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HighDro Power converts falling wastewater into

electricity Recent popular
By Darren Quick articles in ecoGizmo
21:01 July 22, 2010 2 Pictures

Computer model predicts

the spread of the BP oil
spill after one year

On the road to cleaner air

with air-purifying concrete

Tom Broadbent and his HighDro Power system for harnessing the energy from
SunPower claims new solar
falling wastewater cell efficiency record of
24.2 percent

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Yesterday we looked at technology being developed to generate electricity agriculture system - less
space, less water and no Baby Gizmo
from sewage using bacteria. Today we’re looking at an innovative design
pesticides
that generates electricity from the method used to carry this sewage away. Cameras and Imaging

Invented by Tom Broadbent, an industrial design student at Leicester’s De Childsplay

Montfort University (DMU), the HighDro Power harnesses the energy from ecoGizmo
falling waste in the soil pipes of high-rise buildings and converts it to Electronics
electricity.
Games
Gulf oil spill disaster: a
Broadbent’s inspiration for the device came when he emptied a bath in a closer look at the clean-up Good Thinking
hotel and found that it drained very quickly and with a large amount of options
Health and Wellbeing
force. He realized that it would be possible to harness this energy in some
Holiday Destinations
way to create green electricity.
Home Entertainment
“HighDro Power works by using the water discharged from appliances such as Inventors and Remarkable
showers, toilets and sinks in high-rise apartments. The water goes down the pipe and People
hits four turbine blades that drive one generator,” he said. “The whole thing was French team smashes five Laptops
influenced by traditional waterwheels to ensure that any solids passing through had year efficiency record in
Military
eco-marathon
limited effects on whether they could function.”
Mobile Technology

Motorcycles

1 of 4 30-Jul-10 11:55 PM
HighDro Power converts falling wastewater into electricity http://www.gizmag.com/highdro-power/15805/

Broadbent decided to develop his invention in answer to targets set at the G8 summit
by governments to reduce their countries’ carbon dioxide emissions and dependence
on fossil fuels for energy production by 2050. He says the electricity generated by
the HighDro Power can either be used in the building to save around GBP925-
per-year (approx US$1,410) or sold back to the national grid on a buy-back tariff.

To make a working prototype of the design, Broadbent used rapid prototyping

techniques – laser sintering and CNC milling machinery – as well as vacuum forming.
He sourced bearings, gears and other materials from companies supplying standard
components.

In the future, Broadbent hopes to take his innovation to the next stage by having it
fitted to a building for testing.

Tags
» Electricity » Energy » Prototype » Waste

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User Comments (7)

Excellent.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India

Anumakonda Jagadeesh - July 23, 2010 @ 03:07 am CDT

Why stop with sewer water? What about all of the water that travels through
the rain gutters and AC condensate drains?

Blaine - July 23, 2010 @ 09:07 am CDT

YUCK ! I'ld hate to be the electrician called out to fix this electrical system!

Ed - July 23, 2010 @ 02:07 pm CDT

Saddly not a new invention. I built two such devices in Italy 20 years ago as
there, one inch of rain can fall in one hour. Do the maths and if you have a roof
area of 40 sqms, it can produce a lot of energy in a short time. In any year
Tuscany gets anything from 10 to 20 such days and when you see one of
these rainstorms, any one involved in renewable energy field, thinks free
energy! We have in Scotland, myself and group, talked about making more
drainpipe generators as our climate is ideal, finding the right components to
use in a fit and forget system is time consuming, especialy if you have to pay
bills, mortgage, expenses etc etc. Mt Broadbent has the advantage of clever
market and Pr machine supporting him and a Uni that has lots of resources.
Sorry not an invention and gizmag should not be so enthusiastic as no doubt
many others have built such devices but have had no one to trumpet the idea.

freefuel - July 24, 2010 @ 02:07 am CDT

@freefuel, you are correct. Water wheels have certainly been around since
ancient times, and hydro-electric turbines for a century. The difference here
appears to be a turbine designed not to clog when the fluid includes sticky
solids, as opposed to water. The maintenance and audit inspection aspects
would certainly need careful attention, and I am not volunteering to do it!

francis - July 25, 2010 @ 09:07 pm CDT

Yeah.....nice idea BUT.... the cost of the unit, meansthat it would have to be
installed in an area where there is enough "flow" of grey water and sewerage
etc... to actually make it economically viable.....

It's a sort of "shitty" microturbine, and the full time systems in streams, are
designed to operate quite well on very low heads, I recall of only a meter or
less.

So sticking it all into a hotel of several stories and a 100 guests or many
stories and a 1000 guests....

2 of 4 30-Jul-10 11:55 PM
HighDro Power converts falling wastewater into electricity http://www.gizmag.com/highdro-power/15805/

Actually it's not a bad idea......

Mr Stiffy - July 25, 2010 @ 10:07 pm CDT

A most commendable idea, sadly nothing new...I presented this concept at

Loughborough University 4 years ago. If you run the numbers, given the
average flow rate of such a sewage/drainage system, the generation capability
of the turbines (given the pipe bore and the flow constriction caused by the
upstream turbines/bends/debris etc.) - the payback period is huge and the
energy generated is relatively small (even using the most sophicticated
turbines) and highly periodic making it an unviable solution...potential
enhancements could include a primitive heat exchanger for heated waste
(baths, washing machines, showers etc.), but adds to the cost with little benefit
or rainwater storage for smoothing periods of peak electricity demand...a great
idea never the less!

B_ford999 - July 26, 2010 @ 05:07 am CDT

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