Geography
Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric power is a form of renewable energy generated by harnessing the gravitational force of flowing or falling water. It involves the conversion of kinetic energy from water into electricity through turbines and generators. This method of power generation is considered environmentally friendly and sustainable, as it produces minimal greenhouse gas emissions and relies on the natural water cycle.
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11 Key excerpts on "Hydroelectric Power"
eBook - PDFClimate, Energy and Water
Managing Trade-offs, Seizing Opportunities
- Jamie Pittock, Karen Hussey, Stephen Dovers(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
Hydropower and its role in global energy Hydropower is power extracted from falling or moving water. In this chapter, we use hydropower synonymously with Hydroelectric Power, which is electricity generated by the gravitational force of water moving through turbines. The most common forms of hydro- power require constructing a dam across a river. The dam maintains water at a certain elevation (the head), from which water is directed through pipes or channels to turbines that generate electricity. A dam allows water to be stored over time periods ranging from hours to years, reducing the variability of flows that otherwise can vary dramatically within a year, such as between a wet season and a dry season, and allowing a more consistent flow of water through the turbines (Figure 6.1). Large reservoirs are capable of storing water across years and can thus reduce variability between wet years and dry years. Storage reservoirs give hydropower managers the ability to release water into the turbines when energy is most needed or valuable, such as summer when the demand for energy is greater. Within a day, hydropower managers can release water into turbines to respond to rising demand, a mode of operation known as ‘load following’ or ‘peaking’ (Kumar 2011). Hydropower dams can generally be classified into either ‘storage’ dams – those that impound water for use during other times of the year – and ‘run-of-river’ dams, in which 80 Hydropower within the climate, energy and water nexus reservoir storage is held constant and outflow equals inflow (Kumar 2011). Run-of-river dams are generally considered to have a lower impact on rivers systems because they don’t alter the overall flow pattern, but the actual operation associated with the term ‘run-of- river’ can differ by region, resulting in very different impacts. In some regions, run-of-river balances instantaneous outflow and inflows from dams.
eBook - PDF- John R Fanchi(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- World Scientific(Publisher)
The hydro-sphere includes groundwater and water found in oceans, glaciers, surface waters such as rivers and lakes, and atmospheric moisture. Figure 8-1. The Water Cycle The water cycle is considered renewable since the water cycle is driv-en by energy from the sun in a seemingly endless series of cycles. Water in a variety of systems can be used to generate power. For example, hy-dropower is usually obtained by damming streams and rivers. Energy can be harvested from waves and tides, and from temperature differences in columns of water. We consider power production using energy from water in this chapter. Energy in the 21 st Century 184 8.1 H YDROELECTRIC P OWER People have known for some time that falling water could be used to generate electric power. We summarize the history of Hydroelectric Power and describe the generation of Hydroelectric Power below. 8.1.1 History of Hydroelectric Power in the United States The Greeks were among the first to use hydropower. They ground wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago by turning water wheels with flowing water. French hydraulic and military engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor presented hydraulic principles in Architecture Hydraulique , his four-volume work published between 1730 and 1770. Bélidor described verti-cal- and horizontal-axis machines that could be rotated by flowing water. By 1940, Hydroelectric Power provided approximately 40% of the electrici-ty generated in the United States. Today Hydroelectric Power provides less than 10% of the electricity generated in the United States. Table 8-1 highlights key events in the history of Hydroelectric Power in the United States. Table 8 -1 History of Hydroelectric Power in the United States [Source: DoE Hydropower History, 2009] Year Comment 1775 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers founded. 1880 Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company in Michigan provided electricity from a dynamo belted to a water turbine to power lamps for theatre and storefront lighting.
eBook - PDFMechanical Energy Conversion
Exercises for Scaling Renewable Energy Systems
- Mathieu Mory(Author)
- 2024(Publication Date)
- Wiley-ISTE(Publisher)
5 Hydroelectric Power 5.1. Hydroelectric Power history and data A hydroelectric plant is a facility that produces electricity using turbines that convert the potential energy of water contained in a basin at an altitude higher than the turbines. Hydroelectricity is a renewable energy production sector since basins, lakes and rivers are continuously and naturally supplied by the water cycle (evaporation and recovery in rainwater reservoirs in the watersheds). Water mills used to grind grain are the ancestors of hydroelectricity. It has been known and used for over 2,000 years. Since the middle of the 19th century, with the start of industrial development, hydroelectricity developed into an industrial sector. In 1878, the term “white coal” was introduced in France to designate this energy resource. France played its part, notably by contributing to the design of high-efficiency turbines. The railway companies, which had significant energy needs, became directly involved in the construction of Hydroelectric Power stations, as evidenced today by some factory pediments. There are two types of Hydroelectric Power plants: gravity power plants and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) plants. The function of gravity plants is to recover using turbines the potential energy of water collected at altitude. They are classified into three categories: high head plants (more than 200 m), medium head plants (between 50 and 200 m) and low head plants (less than 50 m). This classification is schematically superimposed on the classification of turbines: Pelton turbines for high heads, Francis turbines for medium heads and Kaplan turbines for low heads (see section 2.3.1). High and medium head gravity plants are always supplied by penstocks. Penstocks participate in energy conversion processes: they convert the potential 152 Mechanical Energy Conversion energy of the fluid particles extracted from the upstream reservoirs into pressure energy at the inlet of the turbine (Figure 2.11).
eBook - PDF- Saket Kushwaha(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Arcler Press(Publisher)
Hydroelectric Power CHAPTER 4 CONTENTS 4.1. Introduction ...................................................................................... 98 4.2. Operating Principle of Hydropower .................................................. 99 4.3. Generating Power ........................................................................... 100 4.4. Transmitting Power .......................................................................... 101 4.5. Power Computing ........................................................................... 103 4.6. Turbines .......................................................................................... 103 4.7. Modern Trends In Generation of Hydroelectric Power ..................... 105 4.8. Future Potential ............................................................................... 110 4.9. Hydropower, The Society, and Environment .................................... 110 4.10. Development of Hydroelectric Power ........................................... 112 References ............................................................................................. 116 Green Energy and Its Impacts 98 4.1. INTRODUCTION Hydroelectric Power is one form of energy: a sustainable resource. Hydropower delivers about 96% of sustainable energy in the US. Other renewable resources comprise geothermal, tidal power, wave power, solar power, and wind power. Hydroelectric Power plants don’t utilize resources in order to generate electricity nor do these plants pollute the air, water, or land as other the power plants might. Hydroelectric Power has also played a vital role in the expansion of the electric power industry. Both large and small Hydroelectric Power advancements were contributory to the early development of the electric power industry (Paish, 2002; Zarfl et al., 2015). Hydroelectric Power usually comes from the flowing water which overflows from clear lakes and mountain streams.
eBook - PDF- Yatish T. Shah(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
13.2 Hydroelectric Power BY WATER DAMS Water has been used for a long time to directly generate energy and power through hydroelectricity [1–32] (Zainuddin et al., 2012, pers. comm.). In this process, electricity is generated by hydropower, the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy for power generation and accounts for 16 % of global electricity consumption. This method has generated about 3427 TWh of electricity in 2010 [1]. Hydropower is produced in 150 differ-ent countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 32 % of global hydropower in 2010 [1]. The top 10 countries for hydroelectricity generation in 2009 are listed in Table 13.1 [1]. As summarized in Table 13.1, China is the largest producer of hydroelectricity. Major new projects that are under construction worldwide are listed in Table 13.2 [1]. 362 Water for Energy and Fuel Production The cost of producing hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it competitive with other renewable sources of energy. The average cost of electricity from a hydro-plant larger than 10 MW is about 3–5 cents per kWh [1]. Hydroelectricity is also a very flexible source because plants can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt the changing energy demands. While hydroelectricity creates very little waste and TABLE 13.1 Ten Largest Hydroelectricity Producers as of 2009 Country Annual Hydroelectricity Production (TWh) Installed Capacity (GW) China 652.05 196.79 Canada 369.5 88.974 Brazil 363.8 69.080 United States 250.6 79.511 Russia 167.0 45.000 Norway 140.5 27.528 India 115.6 33.600 Venezuela 85.96 14.622 Japan 69.2 27.229 Sweden 65.5 16.209 Source: “Hydroelectricity,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 1–7, 2012.
eBook - PDF- John R Fanchi(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- World Scientific(Publisher)
We consider power production using energy from water in this chapter. 8.1 H YDROELECTRIC P OWER People have known for some time that falling water could be used to generate electric power. We summarize the history of Hydroelectric Power and describe the generation of Hydroelectric Power here. 8.1.1 History of Hydroelectric Power in the United States Hydropower was used by the Greeks to turn water wheels for grinding wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. French hydraulic and military engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique , a four-volume work published between 1730 and 1770. Bélidor presented hydraulic principles and described vertical- and horizontal-axis machines. Hydroelectric Power provided approximately 40% of the electricity gener-ated in the United States in 1940. Today Hydroelectric Power provides approximately 7% of the electricity generated in the United States. Table 8-1 highlights key events in the history of Hydroelectric Power in the United States. Energy in the 21 st Century 174 Table 8-1 History of Hydroelectric Power in the United States [Source: DOE Hydropower History, 2009] Year Comment 1775 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers founded. 1880 Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company in Michigan provided electricity from a dynamo belted to a water turbine to power lamps for theatre and storefront lighting. 1881 Niagara Falls city street lamps powered by hydropower. 1882 World's first Hydroelectric Power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. 1886 About 45 water-powered electric plants in U.S. and Can-ada. 1887 San Bernardino, California opens first hydroelectric plant in the west. 1889 Two hundred electric plants in the U.S. use waterpower for some or all electricity generation. 1901 Federal Water Power Act enacted. 1902 Bureau of Reclamation established. 1920 Federal Power Commission established. 1933 Tennessee Valley Authority established.
eBook - PDF- Frank R. Spellman(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
However, if we focus on the dam only and its implications, not only for the human inhabitants but also for the natural resources involved, environmental scientists would study the construction of such a human-made structure based on facts, science, and the pros and cons. For example, let’s consider the pros and cons (USGS, 2014a). Pros to Hydroelectric Power (as compared to other power-producing methods) include the following: • Fuel is not burned, so there is minimal pollution. • Water to run the power plant is provided free by nature. • Hydropower plays a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. • Operations and ma intenance costs are relatively low. • The technology is reliable and has been proven over time. • It is renewable, because rainfall renews the water in the reservoir, so the fuel is almost always there. Cons to Hydroelectric Power (as compared to other power-producing methods) include the following: • Investment costs are high. • Hydropower is dependent on precipitation. • In some cases, there is an inundation of a wildlife habitat. • In some cases, there is a loss or modification of fish habitat. • Dams can cause fish entrainment or passage restriction (stranding). • In some cases, there can be changes in reservoir and stream water quality. • In some cases, local populations can be displaced. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE When we look at rushing waterfalls and rivers, we may not immediately think of electricity, but water-powered (hydroelectric) power plants are responsible for light-ing many of our homes and neighborhoods. Hydropower is the harnessing of water DID YOU KNOW? During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama touted the prospect that investing in clean energy could produce 5 million jobs. The idea of creat-ing jobs helped underpin the $90 billion clean-energy stimulus in 2009 and later efforts and remains a staple of administration rhetoric. The fact is that renewable energy has not been the job creator that its boosters envisioned.
eBook - ePub- Paul Breeze(Author)
- 2005(Publication Date)
- Newnes(Publisher)
8Hydropower
Publisher Summary
This chapter discusses hydropower, the hydropower resource, generators, dams, turbines, and the various related environmental issues. Hydropower is the oldest and probably the most underrated renewable energy resource in the world. Once a site for a hydropower scheme has been identified, there are normally two ways of exploiting it. The first way is to build a dam and create a reservoir behind it from which water is taken to drive hydraulic turbines in the project’s powerhouse. The second way, called a run-of-river scheme, works without a reservoir, though it will usually involve some sort of barrage. A run-of-river scheme takes water directly from the river to the powerhouse where the turbines are installed. The chapter explains three principle types of dam used for hydropower projects: concrete dams, arch dams, and embankment dams. A concrete dam is basically a massive concrete structure which, as a result of its weight, resists the pressure of water behind it. Care must be taken, however, to prevent water flowing around or beneath the dam. Concrete construction is normally employed where a high dam can be built across a narrow ravine. Most hydropower plants employ conventional generators with one generator for each turbine.Hydropower is the oldest and probably the most underrated renewable energy resource in the world. The earliest known reference is found in a Greek poem of 85 BC. At the end of 1999 hydropower provided 2650 TWh of electricity, 19% of total global output.1 Yet when renewable energy is discussed, hydropower barely earns a mention.Part of the reason for this lies in the disapprobation that large hydropower has attracted over the past 10–15 years. Concern for the environmental effects of large projects which destroy wildlife habitats, displace indigenous peoples and upset sensitive downstream ecologies coupled with often heavy handed and insensitive planning and approval procedures have resulted in the image of hydropower becoming extremely tarnished.
eBook - PDFThinking Like a River
An Anthropology of Water and Its Uses Along the Kemi River, Northern Finland
- Franz Krause(Author)
- 2023(Publication Date)
- transcript Verlag(Publisher)
9. The power of water: Hydroelectricity, river management and displacement Introduction As many former river activities have shifted to the road network, the river has been turned increasingly into a specialised electricity-producing stream. This chapter anal- yses the practicalities and politics of transforming and using the river as a hydropower source. How is hydroelectricity generated on the Kemi River? What does this hegemonic rival imply for other river uses? How has it transformed the river and the river dwellers? And what relations does hydropower management foster between the engineers and the flow of the river? In analysing the work of engineers, Suchman (2001) adopts the concept of “heterogeneous engineering” to account for the various social, economic, political and embodied aspects of technology production and use. She argues that the bridge- construction project she investigates is “as much a form of persuasive storytelling as of analysis, calculation, inscription, and work with concrete and steel” (ibid.: 168), and adds that “the most modern projects [...] can happen only through the presence of skilled, embodied practice” (ibid.: 174). 1 Woven in with the omnipresent computers, large machinery, and abstract representations are thus complex sociocultural negoti- ations facilitating and emerging from the project, as well as the continuous embodied engagement with screens, paper, colleagues and building materials. Technology does not exist outside human engagement and skills, but is part and parcel of our relations with one another and our non-human environment (Ingold 2000). Hydropower infrastructure, probably the most sophisticated technology on the Kemi River today, bears witness to this.
eBook - PDFElectricity Power Generation
The Changing Dimensions
- Digambar M. Tagare(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Wiley-IEEE Press(Publisher)
Hydro potential to the extent of about 20% of this requirement also exists. The rewards are low cost of production and envi- ronmental acceptability. There are inherent risks, generally associated with dam con- struction. The challenge lies in selecting an appropriate type, estimating and meeting the risks involved, and arranging the resources necessary for implementation. Hydropower has its own prominent place in the energy suppliers’ constellation. 2.9 OPERATION OF A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT 2.9.1 Typical Layout Figure 2-3 below gives a general idea of a Hydroelectric Power house. For more infor- mation, please refer to Chapter 3, Appendix 3-1—Itaipu. Some points to note— Penstock pipes bring in water from the reservoir to the turbine through a control valve. The pipe thickness is designed to withstand the static head of water plus likely water hammer pressure, which occurs when the turbine is suddenly switched off. Tailrace. The rated flow of water should not cause a back pressure. The tailrace should have the same slope as that of the outfall channel. 2.9 OPERATION OF A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT 25 ANCHOR BLOCK xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx Figure 2-3. A typical layout of a hydroelectric plant. (From [3], © 1982 IEEE.) 2.9.2 Capability Curve for a Hydrogenerator This curve is an essential tool with which the plant operator keeps watch on the stable operation of a generator. The load dispatcher might ask for any combination of reac- tive power and active power. These combinations might vary unpredictably. It is for the plant operator to hold them within the scope of capacity curves. Figure 2-4 below shows a typical capability curve for a 25 MVA hydrogenerator. 2.9.3 Efficiency of a Hydro Unit For a given water flow, we must produce maximum possible power by efficiently us- ing the natural resource.
eBook - PDF- Suman Dutta, Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
The power generated by this framework is utilized to provide energy support for domestic consumers and the rural standalone system. 105 Hydropower technology Spilling over into the national lattice when power creation is in surplus is addition-ally apparent at times. The small-scale hydropower system can be developed near to the consumers of the remote hilly stations with frequently available materials [15] . In 1995, the small-scale hydro limit on the planet was evaluated as 28 GW, providing around 115 TWh of power. Around 60% of this limit was in the developed nations, and the remaining 40% was in developing territories. Small-scale hydro plants are found in most of the hilly locales, comprising both electrical and mechanical power production. In the case of South America, various small-scale hydro schemes are exe-cuted across the continent along the Andes hills, for example, in Bolivia and Peru [16] . 4.6 Construction-based development details The development subtleties of micro-hydropower plants are location dependent. There should be the presence of lagoon or other artificial sources that is accessible for power creation. All micro-hydropower frameworks are built by numerous segments. In the case of more consumption, Most of the hydropower significantly integrates more water either by redirected canal or by the river. An ingestion arrangement, for exam-ple, a catch box, is essential to screen out skimming fish and trash, utilizing a screen or bar-cluster to move out huge items. In mild atmospheres, this arrangement should oppose ice too. The intake may have a door to permit the examination and upkeep of the framework. The water intake is transported by a channel and forebay. This forebay is utilized for silt holding. At the framework base, water is passed by a conduit (pen-stock) toward the powerhouse and turbine. This penstock develops the pressure from the water in downward direction. In uneven zones, access to the penstock can give impressive difficulties.
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