Riogen is A RUN-OF-RIVER Hydroelectric power station.

Wherever rivers flow, there is renewable energy. That’s why Nick Peckham invented and patented RioGen hydroelectric power station, a 21st Century water wheel. Nick designed RioGen to produce run-of-river hydroelectricity as part of the solution to our growing energy challenges.

Run-of-river hydroelectric generation is a low-impact alternative to conventional impoundment facilities because it harnesses the natural flow of a river rather than relying on reservoirs and dams to manage water.

Faster water has exponentially greater hydroelectric potential. RioGen’s wedge shape applies the physics of nozzle theory to maximize hydroelectric generation.

Imagine a garden hose. As water flows from the hose, it travels a short distance at a slow speed. Put a nozzle on the hose, and the water sprays much farther and faster.

Similarly, river water accelerates as it enters the broad opening of RioGen’s pontoons, generating more power as it hits the blades.

This dynamic makes the many existing locks and dams along the world’s great rivers promising locations for RioGen stations. positioning RioGen downstream from a lock and dam structure could dramatically increase the flow of water into the station.

RioGen also makes use of river jump: when the water enters the space between the pontoons, it jumps up, increasing contact with the blades. RioGen’s curved blades then prolong contact with the water to maximize the force extracted from the river.