08 Hydroelectric Power Plants

HYDROELECTRIC POWER
PLANTS
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How Hydropower
Works
Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling

water to generate electricity.
A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water
into mechanical energy.
Then a generator converts the mechanical energy
from the turbine into electrical energy.
Parts of a Hydroelectric
Plant
Most conventional hydroelectric plants include four
major components:
Dam. Raises the water level of the river to create
falling water. Also controls the flow of water. The
reservoir that is formed is, in effect, stored energy.
Turbine. The force of falling water pushing against the
turbine's blades causes the turbine to spin. A water
turbine is much like a windmill, except the energy is
provided by falling water instead of wind. The turbine
converts the kinetic energy of falling water into
mechanical energy.
Generator. Connected to the turbine by shafts and
possibly gears so when the turbine spins it causes the
generator to spin also. Converts the mechanical
energy from the turbine into electric energy.
Generators in hydropower plants work just like the
generators in other types of power plants.
Transmission lines. Conduct electricity from the
hydropower plant to homes and business.
How Much Electricity
Can a Hydroelectric
Plant Make?
The amount of electricity a hydropower plant Amount of Water Falling. More water falling through
produces depends on two factors: the turbine will produce more power. The amount of
water available depends on the amount of water
How Far the Water Falls. The farther the water falls, flowing down the river. Bigger rivers have more
the more power it has. Generally, the distance that flowing water and can produce more energy. Power is
the water falls depends on the size of the dam. The also "directly proportional" to river flow. A river with
higher the dam, the farther the water falls and the twice the amount of flowing water as another river
more power it has. Scientists would say that the can produce twice as much energy.
power of falling water is "directly proportional" to the
distance it falls. In other words, water falling twice as
far has twice as much energy.
Generating Power
At facilities called hydroelectric powerplants,
hydropower is generated. Some powerplants are
located on rivers, streams, and canals, but for a
reliable water supply, dams are needed.
Dams store water for later release for such purposes
as irrigation, domestic and industrial use, and power
generation. The reservoir acts much like a battery,
storing water to be released as needed to generate
power.
The dam creates a “head” or height from which
water flows. A pipe (penstock) carries the water
from the reservoir to the turbine. The fast-moving
water pushes the turbine blades, something like a
pinwheel in the wind.
The waters force on the turbine blades turns the
rotor, the moving part of the electric generator.
When coils of wire on the rotor sweep past the
generators stationary coil (stator), electricity is
produced.
Generating Power
This concept was discovered by Michael Faraday in

1831 when he found that electricity could be
generated by rotating magnets within copper coils.
When the water has completed its task, it flows on
unchanged to serve other needs.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
❖
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Capacity
Large: > 100 MW
Medium: 25 – 100 MW
Small: 1 – 25 MW
Mini: 100 kW – 1 MW
Micro: 5 – 100 kW
Pico: < 5 kW
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Head
LOW HEAD
Low head hydro power applications use
river current or tidal flows of 30 meters or
less to produce energy.
These applications do not need to dam or
retain water to create hydraulic head, the
head is only a few meters.
Using the current of a river or the
naturally occurring tidal flow to create
electricity may provide a renewable
energy source that will have a minimal
impact on the environment.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
MEDIUM HEAD
A power station operating under heads from 30
m to 300 m.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
HIGH HEAD
A power station operating under heads above about 300 m.
A head of 200 m/250 m is considered as the limit between medium and high head power stations
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Hydrological Relation

SINGLE STAGE- When the run off from a single
hydropower plant is diverted back into river or for
any other purpose other than power generation,
the setup is known as Single Stage.
CASCADE SYSTEM- When two or more hydropower
plants are used in series such that the runoff
discharge of one hydro power plant is used as the
as an intake discharge of the second hydro power
plant such a system is known as CASCADE
hydropower plant.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Purpose
SINGLE PURPOSE: When the whole sole purpose of

a project is to produce electricity then such a
project is known as a Single Purpose Hydro Power
Project.
MULTIPURPOSE : When the water used in

hydropower project is to be used for other
purposes like irrigation, flood control or fisheries
then such a project is known as Multi-Purpose
Hydro Power Project.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Facility

Type
RUN-OF-RIVER TYPE
These are hydro power plants
that utilize the stream flow as it
comes without any storage being
provided.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
STORAGED (RESERVOIR) TYPE
Hydropower plants with storage are supplied with
water from large storage reservoir that have been
developed by constructing dams across rivers.
Assured flow for hydro power generation is more
certain for the storage schemes than the run-of-
river schemes.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
PUMPED STORAGE TYPE

Pumped storage type hydropower plants are
those which utilize the flow of water from a
reservoir at higher potential to one at lower
potential.
During off-peak hours, the reversible units are
supplied with the excess electricity available in the
power grid which then pumps part of the water of
the tail-water pond back into the head-water
pond.
Classification of
Hydropower Plants
Classification According to Transmission System

ISOLATED: Whenever a hydropower plant is set up
in a remote area in order to meet the local
demands then such a hydropower plant is known
as Isolated System.
CONNECTED TO GRID: Whenever the hydropower

plant is set up to meet the demands of areas which
are at a fair distance from the plant, then the
transmission of power takes through the grid
system. Such a setup is referred to as Connected to
grid.
Turbines
Hydraulic turbines may be defined as prime movers
that transform the kinetic energy of the falling water
into mechanical energy of rotation and whose
primary function is to drive a electric generator.
There are two main types of hydro turbines: impulse

and reaction. The type of hydropower turbine
selected for a project is based on the height of
standing water—referred to as "head"—and the
flow, or volume of water, at the site. Other deciding
factors include how deep the turbine must be set,
efficiency, and cost.
IMPULSE TURBINE
The impulse turbine generally uses the velocity of the
water to move the runner and discharges to
atmospheric pressure. The water stream hits each
bucket on the runner.
There is no suction on the down side of the turbine,
and the water flows out the bottom of the turbine
housing after hitting the runner.
An impulse turbine is generally suitable for high
head, low flow applications.
IMPULSE TURBINE -
PELTON
A pelton wheel has one or more free jets

discharging water into an aerated space and
impinging on the buckets of a runner. Draft
tubes are not required for impulse turbine
since the runner must be located above the
maximum tailwater to permit operation at
atmospheric pressure.
REACTION TURBINE
A reaction turbine develops power from the

combined action of pressure and moving water.
The runner is placed directly in the water stream
flowing over the blades rather than striking each
individually.
Reaction turbines are generally used for sites
with lower head and higher flows than compared
with the impulse turbines.
REACTION TURBINE -
PROPELLER
A propeller turbine generally has a runner with

three to six blades in which the water contacts all
of the blades constantly. Picture a boat propeller
running in a pipe. Through the pipe, the pressure
is constant; if it isn't, the runner would be out of
balance. The pitch of the blades may be fixed or
adjustable. The major components besides the
runner are a scroll case, wicket gates, and a draft
tube.
REACTION TURBINE -
KAPLAN
Both the blades and the wicket gates are
adjustable, allowing for a wider range of
operation.
REACTION TURBINE -
FRANCIS
A Francis turbine has a runner with fixed buckets
(vanes), usually nine or more. Water is introduced
just above the runner and all around it and then
falls through, causing it to spin. Besides the runner,
the other major components are the scroll case,
wicket gates, and draft tube.
Turbines
Performance of Hydro-
Electric Power Plant
Gross Head = Hg = difference between headwater Net Head or Effective Head = H = Hg – Hf

and tailwater elevation
Friction Head Loss = Hf Penstock Efficiency = H / Hg
L V2
Hf = f
D 2g Flow Equation = Q = AV
where: where:
f = coefficient of friction Q = volume flow rate
L = total length of pipe A = cross-sectional area
V = velocity V = velocity
g = 9.81 m/s2 or 32.2 ft/s2 Water Power = QH
D = inside diameter
where  = specific weight of water = 9.81 kN/m3 =
62.4 lb/ft3
Turbine Output = QHt Head of Pelton (Impulse) Turbine

where nt = turbine efficiency p V2
H= +
Generator Output = QHte  2g
where e = electrical or generator efficiency where:
Generator speed, N = 120f/p V = velocity of jet
where: p = inlet gage pressure
N = speed, rpm g = 9.81 m/s2 or 32.2 ft/s2
f = frequency (usually 60 Hz)
p = number of poles (divisible by 4) Head of Reaction (Francis and Kaplan) Turbine
p VA2 − VB2
Utilized head = Hw = Hh H= +Z+
 2g
where h = hydraulic efficiency
Peripheral coefficient or relative speed for Pelton Specific Speed of Hydraulic Turbine
wheel
N HP
DN Ns =
=
5
2gH H 4
where:
Where:
D = diameter of runner
N = speed, rpm
N = speed of runner
H = head, ft
g = 9.81 m/s2 or 32.2 ft/s2
H = net head HP = horsepower
Solved Problems
Problem No. 1 Energy Output = QHt x Time
A hydro-electric plant having 50 sq. km reservoir 13.5 x 106 = (9.81)(Q)(100)(0.75)(5)
area and 100 m head is used to generate power. Q = 3670 m3/s
The energy utilized by the consumers whose load In 5 hours, the volume of water consumed is
is connected to the power plant during a five-hour
period is 13.5 x 106 kwhr. The overall generation V = 3670 x 5 x 3600 = 66,060,000 m3
efficiency is 75%. Find the fall in the height of
water in the reservoir after 5-hour period. Volume = Area x Height
Given: 66,060,000 = (50 x 106)(h)
Reservoir Area = 50 sq km = 50 x 106 sq m h = 1.32 m (fall in the height of water) (answer)
Head = 100 m
Energy Output in 5 hrs = 13.5 x 106 kwhr
Overall generation efficiency = 0.75
Required:
Fall in the height of water
Solution:
Let Q = volume flow rate in m3/s
Solved Problems
Problem No. 2 Required:
A vertical draft tube is installed on a Francis turbine Power output of the turbine
and the total head to the center of the spiral casing Solution:
at the inlet is 38 meters and velocity of water at the
inlet is 5 m/s. The discharge is 2.1 cu. m/s. The
hydraulic efficiency is 0.87 and overall efficiency is
0.84. The velocities at the inlet and exit of the draft
tube are 5 m/s and 1.5 m/s, respectively. The top of
the draft is 1 m below the centerline of the spiral
casing while the tailrace (water) level is 3 meters
from the top of the draft tube. There is no velocity
of whirl at either top or bottom of the draft tube p VA2 − VB2
H= +Z+
and leakage losses are negligible. What is the  2g
power output of the turbine in kW?
(5)2 − (1.5)2
Given: H = 38 + 4 + = 43.16 m
2(9.81)
VA = 5 m/s, P/ = 38 m
Q = 2.1 m3/s, h = 0.87 Turbine Output = QHo
o = 0.84, VB = 1.5 m/s = (9.81)(2.1)(43.16)(0.84)
Z=1+3=4m = 746.9 kW (answer)
Solved Problems
Problem No. 3
A Pelton Wheel is to be designed to run at 300 rpm
under an effective head of 150 m. The ratio of the
nozzle diameter to the diameter of the pitch circle
is 1/12. Assuming efficiency of 84%, what is the size
of the wheel in meters? Assume speed ratio of
0.45.
Given:
 = 0.45, N = 300 rpm
H = 150 m,
Required: D = size of the wheel
Solution:
DN
=
2gH
D
300 

0.45 =  60 
2(9.81)(150)
D = 1.554 m (answer)
Solved Problems
Problem No. 4 Solution:
Calculate the power that can be developed from a
Q=
(100 km2 )(1000 m km)2 (1.17 m)(0.82)
hydro-electric power plant or station having the (365 days yr )(24 hrs day )(3600 sec hr )
following data:
Q = 3.04 m3 s
Catchment area 100 sq km
Average annual rainfall 117 cm Water Power
Run-off 82%
WP = QH
Available head 375 m
WP = (9.81)(3.04)(375)
Overall station efficiency 77%
Given: WP = 11,183.4 kW
Catchment area 100 sq km kW Output = oWP = 0.77(11,183.4)
Average annual rainfall 117 cm kW Output = 8611.2 kW (answer)
Run-off 82%
Available head 375 m
Overall station efficiency 77%
Required:
Power Developed
Solved Problems
Problem No. 5
A supply of water is available at a head of 65
meters. It is proposed to build a turbine to
operate at 150 rpm and this turbine is expected
to develop 41.7 MW. What type of turbine would
you suggest?
Given:
H = 65 m
N = 150 rpm
P = 41.7 MW
Required: Specific speed, Ns
Solution:
P = (41,700 kW)(1 hp / 0.746 kW) = 55,898 hp
H = 65 m = 214 ft
N P (150) 55,898
Ns = =
(214)4
5 5
H 4
Ns = 43.33
Referring to the table on hydraulic turbines for H
= 65 m, Ns = 43.33
Use Francis turbine (answer)

08 Hydroelectric Power Plants

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08 Hydroelectric Power Plants

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HYDROELECTRIC POWER

Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling

This concept was discovered by Michael Faraday in

Classification According to Hydrological Relation

SINGLE PURPOSE: When the whole sole purpose of

MULTIPURPOSE : When the water used in

Classification According to Facility

PUMPED STORAGE TYPE

Classification According to Transmission System

CONNECTED TO GRID: Whenever the hydropower

There are two main types of hydro turbines: impulse

A pelton wheel has one or more free jets

A reaction turbine develops power from the

A propeller turbine generally has a runner with

Gross Head = Hg = difference between headwater Net Head or Effective Head = H = Hg – Hf

Turbine Output = QHt Head of Pelton (Impulse) Turbine

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