EE 2033 – Power Systems I

Electricity Generation
Technologies
by
Dr. Lidula N. Widangama Arachchige
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

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 Power and Energy
• Power • Energy
– Rate at which energy is transferred – Energy is the ability of a system to
from one system to another (energy do work
per time) – Units of energy:
– Units of Power • Joules (J), calories (cal), kilowatt-hours
• Watt (W) (kWh), and British Thermal Units (BTU)s
• One joule of energy transferred in one • Given a quantity of energy in one set of
second is called a Watt units, one can always convert it to
– 1 W = 1 J/s another
– 1 cal = 4.186 J
– 1 Wh = 3600 J
• Electrical Energy is measured in Wh

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 Energy Resources
• A resource that can be converted by humans into other forms of
energy in order to do useful work
Energy Resources

Primary Sources of Energy Secondary Sources of Energy

Natural Sources
Renewable
Sources of Energy
-A natural resource that
replenishes in a short
time after being used
• sunlight, thermal
energy of sun, wind,
potential of water or
moving water, and
geothermal energy
convert
Converted form of energy from a
primary source of energy
• Electricity
Non-Renewable
Sources of Energy
-Energy resource that • Convenient
cannot be replenished • Efficient
(for millions of years) • Easy to control
after being used • Clean at the
-Supplies are limited consumer end
• coal, Petroleum, • Versatile
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natural gas, uranium
Electricity Generation

Conventional
Generation
Technologies

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Generation Fuel Mix in Sri Lanka, 1986–2017

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 Advantages of Large Scale Generation

• More efficient technologies can be used in the

process of energy conversion

• Efficient and reliable operation is guaranteed by a

team of expertise

• Systematic maintenance is conducted

• Polluting effects are minimized

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Hydro-electric Power Plants

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 Hydro-electric Power Generation:
Energy Transformation
Solar Energy Potential Energy Kinetic Energy Mechanical Energy Electrical Energy

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 Hydro-electric Power Generation: Advantages

• Renewable: Hydroelectricity uses the energy of running water, without

reducing its quantity, to produce electricity
• Emission Free
• Reliable
• Controllable: very acute governing is possible with water turbines and
therefore, speed (frequency) controlling is possible and load can be varied quickly
• Faster Startup Time: the plant can run-up and synchronized in few
minutes
• Low cost: no fuel is required and there is no requirement for flue gas handling
or disposal of ash, therefore, operating cost and maintenance cost is low
• Robust: longer life (around 50 years)
• Relatively high efficiency: 60 to 70%

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 Hydro-electric Power Generation:
Disadvantages
• Higher initial cost
• Long construction time
• Limited plant locations and locations being away from
load center
• Emission of carbon dioxide and methane: While the actual
electricity generation does not produce emissions, there are emissions from the
reservoirs. Plants that are at the bottom of a reservoir begin to decompose and
when plants die, they release large quantities of carbon dioxide and methane.
• Susceptible to Droughts
• Social issues: The reservoir submerges large areas, displaces large
population and creates social problems

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 Hydro-Electric Power Generation

• Potential Energy Stored, E = mgH

Where, E - energy (J)
m - mass (kg)
g – gravitational acceleration (m/s2)
H - water head (m)

𝒘𝒈𝑸𝑯
• 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓, 𝑷 = 𝜼
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎
Where, P - power (kW)
w – density of water (kg/m3)
g - acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)
Q – rate of flow of water (m3/s)
H - water head (m)
𝜼 - Overall efficiency of operation

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 Example
A Hydro-electric power station is supplied from a reservoir of capacity 3 × 107 m3
at a head of 150 m. Determine the total energy available in kWh if the overall
efficiency of the plant is 70%.
• Density of water = w = 1000 kg/m3
• Water head = H = 150 m
• Gravitational acceleration = g = 9.81 m/s2
• Efficiency = η = 0.7
• Quantity of water = Qt = 3 × 107 m3
• Electrical energy available = 𝜼𝒘𝒈𝑸𝒕𝑯
= 0.7 × 1000 × 9.81 × 3 × 107 × 150
= 3090.15 × 1010 J (or Ws)
3090.15× 1010
= kWh
60×60×1000

= 𝟖. 𝟓𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎𝟔 kWh

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Schematic Arrangement of a Large Hydro-Electric Plant

Dam
Reservoir Surge
Tank Valve
House

Pressure
Penstock
Tunnel
Power House

Tailrace

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant

• Storage:
– To store water during excess flow periods (rainy season) and
supply same during lean flow periods (dry season)
– Can be natural (lake in high mountains) or artificial (made by
constructing a dam across a river

• Dam:
– To raise water surface of the stream to create an artificial head
and to provide storage, pondage or the facility of diversion into
conduits
– The most expensive and important part of a hydro-electric plant

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant

• Forebay:
– An enlarged body of water just above the intake to store
water temporarily to meet hourly load fluctuations.
– This may either be a pond behind the diversion dam or an
enlarged section of a canal spread out to accommodate
the required widths of intake
• Spillway:
– Act as a safety valve
– This discharges the overflow water to the downstream
side when reservoir is full (mainly during flood periods)

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Water Intake:
– Consists of a gate structure at the dam/barrage to control the flow of
water and is provided with gates along with hoisting arrangement.
– These structures include trash racks and sluice gates.
• Sluice Gates:
– Normally these gates remain open and allows water to flow to the
tunnel/ channel unless the system is taken for repair and
maintenance.
• Trash Rack:
– To stop the entry of debris, which might damage the gates and turbine
runners or choking nozzles of the impulse turbines.
– It is placed across the intake.
• Pressure Tunnel:
– A passage that carries water from the reservoir to the surge tank

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Surge Tank:
– Surge take is usually available at high head large hydro-electric
power plants
– This is a small reservoir or tank in which the water level rises or
fall due to sudden changes in pressure (To avoid the positive
water hammer pressure, which could otherwise damage the
penstock)
– Water hammer is defined as the change in water pressure
rapidly above or below normal pressure caused by sudden
changes in the rate of water flow through the pipe, which is
determined by the prime mover controls based on the demand

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Valve House:
– For high head plants with long
penstock, penstock protection
valves are provided after the surge
tank to facilitate maintenance of
the penstock.
– Butterfly type valves are usually
used.
– Butterfly valves are operated
hydraulically with provision of
pressure accumulators in case of
power failure.

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Penstock:
– Penstock are the water conduits of suitable size, which connect
the surge tank to the main inlet valve.
• Main Inlet Valve (MIV):
– This is located before the turbine and allows water flow from
penstock to the turbine.
– MIV acts as a closing valve and cuts the flow of water during an
emergency trip.
– Butterfly valves are used upto 200 m water head and for water
head above 200 m Spherical valves are used

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 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Prime-mover (Water Turbine):
– Water turbines are used as the
prime-movers in hydro-electric
plants
– Turbines convert the kinetic
energy of water into mechanical
energy, which is utilized to drive
the generators to generate
electrical energy
• Generators:
– This is coupled to the water
turbine
– Salient-pole type synchronous
generators are used
– Hydro-electric generators are low-
speed machines compared to
steam turbine driven machines
– As speed of hydro generator is
low, for the same frequency, the
number of poles is high 120𝑓 Ns – Synchronous speed
𝑁𝑠 = f – Frequency
𝑝 P – Number of poles 20
 Elements of Hydro-electric Power Plant
• Draft Tube:
– Located between lower ring of the turbine and tailrace.
– Draft tube conveys the water after discharging from the turbine
runner to tailrace tunnel.
– By installing the draft tube it effectively increases the operating
water head and therefore increasing the turbine output and
efficiency
• Tailrace:
– The discharge from all the turbines is collected in the tailrace
and water will be released to a river (same or different)

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 Hydro Turbine Types

Francis
Reaction Type Fixed Blade
Propeller Type
Adjustable Blade
(Kaplan Turbine)
Pelton Wheel

Impulse Type Cross-flow

Turgo

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 Reaction vs Impulse Type Turbines
Aspects Reaction Type Impulse Type

Operation

A reaction turbine responds to the pressure (potential
energy) created by the weight of water at the base of the
head acting on one side of its blades.
A tall column of water creates a high pressure at its base
and if the water under high pressure is released through a
fine nozzle it will create a high-speed jet of water. If this
jet is directed onto a bucket-shaped paddle on a wheel it
will generate an impulse that causes the wheel to turn.

Action of water Blades are in action all the time. Blades are only in action when they are in front of nozzle.
on blades

Extent to which This type of turbine must be completely submerged to Water may be allowed to enter a part or whole of the
water fills the operate efficiently wheel circumference.
wheel/turbine

Installation unit Unit may be installed above or below the tail race use of Always installed above the tail race. No draft tube is used.
draft tube is made.

Flow regulation Flow regulated by guide vanes. Flow regulated by needle valve fitted into the nozzle.
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 Reaction Type Turbines
• Francis Turbine • Kaplan Turbine (Propeller Type)

• Fixed Blade Propeller

Type 24
 Impulse Type Turbines
• Pelton Wheel • Cross-flow

• Turgo

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 Turbine Selection

Turbine Head (H) and Other

Type Conditions for
Application
Kaplan H < 30 m
(Movable For variable load
Blade operation
Propeller)
Fixed H < 70 m
Blade For fairly constant
Propeller load operation
Francis 30 m ≤ H ≤ 200 m
Pelton H > 200 m
Wheel

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 Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants

• Hydro-electric plants can be classified according to:

– Extent of water flow regulation
– Availability of water head
– Type of load they supply
– Based on capacity

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 Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants

• Based on extent of water flow regulation

– Run-of-river plants − Reservoir power plants

Dam
Reservoir Surge
Tank Valve
House

Pressure
Penstock
Tunnel
Power House

Tailrace

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 Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants

• Based on availability of water head

Plant Head
Low head H ≤ 30 m
plants
Medium head 30 < H < 300 m
plants
High head H ≥ 300 m
plants

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 Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants
• Based on availability of water head
Low Head Medium Head High Head

Power plant is located near the
dam, and therefore, no surge
tank is required
Francis, Fixed Blade Propeller or
Kaplan Turbines are employed.
Low speed, large diameter
generators are employed
Pipes with large diameter and
short length are required
River water is tapped off to a
forebay, which acts as the
reservoir and serve the purpose
of a surge tank.
Horizontal shaft Francis, Fixed
Blade Propeller or Kaplan
Turbines are employed
Water is carried in open channel
from river to the forebay and
then to the turbines through the
Pressure tunnel, surge tank,
valve house are specific features
of a high head plant
For heads above 500 m Pelton
wheel turbines are use while for
lower heads Francis Turbines are
used
Pipes with comparatively smaller
diameter and longer length are
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required
Classification of Hydro-
electric Power Plants
• Based on type of load they
supply
Plant Detail
Base load Plants • Plants, which can take up the base portion of the load curve
• Large capacity plants
• Unit cost of energy generation must be low to consider as base
load plants
• Reservoir plants and run-off-river plants without pondage are
usually used
Peak load plants • Plants used to supply peak portion of the load curve
• Run-off-river plants with pondage are usually used. Reservoir
plants can of course be used.
• Plants have large seasonal storage
Pumped Storage • Specially designed plants
plants • Use to improve system load factor
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 Classification of Hydro-electric Power Plants

• Based on capacity

Plant Capacity (S)

Pico-hydro plants 𝑆 ≤ 5 kW

Micro-hydro plants 5 kW < 𝑆 ≤ 100 kW

Mini-hydro plants 100 kW < S ≤ 1 MW

Small-hydro 1 MW < S ≤ 15 MW

Medium-hydro plants 15 MW < S ≤ 100 MW

Large-hydro plants 𝑆 > 100 𝑀𝑊

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 Pumped Storage Plants
• Pumped storage power station is the most mature and
economic method to generate during peak and fill the
valley in the load curve by pumping water back to
reservoir during off-peak hours.

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 Videos on Hydro-electricity Generation

• https://youtu.be/rnPEtwQtmGQ
• https://youtu.be/q8HmRLCgDAI
• https://youtu.be/Lx6UfiEU3Q0
• https://youtu.be/cSUxPRv1-00

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