HYDROPOWER(Current)

Basic Description

Current hydropower is a renewable energy source, but it's not very common (EIA).

The amount of power produced depends of the speed of the flow of water (EIA). Places like

Niagara Falls produce lots of energy.

The energy is captured by underwater turbines attached to the bottom of a river or ocean

(ocsenergy.gov).

Basic Description Photos

Niagara Falls

Source: thetravels.netSource: Minerals Management Service

History of Current Hydropower

Hydropower is a very old source of energy. Thousands of years ago, is was used to grind grain (EIA).

On September 30, 1882, near Appleton, Wisconsin, the first hydroelectric power plant opened in the U.S. (EIA).

The reason they didn't have power plants sooner was because the plants needed to be near water. The technology to send electricity over a longer distance hadn't been invented yet (EIA).

Where Current Hydropower is found and How it's Recovered

It's found on the bottom of the ocean or rivers where there is a relatively stable current (Bernitsas).

Turbines are attached to the ocean floor buy cables, and as the current flows past, it spins the turbines (Bernitsas).

The turbines are attached to generators. The electricity is produced and transported over land (Bernitsas).

Where Current Hydropower is found and How it's Recovered

Photos

Businessweek.com PublicDomainPictures.net

Turbines Bottom of River

How Current Hydropower is Stored and How it's Released

After the turbines capture the current's energy, it travels through underwater lines to a power plant.

It flows through transmission lines to the smaller distribution lines in a neighborhood.

Then from those distribution lines, the electricity flows into your home.

www.need.org/needpdf/NOV08EE%20INT%20game%20posters.pdf

How Current Hydropower is Stored and How it's Released

Photos

Science.smith.edu Scientificamerican.com

How Current Hydropower is Used Today

Current hydropower is not very popular right now. There are still many scientists experimenting with

it, trying to find the design that benefits the economy best (Drye).

Scientists hope that one day, a single farm of underwater turbines will power thousands of

homes (Bernitsas).

Engineers are still testing it to see if it's possible to make a good profit off of it (Drye).

How Current Hydropower is Used TodayPhotos

Underwater Turbine Farm

Syracuse.com

Advantages of Current Hydropower

The only part of the turbines you would see would be the

cables running onto the shore (Drye).

It wouldn't pollute the air (EIA).

cameron4gfs.glogster.com

Water is also about 800 times denser than air

so it would create more energy (Drye).

Disadvantages of Current Hydropower

The noise and presence of the turbines might affect the marine life that lives there (Drye).

People also would have to be aware of them when they are fishing and diving as well (Drye)

.

It would also cost a lot of money to fix the turbines. The water would cause them to rust

and break down (ocsenergy.gov 2).

Disadvantages of Current Hydropower Photos

Divers Marine Life

travelblog.org

dep.state.fl.us

Economic Impacts of Current Hydropower

It might cost a lot of money to keep the turbines clean (ocsenergy.gov).

Engineers don't know how reliable the turbines will be, and it could possibly cost a lot to constantly fix them (ocsenergy.gov).

Boats would have to be aware of where the turbines were (ocsenergy.gov).

Economic Impacts of Current Hydropower Photos

Boats would have to be aware of the machines

Environmental Impacts of Current Hydropower

The turbine blades have the potential to injure marine life like fish (ocsenergy.gov).

It could affect the mixing of water. That would cause the temperature of the water to rise, affecting the marine life that lives there. (ocsenergy.gov).

It could possibly slow the current flow (ocsenergy.gov).

Environmental Impacts of Current Hydropower Photos

The blades could harm marine life.

The temperature of the water might rise

iminent.com

images.businessweek.com

The Future of Current Hydropower

People are still doing more research on current hydropower, and just hydropower in general (aboutmyplanet.com).

Scientists believe that the ocean has a lot of untapped energy, but they still need to figure out how to harness it (aboutmyplanet.com).

They believe that the machines that stay submerged underwater during storms will be more effective than the ones on top of the water (aboutmyplanet.com).

The Future of Current HydropowerPhotos

Submerged vs. On Top of the Water

thewindenergy.net

Facts about Current Hydropower

The turbines underwater spin a lot more slowly than wind turbines (National Geographic).

When water is moving 12 miles per hour, it has about the same amount of energy as wind that is moving 110 miles per hour (ocsenergy.gov).

Scientists believe that if you took 1/1000 of the energy from the Gulf Stream, it would provide Florida with 35% of the electricity it needs (ocsenergy.gov).

Facts about Current HydropowerPhotos

Gulf Stream

Works Cited

Bernitsas, Michael. “A NEW WAVE OF HYDRPOWER.” EBSCOhost. 2009. Web. 22, Mar. 2011.

Drye, Willie. “Turning River Current Into Electricity.” National Geographic. 21, Mar. 2010. Web. 23, Mar. 2011.

Energy Kids. “Hydropower.” EIA Energy Kids – Hydropower. Unknown. Web. 22, Mar. 2011.

Hanes, Marina. “A Hydropowered Future.” About My Planet. Unknown. Web. 23, Mar. 2011.

OCS Alternative Energy and Alternate Use Programmatic EIS. “Ocean Current Energy.” ocsenergy.gov. unknown. Web. 23, Mar. 2011.