Power Generation

Lecture 456
Engr. Basit Ali 1
Hydro Power
How Hydropower Works

• Hydrologic cycle
How Hydropower Works
• Water from the reservoir flows due to gravity to drive the turbine.
• Turbine is connected to a generator.
• Power generated is transmitted over power lines.
Potential

• THEORETICAL- The maximum potential that exists.

• TECHNICAL- It takes into account the cost involved in exploiting a

source (including the environmental and engineering restrictions).

• ECONOMIC- Calculated after detailed environmental, geological, and

other economic constraints.
Potential
The report compiled by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) finds that:
• Global installed hydropower capacity rose by 1.6 per cent to 1,330 gigawatts in 2020.

• The sector generated a record 4,370 terawatt hours of clean electricity last year.

• During 2020, projects totalling 21 GW were put into operation, up on 2019’s 15.6 GW.

• Nearly two-thirds of global growth came from China, which saw 13.8 GW of new capacity.
Among other countries that added new capacity, only Turkey (2.5 GW) contributed more than 1
GW.
• Major projects completed include the 2.1 GW Lauca facility in Angola, the 1.8 GW Jixi pumped
storage facility in China and the Ilisu (1.2 GW) and Lower Kaleköy (0.5 GW) projects in Turkey.

• The single biggest project was Wudongde in China, which put eight of its 12 units online,
adding 6.8 GW to the Chinese grid.

• China remains the world leader in respect of total hydropower installed capacity with over 370
GW. Brazil (109 GW), the USA (102 GW), Canada (82 GW) and India (50 GW) make up the rest
of the top five.
Potential Country wise
Country Number
China 23 841
United States of America 9 263
India 4 407
Japan 3 130
Brazil 1 365
Korea (Rep. of) 1 338
South Africa 1 266
Canada 1 156
Mexico 1 080
Spain 1 064
France 720
Iran 594
United Kingdom 580
Australia 567
Italy 541
Germany 371
Pakistan’s Scenario
• Straddling the Indus Valley, Pakistan is endowed with considerable water resources. According
to Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), there is 60,000 MW of
hydropower potential in the country, of which only 9,827 MW has been developed.

• Pakistan’s untapped hydropower potential largely lies in the mountainous north along the Indus
River in the provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the Jhelum
River in the provinces of Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

• Pakistan is currently amid an energy crisis. Some 51 million Pakistanis lack access to
electricity, while a further 90 million suffer from unreliable power supply and load-shedding on
a daily basis, which is having a serious impact on the economy.

• An over-reliance on imported fuels for thermal generation subject to price fluctuations is at the
core of the energy crisis, and the government remains under significant pressure to address an
annual average power deficit of 4,000 MW. Hydropower once underpinned the country’s power
sector, accounting for 45 per cent of power generation in 1991, but this share has dropped to
around 28 per cent, as short-term planning preferred thermal power plants.
Pakistan’s Scenario
• However, hydropower is poised for a resurgence and will play a significant role in addressing
this power deficit, with some studies estimating the proportion of hydropower in the total
electricity generation to increase to more than 40 per cent by 2030.
• A number of hydropower plants were completed or commissioned in 2016 including Ranolia
(17 MW), Daral Khwar (37 MW) and Machai (2.6 MW), all located in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province.
• Several micro hydropower projects were also installed as part of an initiative led by the
government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the support of the Asian Development Bank, to
install some 1,000 micro plants. Expected to have a total installed capacity of 100 MW, these
micro projects are designed to support rural, off-grid communities by providing affordable and
reliable electricity.
• Numerous projects are currently under planning and construction in the private sector, overseen
by the Private Power & Infrastructure Board, including Karot (720 MW), Suki (870 MW) and
Kohala (1,124 MW). These projects are part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
– a collection of infrastructure projects supported by the Chinese Government to strengthen
Pakistan’s economy and enhance the economic connectivity between both countries.
Major Hydropower Generating units
• According to the generation details, WAPDA delivered as much as 8854 MW of electricity to
the National Grid during peak hours .

• The statistics of the hydel generation during the peak hours show that Tarbela Hydel Power
Stations cumulatively generated 4926 MW much higher than the installed capacity of 4888
MW. Mangla Hydel Power Station contributed 920 MW, Ghazi Barotha 1450 MW and
Neelum Jhelum 850 MW while other hydel power stations cumulatively shared 708 MW to
the National Grid.

• A number of mega projects are being constructed in hydropower sector scheduled to be

completed from 2023 to 2028-29. WAPDA projects will double the installed hydel power
generation capacity from 9406 MW to 18431 MW. Likewise, WAPDA’s contribution of green
and clean hydel electricity to the National Grid will also increase from the existing 37 billion
units to more than 81 billion units per annum.
HEAD AND FLOW

EGP KE KE E
Water Turbine electricity

Head is how far the water drops. It is the distance from the highest level
of the dammed water to the point where it goes through the power-
producing turbine.
Flow is how much water moves through the system- the more
water that moves through a system, the higher the flow, Generally, a high-
bend plant seeds less water flow than a low-bend plant to produce the
same amount of electricity.
HYDRO DAMS
 It’s easier to build a hydro plant where there is a natural waterfall. That’s why the first
hydro plant was built at Niagara Falls. Dams which are artificial waterfalls, are the
next best way.
 Dams are built on rivers where the terrain will produce
an artificial lake or reservoir above the dam.
DAMS
 Dams are used for various purposes. Some advantages of dams are:
⚫ Used for renewable hydroelectric power generation
⚫ Storage of water & energy on demand
⚫ Lifecycle of a few decades
⚫ Flood control
⚫ Irrigation of agriculture
 Some disadvantages include:
⚫ High costs of construction which take decades to be
profitable
⚫ Large areas are flooded causing relocation of people and destruction of natural
environment
⚫ May cause political tensions between countries
DAMS – CLASSIFICATION
 Types of dams include:
⚫ Concrete dams
 C oncrete gravity dams

 Concrete arch dams

 Concrete buttress dams

⚫ E arthfill dams
⚫ R ockfill dams
⚫ Stone masonry
⚫ Storage dams
⚫ Diversion dams
⚫ Detention dams
History of Hydro Power
• Hydropower was referred to as white coal for its power
• First hydro power was used by the Greeks to spin water wheels for crushing wheat
into flour before more than 2000 years ago.
• In the 1700's, hydropower was generally used for pumping irrigation (non-natural
use of water on the way to the land) water.
• The old Schoelkopf Power Station No. 1 near Niagara Falls in the U.S. side began to
produce electricity in 1881
• The first Edison hydroelectric power plant, the Vulcan Street Plant, began operating
September 30, 1882, in Appleton, Wisconsin, with an output of about 12.5 kilowatts
• The rapid growth of hydro power comes in 1900’s when hydraulic reaction turbine
comes in picture.
• In between 1905-1911 largest hydro power station (Roosevelt Dam) is built by the
united state and its generated capacity is increased from 4500 kW to 36,000 kW.
History of Hydro Power
 In 1914 S.J. Zowski developed the high specific speed reaction (Francis) turbine
runner for low head applications.

 1922 the first time a hydroelectric plant was built specifically for crest power.

 Hoover Dam's initial 1,345 MW power plant was the world's largest hydroelectric
power plant in 1936; it was eclipsed by the 6809 MW Grand Coulee Dam in 1942.

 The Itaipu Dam opened in 1984 in South America as the largest, producing 14,000
MW but was surpassed in 2008 by the Three Gorges Dam in China at 22,500 MW
MAJOR APPLICATION OF HYDROPOWER PLANT

 Normally the hydropower plants are

developed because of the following purposes:-
⚫ To control the floods in the rivers
⚫ To produce electricity
⚫ To store the water for the irrigation
⚫ To store and supply the drinking water

 Hydropower plant is also used in interconnected

system. In an inter connected system the base load
is supplied by hydropower and peak load supplied
by the steam power plant , these system not only
increases the load factor but also decreases the
wastage of the energy and saving the cost of
electricity.
LAYOUT OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
 Spillway:
 Spillways are passages which allows the excess water to flow to a storage area away
from the dam. Excess accumulation of water endangers the stability of dam
construction. Also in order to avoid the over flow of water out of the dam especially
during rainy seasons spillways are provided. This prevents the rise of water level in the
dam.
 Penstock:-
 to carry the water under pressure from large reservoir to the turbine.
 It is pipes of large diameter and commonly made of steel through reinforced
concrete.

 Gate :
o A gate is used to regulate or control the flow of water from the dam.
 Pressure tunnel:
o It is a passage that carries water from the reservoir to the surge tank
 Trash rack:-
 to prevent the entries of the derbies which might damage the fixed plate and the
runner of the turbine or chock up the nozzle of the impulse turbine
 Forebay:-
 These are the kind of the storage tanks which are present at the end of the head race
pipe or canal. These are the input to the penstock. The water of the Forebay is an
important factor in case of small hydropower plant as it determines the operational
head of the plant
 Function:- To serve the regulating reservoir temporarily storing the water when the
load on the plant is reduced and provides water for essential increment of an increasing
load while water in the canal is being accelerated
 Draft tube:
 It is connected to the outlet of the turbine.
 It allows the turbine to be placed above the tail water level.
 Tail water level or Tail race:
 Tail water level is the water level after the discharge from the turbine.
The discharged water is sent to the river, thus the level of the river is the
tail water level.
 Electric generator, Step-up transformer and Pylon :
 As the water rushes through the turbine, it spins the turbine shaft, which
is coupled to the electric generator. The generator has a rotating
electromagnet called a rotor and a stationary part called a stator. The
rotor creates a magnetic field that produces an electric charge in the
stator. The charge is transmitted as electricity. The step-up transformer
increases the voltage of the current coming from the stator. The
electricity is distributed through power lines also called as pylon.
Run-of-the-river

•Run-of-the-river hydroelectric stations are those with small or no

reservoir capacity, so that the water coming from upstream must be
used for generation at that moment, or must be allowed to bypass
the dam.

Tide
•A tidal power plant makes use of the daily rise and fall of ocean
water due to tides; such sources are highly predictable, and if
conditions permit construction of reservoirs, can also be
dispatchable to generate power during high demand periods
•Less common types of hydro schemes use water's kinetic energy
or undammed sources such as undershot waterwheels.
Underground

•An underground power station makes use of a large natural

height difference between two waterways, such as a waterfall
or mountain lake
•An underground tunnel is constructed to take water from the
high reservoir to the generating hall built in an underground
cavern near the lowest point of the water tunnel and a
horizontal tailrace taking water away to the lower outlet
waterway
DISADVANTAGES OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
 The initial cost of the plant is very high.
 Since they are located far away from the load centre, cost of transmission lines and
transmission losses will be more.
 During drought season the power production may be reduced or even stopped due to
insufficient water in the reservoir.
 Water in the reservoir is lost by evaporation.
 Large reservoirs required for the operation of hydroelectric power stations result in
submersion of extensive areas upstream of the dams, destroying biologically rich and
productive lowland and riverine valley forests, marshland and grasslands
 Generation of hydroelectric power changes the downstream river
environment
 Water exiting a turbine usually contains very little suspended sediment, which can
lead to scouring of river beds and loss of riverbanks
DISADVANTAGES OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
o Since turbine gates are often opened intermittently, rapid or even daily fluctuations
in river flow are observed
o Dissolved oxygen content of the water may change from pre-construction
conditions.
o Depending on the location, water exiting from turbines is typically much warmer
than the pre-dam water, which can change aquatic faunal populations, including
endangered species, and prevent natural freezing processes from occurring
o Some hydroelectric projects also use canals to divert a river at a shallower gradient
to increase the head of the scheme
o In some cases, the entire river may be diverted leaving a dry riverbed
Siltation
• When water flows it has the ability to transport particles heavier than itself
downstream
• This has a negative effect on dams and subsequently their power stations, particularly
those on rivers or within catchment areas with high siltation
• Siltation can fill a reservoir and reduce its capacity to control floods along with
causing additional horizontal pressure on the upstream portion of the dam
• Eventually, some reservoirs can become completely full of sediment and useless or
over-top during a flood and fail
Flow shortage
• Changes in the amount of river flow will correlate with the amount of energy
produced by a dam
• Lower river flows because of drought, climate change or upstream dams and
diversions will reduce the amount of live storage in a reservoir therefore reducing the
amount of water that can be used for hydroelectricity
• The result of diminished river flow can be power shortages in areas that depend
heavily on hydroelectric power
• The risk of flow shortage may increase as a result of climate change
• Studies from the Colorado River in the United States suggest that modest climate
changes, such as an increase in temperature in 2 degree Celsius resulting in a 10%
decline in precipitation, might reduce river run-off by up to 40%
Methane emissions (from reservoirs)
o Lower positive impacts are found in the tropical regions, as it has been noted that
the reservoirs of power plants in tropical regions may produce substantial amounts
of methane
o This is due to plant material in flooded areas decaying in an anaerobic environment,
and forming methane, a potent greenhouse gas
o According to the World Commission on Dams report, where the reservoir is large
compared to the generating capacity (less than 100 watts per square metre of surface
area) and no clearing of the forests in the area was undertaken prior to impoundment
of the reservoir, greenhouse gas emissions from the reservoir may be higher than
those of a conventional oil-fired thermal generation plant
o Although these emissions represent carbon already in the biosphere, not fossil
deposits that had been sequestered from the carbon cycle, there is a greater amount
of methane due to anaerobic decay, causing greater damage than would otherwise
have occurred had the forest decayed naturally.
Relocation
• Another disadvantage of hydroelectric dams is the need to relocate the people living
where the reservoirs are planned
• In many cases, no amount of compensation can replace ancestral and cultural
attachments to places that have spiritual value to the displaced population
• Additionally, historically and culturally important sites can be flooded and lost
Failure hazard
o Because large conventional dammed-hydro facilities hold back large volumes of
water, a failure due to poor construction, terrorism, or other cause can be catastrophic
to downriver settlements and infrastructure
o Dam failures have been some of the largest man-made disasters in history
o Also, good design and construction are not an adequate guarantee of safety
o Dams are tempting industrial targets for wartime attack, sabotage and terrorism, such
as Operation Chastise in World War II
o The Banquio Damfailure in Southern China directly resulted in the deaths of 26,000
people, and another 145,000 from epidemics
o Millions were left homeless
o Also, the creation of a dam in a geologically inappropriate location may cause
disasters such as 1963 disaster at Vajont Dam in Italy, where almost 2000 people died
o Smaller dams and micro hydro facilities create less risk, but can form
continuing hazards even after being decommissioned
o For example, the small Kelly Barnes Dam in Georgia failed in 1967, causing 39
deaths with the Toccoa Flood, ten years after its power plant was decommissioned
E N V IRO N M E N TA L P RO BL E M S WITH D AM S
1) Silt buildup fills reservoir

2) Fish migration disrupted

3)Water temperature decreases

4) Water gets more saline

5) Water loses oxygen

6) Water slows down, increases disease

C L A S S I F I C AT I O N S O F H Y D R O P O W E R
 Based on capacity
⚫ Large
⚫ Small
⚫ Micro
⚫ Pico

 Based on head
⚫ Ultra low head below 3 meter
⚫ Low head above 3 meter up to 40 metere
⚫ Medium/high head above 40 meter
 Large
• Although no official definition exists for the capacity range of
large hydroelectric power stations, facilities from over a few
hundred megawatts to more than 10 GW are generally considered
large hydroelectric facilities
• The construction of these large hydroelectric facilities, and their
changes on the environment, are also often on grand scales,
creating as much damage to the environment as at helps it by
being a renewable resource
• Many specialized organizations, such as the International
Hydropower Association, look into these matters on a global scale.
 Small
 Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a
small community or industrial plant
 The definition of a small hydro project varies but a generating capacity of up to
10 megawatts (MW) is generally accepted as the upper limit of what can be
termed small hydro
 Since small hydro projects usually have minimal reservoirs and civil
construction work, they are seen as having a relatively low environmental
impact compared to large hydro
 This decreased environmental impact depends strongly on the balance between
stream flow and power production.
 Micro
Micro hydro is a term used for hydroelectric power installations that typically
produce up to 100 kW of power
These installations can provide power to an isolated home or small
community, or are sometimes connected to electric power networks
There are many of these installations around the world, particularly in
developing nations as they can provide an economical source of energy without
purchase of fuel
Micro hydro systems complement photovoltaic solar energy systems because
in many areas, water flow, and thus available hydro power, is highest in the
winter when solar energy is at a minimum.
Pico
 Pico hydro is a term used for hydroelectric power generation of under 5
KW
 It is useful in small, remote communities that require only a small amount
of electricity
 For example, to power one or two fluorescent light bulbs and a TV or
radio for a few homes
 Even smaller turbines of 200-300W may power a single home in a
developing country with a drop of only 1 m (3 ft)
 Pico-hydro setups typically are run-of-the-river, meaning that dams are
not used, but rather pipes divert some of the flow, drop this down a
gradient, and through the turbine before returning it to the stream
Calculating the amount of available power
• A simple formula for approximating electric power production at a
hydroelectric plant is: P = ρhrgk, where
• P is Power in watts,
• ρ is the density of water (~1000 kg/m3),
• h is height in meters,
• r is flow rate in cubic meters per second,
• g is acceleration due to gravity of 9.8 m/s2,
• k is a coefficient of efficiency ranging from 0 to 1.
• Efficiency is often higher (that is, closer to 1) with larger and more
modern turbines
• Annual electric energy production depends on the available water supply.
In some installations the water flow rate can vary by a factor of 10:1 over
the course of a year.
1
P Av3
2
•where v is the speed of the water, or with
•where A is the area through which the water passes
T H E E N E R G Y E Q UAT I O N

Shaft work
 p2 2v 2   p1 1v 2 
  z2     z1   hq  hs  h f
 g  2g  g  2g
   
Heat energFyriction
losses

p = Pressure (Pa)
g = Gravity (m s–2)
 = fluid density (kg m-3)
v = velocity (m s-1)
z t = Elevation (m)
h = energy (meters)
T H E E N E R G Y E Q UAT I O N : I M P L I C AT I O N S :
F L O W I N PIPES : N O F R I C T I O N , N O S H A F T WORK

v1 p1
Energy line

z1 h
p   gh

v2

z2 p2
THE ENERGY EQUATION: IMPLICATIONS: FLOW IN
PIPES: FRICTION, NO SHAFT WORK

v1
p1
Energy line

z1 h 
p   g h  h f 
v2

z2 p2
THE ENERGY EQUATION: IMPLICATIONS: FLOW IN
PIPES: FRICTION AND SHAFT WORK

v1
p1
v1  v2  v3
Energy line

p1  p3

z1 h v2
p2
v3

z2 p3
THE ENERGY EQUATION: IMPLICATIONS: FLOW IN
PIPES: FRICTION AND SHAFT WORK

v1
p1 hs  h  h f  H
Energy line
Extracting pressure energy

 
p   g h  h f   gH
z1 h v2
p2 So

v3 P  Fv  APv  vAgH
z2 p3  Q  gH
THE ENERGY EQUATION: IMPLICATIONS: FLOW
IN PIPES: FRICTION: EQUATIONS
 Darcy’s formula

Hf = Friction head loss (m)

f = Friction factor
H fL L = Pipe length (m)
f
D = Pipe diameter (m)
v = velocity (m s-1)
g = Gravity (m s–2)
POWER NEEDS : LOAD AND PLANT FACTORS

 Load factor
Paverage demand
f load 
Ppeak demand
 Plant factor

Etotal demand
f plant 
Einstalled
POWER NEEDS : PLANT FACTORS

Etotal demand
f plant  f plant = Plant factor
Einstalled Etotal demand = Surface roughness
Einstalled = Pipe diameter (m)
Edaily demand = Reynolds number
fexceedence = fraction of time that
demand is exceeded
Etotal demand  E dailydemand f exceedance
FUNDAMENTALS OF HYDRO POWER
YIELDS AND ECONOMICS: UNIT ENERGY COST

Cunit energy = Unit energy cost Cannual =

Annualised cost CO&M =
Cannual  CO&M Operation and
Cunit energy  maintenance cost
(24  365)Pinstalled f plant
Pinstalled = Installed power
fplant = Plant factor
 HYDROPOWER SYSTEM DESIGN TURBINES:
CHARACTERISING TURBINES: DIMENSIONLESS GROUPS

Q Fluid velocity
CQ  
CQ = flow coefficient
ND3 Blade velocity
CH = head coefficient
CP = power coefficient
Q = discharge
gH N = rotational speed
CH 
N 2 D2 D = diameter
g = gravity
H = head
P = power
P
C  r = density
P
N D
3 5
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF HYDRO POWER
POTENTIAL BENEFITS: P OT E N T I A L C O S T S

 Stream diversion
⚫ Changes to aquatic ecosystem (impact on Fishing)
⚫ Changes to bank ecosystem
⚫ C hanges to drinking animals
⚫ Possible erosion at tailrace
 Water storage
⚫ Mosquito breeding
⚫ D rinking animals
CONVENTIONAL HIGH HEAD RUN-OF-RIVER HYDROPOWER,
E.G., NIAGARA FALLS
 DAMMED R ES E RVO I R T E C H N O L O GY
 Damming rivers has extracted energy over 4500
years.
 The fluctuation of the water flow can be reduced
by the reservoir.
 The generating stations are located at the dam to
or further downstream, connected to the
reservoir through tunnels or pipelines as shown
in Figure.
 Landscape and the nature of sites are the main
factors which decide the type and design of
reservoirs .
 Many countries around world are surrounded
river valleys where the reservoir is an artificial
lake.
 In geographies with mountain sites, high-
altitude lakes make up another kind of reservoir
that often will retain many of the properties of
the original lake.
 R U N O F R I V E R (ROR) T E C H N O L O G Y

 Run-of-river scheme is a type of small

hydropower stations that produces
electricity based on the available
hydrological variations of the site [19].
 This type of hydropower generation
utilizes the flow of water within the
natural range of the river; the
components of a small run-of-river
hydropower project are shown in
Figure.
 Small hydropower plants attract the
efficient and reliable investments
because it takes a minimum time for
construction and exploits small area,
uses of local labor and material
 PUMPED STORAGE T EC H N O LO GY
 Pumped-storage plants pump water
into an upper storage basin during off-peak
hours by using surplus electricity from base
load power plants as shown in Figure.
 They subsequently reverse flow to generate

electricity during the daily peak load period.

 They are considered to be one of the most

efficient technologies available for energy

storage.
 The concept of pumping water back to the

upper reservoir during off-peak hour's mean s

that these plants are net energy consumers:
 It takes more power to pump water up to the

top reservoir than is produced by the plant

when the water rushes down to the lower
reservoir .
IN-STREAM TECHNOLOGY USING EXISTING FACILITIES
 Installing the hydrokinetic turbines in
stream of rivers or canal to generate
energy can optimize existing facilities like
weirs, barrages and falls.
 These basically function like a run-of-
river scheme, as shown in Figure.
 Hydrokinetic devices being developed to
capture energy from tides and currents
may also be deployed inland in both free-
flowing rivers and in engineered
waterways .
 GRAVITATIONAL VORTEX ENERGY
Gravitational Vortex Plant
 The elementary vortex with a vertical axis of
gyration, source of the rotation symmetric
and stable vortex is the Gravitation-so we
called it Gravitation Water Vortex (GWV) .
 The Gravitational Water Vortex Power Plant
is a horizontal form of the hydroelectric dam.
 The benefits of using an artificially induced
vortex above gravity accelerated water
increases efficiency, decreases cost, and not
only lowers the negative impact on the
environment, but actually increases the
sustainability and health of the river as a
whole. Gravitational vortex plant
 Vortex pool is a structure which has the (designed by Franz Zotlterer)
ability to form a gravitational vortex stream.
Such a high velocity water vortex stream can
possibly be used as an alternative energy
resource .
 VIVACE CONVERTER TECHNOLOGY
 The VIVACE converter harnesses
hydrokinetic energy of river and ocean
currents.
 This converter is unlike water turbines as it
does not use propellers.
 VIVACE uses the physical phenomenon of
vortex induced vibration in which water
current flows around cylinders inducing
transverse motion.
 The energy contained in the movement of the
cylinder is then converted to electricity.
 The VIVACE converter is a transformational
technology. It taps into a vast new source of
clean and renewable energy, that of water
currents as slow as 2 to 4 knots previously off Figure 8 VIVACE components
limits to conventional turbine technology that
and Technology
target rivers with water currents greater than 4
knots. (http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com
).
The vast majority of river/ocean currents in
the United States are slower than 3 knots,
Figure illustrates how VIVACE works .
HYDRO POWER TECHNOLOGY( HYDRAULIC TURBINES)
 Turbines
 Potential energy stored in the reservoir behind
the dam is covered into kinetic energy when it
is released though channels.
 The kinetic energy & potential of the water
turns the blades of the turbine (mechanical
rotational energy) which is converted into
electric energy.
 There are a variety of turbines used for
hydroelectric power generation
 The type of hydropower turbine selected for a
project is based on the height of standing
water—referred to as "head"—and the flow, or
volume of water, at the site. Other deciding
factors include how deep the turbine must be
set, efficiency, and cost.
CLASSIFICATION OF TURBINES

 In broad terms turbines in hydropower generation work in

two ways:
⚫ Reaction Turbines: The water pressure can apply a force on the face
of the runner blades, which decreases as it proceeds through the
turbine. The turbine casing, with the runner fully immersed in
water, must be strong enough to withstand the operating pressure.
⚫ Impulse Turbines: The water pressure is converted into kinetic
energy before entering the runner. The kinetic energy is in the form
of a high-speed jet that strikes the buckets, mounted on the
periphery of the runner. Turbines that operate in this way are
called impulse turbines. As the water after striking the buckets falls
into the tail water with little remaining energy, the casing can be
light and serves the purpose of preventing splashing. Used for
application with high head (>300m)
 W ATER W H E E L S
 Types of water wheels are based upon where the water
strikes it
⚫Pitchback – water drops from top and is deflected
backwards to fall back towards the dam
⚫ Overshot – shoots over the top onto the wheel; the usual
kind
⚫ Breastshot – strikes about 50% to 80% of height of the near side
of the wheel
⚫ Undershot – pushes underneath and need not be more than
immersed in a stream
 Waterwheels turn slowly compared with turbines
⚫ one to fifty rpm
⚫ With no load, the Florida Tech wheel turns 10 turns in 11
seconds