Water power?

[grizzlyj]

"The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold streams. The gas emerging from the hot end can reach temperatures of 200 °C (392 °F), and the gas emerging from the cold end can reach −50 °C (−58 °F).[1] It has no moving parts."

Vortex tube - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Paul_B]

I know in the UK removal of water from a water source above a certain volume requires a licence and a whole set of criteria to meet. Certainly for water supply to your house. A mate lived in a cottage on the family farm and all of them got their water from up in the moors. They had a nice UV and filtration system to keep it all safe too. Just had to pay a fair amount a year as it was classed as extraction.

I have no idea whether a hydro system n is the same. Iirc that strawbridge ex army TV presenter did a homebuilt system and had to get permission for extraction even though I think it fed back into the stream.

There's a load of small scale rural schemes in rural UK. Knoydart has a big one feeding the village at the end. Kentmere in the lakes had an application in years ago to supply the households at the head of the valley I believe. No idea if it was installed. In these situations I think they're a good idea. A mini, local scheme built to supply several houses.

 

[Broch]

What about things like water pressure, siphons, and ram pumps?

These types of devices work on the principle of converting energy - like a pulley or a lever in mechanical applications. If you have a large volume of water flowing you can pump a smaller volume higher than the water started in the same way as you can lift a heavy weight a small distance using a lever that you have applied a smaller force to but over a longer distance.