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From: jans@stalker.gwd.tek.com (Jan Steinman)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Domestic KiloWatt Hour Meters (really motors, generators)
Message-ID: <8476@tekecs.TEK.COM>
Date: Mon, 4-May-87 14:57:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.8476
Posted: Mon May  4 14:57:06 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 5-May-87 06:15:27 EDT
References: <923@mhuxh.UUCP> <1715@kitty.UUCP> <243@omssw1.UUCP> <2642@phri.UUCP> <561@neoucom.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@tekecs.TEK.COM
Reply-To: jans@stalker.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Wilsonville, OR
Lines: 20

In article <561@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes:
>I suppose that in a hydroelectric plant, you could start out by
>motoring the alternator and then letting the water add useful power
>when the machine was up to speed.

This is exactly how you start a hydro micropower (under 50kW) plant.

Related issue: does anyone know why a generator costs 50% - 100% more than a
comparable motor?  Or why a turbine costs so much more than a pump?  All the
microhydro books I've read recommend using centrifugal pumps and  synchronous
motors to save money, but were short on what one loses in the process.  Is is
simply supply and demand?  The efficiency differences appear to be minimal: 5%
- 10%.

:::::: Software  Productivity  Technologies   ---   Smalltalk   Project ::::::
:::::: Jan Steinman N7JDB	Box 1000, MS 60-405	(w)503/685-2956 ::::::
:::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans	Wilsonville, OR 97070	(h)503/657-7703 ::::::
:::::: Software  Productivity  Technologies   ---   Smalltalk   Project ::::::
:::::: Jan Steinman N7JDB	Box 1000, MS 60-405	(w)503/685-2956 ::::::
:::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans	Wilsonville, OR 97070	(h)503/657-7703 ::::::