14-09-2021
Hydropower
CE4003D WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING II
What is actually Hydropower 2
It is the energy or power produced by moving water
Potential Energy (Falling or
running water)
Mechanical Energy
(Turbines)
Electrical Energy
(Generators)
14-09-2021
Alternate Sources of energy 3
Non-Renewable
Renewable Sources Sustainable
Sources
Wind Power, Solar Power Fossil Fuels Nuclear Power
Biomass Fuel Power (Coal, Oil, Gas)
Wave Energy, HydropowerWhy Hydropower ? Advantages:
[Link] Supply
[Link] per unit energy are low
[Link] to store Advantages:
Advantages: [Link] Reliable
[Link] Available Disadvantages: [Link] Co2 emission
[Link] Cost Outlay [Link] [Link] small amount of raw material
[Link] Cost Generally Low [Link] capital costs per unit production
[Link] Pollution [Link] running
[Link] for the foreseeable period costs Disadvantages:
[Link] Supply [Link] threat
Disadvantages: will run out [Link] waste disposal costs
[Link] supply [Link] costs in building and
[Link] produced in small quantitites maintaining large buildings and
[Link] more costly per unit energy equipments.
produced than other energy types [Link] dangerous installations
Why Hydropower? 4
A renewable source (water), therefore no fuel cost
More Reliable than any other renewable sources
Works on simple mechanism
Pollution free
Load fluctuations can be handled easily than any other
14-09-2021
Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydropower 5
systems
Advantages Disadvantages
Renewable Site specific
Efficient Maximum limit for harnessing
Clean power at a site
Reliable Depends of river flows especially
in monsoon dependent rivers
Flexible
High initial cost
Cost-Competitiveness
Continuous Operations
No emissions of harmful
pollutants
How does hydropower work? 6
14-09-2021
Classification of Hydropower Plants 7
Classification of Hydropower Plants
Based on Plant Based on Head
Based on Storage Based on functions Capacity available
1. Impoundment or 1. Base load plants 1. Super plants > 1000 MW 1. High Head Plants >
Storage plants 2. Peak load plants 2. Large Hydropower 250 m
2. Run-off River plants Plants 100 - 1000 MW 2. Medium Head Plants
3. Pumped Storage plants 3. Medium Hydropower 30 to 250 m
4. Tidal Plants 5 to 100 MW 3. Low Head Plants <
4. Micro Hydropower 30 m
Plants < 5 MW
Pumped Storage plants Run-off River plants
14-09-2021
Storage features 9
Storage
Huge storage reservoir is provided by constructing a dam
It takes care of seasonal fluctuations in the streamflow
Pondage
Pondage (small storage) is provided by constructing weirs
It takes care of small hourly fluctuations in the flow
The plant utilizes the normal natural flow in the stream
What kind of problems are we looking for in 10
Hydropower systems
How much power could be built at undeveloped sites
How much power can be produced by refurbishing older projects
Optimum Operation and Scheduling problems of each plant with respect
to the grid demand
14-09-2021
Terminologies 11
Gross head
The elevation difference between the water in the head race and tail
race level
Net or effective head
Head available for energy production
Gross head minus friction loss, entrance loss & unrecovered velocity in
the draft tube
Hydraulic efficiency
Ratio between net head & gross head
Terminologies 12
Overall efficiency
Hydraulic efficiency multiplied by efficiency of turbines and
generators
Ranges from 60 to 70 % during optimal operation
Capacity or Installed capacity
Maximum power which can be developed by the generators at normal
head at full flow
14-09-2021
How much energy can be produced? 13
Given a site, a flow duration curve is built and the minimum flow which is
available 100% of the time is obtained. That flow will become the
dependable flow Qd for that site.
Prime Power (P) (kW) = ηγQdH
Energy produced (E) (kWh) = P × t
where η = efficiency of the power plant
γ = Specific weight of the water
Q = Discharge through penstocks
H = Net Head
t = time in hrs
Components 14
Hydraulic Structures – for storage/pondage
Dams/barrages/weirs
Waterway – conveyance of water from reservoir to power house
Penstocks/tunnels/canals
Forebay – enlarged water body ahead of penstocks incase of diversion
canal plants and runoff river plants
Intake structures – water from reservoir or forebay is let into penstocks
through an intake structure
Comprises of trash racks and gates
14-09-2021
Components 15
Surge tanks – to relieve the excess pressure
caused due to water hammer
Power house
Turbines, gates, valves, governors ..etc
Generators, transformers, switching
equipment, transmission lines, transmission
structures, auxiliary electrical equipment
Tailrace – channel into which water is discharged
from the power house
Components 16
14-09-2021
Flow duration curve 17
It relates flow rate with percentage duration
Plot of values of stream flow in increasing order of magnitude as ordinate
and the percent of time exceed or equaled as abscissa
500
500 Stream Flow 450
Flow Duration Curve
400 400
350
Inflow (cumecs)
Discharge (m3)
300
300
200
250
100 200
0 150
Dec-2010
Dec-2011
Feb-2010
Apr-2010
Sep-2010
Feb-2011
Sep-2012
Nov-2012
Oct-2010
Oct-2011
Jun-2010
Jun-2012
Jul-2010
Mar-2011
May-2011
Jul-2011
Aug-2011
Mar-2012
May-2012
Aug-2012
Jan-2010
Jan-2012
100
50
0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0
Percentage Time
18
14-09-2021
Streamflow data 19
Month Discharge Month Discharge
Jan-2010 250 Jul-2011 420
Feb-2010 180 Aug-2011 430
Mar-2010 150 Sep-2011 360
Apr-2010 100 Oct-2011 300
May-2010 80 Nov-2011 320
Jun-2010 250 Dec-2011 300
Jul-2010 400 Jan-2012 260
Aug-2010 450 Feb-2012 200
Sep-2010 380 Mar-2012 130
Oct-2010 320 Apr-2012 100
Nov-2010 300 May-2012 80
Dec-2010 280 Jun-2012 230
Jan-2011 270 Jul-2012 380
Feb-2011 170 Aug-2012 450
Mar-2011 130 Sep-2012 400
Apr-2011 80 Oct-2012 300
May-2011 90 Nov-2012 280
Jun-2011 260 Dec-2012 300
Days Days
No. Of equalled Percentage No. Of equalled Percentage 20
S. No. Discharge S. No. Discharge
days or of time days or of time
exceeded exceeded
1 80 3 36 100.00 19 280
2 80 20 280 2 17 47.22
3 80 21 300
4 90 1 33 91.67 22 300
5 100 23 300
6 100 2 31 86.11 24 300
7 130 25 300 5 12 33.33
8 130 2 29 80.56 26 320
9 150 1 28 77.78 27 320 2 10 27.78
10 170 1 27 75.00 28 360 1 9 25.00
11 180 1 26 72.22 29 380
12 200 1 25 69.44 30 380 2 7 19.44
13 230 1 24 66.67 31 400
14 250 32 400 2 5 13.89
15 250 2 22 61.11 33 420 1 4 11.11
16 260 34 430 1 3 8.33
17 260 2 20 55.56 35 450
18 270 1 19 52.78 36 450 2 1 2.78
14-09-2021
Firm power & secondary power 21
Firm power – dependable power – power that is always ensured
Secondary power – surplus power generated over and above the firm
power
Flow Duration Curve Flow Duration Curve
1200 1200
1000 1000
Discharge (m3 /s)
Discharge (m3/s)
800 800
600 600
400 400
200 200
0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage Time
Percentage Time
Effect of Storage 22
Firm power can be increased by creating storage reservoirs
Flow Duration Curve
1200
1000
Discharge (m3/s)
800
600
400
200
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage Time
14-09-2021
Load Curve 23
Load curve is the plot between the power consumption/demand and
time
Daily load curve Annual load curve
Seasonal variation 24
The daily load curve varies during summer and winter months
14-09-2021
Load factor 25
The ratio of average load to the peak load
Average Load
Load Factor =
Peak Load
Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly load factors can be calculated
Daily load factor for 24 hrs period
Energy Consumed during 24 hrs
Load Factor
(Peak Load) 24
For industrial area - up to 80%
For residential area - 25 to 30%
Demand factor 26
A consumer is provided with a certain connected load. It may not be
utilized throughout the entire time.
The ratio between the maximum demand to the connected load is called
demand factor
Maximum Demand
Demand Factor =
Connected Load
14-09-2021
Power factor 27
It is the measure of effectiveness in the utilization of electrical energy by
a facility
Apparent power – includes loss in electrical energy during production,
transmission and distribution
Real power/true power – the electrical energy available at the consumer
end
Real Power
Power Factor =
Apparent Power
Capacity factor 28
Capacity factor or Plant load factor
It is the ratio between the average output of the plant for a given period
to the installed capacity
Average Energy Produced
Capacity Factor =
Installed Capacity
Varies between 0.25 & 0.7
Capacity factor will be identical with load factor if peak load is equal to
installed capacity (if PF =1)
14-09-2021
Utilization Factor 29
Utilization factor or plant use factor
It is the ratio of peak load developed during a period to the installed
capacity of the plant
Peak Load
Utilization Factor =
Installed Capacity
Varies between 0.4 to 0.9
Depends on load factor, pondage/storage
Load duration curve 30
A plot between the load or power demand and
the percentage of time
It may be constructed for any duration of time
Daily /Weekly/Monthly/Annual curves can be
constructed
14-09-2021
31
Problems
Problem 1 32
The following data gives the average monthly flow in cumec in a dry year and it is
intended to use it for designing a hydroelectric plant.
Month Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Flow
15.00 16.40 15.60 11.60 11.30 9.30 7.90 7.60 6.50 9.80 10.70 12.20
(cumec)
Assuming the net head on the turbine as 100.5 m and efficiency of the plant 75% draw
the power duration curve. It is intended to develop electric power at a firm rate of
8000 kW either by providing a storage or by providing stand by diesel unit and no
storage. In the two cases determine the minimum capacities of the reservoir or the
diesel unit.
14-09-2021
33
Flow Ascending Power % of time
S. No. Month
order available
cumec kW
1 Jul 15 6.5 4806.29 100.00
2 Aug 16.4 7.6 5619.66 91.67
3 Sep 15.6 7.9 5841.49 83.33
4 Oct 11.6 9.3 6876.69 75.00
5 Nov 11.3 9.8 7246.40 66.67
6 Dec 9.3 10.7 7911.89 58.33
7 Jan 7.9 11.3 8355.54 50.00
8 Feb 7.6 11.6 8577.37 41.67
9 Mar 6.5 12.2 9021.03 33.33
10 Apr 9.8 15 11091.43 25.00
11 May 10.7 15.6 11535.09 16.67
12 Jun 12.2 16.4 12126.63 8.33
34
8000 kW
4806.29 kW
14-09-2021
Problem 2 35
Two turbo generators each of capacity 20000 kW have been installed at a
hydel power station. During a certain period the load on the hydel plant varies
from 15000 to 35000 kW. Calculate (i) total installed capacity, (ii) load factor,
(iii) plant factor and (iv) utilization factor.
Problem 3 36
A run-of-river plant with an installed capacity of 12000 kW operates at 25%
load factor when it serves as a peak load station. What should be the minimum
discharge in the stream so that it may serve as the base load station? The plant
efficiency may be taken as 85% when working under a head of 20 m. Also
calculate the maximum load factor of the plant when the discharge in the
stream is 30 m3/s.
14-09-2021
37
Problem 4 38
A run-of-river plant is installed on a river having a minimum flow of 12 m3/s.
If the plant is used as a peak load plant operating only for 6 hours a day,
determine the firm capacity of the plant (a) without pondage, (b) with
pondage but allowing 10% water to be lost in evaporation and other losses.
Head at the plant is 15 m and the plant efficiency may be assumed as 80%.
14-09-2021
Problem 5 39
A run-of-river hydroelectric power station is proposed across a river at a site
where a net head of 20 m is available on the turbine. The river carries a
sustained minimum flow of 25 cumec in dry weather and behind the power
station sufficient pondage is provided to supply daily peak load of demand
with a load factor of 71%. Assuming the plant efficiency of 56%, determine the
maximum generating capacity of the generator to be installed at the power
house. If the daily load pattern indicates 21 hours average load and 3 hours of
peak load, determine the volume of pondage to be provided to supply the daily
demand.
