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Hydroelectric power, or hydroelectricity, is generated by the force of falling water. (Hydro comes from the Greek word for water.) It’s one of the cleanest sources of energy, and it’s also the most reliable and costs the least. Water is needed to run a hydroelectric power-generating unit. The water is held behind a dam, forming an artificial lake, or reservoir. The force of the water being released from the reservoir through the dam spins the blades of a giant turbine. The turbine is connected to the generator that makes electricity as it spins. After passing through the turbine, the water flows back into the river on the other side of the dam.
Electricity is produced by spinning electromagnets within a generator’s wire coil that creates a flow of electrons. To keep the electromagnets spinning, hydroelectric stations use falling water. Hydroelectric power plants convert the kinetic energy contained in falling water into electricity. The energy in flowing water is ultimately derived from the sun, and is therefore constantly being renewed. Energy contained in sunlight evaporates water from the oceans and deposits it on land in the form of rain. Differences in land elevation result in rainfall runoff, allowing some of the original solar energy to be captured as hydroelectric power. Most hydroelectric stations use either the natural drop of the river or build a dam across the river to raise the water level and provide the drop needed to create a driving force. Water at the higher level (the forebay,) goes through the intake into a pipe, called a penstock, which carries it down to the turbine. The turbine is a type of water wheel that converts the water's energy into mechanical power. The turbine is connected to a generator, and (4) when the turbine is set in motion it causes the generator to rotate, producing electricity. The falling water, having served its purpose, exits the generating station through the draft tube and the tailrace where it rejoins the river.
At Ontario Power Generation (OPG), hydroelectric generation is their lowest-cost power source, producing approximately 34 terawatt-hours in 2002. OPG operates 36 hydroelectric stations, as well as 29 small hydroelectric plants and 240 dams on 26 river systems. The smallest station has a generating capacity of just 1 megawatt; the largest more than 1,300 megawatts.
What else can I help you with?
How many people work at a hydroelectric powerplant?
the answer to your question is that OVER 9000! people work in a hydroelectric powerplant.
In a hydroelectric plant the mechanical energy in moving water is transformed into?
Into electrical energy.
How is a water wheel similar to a turbine in a hydroelectric power plant?
Both have blades or buckets.
What is needed to run the turbine of a hydroelectric power plant?
Water at pressure that is sufficient to continuously spin the turbine(s).
What are the differences between a coal power plant and a hydroelectric power plant?
Coal is used in furnaces to heat water in a boiler to superheated (above 100 degrees Celsius) temperatures, and this steam is used to drive a turbine which, in turn, drives an alternator. A hydroelectric plant uses the vertical fall of water to drive a water turbine which drives an alternator.
When was Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant created?
Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant was created in 1897.
When was Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant created?
Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant was created in 1917.
When was Dubrava Hydroelectric Power Plant created?
Dubrava Hydroelectric Power Plant was created in 1989.
When was Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant created?
Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant was created in 1995.
When was Čakovec Hydroelectric Power Plant created?
Čakovec Hydroelectric Power Plant was created in 1982.
When was Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant created?
Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant was created in 1907.
When was Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Generating Plant created?
Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Generating Plant was created in 1919.
How does it work for hydroelectric equipments?
Hydroelectric power works by running water over the turbines of a power plant inside of a dam. The power of the rushing water turns the turbines and produces electricity.
Was the first hydroelectric power plant was built at Hoover Dam?
No, the first hydroelectric power plant was not built at Hoover Dam. The first commercial hydroelectric power plant was established in 1882 at Appleton, Wisconsin. Hoover Dam, which was completed in 1936, is one of the largest and most famous hydroelectric facilities, but it came much later in the development of hydroelectric power.
What is better hydroelectric power plant or nuclear power plant?
hydroelctric
Is wolf creek dam a hydroelectric plant?
Yes, The Wolf Creek Dam is a Hydroelectric dam.
Which of these was first built in Wisconsin?
Hydroelectric plant
