Anicet Mbida 06:52, October 18, 2022

Anicet Mbida delivers to us every morning what is best in terms of innovation.

This Tuesday, he is interested in a new source of energy which is totally untapped.

The pipelines could be equipped with dynamos to generate electricity with the water flows circulating there.

The innovation of the day is the discovery of a new source of energy, at a time when we are only talking about reducing consumption.

There would be incredible amounts of untapped electricity in all the pipes.

Wherever there is water flowing: in water inlet or outlet pipes, in distribution circuits, aqueducts, canals.

All these pipelines could be equipped with dynamos to generate electricity with the water flows circulating there.

The potential is enormous: according to a team of researchers from ORNL, in the United States alone, by limiting ourselves to the main pipes, we could generate the equivalent of 1.5 GW of electricity.

Power equivalent to that of the future Flamanville EPR.

So enough to supply millions of homes with electricity.

Of course, these are theoretical figures.

We're not going to use all the pipes together to create a mega-power plant.

But rather generate electricity in a very localized way for consumption where the pipes are installed.

Is it really possible to add dynamos in the pipes?

It's a work of titans!

Not necessarily.

You should know that the water network needs to be regularly maintained.

We often have to check, repair or even change the pipes to avoid leaks.

The idea would therefore be, quite simply, to take advantage of the interventions to add small generators as they go along.

We would kill two birds with one stone, which is less expensive.

The power obtained will, of course, depend on the flow rate of the pipe.

But even with small pipes, enough energy can be generated to power control equipment, sensors or pumps and already save electricity.

Is it a technique already implemented somewhere?

Not yet, since no one had thought of it… But in the same spirit, a French startup is proposing to install mini-turbines inside old mills (there are still more than 30,000 in operation throughout France) .

A municipality in the Vosges will thus be lit thanks to this type of mini power station.

We had almost forgotten the hydro-electric among the renewable energies.

So it's a way to revive it… without having to build huge dams.