Hydropower plants catch the vitality of falling water to create power. A turbine changes over the motor vitality of falling water into mechanical vitality. At that point a generator changes over the mechanical vitality from the turbine into electrical vitality.
Hydroplants range in size from “miniaturized scale hydros” that power just a couple homes to goliath dams like Hoover Dam that give power to a large number of individuals.
The photograph on the right demonstrates the Alexander Hydroelectric Plant on the Wisconsin River, a medium-sized plant that delivers enough power to serve around 8,000 individuals.
Parts of a Hydroelectric Plant:
Most customary hydroelectric plants incorporate four noteworthy parts (see realistic beneath):
Dam. Raises the water level of the waterway to make falling water. Additionally controls the stream of water. The repository that is framed is, in actuality, put away vitality.
Turbine. The power of falling water pushing against the turbine’s cutting edges causes the turbine to turn. A water turbine is much like a windmill, with the exception of the vitality is given by falling water rather than wind. The turbine changes over the dynamic vitality of falling water into mechanical vitality.
Generator. Joined with the turbine by shafts and perhaps outfits so when the turbine turns it causes the generator to turn too. Changes over the mechanical vitality from the turbine into electric vitality. Generators in hydropower plants work simply like the generators in different sorts of force plants.
Transmission lines. Conduct power from the hydropower plant to homes and business.
How Much Electricity Can a Hydroelectric Plant Make?
The measure of power a hydropower plant produces relies on upon two variables:
- How Far the Water Falls. The more remote the water falls, the more power it has. By and large, the separation that the water falls relies on upon the extent of the dam. The higher the dam, the more remote the water falls and the more power it has. Researchers would say that the force of falling water is “straightforwardly corresponding” to the separation it falls. At the end of the day, water falling twice as far has twice as much vitality.
- Measure of Water Falling. More water falling through the turbine will deliver more power. The measure of water accessible relies on upon the measure of water streaming down the waterway. Greater streams have all the more streaming water and can deliver more vitality. Force is likewise “straightforwardly corresponding” to waterway stream. A stream with double the measure of streaming water as another waterway can deliver twice as much vitality.
Can I Figure Out How Much Energy a Dam in My Area Can Make?
Sure. It’s not that hard.
- Suppose that there is a little dam in your general vicinity that is not used to deliver power. Possibly the dam is utilized to give water to flood farmlands or perhaps it was assembled to make a lake for diversion. As we clarified above, you have to know two things:
- How far the water falls. From conversing with the individual who works the dam, we discover that the dam is 10 feet high, so the water falls 10 feet.
Measure of water streaming in the waterway. We contact the United States Geological Survey, the organization in the U.S. that measures stream, and discover that the normal measure of water streaming in our waterway is 500 cubic feet for every second.
Now all we need to do is a little mathematics. Engineers have found that we can calculate the power of a dam using the following formula:
Power = (Height of Dam) x (River Flow) x (Efficiency) / 11.8
Power The electric power in kilowatts (one kilowatt equals 1,000 watts).
Height of Dam The distance the water falls measured in feet.
River Flow The amount of water flowing in the river measured in cubic feet per second.
Efficiency How well the turbine and generator convert the power of falling water into electric power. For older, poorly maintained hydroplants this might be 60% (0.60) while for newer, well operated plants this might be as high as 90% (0.90).
11.8 Converts units of feet and seconds into kilowatts.
Then the power for our dam will be:For the dam in our area, lets say we buy a turbine and generator with an efficiency of 80%.
Height of Dam The distance the water falls measured in feet.
River Flow The amount of water flowing in the river measured in cubic feet per second.
Efficiency How well the turbine and generator convert the power of falling water into electric power. For older, poorly maintained hydroplants this might be 60% (0.60) while for newer, well operated plants this might be as high as 90% (0.90).
11.8 Converts units of feet and seconds into kilowatts.
Then the power for our dam will be:For the dam in our area, lets say we buy a turbine and generator with an efficiency of 80%.
Power = (10 feet) x (500 cubic feet per second) x (0.80) / 11.8 = 339 kilowatts
To get an idea what 339 kilowatts means, let’s see how much electric energy we can make in a year.
Since electric energy is normally measured in kilowatt-hours, we multiply the power from our dam by the number of hours in a year.
Electric Energy = (339 kilowatts) x (24 hours per day) x (365 days per year) = 2,969,000 kilowatt hours.
The average annual residential energy use in the U.S. is about 3,000 kilowatt-hours for each person. So we can figure out how many people our dam could serve by dividing the annual energy production by 3,000.
People Served = 2,969,000 kilowatts-hours / 3,000 kilowatt-hours per person) = 990 people.
So our local irrigation or recreation dam could provide enough renewable energy to meet the residential needs of 990 people if we added a turbine and generator.
Note: Before you choose to add hydropower to a dam, have a hydropower designer survey your figurings and counsel with the nearby asset offices to make certain you can acquire any licenses that are required.