Subject In-charge :- Prof. Sata Ankit V.

Lakhani ChiragMakwana HiteshMegal KetanMehta RonakModhvadya SavdasOdedra JayeshParmar ShaileshPurohit Karan

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Hydroelectric Power •Hydro means "water". So, hydropower is "water power" and hydroelectric power is electricity generated using water power. Potential energy (or the "stored" energy in a reservoir) becomes kinetic (or moving energy). This is changed to mechanical energy in a power plant, which is then turned into electrical energy. Hydroelectric power is a renewable resource.

Hydroelectric Power • The damming of streams and rivers has been

an integral part of human civilization from its early history. Controversy paralleled this use because impounding and diverting water for upstream users affects those who live downstream, and also modifies the local habitats of plants and animals. Dams are built to control floods, improve navigation, provide a drinking-water supply, create or enhance recreational opportunities, and provide water for irrigation and other agricultural uses. A small percentage of re used to generate power.

Components Of The Plant And Their Role In Its Working

Functioning of a hydroelectric power plant

Hydroelectricity is produced in a hydroelectric power plant. In this plant, the water is released from a high location. The potential energy present in the water is converted into kinetic energy, which is then used to rotate the blades of a turbine. The turbine is hooked to the generator which produces electricity.

Components Of The Plant And Their Role In Its Working

Here are the basic components of a conventional hydropower plant:

The main components of hydroelectric power plant • a) The reservoir: Water from a natural water

body like a river is stored in the reservoir. This reservoir is built at a level higher than the turbine.

• b) The dam: The flow of water stored in the reservoir is obstructed by huge walls of the dam. This prevents the water from flowing and helps us harness the energy present in it. The dam consists of gates present at its bottom, which can be lifted to allow the flow of water through them.

The main components of hydroelectric power plant

• Most hydropower plants rely on a dam that holds back water, creating a large reservoir.

• c) The penstock: This connects the reservoir with the turbine propeller and runs in a downward inclined manner. When the gates of the dam are lifted, the force of gravity makes the water flow down the penstock and reach the blades of the turbine. As the water flows through the penstock, the potential energy of water stored in the dam is converted into kinetic energy.

• d) The turbine: The kinetic energy of the running water turns the blades of the turbine. The turbine can be either a Pelton Wheel Model or a Centrifugal type. The turbine has a shaft connected to the generator.

The main components of hydroelectric power plant • The most common type of turbine for

hydropower plants is the Francis Turbine, which looks like a big disc with curved blades. A turbine can weigh as much as 172 tons and turn at a rate of 90 revolutions per minute (rpm), according to the Foundation for Water & Energy Education (FWEE).

• e) The generator: A shaft runs from the turbine to the generator. When the blades of the turbine rotate, the shaft turns a motor which produces electric current in the generator.

The main components of hydroelectric power plant

Giant magnets rotate past copper coils, producing alternating current (AC) by moving electrons. (You'll learn more about how the generator works later.)

f) Power lines: The power produced in the generator is sent to various power distribution stations through the power lines.

The main components of hydroelectric power plant The Generator

The heart of the hydroelectric power plant is the generator. Most hydropower plants have several of these generators.

Environmental Impact and Drawbacks

• Large hydroelectric dams have a number of negative impacts on the local environment and human society. Dams disrupt river ecosystems and migrations, killing aquatic life that gets caught in turbine blades. Dams also create artificial reservoirs, which floods farmland and forests, and displaces wildlife and people. Hydroelectric projects are also susceptible to fluctuations in river flows and rainfall. Ghana, which depends on energy from the Volta River Dam, has suffered severe energy shortages in recent years because of lack of rainfall.

Environmental Impact and Drawbacks

Large dams and reservoirs in tropical regions are important sources of greenhouse gases. According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), each year the world's dams give off over 100 million metric tons of methane. INPE scientists are developing ways to produce energy by burning this methane.

Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Production and Usage

1. Hydroelectricity is a renewable energy source.

Hydroelectricity uses the energy of running water, without reducing its quantity, to produce electricity. Therefore, all hydroelectric developments, of small or large size, whether run of the river or of accumulated storage, fit the concept of renewable energy.

Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Production and Usage4. Hydroelectricity contributes to the

storage of drinking water.Hydroelectric power plant reservoirs

collect rainwater, which can then be used for consumption or for irrigation. In storing water, they protect the water tables against depletion and reduce our vulnerability to floods and droughts.

Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Production and Usage

• 9. Hydroelectricity means clean and cheap energy for today and for tomorrow.

With an average lifetime of 50 to 100 years, hydroelectric developments are long-term investments that can benefit various generations. They can be easily upgraded to incorporate more recent technologies and have very low operating and maintenance costs.

Hydropower and the EnvironmentHydropower is nonpolluting, but does have

environmental impactsHydropower does not pollute the water or the

air. However, hydropower facilities can have large environmental impacts by changing the environment and affecting land use, homes, and natural habitats in the dam area.