Navy Seeks Backpack-Size Hydroelectric Dam
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CREDIT: Kevin Jones via Flickr |
A hydroelectric dam the size of a backpack may seem counterintuitive, but in effect that is what the U.S. Navy is looking for. It hopes for a micro-hydropower system that can use running water to provide electricity in remote communities, battlefields and disaster areas where electric power is not available.
The technology to provide small, hydropower systems has been around for a while, but they have not been designed for easy transport, setup, and use in remote locations
The prospective device would weigh less than 80 pounds, including all electrical and water handling components, and be simple enough for a user to assemble in a single day.
According to the Navy's request to small businesses, the system should be ?capable of providing a minimum of 500 watts of continuous electric power for up to two hours. Power output could be conditioned to power off-grid equipment, or to be connected into a micro-grid.?
The best part of this system is that it would work regardless of the amount of available water, so users wouldn't need to try to harness the force of a raging river.
