Solve the worlds problems- energy storage

When I was about 7, I toured a geothermal power plant in New Zealand. I don't remember technical details but they had boiling mud. At 7, boiling mud was pertinent to my interests.

That is all.

In reply to SVreX:

Partially serious/partially fantasy answer: Multiply the head/drop. Use the current flow to push slightly less water to a higher location that does provide enough head to use constantly while you are there. A DC swimming pool pump being pushed backwards might be usable as a generator. Use that to charge the battery pack on your PHEV converted hybrid which you use to power your place.

In reply to Keith:

And that's changed now???

Well, now I might pay a bit more attention to the power plant as well

DILYSI Dave wrote:

SVreX wrote: I have a remote cabin with a pond and a stream. The pond is spring fed and dammed, and the water flow runs completely through an 8" pipe. About 18' of head. I'd like to do a couple of things. First off, I'm planning on doing geothermal with the pond as a storage mass. Later. I'd also like to capture the flow for point of use power generation. The flow/ head is not enough to power things directly, but I think I can generate DC power from a turbine put in-line in the pipe, and store it in batteries. I could then run DC lighting or appliances. I use the property only a couple of days per month, so it could store energy for 27 days, then I could use it for 3. Anyone have some low budget approaches to this one?

I'd be real tempted to use an automotive alternator / generator, hooked to some sort of turbine. Turbo maybe?

I like the alternator idea. Get an old diesel turbo, remove the turbine side housing and blade, install an adaptor to directly bolt an alternator to it, or you could put a pulley on it and belt/chain drive an alternator or 2 or 4 depending on the force generated by the water. I also like the idea of necking down the pipe and generating more force/pressure onto a turbine.

for low flow/ head conditions how 'bout a hydraulic ram (Atlas) or solar water pump to pump water to a elevated water tower to increase head pressure then released to turbine wheel and alternator/ generator

just my .02