CEH 433

Water Resources Engineering

6
Hydropower
Facilities
Prof. Melvin Blanco Solomon
Associate, Civil Engineering Department
FEU Institute of Technology
Hydropower Energy
Topographic Factor

Topography of Surface
Hydrologic Factor
Hydrology of Rainfall and Streamflow in Rivers

Davao
Cebu
Baguio
Hydropower Site
A very good hydropower site have:
• HIGH stream flow and
• large basin are and
• high ridge enclosure
Hydropower Systems

Hydropower system:
• Weir or Dam-blockage
• Intake-water collection
• Canal- or headrace (open
Headrace
channel that transports water
from intake to forebay)
• Forebay-storage and basin
• Penstock-drops water from
forebay to powerhouse rapidly
• Powerhouse-have turbines
generating power (from
Kinetic energy to Electrical
eneergy)
• Tailrace- open channel that
Tailrace transports water from
powerhouse back to river.
Hydropower Potential
Water Unit Weight
= 9810 N/m3

Power P = gHQ

Hydrologic
Factor
Topographic
Factor Gamma = kN/m3
H = meter
Q = m3 /s
P = kiloWatts
Dam Head (H)

P = gHQ Topographic Factor:

• Dam Head – dictates the height of

drop water

• Dam Crest Length – indicates

amount of materials to be used for
blocking the water in river

Best Combination is:

Topographic • HIGH Dam Head

Factor • SHORT Dam Crest Length
Dam Head (H)
Topographic Factor:
• Dam Head – dictates the height of drop water
• Dam Crest Length – indicates amount of materials to be
used for blocking the water in river

Question: in which section you will place your dam as best location?
Site Selection
Site Selection
Site Selection
Dam Height (h)
Discharge (Q)
Discharge Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Dependability (% Exceedance)
 Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Dependable Flow: based on % time exceeded

Low Flow-high dependability

High Flow-low dependability
Discharge

Dependability (% Exceedance)
 Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

90% dependable power: P=γHQ90

50% dependable power: P=γHQ50
30% dependable power: P=γHQ30
Discharge

Dependability (% Exceedance)
 Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

How to make a FLOW

Duration Curve?
Discharge

Dependability (% Exceedance)
Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

How to make a FLOW

Duration Curve?

1. Gather historical river

streamflow data
2. It can have an interval of
hourly to daily flow.
3. Do not use weekly,
monthly, and annual data
4. Generate distribution curves
Flow Duration Curve (FDC)
Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

What is the hydropower potential with

50% dependable flow if the dam site
has a height or head of 10meters?

P=( )( )( ) = _______
Hydropower Example

Flow in LPS and

Elevation in meters
Dam
Determine potential
Headrace Hydropower of in kW:
a. Blue Line with
Forebay 70% dependable
flow?

b. Orange line with

Powerhouse 80% dependable
Penstock flow?

Powerhouse
 Summary

Hydropower:
Site Topography
P = gHQ

Hydrology of River
Assignment

1. Make a graph of Discharge data

2. Construct a Flow Duration Curve given a

stream flow data as uploaded.

3. Provide table and a Plot of Hydropower

Potential (P) vs. Dependable Flow (%).

4. Look for http://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/