Assignment # 1

Alternate Energy Sources

:Submitted To
Eng. Murad Hassan
:Submitted By
M.Saqlain khalid 17093322-014
Hassan Iqbal Gondal 17093322-016
Jawad Karim 17093322-031
Smester: 7th
 HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY SOURCE

INTRODUCTION
Hydro Electric power (HEP) is a major renewable energy source used all over the world
today to produce electricity. It utilizes the basic laws of Physics. Falling water under high
pressure has high kinetic energy. In an HEP station, the falling water turns the turbines.
Through magnetic induction, the generator converts the mechanical energy of the turbines
.to electricity

Hydroelectric Power Station

It is the technique of using dam water falling from a height to turn the turbines of a
generator. The mechanical energy is converted into electrical form and fed into the
national grid system. The following diagram shows an outline of a hydroelectric power
station.

The location of a hydroelectric power station must be analyzed by an expert to determine

the effective head for maximum efficiency. Hydraulic systems are also used to utilize the
concept on slower and slow moving water streams.
One advantage of hydropower is that the water is available for other use after generation.
A river with high water flow and head is a better source of hydropower.
Flow rate means the speed at which water passes a particular point in the river per second.
The head refers to the vertical distance from the top of the slope to the power station.
A dam with a large drop is constructed to raise the potential energy of water. The intake is
placed at the bottom where the pressure is highest. Water then flows by gravity through
the penstock. At this level, kinetic energy is sufficient to turn the turbines.
Power Estimation
The power in a dam can be estimated by two factors - flow of the water and the
head.
 Flow means the volume passing through a given section of a river at a given
time. Flow is given by m3/s.
 Head is the vertical distance the water falls through.
Theoretically, Power is directly proportional to the above mentioned factors, i.e.

P = Q*H*c
Where,
 P − power expected
 Q − the flow in m3/s
 H − Head in m
 c − constant (density* gravity)
Therefore, taking density of water as 1000gm-3 and gravity 1.9 –

P = 1000*1.9*Q*H

Energy is required to turn the turbines of a generator to cause an electromagnetic

induction.
Pumped storage is a technique used to recycle water after it has passed through
the turbines. In particular, pumped storage improves the overall dam’s efficiency.
A hydroelectric power station has three major components. They are −
 The first is the dam that creates the water head. Water falls from the base of
the dam at high velocity and provides kinetic energy to turn the turbines.
 The second component is the reservoir. The water reservoir is the place
behind the dam where water is stored. The water in the reservoir is located
higher than the rest of the dam structure. The height of water in the reservoir
decides how much potential energy the water possesses. The higher the
height of water, the more its potential energy.
 The third component is the electric plant where electricity is produced and
connected to the grid.
Resource Assessment for Small Installation
Before installing a mini-hydro plant, it is important to identify nearby resource that can be
harnessed. A good stream with a fairly constant flow (m3/s) is a resource worth exploiting.
A river with good flow can utilize the velocity of the water to turn the water wheel.
Mountain or hill slopes are best suited for hydro-generation. As mentioned before, it is
necessary to consider both head and flow of the river to determine the approximate power
output.
Knowing the parameters, approximate power is determined as follows –

Head in feet * flow in gallons per meter / 10 = power in Watts

The head could also have the units of Pressure for an even river.

Hose Tube Method

This technique is used in determining the head in a low stream for a submersed turbine.
The requirements for a hose tube method include a flexible piping (preferred garden
horse), a funnel, and a measuring material. The stream should be shallow enough for one
to wade through (check river depth before beginning). The procedure for installing a hose
tube method is described below.
First, stretch the hose from the point where the stream starts to slope. Second, lift the end
of the hose till water stops flowing through. Take the vertical distance and repeat the
same for other sections till the preferred site is reached. The figure below illustrates the
various heads in each section.

Determining head
Determining Flow
The flow of a normal stream for a domestic hydropower could be determined by the
following two methods.
 Float method 
In this technique, a float of measured weight is released in an even part of the
stream and time taken to cover measured distance is recorded. The distance in
meters is divided by the time taken in seconds to get the velocity. It is worth to
note that the float should not touch the ground. In case it is too heavy such that it
touches the stream bed, a smaller float may be chosen.
 Bucket method
This is achieved by damming the stream and diverting it into a bucket. The rate it
takes for it to fill is then recorded. This is done in gallons per second. Use a bucket
with a standard measure to be more accurate.
TYPES of TURBINES
There are two broad classifications of turbines namely Impulse turbines and Reaction
turbines. The choice of turbines relies on the head and flow. Other factors to consider are
depth, cost, and the efficiency required.

Impulse Turbines
In impulse turbines, the velocity of water hits the buckets of the turbine wheel to create
mechanical energy. Water runs off the bottom of the turbine after turning the wheel.
In impulse turbines, the velocity of water hits the buckets in the turbine wheel to create
mechanical energy. Water runs off the bottom of the turbine after turning the wheel.

Types of Impulse Turbines

Impulse turbines are of two types

 Pelton wheel
This type of wheel has jets that direct water into an aerated space. Water falls on
the buckets of the runner and causes a turning moment. This wheel requires no
draft tubes. A variation was developed called the turgo wheel that looks like fan
blades enclosed in the edges. Water simply runs through the fans and causes
rotation. It is designed for high head and a low flow.
 Cross-flow
The wheel has drum-like section with elongated nozzle and rectangular in shape.
The opening guide vanes direct water to the runner. Water flows through the
blades twice as it goes in and flows out.
Reaction Turbines
In Reaction turbines, power is developed from both pressure and the impact of moving
water because the runner is located at the center of the stream. These are mostly suited
for higher flow and lower head. Water hits all the blades rather than individual blade at a
time.

Reaction turbines are of three types

 Propeller turbines 
Have a runner with three to six blades. Water hits all the blades constantly at
constant pressure to balance the runner. There are variations of propeller turbine,
that is, bulb, Kaplan, tube and straflo.
 Francis turbine
Uses a runner with nine or more fixed buckets. Water is allowed to flow just above
the turbine to create a constant spinning motion.
 Free-fall
Turbines utilize the kinetic energy in water and not the potential energy used by
most turbines. That is why these are commonly known as kinetic turbines. They
operate under natural setting of streams and rivers. They may also operate with
ocean tides.
Hydropower could be utilized for domestic consumption when there is a constant water
flow. In most cases, the flow and fall do not provide enough power to turn conventional
turbines.

Components of a Hydroelectric Power Plant

The following are the major components of a micro Hydroelectric power plant
 Intake
The position of the generator must be near an intake. This could be achieved by
damming the water to establish the necessary head and to build up pressure.
 Penstock
It is a region of gravitational fall from the intake. For micro-hydro projects, pipes
are used from intake to the runner of the turbine.
 Turbines
The type of turbine to use relies on the size of the stream and the desired output.
For most small hydros, a pelton wheel is efficient. In cases of low head, submersible
reaction turbines may be used in which case the water pressure turns the blades.
 Controls
Controls prevent overcharging of the battery. They regulate this by diverging
excess power to the dump load.
 Dump load
This is simply an alternative high resistance destinations used when the battery is
fully recharged. They may include water heaters or even air conditioning system.
 Battery
Micro-hydro systems do not produce large power like conventional AC systems. In
order to utilize it for a number of power needs, accumulation of energy is
necessary. Batteries provide a means to store the power to the amount desired.
They also provide energy during outages in the system supply.
 Metering
This is important to monitor power usage vis-à-vis power supply. This may help in
understanding important system characteristics as well as identification of faults.
 Disconnect
In any electric wiring system, there should be a guard against excess power supply.
A circuit-breaker gadget should be installed on the mains to guard against damage
on any gadget connected to the hydro supply.
WORKING

A hydraulic ram pump works under basic laws of physics to lift water against gravitational
pull to a height higher than that of the source. This pump works without any external
energy supply such as burning of fuel. The only energy is the kinetic energy of the water
being pumped. The greater the head the higher the distance pumped.

How it Works?
To understand how the ram pump works, it is important to have knowledge of water
hammer principle.
Fluid hammer
The fluid hammer effect occurs when a fluid (in this case water) is forcefully stopped or its
direction changes suddenly. A pressure shock is experienced and the wave is conducted
back to the source of the fluid. This could be a dangerous phenomenon causing tires and
pipes to burst or collapse.

 Water flows into the pump through inlet (5) with some kinetic energy from the head
and shuts the valve (6).
 With 6 closed and 3 initially closed, the water develops a water hummer that builds
up pressure in the pipe and opens valve (3) sending some water through the outlet
(1).
 Since the flow is up hill, water flows slowly and shortly falls back again closing 3.
 The water hammer builds up and replicates back through the pipe producing a
suction force that opens the waste valve 6.
The process is repeated with pressure building up each time.
Label 2 is a pressure controller containing air. It cushions the shock whenever 6 closer and
water is pushed through 3. It helps protect the piping from impact that could lead to
bursting as well as aid the pumping effect. The ram is 60 to 80 percent efficient. This does
not directly reflect the ratio of water pumped as it relies on the vertical height of water
pumped. In other words, this is the efficiency of the pumping effect to energy from the
water hummer effect.

?What is renewable energy resources

Renewable energy is energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow limited,
renewable resources are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of
.energy that is available per unit of time i.e solar,wind,tidal,hydal etc

?Where does it comes from and how is it made by nature

The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in
a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in
turn activates a generator to produce electricity. But hydroelectric power doesn’t
necessarily require a large dam. Some hydroelectric power plants just use a small canal to
.channel the river water through a turbine

?How hydal energy turns into electercal energy

A hydraulic turbine converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. A
hydroelectric generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. The operation of a
generator is based on the principles discovered by Faraday. He found that when a magnet is
moved past a conductor, it causes electricity to flow. In a large generator, electromagnets
are made by circulating direct current through loops of wire wound around stacks of
magnetic steel laminations. These are called field poles, and are mounted on the perimeter
of the rotor. The rotor is attached to the turbine shaft, and rotates at a fixed speed. When
the rotor turns, it causes the field poles (the electromagnets) to move past the conductors
mounted in the stator. This, in turn, causes electricity to flow and a voltage to develop at
.the generator output terminals
?Graphical diagram of hydroelectric energy usage

?Comparison of cost between generation and production

ADVANTAGES
Renewable .1
Hydropower is completely renewable, which means it will never run out unless the water
stops flowing.

2. Emission Free

The creation of hydroelectricity does not release emissions into the atmosphere. This is, of
course, the biggest appeal of any renewable energy source.

3. Reliable

Hydropower is, by far, the most reliable renewable energy available in the world. Unlike
when the sun goes down or when the wind dies down, water usually has a constant and
steady flow 24/7.

4. Adjustable
Since hydropower is so reliable, hydro plants can actually adjust the flow of water. This
allows the plant to produce more energy when it is required or reduce the energy output
when it is not needed. This is something that no other renewable energy source can do.

5. Create Lakes

Lakes can be used for recreational purposes and can even help draw in tourists. Look no
further than Lake Mead.

6. Faster Developed Land

Since hydro dams can only be built in specific locations, they can help develop the land for
nearby towns and cities. This is because it takes a lot of equipment to build a dam. To
transport it, highways and roads must be built, which helps open new paths for rural towns.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Impact on Fish

To create a hydro plant, a running water source must be dammed. This prevents fish from
reaching their breeding ground, which in turn affects any animal that relies on those fish for
food.

As the water stops flowing, riverside habitats begin to disappear. This can even remove
animals from accessing water.

2. Limited Plant Locations

While hydropower is renewable, there are limited places in the world that are suitable for
plant construction. On top of this, some of these places are not close to major cities that
could fully benefit from the energy.

3. Higher initial Costs

While no power plant is easy to build, hydro plants do require you to build a dam to stop
running water. As a result, they cost more than similarly sized fossil fuel plants.
Although, they will not need to worry about purchasing fuel later on. So it does even out
over the long-term.

4. Carbon and Methane Emissions

While the actual electricity generation in the plant does not produce emissions, there are
emissions from the reservoirs they create. Plants that are at the bottom of a reservoir begin
to decompose. And when plants die, they release large quantities of carbon and methane.

5. Susceptible to Droughts

While Hydropower is the most reliable renewable energy available, it is dependent on the
amount of water in any given location. Thus, the performance of a hydro plant could be
significantly affected by a drought. And as climate change continues to heat up or planet,
this could become more common.

6. Flood Risk

When dams are built at higher elevations, they pose a serious risk to any town nearby that
is below it. While these dams are built very strong, there are still risks.