Professional Documents
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(AIUB)
Hydro Electric Power
Station
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Hydro Power
Hydro-electric power is the power obtained from the energy of falling water where
as hydro-electric power plant is the power plant utilizing the potential energy of water at
a high level for the generation of electrical energy.
Hydro-electric power plants, however, can not be located everywhere. Firstly there
must be an ample quantity of water at sufficient head and secondly a suitable site must
be available. The amount of power that can be developed depends on the quantity of
water available, the rate at which it is available, the head etc. The electrical power, P
developed is given by the expression:
P = w Q H η × 9.81 watts
➢No fuel is required by such plants as water is the source of energy. Hence
operating costs are low and there are no problems of handling and storage of fuels
and disposal of ash.
➢The plant is highly reliable and it is cheapest in operation and maintenance.
➢The plant can be run up and synchronized in a few minutes.
➢The load can be varied quickly and the rapidly changing load demands can be
met without any difficulty.
➢Very acute governing is possible with water turbines so such power plants have
constant speed and hence constant frequency.
➢There are no standby losses in such plants.
➢Such plants are robust and have got longer life (around 50 years).
➢The efficiency of such plants does not fall with the age.
➢It is very neat and clean plant because no smoke or ash is produced.
➢Highly skilled engineers are required only at the time of construction but later on
only a few experienced persons will be required.
➢Such plants in addition to generation of electric power also serve other purposes
such as irrigation and flood control.
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Demerits of Hydro-electric Power Plants
However, the hydro-electric power plants have the following demerits also:
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Site Selection of Hydro-electric Power Plants
The hydro-electric power plant is only a small part of the whole project. The
power station should be near the dam and storage reservoir. Such a location
reduces the length of the penstock and the loss of head in the penstock. In
view of this, several structures such as dam, intake, surge tank, power house
are involved in the site selection.
The essential requirements for hydro-schemes are: large catchment areas, high
rainfall, step gradients, favorable site for reservoir, solid sub-soil etc.
Many factors have to be considered in the selection but the following are the
most important:
➢ Availability of water
➢ Water storage
➢ Head of water
➢ Geological investigation
➢ Water pollution
➢ Sedimentation
➢ Environmental effects
➢ Access to site
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Hydrograph:
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Hydrograph:
2500 2500
2000 2000
1500 1500
RUN OFF in m3/sec
500 500
0 J F M A M J J A S A N D 0 J F M A M J J A S A N D
MONTHS MONTHS
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Flow Duration Curve
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Mass Curve
A mass curve indicates the total volume of
run off in cubic metre up to a certain
time. The abscissa can be a day, month
12000
or year. The slope of the curve at any
point shows the rate of flow at that time. 10000
If the rainfall is uniform throughout the
year, the mass curve will be straight 8000
line having a uniform slope. Mass
curves are used in estimating the
Second-meter-months
6000
capacity of storage reservoir in hydro-
projects. 4000
The ordinate of mass curve can also be
plotted in terms of second-metre-day or 2000
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PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
1. A hydro-electric power plant operates under an effective head of 50 m
and a discharge of 94 m3/sec. Determine the power developed.
[46.107 MW]
DAM VALVE
HOUSE
PRESSURE TUNNEL
PENSTOCK
POWER HOUSE
TAIL
RACE
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Schematic Arrangement of a Hydro-
Electric Power Plant
PENSTOCK
just before the valve house for better regulation of water pressure in
the system. From the reservoir the water is carried to valve house through
pressure tunnel and from valve house to the water turbine through pipes of
large diameter made of steel or reinforced concrete, called the penstock. The
water turbine converts hydraulic energy into mechanical energy and the
alternator coupled to the water turbine converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy. Water after doing useful work is discharged to the tail race. 31
Important Elements of a Hydro-Electric
Power Plant
A hydro-electric plant consists of a reservoir for storage of water, a diversion dam,
an intake structure for controlling and regulating the flow of water, a conduit
system to carry the water from the intake to the water wheel, the turbines
coupled with generators, the draft tube for conveying water from water wheel to
the tailrace, the tailrace and a power house i.e. is the building to contain the
turbines, generators, the accessories and other miscellaneous items. Few of these
elements are discussed below:
➢Storage Reservoir
➢Dam
➢Forebay
➢Spillway
➢Intake
➢Surge Tank
➢Penstock
➢Tail Race
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
The hydro-electric power plants may be classified according to (i) the extent of
water flow regulation available (ii) the availability of water head and (iii) the
type of load they supply.
(i) According to the extent of water flow regulation available the hydro-electric
power plants may be classified into:
• Run-off River Power Plants without Pondage
• Run-off River Power Plants with Pondage
• Reservoir Power Plants
(iii) According to the load supplied the hydro-electric power plants may be
classified into:
• Base Load Plants
• Peak Load Plants
• Pumped Storage Power Plants for Peak Load
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
They feed the base load of the system. Thus they supply almost
constant load throughout and operate on a high load factor.
Base plants are usually of large capacity. Run-off river power
plants without pondage and reservoir power plants are used as
base load plants. For a plant to be used as base load plant, the
unit cost of energy generated by the plant should be low.
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
HEAD
WATER
POND
PENSTOCK
POWER
HOUSE,
TURBINES
AND PUMPS
TAIL
WATER
POND DAM
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
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Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
Pumped Storage Power Plants for Peak Load:
In the older plants separate motor driven pumps and turbine driven generators
were used. A recent development is a reversible turbine pump. Francis
turbine, which is just the reverse of Centrifugal pump, is normally used.
During peak loads, the turbine drives the alternator and the plant generates
electrical energy. During low loads, the alternator runs as a motor and drives
the turbine which now works as a pump for pumping the water into the head
water pond. This arrangement reduces the capital cost of the plant. The power
for driving the motor is taken from the system.
The efficiency of the plant is around 60 to 70 percent. Some water may
evaporate from the head water pond resulting in the reduction in the stored
energy or there might be run off through the soils. Also there will be some
energy loss in generating and pumping equipment and in power transmission.
Such plant can be operated only in inter-connected systems where other types
of generating plants, such as steam, nuclear, hydro, diesel plants, are available.
In carrying the peak loads of the system, such plants reduces the operating
costs of the steam or nuclear plants working in combination with them by
improving the load factor of the steam or nuclear plant and added capacity to
meet peak loads
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Advantages of Pumped Storage Power Plants
Pumped storage power plants have some very
important advantages. Some of these are given below:
➢ Peak loads can be supplied at lower cost than that when
supplied by steam and nuclear power plants.
➢ The steam and nuclear power plants can be operated at almost
unity load factor which ensures their most efficient and
economic operation.
➢ Because of their ability to take up loads in a very short time
(pumped storage plants need a starting time of only 2-3 seconds
and can be loaded fully in about 15 seconds), the spinning
reserve requirement of the system is reduced.
➢ In the event of extra demand coming up suddenly on the
system, such plants can be immediately switched on to meet
this extra demand.
➢ They can be used for load frequency control.
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