Hydropower 1700’s ~Hydropower 1700’s ~ Early 1800’s Early 1800’s Bernard Forest de Bernard Forest de

Bélidor Bélidor Architecture Architecture

HydrauliqueHydraulique, ,

Late 1800,sLate 1800,s

Michigan's Grand Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light Rapids Electric Light and Power Company.and Power Company.

Niagara Falls, New Niagara Falls, New York.York.

Fox River in Appleton, Fox River in Appleton, WisconsinWisconsin

Bureau of ReclamationBureau of Reclamation

Mid-1900’sMid-1900’s

Industrial ageIndustrial age

New technologyNew technology

Better Better ConstructionConstruction

Bigger BudgetsBigger Budgets

CurrentlyCurrently

1/10 of electricity, 1/10 of electricity, US.US.

20% World 20% World electricityelectricity

Three Gorges DamThree Gorges Dam Over one mile longOver one mile long

575 feet tall. 575 feet tall.

25-75 billion dollars. 25-75 billion dollars.

20 years of 20 years of construction  construction  

Completion in 2009Completion in 2009

Hydro-Electric SystemsHydro-Electric Systems

Sizes- large, small, Sizes- large, small, MicroMicro

Types- Types- Impoundment, diversion, Impoundment, diversion, pumped storagepumped storage

TurbinesTurbines- reaction and impulse- reaction and impulse

Home-Hydro-PowerHome-Hydro-Power

In the beginning…In the beginning…

Chinese Casting IronChinese Casting Iron

Large Hydro-systemsLarge Hydro-systems

Defined as greater Defined as greater than 30 megawatts than 30 megawatts by Department of by Department of EnergyEnergy

Hoover dam- (1300 MW)Hoover dam- (1300 MW)

LargestLargest in World in World Venezuela (Venezuela (10,000MW)10,000MW)

China- 18,600 MW China- 18,600 MW (2009)(2009)

Small Hydro-systemsSmall Hydro-systems

DOE 100kw – DOE 100kw – 30mw30mw

Industries, townsIndustries, towns

Thailand (9mw)Thailand (9mw)

Micro-hydro systemMicro-hydro system

DOE 0-100 kwDOE 0-100 kw

Farm, home, Farm, home, villagevillage

Increasing in Increasing in #’s Today#’s Today

Impoundment TypeImpoundment Type

Diversion TypeDiversion Type

Diversion (Brazil)Diversion (Brazil)

Pumped StoragePumped Storage

Energy control- Energy control- produce power on produce power on demanddemand

70-80% efficency 70-80% efficency

Net electricity Net electricity consumersconsumers

Can be PV and wind Can be PV and wind poweredpowered

Turbines: Reaction or Turbines: Reaction or ImpulseImpulse

Depends on: head, flow, and Depends on: head, flow, and pressurepressure

Impulse- similar to water wheel Impulse- similar to water wheel (cupped Blades) Spins in the air(cupped Blades) Spins in the air

Reaction- used in large facilitiesReaction- used in large facilities (Blades similar to boat propeller) Submerged in (Blades similar to boat propeller) Submerged in

waterwater

Impulse-type TurbineImpulse-type Turbine

High-head use-High-head use- (Vertical drop > (Vertical drop >

10m)10m)

High pressure High pressure (PSI)(PSI)

Reaction-type TurbineReaction-type Turbine

Low-head Low-head situations (high situations (high flow/ low PSI)flow/ low PSI)

Home-Home-MicroMicro-Hydro-Hydro

How to determine power?How to determine power?

Watts= head x GPM/10 (53% Watts= head x GPM/10 (53% efficiency)efficiency)

Power usage- 300-400 watts/Typical Power usage- 300-400 watts/Typical N.A. home N.A. home (refrigerator, washing machine, lights, (refrigerator, washing machine, lights, entertainment, communication- standard efficiency)entertainment, communication- standard efficiency)

Efficient house (Efficient house (200200 watts) watts)

Micro-Hydro siteMicro-Hydro site

15 kw of power15 kw of power Servicing 25 Servicing 25

homeshomes $30,000$30,000

Inside of Micro TurbineInside of Micro Turbine

4 inch diameter 4 inch diameter impulse turbineimpulse turbine

Creates 200 watts Creates 200 watts of powerof power

Cost $1440Cost $1440

Micro-Hydro SystemsMicro-Hydro Systems

Easy and DurableEasy and Durable

Cost of Cost of turbine/alternator turbine/alternator $1000-$3000$1000-$3000

Legal regulationsLegal regulations

Hydropower – Pros and Hydropower – Pros and ConsCons

Current hydropower technology, while Current hydropower technology, while essentially emission-free, can have essentially emission-free, can have undesirable environmental effects, such as fish undesirable environmental effects, such as fish injury and mortality from passage through injury and mortality from passage through turbines, as well as detrimental effects on the turbines, as well as detrimental effects on the quality of downstream water.quality of downstream water.

Fish PassageFish Passage Fish populations can be impacted if fish cannot Fish populations can be impacted if fish cannot

migrate upstream past impoundment dams to migrate upstream past impoundment dams to spawning grounds or if they cannot migrate spawning grounds or if they cannot migrate downstream to the ocean. downstream to the ocean.

Upstream fish passage Upstream fish passage Fish ladders or elevatorsFish ladders or elevators truckstrucks

Downstream fish passageDownstream fish passage aided by diverting fish from turbine intakes using aided by diverting fish from turbine intakes using

screens or racks or even underwater lights and screens or racks or even underwater lights and sounds, and by maintaining a minimum spill flow sounds, and by maintaining a minimum spill flow past the turbine. past the turbine.

Fish LadderFish Ladder

Water Quality and FlowWater Quality and Flow

Hydropower plants can cause low dissolved Hydropower plants can cause low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, a problem that is oxygen levels in the water, a problem that is harmful to riparian habitats and is addressed harmful to riparian habitats and is addressed using various aeration techniques. Maintaining using various aeration techniques. Maintaining minimum flows of water downstream of a minimum flows of water downstream of a hydropower installation is also critical for the hydropower installation is also critical for the survival of riparian habitats. survival of riparian habitats.

Environmentally Friendly Environmentally Friendly TurbinesTurbines

Environmentally friendly turbines, also called Environmentally friendly turbines, also called "fish friendly" turbines, aim to reduce fish "fish friendly" turbines, aim to reduce fish mortality when passing through the turbine, mortality when passing through the turbine, while also increasing water quality by while also increasing water quality by maintaining dissolved oxygen concentrations. maintaining dissolved oxygen concentrations.

ProsPros

Control of floods and water flowControl of floods and water flow Generate electric cleanly and is Generate electric cleanly and is

renewable renewable Efficiency – Energy to Electricity at Efficiency – Energy to Electricity at

90%90%

ConsCons Disrupt natural flow patterns of the streamDisrupt natural flow patterns of the stream Fertilization of flood plainFertilization of flood plain Fish migrationFish migration Sediment and stratification Sediment and stratification Decommissioning and Dam removal Decommissioning and Dam removal Hydro licensing / re-licensing Hydro licensing / re-licensing

Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Marine Fisheries Service Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Forest Service (FS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), (NMFS), the Forest Service (FS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec), Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec), Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ConclusionConclusion

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) river basin studies show a potential of (FERC) river basin studies show a potential of 73,200 MW of additional U.S. hydroelectric 73,200 MW of additional U.S. hydroelectric capacitycapacity

ReferencesReferences

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/water-power/wp-pump.aspgen-info/water-power/wp-pump.asp

http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_plant_types.htmlhydro_plant_types.html

http://www.homepower.com/files/hp44-24.pdfhttp://www.homepower.com/files/hp44-24.pdf http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/

hydro/types.htmlhydro/types.html Hinrichs, Kleinbach. ENERGY, Its use and the Hinrichs, Kleinbach. ENERGY, Its use and the

Environment,Tompson Learning, 2002.Environment,Tompson Learning, 2002.