The Way It Works

1)
Potential
4)
Electrical

2)
Kinetic

3)
Mechanical

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECTS

Hydroelectric power 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. It is
primarily the type & layout of the components, which leads
uniqueness to each project. Three basic elements are necessary in
order to generate power from water: a means of creating head, a
conduit to convey water and a power plant.
River Diversion Structures
Dam
Spillway
Desilting Arrangements
Power Intake Structure
Headrace Tunnel/Channel
Surge Shaft
Penstock
Power house
Tailrace Tunnel/Channel
Hydro mechanical works such as Gates, Hydraulic hoists
Electromechanical works

COMPONENTS OF HYDRO POWER PROJECTS

Tail Race

Reservoir

COMPONENTS
OF
Dam / Barrage

Intake

HYDROELECTRIC
PROJECT

Water Conductor

Penstock

Power House

Surge Shaft

Types of Hydroelectric Power Schemes

Reservoir Scheme

Pump Storage Scheme

Run of River Scheme

Rockfill dam

Rock

Clay core

Rock

Power House
Power House is a building housing the turbines,
generator, control and protection equipments' and
other auxiliaries for operating the machines. A
Power House has following components in general,
for which hydel civil design should make adequate
arrangements;
Spiral case and wicket gates
Turbine
Draft tube
Tail Race Channel / Tunnel
Generator
Governors
Buswork, circuit breakers
Transformers
Switchyard
Auxiliary equipment

Trash racks
Trash rack is a screen provided at the
intake to prevent entry of floating debris like
grass, leaves, trees, timber etc., into the
water conductor system. Each screen
consists of vertical trash bars welded to
space bars consisting of flat/channel
sections.

Intake Structure
A water intake must be able to
divert the required amount of water
into the power canal or into the
penstock without producing a
negative impact on the local
environment and with the minimum
possible headloss.

Components of Intake Structure

Trash rack
Trash rack supporting structure
Stop logs & control gates
Anti-vortex arrangements
Bell mouth & transition

Stop logs and control gates

Stop logs and control gates are
provided for regulation of flow into the
water conductor system. Stop logs are
used when the intake gate needs
maintenance and repairs. Grooves for
stop logs and gates are provided
generally in the intake body or piers.

Bell Mouth and transitions

The entrance is shaped in the form of
a bell mouth so as to have a smooth
flow and reduced losses. As already
mentioned, the intake may be inclined
or vertical with respect to the dam
axis.

Surge Shaft / Tank

Surge Tank is provided in water conductor
system primarily to reduce the surge pressure
to be considered in the design of penstock /
pressure shaft. This economizes the design of
penstock / pressure shaft justifying the extra
cost in the provision of Surge Tank.

Penstock / Pressure Shaft

Conveys water from the intake structure to the
powerhouse A canal, pipe, or tunnel is required, where
the powerhouse is separated from the intake. A
penstock may be several miles long at diversion-type
projects. The remainder of the penstock, where most of
the drop in elevation occurs, would be a pressurized
tunnel or pipe. Because the cost of a pressurized tunnel
or pipe is much greater than that of a low-pressure
tunnel or pipe, it is usually desirable to minimize the
length of the high-pressure penstock.

Rammam Hydel Project, West

Bengal

Rammam Hydel Project, West

Bengal

Khandong Penstock Project, Assam

Chandil Dam Penstock, Bihar

Spillway

Spillway is to discharge surplus flow without damage to

the dam, powerhouse, or riverbed below the dam. The
most common type of spillway is the overflow. To permit
maximum use of storage volume, movable gates are
sometimes installed above the crest to control discharge.

Stilling Basin / Flip Bucket

Energy dissipation arrangement

Desilting Chamber / Basin

Most of the rivers carry heavy sediment load either in
suspension or as bed load. The suspended load,
especially the sharp edged fine sand (quartz) transported
by rivers in hilly terrain causes rapid wear of turbine runner
blades / buckets due to abrasion. This abrasion tendency
increases with the head. In course of time, this may result
in shut down of units for considerable duration thereby,
causing enormous loss of power and revenue. Therefore,
it is necessary to provide necessary arrangements for
exclusion of sediments from the water.

Cross- sectional view of

Turbine Generator
assembly

GEN SEC

Turbine- converts the potential energy of water into

mechanical energy, which in turn drives the generator.
TYPE OF
TURBINE
KAPLAN
FRANCIS
PELTON
REVERSIBLE
BULB

MACHINING OF RUNNERS

Bulb generators
32.6 MVA
78.9 rpm
76 poles
10.5 kV

Spiral case and wicket gates- to direct and control the water
entering the turbine runner. The spiral case is a steel-lined conduit
connected to the penstock or intake conduit, and it distributes flow
uniformly into the turbine. Wicket gates are adjustable vanes that
surround the turbine runner entrances and they control the area
available for water to enter the turbine.

National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd.

BUTTERFLY VALVE

ASSEMBLY OF MIV

Draft tube- conveys the water from the discharge side of the turbine to the tailrace.
It is designed to minimize exit losses.
Tail Race Channel / Tunnel
The Channel/ Tunnel, through which the water returns to the river after passing
through the turbine is called Tail Race Channel / Tunnel. This is the last leg of the
journey of water to watts. Its design as a channel / Tunnel follows the same
principles as in the case of Head Race Channel / Tunnel, except that often it has
reverse slope. Another important criteria in design of Tail Race Channel / Tunnel is
the determination of Tail water Level, which actually determines the net available
head, and therefore, power generation potential.
Generator converts the mechanical power produced by the turbine into electrical
power. The two major components of the generator are the rotor and stator, The rotor is
the rotating assembly, which is attached by a connecting shaft to the turbine, and the
stator is the fixed portion of the generator.

Governors- regulates the speed and output of turbine-generator units by controlling the
wicket gates to adjust water flow through the turbine.

Gate Radial gate is to regulate the flow / discharge.

Vertical gates can be lowered or raised through a

tunnel, or across its entrance, to control the flow of

water through it. Gates are often constructed from steel.

A vertical gate
stored in the top of a
while

tower
water is
flowing through the
outlet below

The gate hoisting gear on

a floor above the gate

WICKET GATES
AND RUNNER

SPIRAL
CASE
WITH
GUIDE
VANES

Radial Gate Srisailam project

Radial Gate Srisailam project

High Pressure Radial Gate & Hydraulic

Hoist Beas Project

Vertical Slide Gate Tenom Pangi HEP,

Malaysia

SPIRAL CASE AND STAY RING

Spiral Case Inlet Dia
Spiral Case Largest Dia.
Distance b/w Spiral case inlet axis & unit axis
Stay Ring height
Internal Dia. Of stay vanes
No. of Stay vanes
Spiral case volume
weight of spiral case
Weight of stay ring

4.68m
4.68m
5.62m
~2.0m
6.015m
20
500m3
240 Tons
70Tons

Distributor

Pitch Diameter
Wicket gate length
Wicket gate height
Distributor central line elevation
No. of wicket gates
No. of upper guide bearing
Wicket gate max. thickness
Weight of guide bearing

5.284m
0.91m
0.021m
498m
20
0.162m
10 tons

Main shaft

Outside diameter
Inside diameter
Length
4.53m
Weight
45 Tons

0.17m
0.25m

MACHINING OF SHAFT

Lubricating & Governing oil

Volume of guide bearing lubrication oil
Volume of governing oil

2.0 m2
10.0m2

MAIN INLET VALVE

No. of valves
Type of valves
Outlet diameter
Max. overflow to cut off
turbine discharge
Maximum overpressure
Opening & Closing time

4
butterfly, lattice
5000mm
110% of max
220 m.w.c.
about 60sec

DISCUSSION