Chapter 4

HYDROPOWER ENERGY

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ngoc Chung

Dalat University
2022
HOW A HYDROELECTRIC POWER
SYSTEM WORKS

2
 Hydroelectric power (often called hydropower) is
considered a renewable energy source.

A renewable energy source is one that is not depleted (used

up) in the production of energy.
Through hydropower, the energy in falling water is converted
into electricity without “using up” the water.
Hydroelectric power (hydropower) systems
convert the kinetic energy in flowing water into
electric energy.
 Hydropower energy is ultimately derived from the sun, which
drives the water cycle.
In the water cycle, rivers are recharged in a continuous cycle.
Because of the force of gravity, water flows from high
points to low points. There is kinetic energy embodied in
the flow of water.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Any moving
object has kinetic energy.
Humans first learned to
harness the kinetic energy in
water by using waterwheels.
A waterwheel is a revolving
wheel fitted with blades,
buckets, or vanes.
Waterwheels convert the
kinetic energy of flowing water
to mechanical energy.
Mechanical energy is a form of kinetic energy, such as
in a machine.
Mechanical energy has the ability to do work. Any
object that is able to do work has mechanical energy.
The mechanical energy produced by the turbine is converted
into electric energy using a turbine generator. Inside the
generator, the shaft of the turbine spins a magnet inside coils
of copper wire. It is a fact of nature that moving a magnet near
a conductor causes an electric current.
How much electricity can be generated
by a hydroelectric power plant?

10
 Hydropower Calculations
P  g   Q  H
P  10   Q  H

• P = power in kilowatts (kW)

• g = gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2)
•  = turbo-generator efficiency (0<n<1)
• Q = quantity of water flowing (m3/sec)
• H = effective head (m)
Power is proportional to the product of head x flow
Head = the distance the water falls (measured in feet)
A standard equation for calculating energy production:

(Head) x (Flow) x (Efficiency)

Power = -------------------------------------------
11.8
Power = the electric power in kilowatts or kW
Head = the distance the water falls (measured in feet)
Flow = the amount of water flowing (measured in cubic feet per second
or cfs)
Efficiency = How well the turbine and generator convert the power of
falling water into electric power. This can range from 60%
(0.60) for older, poorly maintained hydroplants to 90%
(0.90) for newer, well maintained plants.
11.8 = Index that converts units of feet and seconds into kilowatts
 Example 1a
Consider a mountain stream with an effective head of 25
meters (m) and a flow rate of 600 liters (ℓ) per minute.
How much power could a hydro plant generate? Assume
plant efficiency () of 83%.

• H = 25 m
• Q = 600 ℓ/min × 1 m3/1000 ℓ × 1 min/60sec
Q = 0.01 m3/sec
•  = 0.83

• P  10QH = 10(0.83)(0.01)(25) = 2.075

P  2.1 kW
Example 1b
How much energy (E) will the hydro plant generate each
year?

• E=P×t
E = 2.1 kW × 24 hrs/day × 365 days/yr
E = 18,396 kWh annually

About how many people will this energy support (assume

approximately 3,000 kWh / person)?

• People = E÷3000 = 18396/3000 = 6.13

• About 6 people
 Example 2

Consider a second site with an effective head of 100 m and

a flow rate of 6,000 cubic meters per second (about that
of Niagara Falls). Answer the same questions.

• P  10QH = 10(0.83)(6000)(100)
P  4.98 million kW = 4.98 GW (gigawatts)
• E = P×t = 4.98GW × 24 hrs/day × 365 days/yr
E = 43,625 GWh = 43.6 TWh (terrawatt hours)
• People = E÷3000 = 43.6 TWh / 3,000 kWh
People = 1.45 million people
• (This assumes maximum power production 24x7)
 SI multiples for watt hour (Wh)
Submultiples Multiples
Value Symbol Name Value Symbol Name
milliwatt kilowatt
10−3 mWh 103 kWh
hour hour
microwatt megawatt
10−6 µWh 106 MWh
hour hour
gigawatt
109 GWh
hour
terawatt
1012 TWh
hour
petawatt
1015 PWh
hour
 • Renewable
– Hydro Power
– Wind Energy
– Oceanic Energy
– Solar Power
– Geothermal
– Biomass

Hydropower is a natural renewable energy source

 Hydrologic Cycle

Because the water cycle is an endless, constantly recharging system,

hydropower is considered a renewable energy
 Because the water cycle is continuous,
hydropower is a renewable energy source.
Renewable Energy Sources
World Trends in Hydropower
Major Hydropower Producers
Top Hydroelectric Generation Countries 2011

24
Sources of Electric Power – US
U.S. Electricity Production 2011

26
 World Energy Sources

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hydropower.org
How hydropower works?
 Hydropower to Electric Power

Electrical
Potential Energy
Energy
Electricity

Kinetic
Energy

Mechanical
Energy
Electricity

Control generator Turbine

31
Hydropower Design
 Terminology (Jargon)
• Head
– Water must fall from a higher elevation to a lower one to
release its stored energy.
– The difference between these elevations (the water
levels in the forebay and the tailbay) is called head
– Head = the distance the water falls (measured in feet)
• Dams: three categories
– high-head (800 or more feet)
– medium-head (100 to 800 feet)
– low-head (less than 100 feet)
Types of Hydroelectric Installation
High-head Hydropower

Tall dams are sometimes referred to

as “high-head” hydropower systems.
That is, the height from which water
falls is relatively high.
Low-head Hydropower

Many smaller hydropower

systems are considered “low-
head” because the height from
which the water falls is fairly
low. Low-head hydropower
systems are generally less than
20 feet high.
 Scale of Hydropower Projects

• Large-hydro
– More than 100 MW feeding into a large electricity grid
• Medium-hydro
– 15 - 100 MW usually feeding a grid
• Small-hydro
– 1 - 15 MW - usually feeding into a grid
Scale of Hydropower Projects
• Mini-hydro
– Above 100 kW, but below 1 MW
– Either stand alone schemes or more often feeding into
the grid
• Micro-hydro
– From 5kW up to 100 kW
– Usually provided power for a small community or rural
industry in remote areas away from the grid.
• Pico-hydro
– From a few hundred watts up to 5kW
– Remote areas away from the grid.
 Technology

Hydropower
Technology

Pumped
Impoundment Diversion
Storage
Types of Hydropower Plants

 impoundment,

 diversion,

 pumped storage
 Types of Systems
• Impoundment
– Hoover Dam, Grand Coulee
• Diversion or run-of-river systems
– Niagara Falls
– Most significantly smaller
• Pumped Storage
– Two way flow
– Pumped up to a storage reservoir and returned to a
lower elevation for power generation
• A mechanism for energy storage, not net energy
production
41
IMPOUNDMENT
 Impoundment
The most common type of hydroelectric power plant
is an impoundment facility.
An impoundment facility, typically a large
hydropower system, uses a dam to store river
water in a reservoir.
Water released from the reservoir flows through a
turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a
generator to produce electricity.
The water may be released either to meet changing
electricity needs or to maintain a constant reservoir
level.
Dam
Example
Hoover Dam (US)
Dam Types (Different kind of Dams):

• Arch
• Gravity
• Buttress
• Embankment or Earth
 Arch Dams

Water Forces

Weight Forces

Aldeadávila Dam (in Spain)

Aldeadávila Dam (in Spain)
 Arch Dams

• Arch shape gives

strength
• Less material (cheaper)
• Narrow sites
• Need strong abutments
 Gravity Dams

Water forces

Weight Forces

Guri Dam (in Venezuela)

 Concrete Gravity Dams

• Weight holds dam in

place
• Lots of concrete
(expensive)
 Arch-Gravity dams

Hoover Dam (between the U.S. States of Arizona and Nevada)

 Buttress Dams

• Face is held up by a
series of supports
• Flat or curved face
 Embankment Dams

• Earth or rock
• Weight resists flow
of water
Dams Construction
 World’s Largest Dams

Max Annual
Name Country Year Generation Production

Three Gorges China 2009 18,200 MW

Itaipú Brazil/Paraguay 1983 12,600 MW 93.4 TW-hrs

Guri Venezuela 1986 10,200 MW 46 TW-hrs

Grand Coulee United States 1942/80 6,809 MW 22.6 TW-hrs

Sayano Shushenskaya Russia 1983 6,400 MW

Robert-Bourassa Canada 1981 5,616 MW

Churchill Falls Canada 1971 5,429 MW 35 TW-hrs

Iron Gates Romania/Serbia 1970 2,280 MW 11.3 TW-hrs

Three Gorges Dam (China)
Itaipú Dam (Brazil & Paraguay)
Guri Dam (Venezuela)
Grand Coulee Dam (US)
 DIVERSION

A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river,

facility channels a portion of a river through
a canal or penstock.
It may not require the use of a dam.
Diversion (Run-of-River) Hydropower
Diversion

The Tazimina project in Alaska is an example of a

diversion hydropower plant. No dam was required.
Example
Diversion Hydropower (Tazimina, Alaska)
Micro Run-of-River Hydropower
Micro Hydro Example

Used in remote locations in northern Canada

 PUMPED STORAGE

When the demand for electricity is low, a pumped

storage facility stores energy by pumping water from
a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir.
During periods of high electrical demand, the water is
released back to the lower reservoir to generate
electricity

66
Pumped Storage

67
Sizes of Hydroelectric Power Plants
Large Hydropower – capacity of more than 30 MW

Small Hydropower – capacity 100 kW – 30 MW

Micro Hydropower - capacity < 100 kW.

 Big range in capacity and size
 power capacity – 1 kWe to 12000 MWe
 hydraulic head < 1 m to 1500 m (from low-head to
high-head)
 largest earth dam height – 300 m (Rogun,
Tajikistan)
 largest reinforced concrete dam height– 285m
(Switzerland), will be in China
 reservoir volume – >106 m3 (Uganda)
 reservoir area – 9,600 km2 (La Grande complex,
Quebec)
 hydraulic head – 1 m to 1500 m (S. Fiorano, Italy)
Turbine Design

- Francis Turbine
- Kaplan Turbine
- Pelton Turbine
- Turgo Turbine
- New Designs
Types of Hydropower Turbines
 Turbine Design Ranges

• Kaplan 2 < H < 40  

• Francis 10 < H < 350
• Pelton 50 < H < 1300
• Turgo 50 < H < 250

(H = head in meters)
Turbine Ranges of Application
 Turbine Design Recommendations

Head Pressure
High Medium Low

Impulse Pelton Crossflow Crossflow

Turgo Turgo
Multi-jet Pelton Multi-jet Pelton

Reaction   Francis Propeller

Pump-as-Turbine Kaplan
Francis Turbine – Grand Coulee
Dam
Kaplan Turbine Schematic
 Kaplan Turbine Cross Section

77
"Water Turbine," Wikipedia.com
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
 Benefits…

• Environmental Benefits of Hydro

• No operational greenhouse gas emissions
• Savings (kg of CO2 per MWh of electricity):
– Coal 1000 kg
– Oil 800 kg
– Gas 400 kg
• No SO2 or NOX
• Non-environmental benefits
– flood control, irrigation, transportation, fisheries and
– tourism.
 Disadvantages

• The loss of land under the reservoir.

• Interference with the transport of sediment
by the dam.
• Problems associated with the reservoir.
– Climatic and seismic effects.
– Impact on aquatic ecosystems, flora and
fauna.
 Interference with Sediment transport

RIVER Kg/m3
Yellow River 37.6
Colorado 16.6
Amur 2.3
Nile 1.6

• Rivers carry a lot of sediments.

• Creation of a dam results in the deposition of
sediments on the bottom of the reservoir.
• Land erosion on the edges of the reservoir due to
deforestation also leads to deposition of sediments.
 Climatic and Seismic effects

• It is believed that large reservoirs induce have

the potential to induce earthquakes.

• In tropics, existence of man-made lakes

decreases the convective activity and reduces
cloud cover. In temperate regions, fog forms
over the lake and along the shores when the
temperature falls to zero and thus increases
humidity in the nearby area.
 Some major/minor induced earthquakes

DAM NAME COUNTRY HEIGHT VOLUME OF MAGNITUDE

(m) RESERVOIR
(m3)
KOYNA INDIA 103 2780 6.5
KREMASTA GREECE 165 4650 6.3
HSINFENGKIANG CHINA 105 10500 6.1

BENMORE NEW 118 2100 5.0

ZEALAND
MONTEYNARD FRANCE 155 240 4.9
 Eutrophication
• In tropical regions due to decomposition of the
vegetation, there is increased demand for biological
oxygen in the reservoir.
• The relatively constant temperatures inhibit the
thermally induced mixing that occurs in temperate
latitudes.
• In this anaerobic layer, there is formation of
methane which is a potential green house gas.
• This water, when released kills the fishes
downstream and creates an unattractive odor. The
only advantage is that all these activities are not
permanent.
Water Pollution
Water Chemistry and Eutrophication

• Eutrophication brings
about changes in water
chemistry.
• These include:
pH
Dissolved O2
CO2
Ammonia
Nitrates/Nitrites
Phosphates
Eutrophication 87
Compare the water upstream from the dam to
downstream, what differences do you see?