waterwheel

[pepa]

hi Ungrounded, i know nothing about waterwheels except i like to watch them operate. i also like to learn different things and i would like to know why a wheel that is already turning from being undershot, would not work better by adding a head pipe with a small flow to the top of the wheel? your answer will save me some  time and extra work on a small setup i am thinking about. thanks pepa.

[Nando]

Pepa:

Though directed to underground, I would like to give you a thinking point.

The undershot wheel buckets are designed to receive the water with some pressure at the lower part of the wheel( if the design you have was properly built).

The water head you have if properly directed to the buckets you may obtain the additional power and this direction is to the lower part of the wheel.

If the head can be directed to the top of the wheel then you loose the height difference but if you want to proceed then make sure that the water jet is directed to the base of the buckets to harvest the additional energy available.

If you describe in detail what you have then it may be possible to suggest the proper alternatives to attain the additional power harvesting.

Nando

[pepa]

thanks Nando, i will get some figures together and git back to you, pepa.

[LeissKG]

The internet archive has a old book online that was for a long

time regarded as one of the best on water power. There have

not been many improvements on a basic water wheel after that.

http://www.archive.org/details/principlesofmech02weisiala

Julius Ludwig Weisbach,

Principles of the mechanics of machinery and engineering (1848-49)

Klaus Leiss

[disaray1]

Pepa-

 I, like you, was surprised by ULR's reply to your suggestion. So I thought about the dynamics involved, and I think I have the answer. Lets see if I've got it...

 If one drops that waterwheel into the creek for the undershot, the water speed at its point of contact will determine the wheel speed. If you then add the hipshot to the machine, the wheel wont spin any faster because of the undershot keeping the RPM- the hipshot would be fighting with the undershot. BUT with both, under & hip, the torque goes up, allowing a larger alternator. I think.

 Just thinking sometimes gets me into trouble.

 Keep playing!

 David

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Hi.

I did a ( long B-) ) reply to your question but it got lost somehow.  I'll try to recreate it later when I'm not busied out.