Energy Physics

Lecture 6
B V Kheswa

University of Johannesburg

April 2021
 Course Content
•  Nuclear Energy / Power
•  Solar Energy / Power
•  Semiconductor Solar Cells
•  Wind Energy / Power
•  Water Energy / Power
•  Energy Storage
Prescribed Textbook
 Learning Outcomes and Assessments
•  Students will be able to show understanding
of conceptual physics of energy resources and
their applications

•  Continuous assessment based on

assignments, tests, research essay
Assignment 2 Due on 17 May 2021
•  Do some reading and discuss the topics below. Work in groups of
ten like you did on assignment 1.
1.  Types of fossil fuel and their formation [5 marks]
2.  Extraction of fossil fuel [5 marks]
3.  Percentage of global energy contributed by coal, natural gas, and
petroleum [5 marks]
4.  Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuel [5 marks]
5.  Production and physical properties of two primary types of
biofuel, the ethanol and biodiesel [5 marks]
6.  Usage of ethanol and biodiesel [5 marks]
7.  Any commercial or open source software package used for
simulation of renewable energy resources [5 marks]

 Test 2 on 18 May 2021
Your Test two will be written on 18 May 2021.
Topics: Wind power, hydroelectric power and
energy storage

 Lecture 6 Content
•  Introduction to Hydroelectric Power
•  Principle of operation of Hydroelectric Power
•  Types of Hydroelectric turbines
•  Pelton Impulse Turbine
•  Water Power Extracted by One Cup
•  Maximum Water Power Extracted by One Cup
•  Available Head

 Hydroelectric Power
•  It is well established and contributes 20% of world´s electricity
•  Hydroelectric Power: Power obtained from water that falls through
vertical distance from reservoir to drive a turbine
 Hydroelectric Power
Principle of Operation
•  The water reservoir is connected to a
turbine by a large pipe called a penstock.

•  The filter keeps debris from entering the

turbine

•  Valve controls the water flow and hence
the rotational speed of the turbine and
the electrical generator

•  Vertical distance h between the surface of

the water in the reservoir and the turbine
is called the head.

•  Turbine drives a generator that produces
electrical power at an output voltage of
typically 400 volts AC power


 Types of Hydroelectric Turbines
• 


There are two types of hydroelectric turbines
i) Reaction turbine
ii) impulse turbine
•  Reaction turbine is complete immersed in flowing water powered from pressure drop

It works exactly the same as the wind

turbine discussed in the last lecture



•  impulse turbine is not enclosed in the water.
•  Instead, a jet of water hits the turbine and the power is derived from the rate of loss
of momentum of the water. It is discussed in details in the next slide.
 Types of Hydroelectric Turbines
Pelton Impulse Turbine

•  The type of impulse turbine used in hydroelectric power is called pelton impulse turbine

•  The turbine has a

series of cups attached to a
revolving wheel


•  The jet of water impinges on
the cups and is deflected so that
The water suffers a change in
momentum.


•  This produces a
tangential force on the wheel
that causes it to rotate
 Pelton Impulse Turbine
Water Power Extracted by One Cup

•  Water power extracted by one impulse turbine cup is calculated according to

Water density
Tangential velocity of
Velocity of
Volume flow rate The cup
the jet
Hitting the cup

•  Differentiating P with respect to uc shows that the power extracted by one cup is maximum
if tangential speed of the cup is half of the jet velocity, and hence given by
 Pelton Impulse Turbine
Water Power Extracted by One Cup

•  The maximum power corresponds to the ideal case where all water power would be
extracted

•  That would happen if velocity of the water jet would be reduced to zero at the cup
•  In that case the turbine is said to be 100% efficient
•  In practice, commercial impulse turbines have efficiency of 90%

•  The maximum power equation, , doesn´t account for energy losses

due to viscosity
•  It is also clear that power extracted by impulse turbine can be maximized by increasing
number of water jets striking the turbine

Three water jets

One water jet
 Pelton Impulse Turbine
Maximum Water Power Extracted by One Cup

•  Taking viscosity into account, the maximum power extracted from n jets is
Available water head

Number of jets
Water Gravitational acceleration
density Cross-sectional area of nozzle
that makes the jet

•  The overall efficiency of a hydroelectric plant is product of the turbine efficiency and the
efficiency of the electrical generator and the head loss
•  Typical efficiency of turbine and generator is 90%, available head may be 90%. Hence, giving
73% overall efficiency of a typical hydroelectric plant
 Pelton Impulse Turbine
Available Head
•  Water falls a vertical distance and its potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy
•  This kinetic energy is then converted into electrical energy by the turbine
•  Some of this kinetic energy is NOT converted to electrical energy
•  It is lost due to internal friction between flowing water and penstock
•  To account for these losses, head providing
potential and kinetic energy is thought to be reduced.




•  The reduction in the water head is called head loss,
•  net head is called available head and given by

head head head

•  Available head is the one used to compute maximum power extracted by impulse turbine
cups. In a typical power plat it is 90% of the head due to careful design
 Example
Problem
 Example
Solution
 Example
Solution
Problem
Problem
Problem


End of Hydroelectric Power