Hydroelectric power

plants

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Hydrology
 Hydrology deals with the occurrence and distribution of water over the
surface of the earth.
 Water cycle generally consists of evaporation from seas/oceans and
precipitation/Rainfall in the form of rain and snowfall.

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Hydroelectric Power Plants
A generating plant which utilizes the potential energy of water at higher level for
the generation of electrical energy is known as hydro-electric power plant.

 These plants are generally located in hilly areas where dam can be built
easily and large water reservoir can be obtained.

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Hydroelectric Power Plants
 Inhydroelectric power stations, water head is created by constructing a dam
across a river and lake.
 Water is taken from the reservoir through intake and then through the
penstock to the turbine.
 Energy in the form of pressure is converted into kinetic energy at the turbine
shaft.

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Hydroelectric Power Plants
 Turbinedrives the alternator, which converts the mechanical energy ( kinetic
energy at the shaft ) into the electrical energy.

 Electricalpower output is then transmitted to the consumers by transmission

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Hydroelectric Power Plants
 Electrical
power that can be obtained from hydraulic power can be
determined mathematically as,

Where,
Q = discharge in cubic meter/ sec.
n = turbine and Generator efficiency.
h = water head in meters
w = water density = 1000 kg/cubic meter

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Classification Of Hydroelectric
power Plants

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Classification Of Hydroelectric power Plants
 These are classified into following categories,

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Run-off River Plant Without Pondage
 In this plant, the water is taken from the river directly and no pondage or
storage is possible.

 They can not be used at any time at will.

 The capacity of such plants is low if supply of water is not uniform

 They can be used as base load power plants which have to supply power
to practically constant loads.

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Run-off River Plant With Pondage
 Plants having pondage or storage are known as run-off river plants
with pondage.
 Pondage is the storage at the plant which makes it possible to cope,
hour to hour, with fluctuations of load throughout a week or some
longer period depending upon the size of pondage.
 These plants can be used as peak load plants.

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Reservoir Or Storage Plants
 When water is stored behind the dam and is available to the hydroelectric
plant with control as required, then the plant will have better capacity and
can be used efficiently throughout the year.

 The majority of hydroelectric power plants are of this type.

 These plants can be used either as base load plant or peak load plant.

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Reservoir Or Storage Plants

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Pumped Storage Plants
 In this plant, the water after passing through the turbine is pumped back
from the tail race to upper reservoir.

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Pumped Storage Plants
 If there is shortage of water at particular plant location and if it is possible
to have ponds at the head water and tail water locations, then water after
passing through the turbine may be pumped back from the tail race pond
to the head water pond.

 During peak load. Water is drawn from head water pond through the
penstock to operate the turbine.

 During off peak period, water is pumped back to the higher level.

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Pumped Storage Plants
 A modern development in pumped hydro-plants are reversible turbine
pump operation.
 While generating, the turbine drives the alternator produces electricity.
 in the reverse operation, alternator runs as a motor driving the turbine,
which now acts as a pump. This saves the installation of separate pump.
 Power driving the alternator as a motor is drawn from the system.

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Classification according to water head
1. Low head plants: The plants having
head of 70m or less.
2. Medium head plants: The Plants having
head between 70m and 300m.
3. High head plants: The Plants having
head above 300m.

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Head
 The difference between two water levels (the water levels in the forebay
and the tailbay) is called head.

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Head
 Heads are classified into following three categories,

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Penstock
 Penstock are open or closed pipes which carry water to the turbine. They
are made of steel and concrete.
 Concrete penstock are suitable for low head, where as steel penstock can
design for any type of head.

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Types of Penstock
1. Low Pressure penstocks: consist of a canal or a pipe.

2. High Pressure penstocks: consist of steel pipes which can

The high head and medium head plants use high pressure penstocks and low
head plants use low pressure penstocks.

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Spillways
 When the flow of river exceeds the storage capacity of reservoir during
heavy rainfall in the catchment area, spillways are used.
 It discharges the excess water from reservoir into the river on down
stream side of dam.

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Surge Tank
 Surge tank is located near the beginning of the penstock.
 Surge tank overcomes the abnormal pressure in the penstock when the
load on the turbine falls, ultimately it acts as a reservoir when the load on
turbine rises.

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Type Of Dam
 A dam is a barrier to confine water for storage and to raise its level to
create a hydraulic head.
 The selection of dam depends upon the topography, foundation surveys
and geology of location.
 The foundations must support the weight of the dam and all the forces
acting upon it without crushing, sliding or permitting movement of the
structure. The dams may be of the following types:
1. Solid gravity concrete dams
2. Arc dams
3. Buttress dams
4. Earth dams
5. Rock-fill dams

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Intake Forebay
 The function of intake is to let
 The forebay is an enlarged body
the water into the penstock of water just above the intake.
under controlled conditions.  It may be either a pond behind
 The intake must be at an angle of the dam or an enlarged section of
30 to 40 degrees to the direction canal spread out to
of the water, to divert some of accommodate the required width
the ice and debris to the spillway. of intake.

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Hydraulic Turbines
 These are simple in construction, efficient and easily controllable.

 They can start from cold and pick up full load in a very short time.

 They can work on load fluctuations and can run for weeks without much
attention.

 These advantages make hydraulic turbines very useful as prime movers in

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Types Of Hydraulic Turbines
 Hydraulic turbines are used to convert the potential energy of water into
mechanical energy.
 They are classified into two following categories.

1. Reaction Turbine

2. Impulse Turbine

 There is a special type of turbine used in pumped storage hydroelectric

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1. Reaction Turbine
 In reaction turbine, the water passages are completely filled with water,
the water acting on the wheel vanes is under pressure greater than
atmospheric pressure.

 The energy in the form of both pressure and kinetic energy is utilized by
the wheel.

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2. Impulse Turbine
 In impulse turbine, the wheel passages are not completely filled, the
water acting on the wheels is at atmospheric pressure.
 These are further divided into following types:

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Pelton Turbine
 Pelton turbine is used for high head plants. In this turbine, pressure
head is converted into velocity head through nozzle as shown.
 Water rushes on the runner blades which convert the velocity head
into kinetic energy at the shaft.

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Its speed is 10 – 60 R.P.M
Kaplan Turbine
 Kaplan turbine is used for low head plants. In this turbine no nozzle is
used and water strikes the blades directly.

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Its speed is 300 – 1000 R.P.M
Francis Turbine
 Francis turbine is used for medium head plants.
 Runner receives water under pressure in horizontal direction and
discharges in vertical direction.

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Its speed is 60 – 300 R.P.M
 Site Selection For
Hydroelectric power Plants

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Site Selection For Hydroelectric power
Plants
 They require suitable place, where water availability is very high.

 Distance from the load center should not be very large.

 Adequate transportation facilities should be there.

 Convenient place for dam and reservoir.

 Reservoir must have large catchment area.

 Land should be cheep and rocky.

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World’s Largest Dams

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Assignment No:3
 Q.No1 Enlist various types of Renewable
sources of Energy.
 Q.No2 Describe the hydroelectric power
plant with the help of its diagram.
 Q.No3 Enlist and differentiate between
various types of hydroelectric power
Plants.
 Q.No4 Enlist types of hydraulic Turbines?

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