Tutorial 1 (Small Hydro)

EET 431 Electrical Energy System

 Question 1

The State of Sarawak wants to install a small hydropower to

provide electricity. A stream of treated wastewater runs down
a hill to Sarawak shoreline where it can construct a simple
hydropower installation. The effective head (H) is 25.0 meters
and water flows (Q) through the system at a rate of 0.50 m3/s.
The hydropower has a working efficiency of 85%.

• Calculate the power can be generated with this

system per year.
• Determine the total houses should this energy support
(assuming an average community consumption of
12,000 kWh per year per house).
5 marks
Answer
 Question 2
A dam lies across a river and holds back a reservoir
of water producing a head of water for power
production of 100m. All the river flow passes
through the turbines. In a typical year, 1 TWh of
electricity is produced.
• If the volumetric flow rate of water is 150 m3/s,
calculate the overall efficiency for the
turbine/generator.
• When the river is running high, the power generated is
300 MW. Assuming constant efficiency, calculate the
mass flow rate, m’, in these conditions.
5 marks
Answer
Question 3
Estimate the volume flow rate, Q, and mass flow
rate, m’, of water flowing in a river whose
channel is roughly rectangular with a depth of 0.6
m and width of 4 m and which has flow speed of
0.85 m/s. Use water density as 1000 kg/m3.

A weir on the river provides a working head of 1.4

m for a turbine/generator. If one third of the river
flow could be diverted through turbine, estimate
the electrical power that could be generated.
Assume the efficiency of 75%.

5 marks
Answer