustainable.
“We’re in an energy crisis that will last at least 100 years and we have to provide solutions in more than just one area,” Farb told Israel21c. “Leviathan has provided a series of solutions that, when fully implemented with the right financial and bureaucratic support can make a serious difference in the world we live in.”
