Creating a Smart Water Grid : Rentricity

Rentricity focuses on an innovative application of in-pipe hydrokinetic power generation. Water continuously flows through pipelines and offers the capability to generate electricity year-round, 24 hours per day.

 Over-pressurization occurs where water is stored at significantly higher elevation than the customers it serves, and must therefore flow downhill to reach them. Drinking water processors and industrial manufacturers typically install pressure reduction valves (“PRVs”) – hydraulic devices that maintain pre-set pressure ranges – to relieve the excess pressure. PRVs generally do not perform useful work with the dissipated pressure, and simply release it as waste heat. Rentricity’s innovative energy recovery systems convert this excess pressure into clean electricity.

Rentricity currently deploys two in-pipe hydro energy recovery systems, Flow-to-Wire™, for 30kW to 350kW or greater applications, and the recently launched plug-and-play Sustainable Energy and Monitoring Systems (SEMS™), for applications in the 5kW to 30kW range.  These systems generally include a micro-turbine, generator, sensors, processors, electronic controls, and communications equipment that operate seamlessly and autonomously within the water utility infrastructure.  The electricity produced can either be sold to the electric grid or used behind the meter. In addition, the systems can be easily integrated with existing SCADA systems to provide transparent system controls and real time power, flow, and pressure information to operations personnel.

Flow-to-Wire Systems™

• Applications for the 30 kW to 350 kW range
• Customized, made to order systems
• Up to 85% capacity factor
• SCADA integration
• Transparent, parallel activity to ‘normal’ plant operations
• System components: micro-turbine, generator, sensors, processors, electric controls, communications equipment

Sustainable Energy and Monitoring Systems (SEMS™)

• Applications for the 5 kW to 30 kW range
• Plug-and-play systems
• Up to 85% capacity factor
• SCADA integration
• Transparent, parallel activity to ‘normal’ plant operations

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Media

Taxonomy

• Water-Energy Nexus
• Infrastructure

1 Comment

1. Thanks for the information on the system. I heard about this application before but had not seen the details. I heard some Scandinavian water systems are using processes like these to use the water as a battery for excess power. Excess power is used to elevate the water until the power is needed. Then the water is allowed to drop through power generation to provide power when it would be useful. Thanks for sharing.