BASICS OF
HYDROPOWER
HYDROPOWER TYPES AND
THEIR COMPONENT
Hydropower refers to the generation of power, either
mechanical or electrical, using the energy of
falling water. The power that can be available from a
hydropower plant depends on the volumetric
flow of water driving the turbine and its vertical drop
in height.
The larger the volumetric flow of water (Q), the
higher the power generation will be. Similarly, the
greater the drop in height (h) of water (which is
referred to as “head” in hydropower), the higher the
power generation will be.
HYDROPOWER TYPES AND
THEIR COMPONENT
The mathematical relationship between head, flow,
and power is referred to as the “power equation.”
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
The potential energy of a body of mass M, falling
from a certain height h is expressed as
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
The potential energy of a body of mass M, falling
from a certain height h is expressed as
The mass of water is its density (ρ) times its
volume (V), or M = ρV.
Thus E = (ρV) g h [Joules].
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Note that energy divided by time (E/t) is the power,
P, in watts (W), and volume over time (V/t)
is the volumetric flow of water (Q) or flow in m^3/s.
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Note that energy divided by time (E/t) is the power,
P, in watts (W), and volume over time (V/t)
is the volumetric flow of water (Q) or flow in m^3/s.
Replacing E/t by P and V/t by Q, the power equation
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Energy losses occur at different stages,
including frictional losses in the penstock pipe
and turbine, as well as electrical losses in the
generator.
The overall efficiency of a hydroelectric power
plant depends on the efficiency of the penstock,
turbine, and generator. The unit weight of
water, denoted by ρg = γ, is 9.81 kN/m³.
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Replacing ρg with γ and taking into account the
overall efficiency, the power equation becomes
Also expressed as
Where e₀ is the overall efficiency (penstock pipe,
turbine, and generator) of the power plant.
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
The overall power output efficiency, e₀, is the
product of different efficiencies for several
components of the hydroelectric system.
GROSS HEAD, NET
HEAD and HEAD LOSS
Gross Head
The difference in elevation
between the head race and
tail race.
GROSS HEAD, NET
HEAD and HEAD LOSS
Head Loss
The reduction in head (or
energy) due to friction and
turbulence as water flows
through pipes, valves, or
other system components.
GROSS HEAD, NET
HEAD and HEAD LOSS
Net Head
The effective head available
for energy conversion, after
subtracting head losses
from the gross head.
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
In terms of gross and net head, the power
equation can be written as
where e₀ is the overall efficiency including the
penstock pipe.
POWER OUTPUT FROM
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
In terms of gross and net head, the power
equation can be written as
where e₀ is the overall efficiency excluding the
penstock pipe.
EXAMPLE:
During a prefeasibility survey, you have identified a feasible site
for a micro hydropower scheme. If you’ve measured a gross head
of 40 m, and from the hydrological analysis, a design flow of 150
l/s appears to be available throughout the year, what would be the
likely installed capacity? Assume an overall efficiency of 60%.
EXAMPLE:
During a prefeasibility survey, you have identified a feasible site
for a micro hydropower scheme. If you’ve measured a gross head
of 40 m, and from the hydrological analysis, a design flow of 150
l/s appears to be available throughout the year, what would be the
likely installed capacity? Assume an overall efficiency of 60%.
Given:
Design flow, Q = 150 l/s or 0.15 m^3/s
Gross head, hg = 40 m Therefore, about 35.3 kW
Overall efficiency = 60% or 0.6 of installed capacity should
be available.
P = (9.81) (0.15) (40) (0.6)
P = 35.3 kW
2 TYPES OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
Run-Of-River
The runo fr iver power plant diverts available flows
from the river into an intake and then to the power
plant located at some distance downstream
through waterways. In this type of system, water
available in the river up to the design flow
considered (making allowances for environmental
releases downstream) is
diverted for power generation. When the flows in
the river exceed the design flow for power gen-
eration, the excess flow runs downstream over the
dam or weir along the river—that is, the riverflows
are not stored behind the dam at anytime.
Schematic figure:
2 TYPES OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
Storage Hydropower
Typically a large system that uses a dam to store
water in a reservoir. Electricity is produced by
releasing water from the reservoir through a
turbine, which activates a generator. Storage
hydropower provides base load as well as the
ability to be shut down and started up at short
notice according the demands of the system (peak
load). It can offer enough storage capacity to
operate independently of the hydrological inflow
for many weeks or even months.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Waterways
The structures that convey the flows
from the intake located at the river up
to the end of the tailrace are
collectively referred to as the
waterways—that is, these are
structures that provide a path for the
water in a hydroelectric power plant.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Dam or Diversion Weir
Water can be stored behind a dam
and then be utilized for power
generation. This type of hydropower
plant is called impoundment. If a
portion of water from a river be
separated by using a pipe or a canal
and then be used for power
generation, it is called diversion
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Headrace
The headrace conveys the water flow
from the headworks to the forebay
structure. This can either be a canal
or a pipe for small hydropower
plants. In medium or large
hydropower plants, the headrace
sometimes a tunnel. The choice of
canal or pipe for the headrace
structure depends on the site
topography, geology, and costs. If
the headrace alignment has a mild
slope along stable terrain, an open
canalcould be appropriate
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Gravel Trap and Settling Basin
The basic operating principle of these
basins is that if the crosss ectional area is
increased, the flow velocity decreases,
which, in turn, decreases the sediment
transport capacity of the flow. Thus, the
particles are settled in the basins, which
then need to be periodically flushed out
using control gates. Because fine
particles need lower water velocity to
settle compared to gravel, the settling
basin is always larger than the gravel
trap.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Spillway
A spillway is a structure that allows
water to flow directly into the river
or other body of water below the
dam, bypassing all tunnels,
turbines, and generators. Spillways
prevent the dam and the community
from being damaged.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Crossings
In hydropower plants, sometimes
water has to be carried across
gullies, streams, or other natural
depressions due to site
topography. Various types of
crossing structures are required
to convey the flows across such
difficult stretches of waterway
alignment. Super passages,
culverts, siphons, and aqueducts
are examples of such crossings.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Forebay
A forebay is a tank that conveys water
from the headrace to the penstock pipe.
The forebay acts as a transitional
structure to transfer water flow from an
open channel or lowp ressure headrace
pipe to pressurized flow in the penstock
pipe. Water flow under pressurized
conditions is known as “pressure flow”
into the penstock. The forebay should
provide adequate submergence depth to
convey design flow into the penstock pipe
and allow for some storage volume for
start up of the turbines.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Penstock Pipe
The penstock is a pipe that conveys water
under pressure from the forebay to the
turbine. The penstock pipe alignment
starts where the ground profile gets
steeper to be able to generate the design
head with a shorter, and thus less
expensive, penstock pipe. Although
wooden, concrete, and castiron pipes were
used for the penstock in the early days of
hydropower development, the modern
trend is to use mild steel due to
availability of highq uality steel
throughout most of the world.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Anchor Block
The function of the anchor block
is to fix the penstock and do not
allow the pipe with any direction
of movement. The installation
site of the anchor block is
usually at the connection of
forebay pool and pressure pipe,
connection between pressure
pipe and power house, and when
pressure pipe changes its
direction.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Support Pier
Support piers are constructed to
support the penstock pipe at regular
intervals. They provide intermediate
support between anchor blocks to
accommodate the weight of the pipe
and the water inside it. They are also
sometimes referred to as “slide” or
“saddle blocks.” Support piers prevent
the pipe from sagging along straight
sections of the exposed penstock pipe
alignment between anchor blocks.
COMPONENTS OF HYDROPOWER
Powerhouse
The powerhouse is a building that
houses the turbine, generator,
control panel, and other
electromechanical equipment and
accessories. The function of the
powerhouse is to protect the
electromechanical equipment from
the adverse effects of the weather
(rain, heat, cold, etc.) and to
provide a sound working
environment for the operators.
Reservoir Storage
01.
This type involves a dam creating a large
reservoir to store water, which can be
STORAGE TYPE released through turbines to generate
electricity as needed.
HYDROELECTRIC
PLANTS Pumped Storage
02.
A system with two reservoirs where water
is pumped to a higher reservoir during low
electricity demand and released during
high demand to generate power.
STORAGE TYPE Hydropower with Small-scale Storage
HYDROELECTRIC 03. Small-scale hydro plants use smaller
reservoirs or natural water bodies combined
PLANTS with additional storage systems like
batteries to generate power for local needs.
PRESENTED BY PAMPLINA AND SALIK
Thank
You Very
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ERE166 - MN19
