HYDR

OPOW
ER
PLANT

Name: Ishwardat Boodramlall

Form: 4 Science
Subject: Physics
What is Hydropower?
Hydropower is the electricity or power that is generated from the energy of moving water.

Hydro means water.

It is a renewable source of energy. It is constantly being refilled by the water cycle, specifically
precipitation.
Basic components
Hydropower plants harness waters energy and use simple mechanics to convert that energy into
electricity. Hydropower plants are actually based on rather simple concept- water flowing
through a dam turns a turbine, which turns a generator.

Here are the basic components of a conventional hydropower plant:

1. Dam most hydropower plants rely on a dam that holds back water, creating a large
reservoir.
2. Intakes- gates on the dam open and gravity pulls the water through the penstock, a
pipeline that leads to the turbine. Water builds up pressure as it flows through this pipe.
3. Turbine the water strikes and turns the large blades of a turbine, which is attached to a
generator above it by way of a shaft.
4. Generators- as the turbine turn, so do a series of magnets inside the generator. Giant
magnets rotate past copper coils, producing alternating current (AC) by moving electrons.
5. Transformer- the transformer inside the powerhouse takes the AC and converts it to
higher- voltage current.
6. Power lines- the three phases of power produced simultaneously plus a neutral or ground
common to all three.
7. Outflow- used water is carried through pipelines, called tailraces, and re- enters the river
downstream.
How Hydropower plant works

1. A hydropower plant has three parts: the power plant where electricity is produced, the
dam, and the reservoir
2. The amount of electricity depends on the head and flow. The head is the height of the
water or the distance from the highest point of the water to where it goes through the
turbine. Flow is how much water moves through the system.
3. Dams are artificial waterfalls that control the flow of water.
4. Dams are built on rivers wherein the landscape will create a reservoir or artificial lake
above the dam. Reservoirs store the water coming from the rivers.
5. When the dam gates are open, the water flows through a pipe called a penstock and
pushes on the turbines, causing them to turn. They power a generator which produces the
electricity.
6. Spillway gates release extra water in heavy rainfall. Dams expel water when needed for
electricity production.
Advantages of hydropower
1. Hydropower is the least expensive method of generating electricity. The flowing water is
free and renewable by the water cycle.
2. It is readily available. It can be controlled easily.
3. Hydropower can store energy. The water can be saved and managed efficiently,
depending on the seasons. It can also be used again and again.
4. It wastes less energy.
5. Dams control flooding and the water supply.
6. Hydropower plants are dependable and last long. The maintenance costs are quite low.
7. Hydropowers source of energy is clean.
8. Hydro plants do not release pollutants into the air because they do not burn fuel
9. Reservoirs can also offer leisure activities, such as swimming and boating.
Disadvantages of hydropower
1. Hydropower may become more expensive in the future. Licensing and assessing dams is
a long and expensive process.
2. Wildlife habitats can be changed or destroyed. Fish, for example, may not be able to
swim upstream to reproduce. Their spawning and migratory patterns are disrupted.
3. The water quality can also be degraded as the hydro plant blends in dissolve metals.
4. Hydropower can increase silting =, alter water temperatures, and lower the amount of
dissolved oxygen in the water.