Chapter 3

Hydroelectric Power Plants (HEPP)

 Basic concepts
 Site selection
 Types of turbines
Introduction

Hydroelectricity is a term referring to the electricity generated by hydro (water) power. A

hydropower development is essentially to utilize the hydraulic power possessed by the water
flowing in a stream and to develop from it electric power through hydraulic turbines coupled to
electric generators. Hydroelectric power (often called hydropower) is considered a renewable
energy source. A renewable energy source is one that is not depleted (used up) in production
of energy. Through hydropower, the energy in falling water is converted into electricity
without “using up” the water. The total amount of hydroelectric power that would be made
available from a stream depends on continuous flow rate of the stream and the head possessed
by the flowing water

How a Hydroelectric Power System Works: - There is kinetic energy embodied in the
flow of water. Flowing water is directed at a turbine (remember turbines are just advanced
waterwheels).The flowing water causes the turbine to rotate, converting the water’s kinetic
energy into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy produced by the turbine is converted
into electric energy by using a generator. Inside the generator, the shaft of the turbine spins a
magnet inside coils of copper wire. A water turbine that converts the energy of flowing or
falling water into mechanical energy that drives a generator, which generates electrical power.
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There is kinetic energy embodied in the flow of water. Flowing water is directed at a turbine
(remember turbines are just advanced waterwheels).The flowing water causes the turbine to
rotate, converting the water’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy.
The mechanical energy produced by the turbine is converted into electric energy by using a
generator. Inside the generator, the shaft of the turbine spins a magnet inside coils of copper
wire. A water turbine that converts the energy of flowing or falling water into mechanical
energy that drives a generator, which generates electrical power. A control mechanism to
provide stable electrical power is called governor. Electrical transmission line delivers the
power to its destination/customers.
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Layout of HEPP

Storage Reservoir: - Its purpose is to store water during excess flow periods (rainy
season) and supply the same during lean flow periods (dry season).Thus it helps in supplying
water to the turbines according to the load on the power plants. Low head plants require very
large reservoir.
Dam:-A dam is a barrier which stores water and creates water head. Dams are built of concrete
or stone masonry, earth or rock fill. The function of dam is not only to raise the water surface
of the stream to create artificial head but also to provide the poundage, storage or the facility of
diversion in to the conduits. The type of dam also depends upon the foundation conditions,
local materials and transportation available, occurrence of earthquakes and other hazards

Surge Tank: - a reduction in the load on the generator causes the governor to close the
turbine gates and these create an increased pressure in the penstock this may result in water
hammer phenomenon and may need pipe of extraordinary strength to withstand it, otherwise,
the penstock may burst.

Penstocks: Penstocks are open or closed conduits which carry water to the turbines. They
are generally made of reinforced concrete or steel.
Valves and Gates: - these are important for the control of water flow in the turbine based on
the loading condition. Also important for the shut off the flow and provide for unwatering the
Turbine for inspection and repair.
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Tail Race: - the water after having done its useful work in the turbine is discharged to the tail
race which may lead it to the same stream or to another one (other power plant).
Water Turbine: - changes the kinetic energy to mechanical energy

Power House
The power house is a building in which the turbines, alternators and the auxiliary plant are
housed. Some important items of equipment provided in the power house are as follows:
 Turbines
 Generators
 Governors
 Relief valve for penstock setting
 Gate valve
 Transformer
 Switch board equipment and

Instruments
 Circuit breaker
 Storage batteries
 Outgoing connections
 Offices
Selection of Site for HEPP
Availability of Water: HEPP should be built where there is adequate water at good head or
huge quantity of water is flowing across a given point.
Water Storage: convenient accommodation for the erection of a dam or reservoir must be
available.
Water head: in order to determine the most effective and economical head it is necessary to
consider all possible factors which affect it
Distance from Load Center: for economical transmission of electric power the routes and the
distances needed active considerations.
Accessibility of Site: adequate transportation facilities must be available so that the necessary
equipment & machineries could be easily transported.
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Availability of Land: the land available should be cheap in cost and rocky in order to
withstand the weight of the large building and heavy machinery.
Sedimentation: gradual deposition of silt may reduce the capacity of the storage reservoir and
may also cause damage to the turbine blades. Stream diversion should also considered during
construction

Advantages and Disadvantages of HEPP

Advantages
 It requires no fuel as water is used for the generation of electrical energy.
 It is quite neat and clean as no smoke or ash is produced.
 It requires very small running charges because water is the source of energy which is
available free of cost.
 It is comparatively simple in construction and requires less maintenance.
 Renewable resource with high conversion efficiency to electricity (80+ %)
 It does not require a long starting time like a steam power station. In fact, such plants can
be put into service instantly.
 It is robust and has a longer life.
 Such plants serve many purposes. In addition to the generation of electrical energy, they
also help in irrigation and controlling floods.
 Although such plants require the attention of highly skilled persons at the time of
construction, yet for operation, a few experienced persons may do the job well.
 Scalable from 10 kW to 20,000 MW
Disadvantages

 It involves high capital cost due to construction of dam.

 There is uncertainty about the availability of huge amount of water due to dependence on
weather conditions
 Skilled and experienced hands are required to build the plant.
 It requires high cost of transmission lines as the plant is located in hilly areas which are
quite away from the consumers.
 Social impacts of displacing indigenous people
 Long lead time in construction of large projects
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Classification of HEPP

Depending on the quantity of water used in the plant, the HEPP is divided into three:
i. Run off River Plant-it is constructed by directing the water source to the turbine and the
water source may vary according to seasons. It is common in micro, mini and small hydro
power plant
ii. Storage plant-a dam is constructed to act as reservoir of water sources and has the ability to
continuously supply the water in continuous manner. Storage type are used generally in small
to large hydropower plants
iii. Pumped storage-water pumped to a storage pool above the power plant at a time when
customer demand for energy is low, such as during the middle of the night. The water is then
allowed to flow back through the turbine-generators at times when demand is high and a heavy
load is place on the system. The reservoir acts much like a battery, storing power in the form of
water when demands are low and producing maximum power during daily and seasonal peak
periods. An advantage of pumped storage is that hydroelectric generating units are able to start
up quickly and make rapid adjustments in output. They operate efficiently when used for one
hour or several hours. Because pumped storage reservoirs are relatively small, construction
costs are generally low compared with conventional hydropower facilities

How much electricity can be generated by a hydroelectric power

plant?
Head = the height from which water falls
The farther the water falls, the more power it has. The higher the dam, the farther the water
falls, producing more hydroelectric power. Power production is also directly proportional to
head. That is, water falling twice as far will produce twice as much electricity.
Head:-Based on head dams are classified into three categories

 High-head (250 meter or more)

 Medium-head (30 to 250 meter)
 Low-head (less than 30 meter)
The power generated from a HEPP of head H with flow rate Q can be calculated:
P  g   Q  H
P  10    Q  H
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Where:
 P = power in kilowatts (kW)
2
 g = gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s )
  = turbo-generator efficiency (0<n<1)
3
 Q = quantity of water flowing (m /sec)
 H = effective head (m)

Efficiency of HEPP

electricalpower delivered to the bus bar

efficiency
potential energy of head water
 Typical losses are due to
 Frictional drag and turbulence of flow
 Friction and magnetic losses in turbine & generator
Overall efficiency ranges from 75-95%
Hydraulic Turbine:-They can be grouped into two types:
 Reaction turbine
 Impulse turbine:
Reaction turbines: The turbine is totally embedded in the fluid and powered from the pressure
drop across the device develops power from the combined action of pressure energy and
kinetic energy of the water. Totally immersed in water Angular & linear motion converted to
shaft power Used for low and medium heads and high flows Propeller, Francis, and Kaplan
turbines
Impulse turbines: utilizes the kinetic energy of high velocity jet of water to transform the
water energy in to mechanical energy. The entire pressure of water is converted into kinetic
energy in the nozzle and the velocity of the jet drives the wheel Convert kinetic energy of
water jet hitting buckets No pressure drop across turbines Used for high head low flow HEPPs
Pelton, Turgo, and crossflow turbines.