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Wed 1 Nov, 2006 12:51 am
How much energy is generated when 559cubic yards (428 cubic meters) of water falls 170 inches (431cm), and how would I go about calculating how much of that energy could be harnessed if it was in the form of a water wheel?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
1 cubic meter of water = 1000 liters = 1000 kg.
428 cubic meters of water = 428 meters* 1000kg/cubic meter = 428,000 kg
PEgrav = mass * g * height
PEgrav = 428,000 kg * 9.8 m/sec2 * .431 m
PEgrav = 1,807,786.4 joules
You need to know how efficient your waterwheel is to determine how much can be converted.
Should that have been 4.31 meters if it was 431cm, if so would it be
18,077,864 joules. The volume of water is per hour so to get kilowatts per hour do I divide by 3,600,000. Or have I got that wrong?
Thanks for the help.
chriswarren wrote:Should that have been 4.31 meters if it was 431cm, if so would it be 18,077,864 joules.
Only if you like accuracy.
chriswarren wrote:The volume of water is per hour so to get kilowatts per hour do I divide by 3,600,000. Or have I got that wrong?
Thanks for the help.
Looks right to me.
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