Small Hydro Resources

Small Hydro Resources(SHR):

• Small hydro resources, is the resources that have low head (< 40m)
and small capacity.
• Globally, The power level is varied from 5 to 50 MW. In India, it is less
than 25 MW.
• It does not require tailor made design components.
• It is operated in off-grid mode.
• The staff requirement is less.
Classifications: Based on the power level
• Micro SHP
• < 100 KWe
• Mini SHP
• 100 KWe to 1 MWe
• Small SHP
• 1 Mwe to 25 MWe
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Classifications: Based on the location
• Storage
• The plant require dam set-up, will stop the river flow, to store the
water. Then the power is generated when the water in the dam is
allowed to pass through the turbine.
• Energy security is high, when the rainfall is uniform.
• Power generation is possible some or all of the dry seasons of the
year.
• Run-of-the-river scheme.
• It does not the river flow. Then the electricity is generated when
part of the river water is diverted into turbine through proper
channel and pipe.
• Micro hydro schemes are always run-of-the-river scheme.
• Power generation is not possible in dry seasons of the year.
• Low cost, simple scheme, environmental damage(river flow
pattern diversion) is not possible, there is no flooding upstream of
the plant.
 Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Lay-out: Micro-hydro scheme

A weir is a barrier across the

horizontal width of a river that alters
the flow characteristics of the water
and usually results in a change in the
vertical height of the river level
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Micro-hydro scheme: Components:

• Diversion barrier (weir)

• Water – conductor system with regulating gates and spill
ways.
• Desilting tank with spillways
• Forebay tank with desilting basin and spill way.
• Penstock
• Power house
• Tailrace channel.
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Micro-hydro scheme: Components:
Diversion barrier (weir):
• It is designed to divert and maintain constant flow in the channel for the
variable flow in the river through out the year. The intake structure
regulates the flow.
• Care should be taken to prevent channel damage due to seasonal
flooding.
• The control or regulation of water is provided by the spill ways.
Water – conductor system with regulating gates and spill ways:
• It is channel between the weir and desilting tank and between the
desilting tank and forebay.
• It is designed to ensure least loss of head due to seepage and the flow
velocity should be adequate to prevent settling of silt.
• The commonly used section is trapezoidal.
• The channel will follow the contour of the hillside so as to preserve the
elevation of the diverted water.
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Micro-hydro scheme: Components:
Desilting tank
• It is provided in the initial reach of the water to trap the suspended silt
and pebbles, so as to minimise the erosion damages to the turbine
runner.
• The depth of the silt tank may be 1.5 to 4m.
• The horizontal flow velocity should not exceed 0.4 to 0.6 m/s.
• The silt tank are periodically flushed out to make a room for further
deposition.
Forebay:
• It is a temporary storage of water (pondage), to be finally utilized for
power generation.
• The storage size ranges from 2 min to 6 hours depending on the
economic justifiability.
• It is fed with trash racks, to prevent entry of trash, debris and ice.
• Flow velocity should kept at 0.6 to 0.9 m/s, so that o significant head
loss.
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Micro-hydro scheme: Components:
Power House:
• It is place where the pressure of the water is converted into electrical
energy.
• It composes of different components such as
• Speed governor
• It is used to control the speed of the water flow, so as to make the
frequency ( 5 %) and voltage deviation (7%) within the specified value.

• Turbine
• It is used to get mechanical power at the shaft from flowing stream of
water.

• Generator
• It is usually synchronised with the turbines, to generate electricity.
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Micro-hydro scheme: Components:
Penstock and tailrace:

• It is a water conduit joining a forebay and a turbine.

• It should be sized such that the frictional loss do not reduce the head
excessively or unduly.
• The bell-mouth entry is provided to reduce the head loss and to ensure
smooth entry of water.

Tailrace:

• It is a simple water channel to transport discharge from the turbine back

to the river with the minimum flow of 1 m/s.
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Advantages:
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Advantages:
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Limitations:
Small Hydro Resources(SHR):
Limitations:
Geo Thermal Energy
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
• It is a system which coverts the useful thermal energy
available in the earth’s interior ( geothermal fields in
particular ) into electrical energy.
• Examples: volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and boiling
mud pots.
• The total potential of geothermal energy in the earth is
2.11 × 1025 J, enough to supply our demand for more
than 3 lakhs years.
• It is highly inexhaustible and renewable source.
• But it is low grade thermal energy system.
• It is also allocation specific.
• Geothermal electricity cost is Rs. 2 to 3.20. per Kwh.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Origin & distribution:
• Geo thermal energy is the heat available in
the earth that originates from the core of
the earth, whose temperature is > 4000oC.
• The average geothermal heat dissipation
from the land ad ocean is 0.06 W / m2.
• The geothermal source is available in the
region “mantle”, which consists of a semi-
fluid material called the “magma”.
• In certain regions, these semi- fluid material
(molten rock (magma)) has pushed up
through faults as cracks towards surface of
the earth.
• So these could be harnessed through
effective system for the benefit of mankind.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Types of geothermal resources:
Geothermal resources:
The entire heat content of the earth crust up to a depth
of 10km above 15oC is called as Geothermal resources.
Types:
There are four types
• Hydrothermal (only commercially available source)
• Vapour dominated (dry steam field)
• Liquid dominated (wet steam field)
• Hot water resources.
• Geopressured
• Hot dry rock (HDR)
• Magma
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Types of geothermal
resources:
hydrothermal resources:
• These resources occur, when the
ground water has access to high
temperature porous rocks or capped
by a layer of solid impervious rocks.
• Thus the water is trapped in the
underground reservoir and heated by
a surrounding rock.
• The heat is supplied by a magma by
upward conduction through rocks,
thus it forms a giant boiler.
• They are located from approximately
100m to 4.5 km.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Vapour dominated (dry steam
field:
• Dry steam field occur when the
pressure (7 atm) is not much above
the atmosphere pressure and the
temperature (165oC) is high.
• Steam is extracted from the well,
cleaned in centrifugal separator to
remove solid matter and it is piped
directly to the turbine.
• The exhaust steam of the turbine is
condensed in a direct contact
condenser.
• Excess cooling water is re-injected at
some deep into the ground for
disposal.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Liquid dominated (wet steam field) :
• It offers most cost effective technology. They are divided into two types.
• High temperature system(>175oC).
• Single flash & dual flash system
• Low temperature system(<175oC).
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Liquid dominated (wet steam
field) : low temperature system
• It has moderate temperature ranges of
90oC to 175oC. Thus it is not sufficient
for flash steam production. So binary
fluid system is employed.
• In binary fluid system, the geothermal
fluid is used to vaporize the volatile
organic fluid such as isobutene, under
pressure in a primary heat exchanger.
• For condensate process, it maybe
needed cooling water which might be
supplied externally or air-cooling.
• It yields high conversion efficiency, no
corrosion or scaling problems.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Hot water resources:
• It has low to moderate temperature ranges of 20oC to 150oC. Thus it is
can be used to provide direct heat for residential and industrial purpose.
• The hot water is brought to the surface where a heat exchanger system
transfers heat into liquid or air.
• Then the fluid is re-injected into the ground for having better stability.
• It can also be used to preheat the feed water in the conventional thermal
power plant.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Advantages:
• It is reliable and cheap source of energy.
• It is available 24 hours per day.
• Availability is independent of the weather.
• It does not require no extra storage device.
• It requires little lad area.
• It becomes source for cost-effective thermal projects.
Disadvantages:
• It is site specific.
• Energy available in it is low-grade heat.
• Continuous extraction of heated ground water lead to
subsidence.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Applications:
• Process heat applications.
• Hydrothermal fluids whose temperature is <90oC, then it can be
used for process heat applications such as space and water heating.
• This will save the electrical energy required for the above purpose.
• In cold climates, it can be used for space heating and hot water
supply.
• It could be utilized at near the point of use and transmitted to a
distance up to < 30 KM.
• Electric power generation.
• Geothermal resource which are having a temperature >90oC, then it
can be used for electric power generation.
• Produced electricity would either be fed into grid or used to power
the industrial process.
• Used for base load power generation.
• This does not applied to the dry steam, since it causes scaling /
corrosion problems in turbines.
Geo Thermal Energy Conversion System (GT-ECS):
Geo thermal Potential in india: