Hydropower

Tail race

Draft tube
 Intake

Generator
turbine
Introduction
 Multipurpose reservoir projects has their main aim at
Municipal drinking water supply, irrigation and
hydropower besides other benefits

 Hydropower is generated by the conversion of the

potential energy of high head water into electrical energy

 Water made to run to fall on blades of turbine to run

them

 Hydraulic energy is converted into mechanical energy

which in turn is converted into electrical energy
 The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest
hydro-electric power station by total capacity: its
total capacity will be 22,500 MW. It will have 32
generators in total, each with a capacity of 700
MW. Fourteen are installed in the north side of the
dam, twelve in the south side and the remaining
six in the underground power plant in the
mountain south of the dam. After completion, the
expected annual electricity generation would be
about 84.7 TWh, making the dam the second
largest hydroelectric plant in the world by
generation, after the Itaipu dam in South America
and largest by capacity (92.6 TWh).
(At present TGD is the first in the world)
Itaipu dam
 In the original plan, it was expected to
provide 10% of electricity consumption in
China. However, China’s demand for
electricity has increased at a higher rate
than was planned, and if fully operational
now, it would support about 3% of the total
electricity consumption in China.
View of Three gorges
Dam (TGD)
Flood
control
(first
objective)
Navigation
(second
objective)
Power
Production
(Third
objective)
Remarkable Power Generation Benefit
The Three Gorges Hydropower Plant (TGHP) contains twenty-six turbine-
generator units, each with installed capacity of 700MW, not including the six
more 700MW units in the Right Bank Underground Powerhouse under
construction. Its total installed capacity amounts to 18200MW, and its expected
annual average power generation accounts up to 84.7 TWH, so the TGHP
ranks the biggest one in the world with remarkable power generation benefit. At
present, TGHP electricity is sent unceasingly to Central China, East China,
Guangdong, and Chongqing with the maximum transmission range of 1000
Km.
 Major Parameters of the TGHP units and other power plants

Three Gorges
Grand Coulee Itaipu Guri Krasnoyarsk
Parameters Project
U.S.A. Brazil/Paraguay Venezuela Russia
CHINA

Turbine

Maximum Head(m) 113.0 108.2 126.7 146 100.5

Rated Head(m) 80.6 86.9 112.9 130 93

Minimum Head(m) 71.0(61.0) 67.0 82.9 111 76

Rated Output (MW) 710 612/716 715 610 508

Maximum Output(MW) 852 827 740/808 730 508(505)

Rated Spinning Speed(r/min) 75 85.7 90.9/92.3 112.5 93.8

Runner Diameter(m) 9.525(9.800) 9.86/9.22 8.45 7.163 7.5

Generator

Rated Capacity(MW) 778 718 823.6/737.0 700 500

Maximum Capacity(MW) 840 710/825.6 823.6/766 805

Frequency(Hz) 50 60 50/60 60 50

Water Cooling of Water Cooling of Water Cooling of Water Cooling of

Cooling Air Cooling
Statar Statar Statar Statar

Rated Voltage(KV) 20 15 18±5% 18 15.75

Insulation Levels F B F B

Thrust Load(t) 4,050(4,100) 4,700 4,056&4,400 2,667

Inner Diameter of Stator(m) 18,500(18,800) 18,790 16,000 13,650 16,100

Classification of Hydropower plants
 Classification based on Hydraulic
characteristics
 Classification based on Unit capacity
 Classification based on Available head
 Classification based on location
 Classification based on Functional basis
 Classification based on Nature of project
Classification based on
Hydraulic characteristics
 Run-of-River river plant
 Storage plant
 Cascade plant
 Pumped storage plant
Runoff river plant

 Generate electricity with stream flow

 River should be perennial

 Little or no storage provided

 Rarely economical
Storage plant
Substantial water storage is provided
Sr.No. Type of Power station Operating head
(m)
(i) High head Over 300
(ii) Medium head 30-300
(iii) Low head Less than 30
Cascade plant
 Available water is utilizes more than once in a
series to utilize available drop in head

Pumped storage plant

 It is a peak head plant in which power is
generated during the period of peak load

 Water is pumped back to the reservoir into upper

reservoir during low energy demand
Classification based on Unit capacity

Sr No. Type Unit size

(i) Micro 1 to 100 kw

(ii) Mini 101 to 1000 kW

(iii) Macro 1001 kW to 5MW

(iv) Small Upto 15 MW

(v) Large Above 15 MW

Classification based on
Available head

 High head plant

Operates under a head of more than 300 m

 Medium head plant

Operates under head 30 to 300 m

 Low head plant

Operates under head less than 30 m
Classification based on location

 Surface power plant

Also termed as overground

 Underground power plant

Power plant built underground i.e. located
in the cavity in the hill with no part of the
structure exposed to outside
Classification based on
Functional basis

 Base load plant

 Designed to run at uniform load and generates
nearly constant power for long period
 Generally large capacity plant

 Peak load plant

 Plants which runs at peaking capacity at during
peak hours only
 Works for a few hours of a day
Classification based on Nature
of project

 Power project
 In mountainous regions, hydro electric station
are constructed for electric energy only
 Long transmission lines are requires
 Construction is expensive

 Multi purpose project

 Power is generated besides other functions such
as irrigation, flood control, public water supply
etc.
Requirement of water for hydel
power
 Two basic element
 River or stream flow
 Available head or fall
Let discharge of Q m3/s falls through a net height
of H meters

Rate of work done = QωH kg-m/s

Horse power generated = QωH / 75
= 13.33 QH
taking ω = 1000kg/m3
and metric H.P. = 75kg-m/s
Actual H.P. generated = 13.33 QHη
η= overall efficiency

Electrical energy =
13.33 QHη X 0.736 kilowatts
(taking 1 metric H.P. =736 watts)
= 9.8 QHη kilowatts
= 8 QH
(taking η = 80%)
Definitions
Firm power
Minimum continuous power which can be
generated throughout the year

Secondary power
Additional power over and above the firm power

Installed capacity
Total generating capacity of all turbines
generator units installed
 Dependable capacity
Load carrying capacity of power plant
determined by power factor, capability and the
load on the power plant

 Load factor
Ratio of the average load over a certain period
to the peak load during the same period

 Utilization factor
Ratio of the water actually utilized for power
generation in the plant to that available water in
the river
 Plant factor
Ratio of the average output to the installed
capacity of the power plant

 Power factor
Ratio of the actual power (in kilowatts kW) to
the apparent power (in kilo volt amperes KVA)

 Gross head
Maximum water head between elevations of the
reservoir water level and the tail race water
level
 Net head
Effective head available for power generation
(total head – all losses in the water conductor
system, including penstock)
 Design head
Head at which the turbine installed in the power
plant is design to give maximum efficiency

 Rated head
Head at which the turbine produces the rated
output at the rated speed and full gate opening
Hydro Vs Thermal power
Turbines
 Hydraulic machines – converts
hydraulic energy into mechanical
energy
 Impulse turbine
 Energy available is only kinetic energy
 Pressure is atmospheric pressure from inlet
to outlet
Turbines
 Reaction turbine
 Energy available
is pressure
energy and
kinetic energy
 Water flows
through the
runner under
pressure
 Inward flow
 Outward flow
According to the direction of flow
through runner
 Tangential flow turbine
 Radial flow turbine
 Axial flow turbine
 Mixed flow turbine
According to the head at the inlet
of turbines
 High head turbine
 Medium head turbines
 Low head turbines
According to the specific speed of
the turbine
 Low specific speed turbine
 Medium specific speed turbine
 High specific speed turbine
Some of famous turbines – Pelton
wheel
 Tangential flow impulse turbine
Francis turbine
 Radial flow turbine
Kaplan turbine
 Inward flow reaction turbine
Selection of a turbine
Lift irrigation schemes =

Turbines-1
Hydraulics
 In lift irrigation schemes
 Electrical energy to mechanical energy to
hydraulic energy
Self study
 Design and construction of Power
house
 Surge analysis in penstocks
 Surge analysis in pumping schemes
 Alternative energy
 Small hydro power plants – portable?