Among alternative energy solutions, wind, solar, and hydrogen capture the majority of attention. Yet the combined output from these sources pales in comparison to that of hydroelectric power. Producing more than 4,300 TWh worldwide, hydroelectricity produces enough energy every year to power the entire US – which consumed a record 4,070 TWh in 2022 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
However, for a number of countries, like those in North America and Europe, the energy generated by hydroelectric dams is limited for new locations. Even if there were suitable locations to build new dams, high costs and environmental concerns often become overriding factors limiting their expansion. Yet the advantages of hydroelectric energy have led researchers to pursue practical ways to increase the efficiencies of the existing hydropower infrastructure.
As part of that research, engineers have been working to tap into the power of vortexes. Unlike a typical hydroelectric system where water is fed down through a penstock allowing gravity, force, and pressure to spin a wheel connected to a turbine. In a vortex hydroelectric system, the water is spun as it enters the top of the feedstock creating a very strong whirlpool that harnesses more than just gravitational force to produce abundant energy. In fact, depending on the design, engineers project hydro vortex turbines could be retrofitted onto existing hydroelectric systems, increasing output by at least 10%.
While vortex hydroelectric power is operational on a small scale in several countries, engineers have now unlocked its potential for large-scale hydrogeneration.
“Essentially what we first accomplished in Australia was to spin water in a cylinder as it came down river, similar to the water going down a drain, to create energy,” explains David Sattler, a vortex engineering expert who helped design and build the first small scale vortex hydropower systems. “However, what we are able to do now could be more aptly compared to harnessing the power of a tornado.”
The science
“Interestingly enough, engineers have worked really hard to eliminate vortexes within the hydroelectric power systems,” adds Sattler. “That’s what we were taught in engineering school, but having now figured out the math and physics, we are seeing a tremendous amount of available energy in utilizing the vortex.”
Sattler’s team at Marstecs – a company looking to help solve the energy challenges on Earth and beyond – has been able to boost the mass flow rate through the penstock by as much as 10%, increasing the amount of electricity the turbine can capture at the bottom of the system. At the same time, additional energy can also be captured at the top of the penstock, further amplifying the overall electrical output.
“We’ve found that beyond the mechanic energy driving a turbine, there is an enormous amount of power that we can tap into as the water is running down the penstock,” adds Sattler. “This comes from pulling the electrostatic power out of the air, or the atmosphere, like a controlled black hole on Earth.”
Hydro vortex turbines can be added to new hydroelectric stations as well as retrofitted onto existing units. New construction would allow for greater efficiencies, which Sattler believes could double or even triple the power output of a traditional hydroelectric power station.
Challenges to vortex engineering
There are challenges when trying to harness the power of large-scale vortexes. For example, in 1980 in Louisiana, a massive whirlpool was created on Lake Peigneur when a Texaco Oil miscalculation while drilling pierced a salt mine beneath the lake. The vortex was powerful enough to suck in 3.5 billion gallons of water along with 11 barges and one $5 million drilling platform. While nine of the barges later resurfaced like an “iron cork” the others have never been found.
“The power you can draw in from a vortex is potentially endless, but you need to be able to manage it. You need to be able to turn it on, turn it off, slow it down, or speed it up, and that’s all been figured out. So, it is safe as any other form of power generation,” concludes Sattler.
Improving the efficiency of hydropower systems is essential to sustainably reducing greenhouse gases, and meeting the reliable, clean energy demands of the future. Vortex engineering is an innovative solution that could pave the way for more efficient hydropower, leveraging natural forces to enhance energy output and contribute to a more sustainable power grid.
