DEMONSTRATION OF HYDRO POWER STATION AND ITS

COMPONENTS
INTRODUCTION:
Energy is a critical factor in developing countries for economic growth as well as for social
development and human welfare. Hydropower is a renewable source of energy, which is
economical, non-polluting and environmentally benign among all renewable sources of energy.
For efficient operation of hydropower plants, in order to meet the electricity demand, the hydro energy is
stored either in reservoirs for dam-based schemes or settling basins for run-of-river schemes. These
reservoirs or settling basins are filled with sediments over a period of time. This problem must be taken
care of by sediment settling systems in power plants. However, lot of unsettled sediment pass through
the turbines every year and turbine parts are exposed to severe erosion. The erosion of hydro
turbine components is a major problem for the efficient operation of hydropower plants. These
problems are more prominent in power stations which are of run-of-river types. The problem is
aggravated if the silt contains higher percentage of quartz, which is extremely hard.

HISTORY OF HYDRO POWER PLANTS:

Archaeologists confirm that the history of the storage dam goes back to 5000 years to
3000 BC. Vitruvius was the first architect to explain a water wheel which could generate power.
Then Barb gal from France in the 4th century AD worked on water wheels and generated a
system of sixteen water wheels which followed the principle of kinetic energy into mechanical
energy.

STRENGTH OF HYDRO POWER:

• Environmental friendly, clean renewable.
• High degree of flexibility.
• Part of multipurpose project with additional benefits.
• Pumped storage for optimal integrate operation of grid Least operational and maintenance
cost.
• Additional benefits of Flood control, Tourism, fishery.
• Well recognized for obtaining financial support.

WEAKNESS OF HYDRO POWER:

 Mainly depends on rainfall/snowmelt.
 Run of river not for peaking.
 High capital intensive.
 Remotely located.
 Gestation period is very large.
  Relatively smaller units.
 Nonstandard occurrence.

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT:

In hydroelectric power plants the potential energy of water due to its high location is
converted into electrical energy. The total power generation capacity of the hydroelectric
power plants depends on the head of water and volume of water flowing towards the water
turbine. The water flowing in the river possesses two type of energy:
• The kinetic energy due to flow of water and
• Potential energy due to the height of water.
In hydroelectric power and potential energy of water is utilized to generate electricity.
The formula for total power that can be generated from water in hydroelectric power plant
due to its height is given;
P= q*h*g
Where “p” is the power produced in “watt”
“Q” is the rate of flow of water which in cubic meter/second

“h” = height of water which is measured in “meter” It’s also head of water. The
difference between source of water (from where water is taken) and the water’s outflow
(where the water is used to generate electricity, it is the place near the turbines).
“g” is the gravity constant 9.81 m/second square The formula clearly shows that the
total power that can be generated from the hydroelectric power plants depends on two major
factors;
a. The flow rate of water or volume of flow of water.
b. Height or head of water.
c. More the volume of water.
d. More the head of water more is the power produced in the hydroelectric power plant.
To obtain the high head of water the reservoir of water should as high as possible
and power generation unit should be as low as possible. The maximum height of
reservoir of water is fixed by natural factors like the height of river bed, the amount of water
and other environmental factors. The location of the power generation unit can be
adjusted as per the total amount of power that is to be g e n e r a t e d .
 U s u a l l y t h e p o w e r g e n e r a t i o n u n i t i s constructed at levels lower than
ground level so as to get the maximum head of water. The total flow rate of water can be
adjusted through the pen stock as per the requirements. If more power is to be generated
more water can be allowed to flow through it.

COMPONENTS OF HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT:

Hydroelectric power plant requires various components for generating electrical power.
Some of the major components in hydroelectric power plants are: Reservoirs, Dam, Trash Rack,
Forebay, Surge Tank, Penstock, Spillway, Prime Mover and Generator, Draft Tube. The functions
of all major components are discussed the basic requirement of a hydroelectric power station
is a reservoir where large quantity of water is stored.

WATER RESERVOIR:
The function or purpose of reservoir is to store the water during rainy season and supply
the same during dry season. This is in simple, water storage area. The water reservoir is the
place behind the dam where water is stored. The water in the reservoir is located higher than
the rest of the dam structure. The height of water in the reservoir decides how much potential
energy the water possesses. The higher the height of water, the more its potential energy. The
high position of water in the reservoir also enables it to move downwards effortlessly surge
tank the main function of surge tank is to reduce the water hammering effect. When there
is a sudden increase of pressure in the penstock which can be due sudden decrease in the
load demand on the generator. When there is sudden decrease in the load, the turbine gates
admitting water to the turbine closes suddenly owing to the action of the governor. This
sudden rise in the pressure in the penstock will cause the positive water hammering effect.
This may lead to burst of the penstock because of high pressures.
INTAKE AND CONTROL GATES:
These are the gates built on the inside of the dam. The water from reservoir is released
and controlled through these gates. These are called inlet gates because water enters the
power generation unit through these gates. When the control gates are opened the water flows
due to gravity through the penstock and towards the turbines. The water flowing through the
gates possesses potential as well as kinetic energy.

THE PENSTOCK:
The penstock is the long pipe or the shaft that carries the water flowing from the
reservoir towards the power generation unit, comprised of the turbines and generator.
The water in the penstock possesses kinetic energy due to its motion and potential energy due
to its height. The total amount of power generated in the hydroelectric power plant depends
on the height of the water reservoir and the amount of water flowing through the penstock.
The amount of water flowing through the penstock is controlled by the control gates.

SPILL WAY:
The function of spillway is to provide safety of the dam. Spillway should have the capacity
to discharge major floods without damage to the dam and at the same time keeps the reservoir
levels below some predetermined maximum level.

POWER HOUSE:
A power house consists of two main parts, a sub-structure to support the hydraulic and
electrical equipment and a superstructure to house and protect this equipment. The
superstructure of most power plants is the buildings that house all the operating equipment.
The generating unit and the exciter is located in the ground floor. The turbines which rotate on
vertical axis are placed below the floor level while those rotating on a horizontal axis are placed
on the ground floor alongside of the generator.

GENERATORS:
It is in the generator where the electricity is produced. The shaft of the water turbine
rotates in the generator, which produces alternating current in the coils of the generator. It is
the rotation of the shaft inside the generator that produces magnetic field which is
converted into electricity by electromagnetic field induction. Hence the rotation of the
shaft of the turbine is crucial for the production of electricity and this is achieved by the kinetic
and potential energy of water. Thus in hydroelectricity power plants potential energy of water is
converted into electricity.

REFERENCES:
 World watch Institute “Use and Capacity of Global Hydropower Increases”
 History of Hydropower” U.S. Department of Energy.
 Fardo, S.W., Patrick, D.R., 1985, Electrical power systems technology: Englewood Cliffs,
N.J., Prentice- Hall.
 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 1983, Hydropower, water at work: Denver, Colo.
 U.S. Department of Energy, 1989, Electric power annual, 1988: Energy Information
Administration.
 Inventory of power plants in the United States 1989: Energy Information Administration
Publication DOE/EIA-0095 (89.
 Vi e s s m a n , W . , J r . , a n d W e l t y , C . , 1 9 8 5 , W a t e r management technology and
institutions: New York, Harper and Row.
 Warnick, C.C., 1984, Hydropower enginee ring: Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall.