UNIT -3

Hydro Electric Power Plant: Selection of site for power plant,

Typical layouts, Elements of plant, Classification of dams, Spill
ways, Surge tank, Draft tube, Classification of Hydroelectric
power plants, Hydrology, Hydrological cycle, Hydrographs;

Classification of Hydroelectric Plants:

1. Conventional and pumped storage plants: in the conventional type, water is
collected in the dam and its head is used for the rotation of turbine. In lean demand
period, water is pumped back using water pump in the storage tank and used in
peak demand period for the generation of electricity.

2. Base and peak load plants: Hydel power plant is used as base load plant in lean
demand period where as it can be used as peak load plant when there is shortage of
water. Example of base load plant is conventional one and example of peak load
plant is pumped storage plants.

3. Base and head discharge: in hydel power plant potential energy of the water is
converted into kinetic energy which is then converted in to mechanical energy and
finally to electrical energy. All these energy conversions depend upon two main
 factors i.e. level of water in tank (head of water) and second is flow of water
through the turbine.

COMPONENTS OF HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER

PLANT:
Reservoir :
 
Water is collected during rainy season
 
 
•         It is stored in the reservoir.
 
•         A dam is built across the river adequate water head.
 
Penstock :
• It is a passage through which water flows from reservoir to turbine.
 
Surge Tank :
 
•           It is installed along the penstock (between turbine and reservoir)
 
•         To control or regulate the sudden water over flow and to protect the penstock
from bursting.
 
•         It reduces the pressure and avoids damage to the penstock due to the water
hammer effect.
 
•         When the load on the turbine is decreased there will be a back flow, which
causes increase or decrease in pressure. It is known as water hammer.
 
•         Power House :
 
•           It is building that houses that water turbine, generator, transformer and control
room.
 
•         Water Turbine:
 
•         Water turbines such as Pelton, Kaplan and Francis are used to convert pressure
and kinetic energy of flowing water into mechanical energy.
 
•         Draft Tube:
 
•           It is connected to the outlet of the turbine.
 
•         Tailrace:
 
•           It refers to the downstream level of water discharged from turbine.
 
•         Generator :
 
•         It is a machine used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.
 
•         Step up transformer:
 
•         It converts the Alternating Current (AC) into high voltage current suitable for
transmission.

1. Reservoir: water harvested from the catchment area is stored in the reservoir
which is then used to generate the electricity.

2. Dam: it is made in the path of the river to make the reservoir to hold the rain
water.

3. Spillways: Spillways are made to make the dam safe. When level of water is
exceeds some defined point, it will discharge through these spillways.

4. Forebay: when there is sudden change in the turbine load, in such cases there is
need of temporary storage of water. This temporary storage of water near turbine
is called as forebay.

5. Surge tank: surge tank is build in between dam and the valve house. It is used to
take care of the system load fluctuations.

6. Penstock: it is water pipeline carrying water from dam to turbine.

7. Prime mover or turbine: it is the main part of the power station. It is coupled with
the generator. Turbine is rotated by the flow of water. As it is coupled with the
generator, generator also rotates which produces electricity.

8. Powerhouse: it consists of turbine, alternator and electrical equipment.

9. Tail races: outlet water of the turbine is discharged to the river trough tail races.

10.Selection of site:

2 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HYDRO ELECTRIC

POWER PLANT:
•         It uses the potential energy of water of water stored in a reservoir.
 
•         The water from the reservoir through a penstock and then forced through
nozzle or nozzles before reaching the turbine.
 
•         The hydraulic turbine converts the kinetic energy of water under pressure into
mechanical energy.
 
•                     The shaft of the turbine is coupled to a generator that generates electricity
 
•                     The electricity generated is fed to the step-up transformer to increase its
voltage.
 
•                     Power is fed to the transmission lines for distribution.
 
•                     The output power of Hydel power plant depends on the head of water
stored in the reservoir and the quantity of water discharged
 Factors to be considered for the location of hydro electric Power
 
Availability of Water:
Adequate water must be available with good head.
 
Cost and type of Land:
 
Bearing capacity of the land should be good to withstand huge structures and
equipments.
 
Storage of Water :
 
A dam must be constructed to store the large quantity of water in order to cope
with variations of water availability through out the year.
Transportation Facilities :
 
The site should be accessible by rail and road for easy transportation of
equipments and machinery.
Pumped storage facilities :
 
The pumping facilities to reuse the water should be possible.
 
Merits of Hydro Electric Power Plant:
 
•         Requires no fuels and hence pollution free.
 
•           Low operating cost.
 
•           Simple in construction and requires less maintenance.
 
 
•           Skilled personnel is required for construction.
 
•           High cost of transmission as plant is normally required far off from hilly areas.
 
•           Period of delay causes the delay in the commissioning of the plant.
 
•         Construction of new hydel plant may need rehabilitation of people and
payment compensation for land acquisition.
 
Hydrology

The branch of science concerned with the properties of the earth's water,

and especially its movement in relation to land.

The science dealing with the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and

properties of the waters of the earth and its atmosphere.

The study of the distribution, conservation, use, etc, of the water of the earth

and its atmosphere, particularly at the land surface

Hydrological cycle
Definition. The water cycle — technically known as the hydrological cycle — is the
continuous circulation of water within the Earth's hydrosphere, and is driven by solar radiation.
This includes the atmosphere, land, surface water and groundwater.

The water cycle — technically known as the hydrological

cycle — is the continuous circulation of water within the
Earth's hydrosphere, and is driven by solar radiation. This
includes the atmosphere, land, surface water and
groundwater. As water moves through the cycle, it
changes state between liquid, solid, and gas phases. Water
moves from compartment to compartment, such as from
river to ocean, by the physical processes of evaporation,
precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and subsurface flow.
A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that
is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air. A planet's hydrosphere can be
liquid, vapor, or ice. On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes and
rivers.
 Hydrographs
A graph of the water level or rate of flow of a body of water as a function of time, showing the
seasonal change.
A hydrograph is a graph showing the rate of flow (discharge) versus time past a specific point in a
river, channel, or conduit carrying flow. The rate of flow is typically expressed in cubic meters or
cubic feet per second (cms or cfs). It can also refer to a graph showing the volume of water reaching
a particular outfall, or location in a sewerage network. Graphs are commonly used in the design
of sewerage, more specifically, the design of surface water sewerage systems and combined
sewers.

Nuclear Power Requirements, Functions, Nuclear fuel,

Plants:
Breeding and Fertile materials, Nuclear reactor, Reactor
operation, Types Of Reactors - Pressurized water reactor, Boiling
water reactor, Sodium-Graphite reactor, Fast breeder reactor,
Homogeneous reactor, Gas cooled reactor

REQUIREMENTS OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Stated
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) documents.
The fundamental safety objective is to protect individuals and the
environment (IAEA 1999, 2006).
External factors affecting the plant

Radiological impact on the public and the local environment

Feasibility of emergency plans

Site selection procedure

Proximity to load center

Population distribution

Land use

,Meterology

Geology

Hydrology

Siesmology

 Industrial, military and transportation facilities.

 Public participation in site selection

Sites with competent  Industrial, military and transportation facilities.

Bedrock, stable rock or solid soils are generally favoured as the best building
foundation conditions.

Geologic conditions, such as areas of active volcanic activity, earthquake

areas and unstable slopes, and related man-made conditions such as mined
areas, should be avoided. Areas with a minimal likelihood of surface or near-
surface deformation or faults are preferred as acceptable criteria.

  Safety zone—exclusion area and low population zone.

CONTROL RODS: BORON, CADMIUM, SILVER, INDIUM,HAFNIUM to absorb
neutrons.
MODERATOR: GRAPHITE, BERILLIUM, WATER, HEAVY WATER, HELIUM to slow
down neutrons
REFLECTOR: GRAPHITE, BERILLIUM, WATER, HEAVY WATER, HELIUM to slow
down neutrons

NUCLEAR FUELS
92U238
92 -NUMBER OF PROTONS OR ELECTRONS

238 -MASS NUMBER

238-92=146 NUMBER OF NEUTRONS

U-URANIUM

URANIUM, PLUTONIUM, THORIUM

U 234, 235, 238

THE AVERAGE % IN THE EARTH IS

U238 =99.28%, U235=0.714%, U234=6.006%

92

U235 IS THE PRIMARY FUEL. IT IS NATURALLY AVAILABLE IN THE URANIUM ORE UP TO 0.7%.

U233 AND PU 239 IS THE SECONDARY FUEL. THEY ARE PRODUCED ARTIFICIALLY FROM TH232 AND U238.

PROPERTIES OF URANIUM FUEL

1.UNDERGO FISSION PROCESS

2.HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH TO PREVENT THE BULKING OF FUEL ELEMENT AND THE BEAR THERMAL STRESSES.

3.HIGH RADIATION STABILITY TO RESIST NUCLEAR RADIATION AGAINST BUCKLING.

4.HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY TO TRANSFER LARGE AMOUNT OF HEAT RELEASED AND TO REDUCE HIGH THERMAL

STRESS

5.BETTER MACHINABILITY WITH HIGHER DUCTILITY

6.BETTER CORROSION RESISTANCE

2 KINDS OF FUEL ARE AVAILABLE

FISSILE FUEL

FERTILE FUEL

FISSILE FUEL

These fuel undergo fission process. when a nuclear is bombarded with neutron, it splits in to 2 fragments of equal mass. a

large amount of heat is liberated in this process. U233, U235, PU239 ARE THE VARIOUS FISSILE MATERIAL.

FERTILE FUEL

SOME MATERIALS are not fissionable by themselves. But they can be converted into fissionable materials. They are

called fertile fuels. These materials absorb neutrons and undergo spontaneous change to produce fissionable materials.

Only U 235 is available in nature. U235 and Pu239 are produced artificially. U233 is produced by nuclear reaction of

thorium element. PU239 is produced by neutron irradiation of U238. These PU 239 and U233 can be fissioned by

neutron. U238 and Th232 are known as fertile fuels.

BREEDING
In nuclear reactors, as fuel is spent, neutrons are released. A single neutron for every fission
event is necessary to sustain the reaction, i.e. to cause another fission event. The number of
fissile isotope atoms generated per fission event is known as the breeding ratio
NUCLEAR REACTOR
 PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR

Chain reaction is the process in which the number of neutrons keeps on multiplying rapidly during the
fission till whole of the fissionable material is disintegrated.

During the fission process, neutron is absorbed by the nucleus of atom of U235 and split in to 2
fragments of approximately equal size. Also about 2.5 neutrons are released and a large amount of
energy is produced. The neutrons produced move with very high velocity of 1.5*10 5 m/s and fission
other nuclei of U235. Thus fission process and release of neutrons take place continuously thourghout
the remaining material. This self sustaining reactin is known as chain reaction.
CANDU TYPE REACTOR