INTRODUCTION

TO MICRO-HYDRO
POWER PLANT
ME 521 E / Micro-Hydro Power Plant
CONTENT
▪ What is a Hydro and a Micro-Hydro Power Plant?
▪ Hydropower Basics
WHAT IS A HYDRO AND A MICRO-
HYDRO POWER PLANT?
▪ - Hydropower comes from converting energy in flowing water by means
of a water wheel or through a turbine into useful mechanical power.
WHAT IS A HYDRO AND A MICRO-
HYDRO POWER PLANT?
▪ A micro-hydropower system is generally classified as having a
generating capacity of less than 100 kW.
▪ Systems that have an installation capacity of between 100 kW and 1000
kW (1.0 MW) are referred to as mini-hydro.
HYDROPOWER BASICS
▪ Hydropower generally can be taken from two form: Kinetic and
Potential.
▪ Factors to consider are the following:
▪ Head, H
▪ Flow, Q
▪ Energy, E
▪ Power, P
HYDROPOWER BASICS
▪ Sample Problems
▪ 1. A water reservoir contains a head of water 400 m above the turbine
level. The overall efficiency of the penstock, turbine and generator is
80%. It is required to generate 300 MW of electrical power. What is the
necessary flow rate of water through the turbines?
▪ 2. In the pumped storage scheme at Dinorwig, North Wales, the upper
reservoir is at a height of 568 m above the turbine house. If losses are
neglected, what is the velocity (theoretical) of the water arriving at the
turbine blades?