Hydropower

What is it?
The capture of energy of

moving water to generate electricity

This energy is captured by waterwheels and hydraulic turbines Hydropower can come from natural sources or from a dam

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Waterwheels
Ancient device that uses

flowing water to create power via a set of paddles mounted around a wheel Falling water moves the paddles; the rotation that results from this is transmitted to machinery by means of the shaft of the wheel
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Types of Waterwheels
Horizontal

Water is directed onto paddles and exits beneath the wheel Overshot vertical Rotated by water striking paddles, blades, or buckets near the top of the wheel Undershot vertical Rotated by water striking blades at the bottom of the wheel Oldest type of waterwheel Least efficient

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Hydropower Plants
Use hydraulic turbines Rotary engine that takes energy from flowing water Flowing water is directed

at the blades of the turbine runner; this force causes the blades to rotate Two types:

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Reaction pressure of liquid changes Impulse pressure of liquid does not change

How Do Hydraulic Turbines Operate?

As the blades turn, so do a

series of magnets inside the generator, producing alternating current (AC) A transformer inside the hydropower plant takes this AC and converts it into a higher-voltage current Power lines coming from the plant distribute the power Used water is carried through pipelines and reenters the river
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Head and Flow

Two factors that determine

how much energy can be generated at a hydropower plant

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Head how far the water drops (distance from highest level of dammed water to the point where it goes through the hydraulic turbine Flow how much water moves through the system (the more water, the more flow)

The higher the head, the

less flow needed

Hydropower Production
Depending on rainfall,

hydropower produces 510% of electricity in the US There is about 78,000 megawatts of hydro generating capacity (98,000 when including pumped storage), which is equivalent to the generating capacity of 80 large nuclear power plants The life expectancy of a dam is 100 years

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Benefits of Hydropower
Clean (no air pollution or

toxic by-products) Renewable Efficient

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Turbines convert over 90% of available energy into electricity, making it more efficient than most forms of generation (the best fossil fuels plants are only 50% efficient)

Domestic and secure

Hydropower and the Environment

Large dams flood large

pieces of land that could have had other uses (towns and agricultural lands) Dams block the migration of some fish (salmon) Water falling over high dams could pick up nitrogen gas, which can kill fish if it gets into their blood Dams trap sediment that would otherwise return to the beaches

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Hydro Dams
Hydropower plants are

http://montanameansenergy.com/Images/dams.jpg

easiest to build where there is a natural waterfall (the first was built at Niagara Falls) Since this is not always possible, dams (artificial waterfalls) are the next best thing Dams are built on lakes where an artificial lake, or reservoir, is produced 80,000 dams in the U.S.

Only 3% (2,400) are used for electric power generation

The Future of Hydropower

Because the most

economical sites for hydropower dams have already been developed, the development of big hydropower plants is not likely However, we can modernize our existing power plants to add to the generating capacity It is estimated that by 2025 there will be an added 60,000 megawatts of generating capacity

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Sources
http://www.tellmewhyfacts.com/2007/09/what-is-

hydropower.html http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/e nergy/hydropower-plant1.htm http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/ SecInfo/HydroS.pdf