Hydropower

intro
• Hydroelectric power (often called hydropower) is considered
a renewable energy source.
• Through hydropower, the energy in moving water is
converted into electricity without “using up” the water.
• Hydroelectric power (hydropower) systems convert the
kinetic energy in flowing water into electric energy
• Understanding the water cycle is important in order to
understand hydropower.
• Water on top of a hill contains potential energy because of
its position
• Potential sources of moving water, e.g:
- stream/river
- tides/waves
- water fall
 Water cycle
• Energy from the sun
evaporates water in the
earth’s oceans and
rivers and draws it
upward as water vapor.
• When the water vapor
reaches the cooler air in
the atmosphere, it
condenses and forms
clouds.
• The moisture eventually
falls to the earth as rain
or snow, replenishing
the water in the oceans
and rivers.
 Gravitational Energy
• In addition to the water cycle, hydropower is dependent
upon stored gravitational energy
• If the water force to pass the hill  it falls down the hill
because of the force of gravity.
• Potential energy is then converted to kinetic energy until it
reaches the bottom of the hill and stops.
• Because of the force of gravity, water flows from high
points to low points.
• There is kinetic energy embodied in the flow of water
Early use the power of moving water

• Humans first learned to use

the kinetic energy in water by
using waterwheels 
convert the kinetic energy of
flowing water to mechanical
energy
• Mechanical energy is a form
of kinetic energy, such as in a
machine
• Early waterwheels used
mechanical energy to grind
grains and to drive machinery
such as sawmills
 Components of Hydropower
• Dam: controls the flow of water and creates a
reservoir of water above for energy use when
needed
• Penstock: pipe channeling water from the dam
to the turbines
• Turbines: large blades attached to a cylinder
that move when the water pushes against it
• Generator: parts connected to the turbines that
create the electricity by moving large magnets
• Inductor: changes the form of electricity to one
that can be used
• Transmission Lines: transport energy to places
that need it
 Hydropower to Electric Power

Electrical
Potential Energy
Energy
Electricity

Kinetic
Energy

Mechanical
Energy
How HP works
• Dam elevatede the water -->
created a drop
• Flowing water is directed to flow
due to gravity through the penstock
to drive the turbine.
• The flowing water causes the
turbine to rotate, converting the
water’s kinetic energy into
mechanical energy
• Turbine is connected to a generator.
• The mechanical energy produced by
the turbine is converted into
electric energy using a turbine
generator
• Power generated is transmitted
over power lines.
 Generator works using electro magnetic induction
Inside the generator, the shaft of the turbine spins a magnet
inside coils of copper wire --> produces electricity.
moving a magnet near a conductor causes an electric current.
 How much electricity
can be generated by HP?

• The amount of electricity that can be generated by

a hydropower plant depends on two factors:
• flow rate - the quantity of water flowing in a
given time; and
• head - the height from which the water falls.
• The greater the flow and head, the more
electricity produced.
 Flow Rate = the quantity of water flowing
• When more water flows through a turbine, more
electricity can be produced.
• The flow rate depends on the size of the river and
the amount of water flowing in it.
• Power production is considered to be directly
proportional to river flow.
• That is, twice as much water flowing will produce
twice as much electricity.
Head = the height from which water falls

• The higher the dam, the

farther the water falls -->
the more hydroelectric
power produced
• Power production is also
directly proportional
to head.
• Water behind the dam
puts pressure on the
falling water.
 A standard equation for calculating energy production:

Power = (Head) x (Flow) x (Efficiency)

11.8

Power = the electric power in kilowatts or kW

Head = the distance the water falls (measured in feet)
Flow = the amount of water flowing (measured in cubic feet per
second or cfs)
Efficiency = How well the turbine and generator convert the
power of falling water into electric power.
This can range from60% (0.60) for older, poorly maintained
hydroplants to 90% (0.90) for newer, well maintained plants.
11.8 = Index that converts units of feet and seconds into
kilowatts
 Storage & efficiency of HP
• One of the biggest advantages of a hydropower plant is its
ability to store energy. The water reservoir is after all stored
energy. Water can be stored in a reservoir and released
when needed for electricity production.
• During the night when people use more electricity water can
flow through a plant to generate electricity. Then during the
day time when people use less electricity, water can be held
back in the reservoir.
• Storage also makes it possible to save water from winter
rains for summer generating power, or to save water from
wet years for generating electricity during dry years
• Hydropower is very efficient
– Efficiency = (electrical power to be delivered) ÷
(potential energy of head water)
• Typical losses are due to
– Frictional drag and turbulence of flow
– Friction and magnetic losses in turbine & generator
• Overall efficiency ranges from 60-95%

Boyle, Renewable Energy, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 2003

 Type of HP
Groups base on:
•Height-head  high-head & low-head
•Reservoir  dam, run-of-the-river-
system/diversion
•Power size  large, medium, mini, small,
micro,pico HP
 Height-head
2) Low-head HP
1) High-head HP Many smaller hydropower
Tall dams are sometimes systems are considered “low-
referred to as “high- head” because the height
head” HP, from which from which the water falls is
water falls is relatively fairly low.
high (> 20 ft) Low-head hydropower systems
are generally less than 20 feet
high
 Reservoir
1) Impoundment system (or
dam)
An impoundment is simply a dam
that holds water in a reservoir.
The water is released to drive
the turbine.
Most large, high-head
hydropower facilities use
impoundments.
2) A run-of-the-river system
uses the river’s natural flow
and requires little or no
impoundment.
It may involve a diversion of a
portion of the stream through a
canal or it may involve
placement of a turbine right in
the stream channel.
Run-of-the-river systems are
often low-head.
 Power size
• Large-hydro
– More than 100 MW feeding into a large electricity grid
– require large dam
• Medium-hydro
– 15 - 100 MW usually feeding a grid
– require dam
• Small-hydro
– 1 - 15 MW - usually feeding into a grid
– require small dam
• Mini-hydro
– Above 100 kW, but below 1 MW
– Either stand alone schemes or more often feeding into the grid
– use run-of-the-river system
• Micro-hydro
– From 5kW up to 100 kW
– Usually provided power for a small community or rural industry
in remote areas away from the grid.
• Pico-hydro
– From a few hundred watts up to 5kW
– Remote areas away from the grid.
 Ecological Impacts
• Loss of forests, wildlife habitat, species
• Degradation of upstream catchment areas due to
inundation of reservoir area
• Rotting vegetation also emits greenhouse gases
• Loss of aquatic biodiversity, fisheries, other
downstream services
• Cumulative impacts on water quality, natural flooding
• Disrupt transfer of energy, sediment, nutrients
• Sedimentation reduces reservoir life, erodes turbines
– Creation of new wetland habitat
– Fishing and recreational opportunities provided by new
reservoirs
Impacts of Hydroelectric
Dams
 Environmental and Social
Issues
• Land use – inundation and displacement of people
• Impacts on natural hydrology
– Increase evaporative losses
– Altering river flows and natural flooding cycles
– Sedimentation/silting
• Impacts on biodiversity
– Aquatic ecology, fish, plants, mammals
• Water chemistry changes
– Mercury, nitrates, oxygen
– Bacterial and viral infections
• Tropics
• Seismic Risks
• Structural dam failure risks
 Hydropower – Pros and Cons

Positive Negative
Emissions-free, with virtually no CO2, NOX, Frequently involves impoundment of large
SOX, hydrocarbons, or particulates amounts of water with loss of habitat due to
land inundation

Renewable resource with high conversion Variable output – dependent on rainfall and
efficiency to electricity (80+%) snowfall

Dispatchable with storage capacity Impacts on river flows and aquatic ecology,
including fish migration and oxygen
depletion

Usable for base load, peaking and pumped Social impacts of displacing indigenous
storage applications people

Scalable from 10 KW to 20,000 MW Health impacts in developing countries

Low operating and maintenance costs High initial capital costs

Long lifetimes Long lead time in construction of large

projects
 Methods to alleviate the negative
impact

• Creation of ecological reserves

• controlled the living ecology
• Limiting dam construction to allow substantial
free flowing water
• Building gates and passes that help prevent
fishes getting trapped and allow fishes to pass