Hydroelectricity

DR. NASIR UDDIN

Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Northern University Bangladesh
Why Hydroelectricity?
 It is a renewable energy resource that can contribute to sustainable
development by generating local, typically inexpensive power.
Hydropower reduces reliance on imported fuels that carry the risks

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
of price volatility, supply uncertainty and foreign currency
requirements.
 Hydro systems can offer multiple co-benefits including water storage
for drinking and irrigation, drought-preparedness, flood control
protection, aquaculture and recreational opportunities, among
others.
 Hydro can allow more renewables—especially wind and solar—to
be added to the system by providing rapid-response power when
intermittent sources are off-line, and pumped energy storage when
such sources are generating excess power.
Hydroelectricity Production & Potential

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Hydroelectricity Roadmap
HPP Development Process
 Site identification/concept.
 Identification of potential sites.

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 Funding of project development.
 Development of rough technical concept.

 Pre-feasibility study.
 Assessment of different technical options.
 Approximate cost/benefits.
 Permitting needs.
 Market assessment.

 Feasibility study.
 Technical and financial evaluation of preferred option.
 Assessment of financing options.
 Initiation of permitting process.
HPP Development Process
 Financing/contracts.
 Permitting.

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 Contracting strategy.
 Supplier selection and contract negotiation.
 Financing of project.

 Detailed design.
 Preparation of detailed design for all relevant lots.
 Preparation of project implementation schedule.

 Construction.
 Construction supervision.
 Commissioning.
 Performance testing.
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Sketch of Typical HPP
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Sketch of Typical HPP
Classifications
Classification by generation. Classification by head-size.
 Micro  High head

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 P < 0.1 MW  H > 100 m
 Small  Medium head
 0.1 MW < P < 10 MW  30 m < H < 100 m
 Medium  Low head
 10 MW < P < 100 MW  H < 30 m
 Large
 P > 100 MW
Classification by Operation
 Run-of-river schemes
 This schemes generate electricity by immediate use of the inflow. As a
result, run-of-river HPPs are subject to weather and seasonal variations

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resulting in variable power generation.
 Storage schemes
 They are characterized by water impoundment upstream of a dam
structure to create a reservoir in which water is predominantly stored
during high-flow periods and consumed for energy production during
low-flow periods. Reservoir size determines the level of flow regulation.
 Pump storage schemes
 These are HPPs that can store water by pumping it from a lower
reservoir or a river to a higher reservoir. This process creates
efficiencies of up to 80 percent—pumping uses 20 percent or more
energy than the energy that is generated.
Power & Energy

E = P ⋅t

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 E is the generated energy [MWh]
 P is the power produced [MW]
 t is the period of time [h]
 1 MWh = 3,600,000,000 joules
η ⋅ ρ ⋅ g ⋅Q ⋅ H
P=
106
 Considering 87% efficiency,
P=.0085Q H  H is the net head [m]
 P is the power produced at the
transformer [MW]
 η is the overall efficiency of power
plant
 ρ is the density of water [1000 kg/m³]
 g is the acceleration due to gravity [9.81
m/s²]
 Q is the volume flow rate passing
through the turbine [m³/s]
Q:To illustrate, the power output of a

turbine that is 85% efficient, with a flow rate of 80 cubic

metres per second (2800 cubic feet per second) and a head of 145 metres

(480 feet), is 97 Megawatts.

Efficiency & Losses
ηOverall = ηTurbine ⋅ηGenerator ⋅ηTransformer
 The most efficient turbines can have hydraulic efficiencies in the
range of 80% to over 90%. Generator and transformer have

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efficiency of 90-98% and 98-99.5%, respectively.
 Gross head reduced by energy losses is called net head. Energy can
be dissipated by friction and turbulence. Two main categories of
head loss are defined in terms of local losses and friction losses.
 Most local losses are a small fraction of gross head and occur at the
trash rack, inlet/outlet, bends, and valves.
 Friction losses occur due to friction along water conveyance
structures such as pipes or canals; the degree of loss varies according
to pipe or canal length and roughness and flow velocity. Lower head
losses occur under conditions of smoother shorter conveyance
structures, and lower velocity flows.
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Classification of Turbines
Turbine Efficiency

 Pelton turbine: 10–20% of

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design flow (depending on
number of nozzles).
 Francis turbine: 40% of
design flow.
 Kaplan turbine: 20–40% of
design flow (double regulated
or semi regulated)
Flow Duration Curve, FDC
 A flow duration curve (FDC) is a statistical representation of
the amount of hydrologically available water, and the
distribution or characteristics of annual flows. A rather flat

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FDC implies a constant flow with low fluctuations and small
differences between low and high flows. A steep FDC
indicates large flow differences between dry and flood
seasons, and high variability.
 Optimum conditions for run-of-river HPPs are given when
the FDC is flat.
Design Discharge
Qd
fa =
Qav

 fa is Level of use.

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 Qd is the design discharge [m3/s].

 Qav is the average discharge [m3/s].

High fluctuations represented by steep FDC require either a lower

ratio Qd/Qav, which also results in less energy generation, or a
storage reservoir to compensate for differences between high and
low flows. Depending on inflow regulation capacities, storage
power stations are categorized as daily, weekly, monthly or annual
stores. Larger reservoir storage correlates with longer inflow
regulation intervals, implying better power generation regulation
capacity.
Design Discharge
The level of use for reservoirs characterizes reservoir regulation
capacity and is calculated as follows:

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Vreservor
fa =
Vin

 fais Level of use.

 Vreservoir is usable storage volume of the reservoir [m3/s].

 Vin is the volume of water flowing into the reservoir during one
second [m3/s].
Capacity Factor
 HPP capacity is available only when the design discharge is
available at the intake.

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yearly energy production MWh 
 year
fP =
installed capacity [MW ]× 365 days  × 24 hours 
 year   day 

 Capacity factor (also called plant factor or load factor) of run-

of-river hydropower plants should range from 40 to 70%, and
20 to 40% for storage HPPs, depending on installed capacity.
Hydraulic Head
 Hydraulic head is an important parameter to determine HPP
potential energy output; it mainly depends on HPP site
topography. Two categories of head—gross and net—are

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distinguished for energy generation.
Gross Head
Gross head is the difference in altitude available for energy
generation. Depending on the type of turbine gross head is equal to
the following:

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 Francis turbine/Kaplan turbine: the altitude difference between
the upstream (head) and downstream (tail) water levels.
 Pelton turbine: the altitude difference between upstream water
level and the center point of the turbine runner.
 Cross-flow turbine: Cross-flow turbines are usually equipped with
a draft tube but cannot use the full vertical distance between the
turbine runner and the tailrace water level. The gross head is
equal to the vertical distance between the upstream water level
and the runner center point plus 2/3 of the distance between the
runner center point and the tailrace water level.
Neat Head
Net head is equal to gross head minus the hydraulic losses of the
waterways. Friction losses and local hydraulic losses mainly depend
on the square of flow velocity—the lower the waterway velocities,

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the lower the losses. Therefore, net head depends on the discharge
and reaches its minimum along with maximum discharge.
Depending on the type of hydropower scheme (run-of-river or HPP
with storage reservoir) the upstream level, and the tailwater level
are subject to fluctuations. For storage HPPs, upstream water level
fluctuations are more important and for run-of-river plants
downstream fluctuations are more important because for them
usually the upstream water level is maintained constant. That
means gross head fluctuates.
Neat Head
The downstream water level depends on the tailwater rating curve,
indicating the discharge/elevation relation. The higher the
discharge, the higher the water level in the riverbed downstream of

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the powerhouse.
The upstream water level depends on type of reservoir. Typically,
in run-of-river HPPs, the upstream water level is maintained at the
full supply level elevation. In large reservoirs, the upstream water
level depends on the amount of currently stored water, and can
vary by 20–30% of available head.
Tidal Energy
Form of hydropower, but uses gravitational energy, the pull of the
moon on water.

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Concept is simple.
 Build a dam across an inlet with a large tidal range, or

 Build an enclosure that can be filled during high tide.

 Capture wave energy.

 Use underwater propellers.

Tidal Energy – Propeller Systems

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Tidal Energy – Wave Systems
Air Driven Water Driven

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Tidal Energy – Issues
 Tides cycle every 12.5 hours, so daily peak production times
and slack times vary, this causes a mismatch in supply and
demand.

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 Tides vary seasonally and monthly as well.

 The tidal range is about 2 feet to about 20 feet, the higher the
tide, the more useful the energy.
 Due to low height of water and slack times in production, tidal
dams produce about 1/3rd the power of river dams.
 Tidal power is cheap, less than 1/5th the cost of fossil fuel
power.
 Wave generating systems dependent on weather.
THE END