question

[GLL]

I have 0 experience in this area, but by reading this forum the height of the head is used to determine power.? Could it be possible to use a corkscrew type pipe at the head to increase power? Instead of a straight drop the water is fed through this pipe giving it more distance to drop. Or is there some wacky physics law that prevents this. I'm sure the answer is no but explain.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

... the height of the head is used to determine power.? Could it be possible to use a corkscrew type pipe at the head to increase power?

No.

It isn't a matter of the distance the water travels.  It's a matter of the water pressure at the turbine.  That is the difference in height between the turbine and the surface of the water in the reservoir times the density of the water (minus any pressure loss from flowing through the pipe).

Having a longer pipe won't change the difference in altitude between the outlet and the water level at the surface.  So it won't change the pressure at the turbine when the flow is stopped.  But it WILL increase the pressure lost to friction when the water is flowing, so it's counter-productive.

[GLL]

Thanks for the feedback.

[hvirtane]

Or is there some wacky physics law that prevents this. I'm sure the answer is no but explain.

The theoretical energy available can be easily calculated, because it is just the gravitational energy determined by the height distance between the water level and the turbine level and the amount of the water.  

Ug  = mgh,

m is the mass of the water, g is the gravitational constant and h is the height.  

Please see:

http://id.mind.net/~zona/mstm/physics/mechanics/energy/gravitationalPotentialEnergy/gravitationalPot
entialEnergy.html

If you'll try to put the water to go a longer distance without more height distance of the water moving in circles doesn't help, the energy available is determined by the gravitational potential only.  

- Hannu