“HYDRO POWER PLANT”

Module Name with Code - Energy science and applications

- 4506ICBTME
Semester - Semester 2
Batch Number - 07
Lecturer Name - Kavinda Dilshan Pathiraja
Center Name - ICBT Kandy
CONTENTS:
Introduction
Site selection
Schematic diagram
Working
Elements of HPS
Classification of HPS
Types of turbine

Comparison
Power plant
 INTRODUCTION
 In Hydro Power Plant the water is utilized to move
the turbines which in turn run the electric
generator’s.
 The Potential energy of the water stored in the
dam gets converted into the Kinetic Energy of the
moving water in the penstock. And this Kinetic
Energy gets converted into the Electrical Energy
with the help of Turbine & Generator combination.
 Hydro Power Plant was invented by H.F. Rogers.
 Hydro power = WQH × n × 9.81 watts
 SITE SELECTION
1. Availability of water
– All other designs are based on it.
– Estimate should be made about the average
quantity of water available throughout the year
and also about maximum and minimum quantity
of water available during the year.
– These details are necessary to decide the
capacity of the hydropower plant, and
– It also provide adequate spillways or gate relief
during flood period.
2. Water storage
– Since there a is wide variation in rainfall during
the year, therefore it is necessary to store the
water for continuous generation of power. The
storage capacity can be calculated with the help
of mass curve.
– The two types of storages in use are
1. The storage is so constructed that it can make water
available for power generation for one year only.
2. Water is available in sufficient quantity even during
the worst dry periods.
3. Water head
– In order to generate a requisite quantity of power it
is necessary that a large quantity of water at
sufficient head should be available.
– An increase in effective head for a given output,
reduces the quantity of water required to be
supplied to the turbines.
4. Accessibility of site
– The site where hydro-electric plant is to be
constructed should be easy accessible. This is
important if the electric power generated is to be
utilized at or near the plant site.
– The site selected should have transportation
facilities of rail and road.
5. Distance from the load centre
– Power plant should be set up near the load centre,
this will reduce the cost of maintenance of
transmission line.

6. Type of the land of the site

– The land to be selected for the site should be
cheap and rocky.
– The ideal site will be one where the dam will have
largest catchment area to store water at high head
and will be economical in construction.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
 WORKING
 Initially the water of the river is in Catchments Area.
 From catchments area the water flows to the dam.
 At the dam the water gets accumulated . Thus the potential
energy of the water increases due to the height of the dam .
 When the gates of the dam are opened then the water moves
with high Kinetic Energy into the penstock.
 Through the penstock water goes to the turbine house.
 Since the penstock makes water to flow from high altitude to
low altitude, Thus the Kinetic Energy of the water is again
raised.
In the turbine house the pressure of the water is controlled
by the controlling valves as per the requirements.
 The controlled pressurized water is fed to the turbine.
 Due to the pressure of the water the light weight turbine
rotates.
 Due to the high speed rotation of the turbine the shaft
connected between the turbine and the generator rotates .
 Due to the rotation of generator the ac current is produced.
 This current is supplied to the powerhouse .
 From powerhouse it is supplied for the commercial
purposes.
 ELEMENTS OF HPS
1. CATCHMENT AREA :
The whole area behind the clam training into a stream as river
across which the dam has been built at suitable place is
called catchments area.
2. RESERVOIR :
A reservoir is employed to store water which is further utilized
to generate power by running the hydroelectric turbines.

3. DAM :
 A dam is a barrier which confines or raise water for storage or
diversion to create a hydraulic head.
 Dam’s are generally made of concrete, Stone masonary, Rock
fill or Timber.
 4. SPILWAYS :
 Spill Way’s is a kind of canal provided besides the dam.
 Spill Way’s is used to arrange the excess of accumulation of
water on the dam because excess accumulation of water
may damage the dam structure.

5. SURGE TANK :
 Surge tank is used to absorb the fluctuation in pressure
caused due to changing demand of water quantity.

6. PENSTOCKS :
 Penstock is the connecting pipe between the dam & the
turbine house.
 It helps to increase the kinetic energy of the water coming from
the dam.
 Penstock is made up of a very strong material which can
sustain the high pressure of water.
7. POWER HOUSE :
 The power house is a building in which the turbines, alternator
and other auxiliary are housed.

8.TAIL RACE :
 Tail race is a passage for discharging the water leaving the
turbines, into the river.

9.SWICH YARD FOR TRANSMISSION OF

POWER :
 The electrical equipment of a hydro-electric power station
includes like transformer, circuit breaker & other switching &
protective devices.
 CLASSIFICATION OF HPS
1. LOW HEAD PLANTS :
Low head hydro power applications use river
current or tidal flows of 60 meters or less to
produce energy.
These applications do not need to dam or
retain water to create hydraulic head, the head
is only a few meters.
Using the current of a river or the naturally
occurring tidal flow to create electricity may
provide a renewable energy source that will
have a minimal impact on the environment.
• MEDIUM HEAD PLANT :

A power station operating under heads from 60m to 300m.

3. HIGH HEAD PLANTS :
A power station operating under heads above about 300m.
A head of 200m/250m is considered as the limit between
medium and high head power stations.

Figure- high head hydropower plant

TYPES OF HYDRAULIC TURBINE
1. Impulse Turbine
 Impulse turbine : One in which all the energy of
water is converted to kinetic energy before the water
strikes the vanes of the runner wheel.

 This is done by passing the flow through nozzle or

some guidelines.

 The runner is rotated by the force of water and

water passes over the wheel at atmospheric
pressure.
2. Reaction Turbine : Here, water entering the runner wheel of
the turbine has both kinetic energy and pressure energy that is
total head of water striking the runner wheel ,consist partly of
pressure head.
E.g.- Francis turbine, Kaplan turbine
COMPARISON OF HYDRO,THERMAL &
NULCEAR POWER PLANT:
Types of Turbines used in Hydropower Plants

The type of turbine used in the hydroelectric power plant depends

on the height of the reservoir, quantity of water and the total
power generation capacity.
 General Knowledge
Electricity Sector in Sri Lanka
Electricity in Sri Lanka is generated using three primary
sources
1. Thermal power (includes energy from biomass, coal, and other fuel-oil sources)
2. Hydropower (including small hydro)
3. Other non-conventional renewable energy sources (solar power and wind power)
Hydro electricity in Sri Lanka
Hydroelectricity is the oldest and historically the principal source of
electricity generation in Sri Lanka, holding a share of 48% of the total
available grid capacity and 58% of power generated in 2013.

Ten large hydroelectric power stations are in operation, with

the single largest hydroelectric source being the Victoria Dam.
(210 MW power station)

Although a large portion of the country's hydroelectric resource are

tapped, the government continues to issue small hydro development
permits to the private sector, for projects up to a total installed capacity
of 10 MW per project.

State-run hydroelectric developments are categorized into

three main geographic sectors.
1. Laxapana Complex
2. Mahaweli Complex
3. Samanala Complex