Lord Kelvin continues to astound me even now.
I had not previously met this device which carries his name

A very easily built high voltage generator powered entirely 
by dripping water out of two nozzles or drip heads.

Both pages on same topic by same writer - the second is 
rougher but perhaps more easily followed.

        http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/emotor/kelvin.html

        http://www.newphys.se/fnysik/3_1/kelvin/index.html

A stream or rainwater powered device could be made to eg 
flash a neon lamp. Unlikely to have too many practical 
applications, but fascinating.

______________

    "It is possible to build a very simple high-voltage 
generator which has no moving parts and is powered by the 
energy of falling water. By dribbling water through some old 
soup cans, several thousand volts magically appear. The 
magic lies in the fact that water (as well as everything 
else!) is made of vast quantities of positive and negative 
electric charge in perfect balance. It's not too hard to 
cause an imbalance. Water normally has zero net electrical 
charge because it contains equal and opposite charges. 
"Kelvin's Thunderstorm" is a gravity-powered charge 
un-canceller. "


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