CHAPTER ONE

Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants

Hydropower is the harnessing of flowing water using the dam or other

diversion structures for the purpose of producing electrical energy

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 Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants

The hydroelectric power plants may be classified

according to:-
 Classification According to the Extent of Water
Flow Regulation Available
 Classification According to Availability of Water
Head
 Classification According to Type of Load Supplied
 Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants
Based on Installed Capacity.

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 A. Classification According to the Extent of Water
Flow Regulation Available

 Run-off river power plants without pondage.

 Run-off river power plants with pondage.
 Reservoir power plants.

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1. Run-Off Power Plants without Pondage
 Generates the power from direct water from
river
 Such plants can use water only as available
 No control on flow of water.
 During high flow and low load periods water
is wasted .
 During the low flow periods the plant capacity
is very low.

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 During the floods time the tail water level may
become excessive because of that the plant is
inoperative.
 During the high flow periods such plants can
be employed to supply a substantial portion of
base load.
 The capacity of such plant is low.

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 Run-Off River Power Plants with Pondage
 The usefulness of run-off river power plants is
increased by pondage.
 Pondage refers to storage at the plant which
makes it possible to cover hour to hour
fluctuations of load
 With enough pondage, the firm capacity of
the power plant is increased.
 Such power plants can serve as base load or
peak load power plants depending on the flow
of stream.
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 During high flow periods these plants used as
base load
 During low flow periods these plants may be
used to supply peak loads only

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 3. Reservoir Power Plants
 When water is stored in a big reservoir
behind a dam, it is possible to control the flow
of water and use it most effectively.
 Storage increases the firm capacity of the
plant and it can be used efficiently throughout
the year.
 Such a plant can be used as a base load or as
a peak load plant as per requirement
 Most of the hydroelectric power plants
everywhere in the world are of this type
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Classification According to Availability of Water Head

There is no definite line of demarcation for low,

medium and high heads.
a. Low Head Power Plants, <30m
b. Medium Head Plants , 30m<h<300m
c. High Head Power Plants,>300m

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 (a) Low Head Hydroelectric Power Plants
 A low head dam is constructed across the stream of the river to the
purpose of back up the river and creates a fall of water through the
turbine.
 A dam or barrage constructed across the river creates the necessary
head.
 The power plant is located near the dam and therefore, no surge
tank is required.
 For given output, large quantity of water is required, head being
low, therefore pipes of large diameter and short length are required
in low head plants.
 Generators employed in such plants are of low speed and large
diameter.

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(b) Medium Head Hydroelectric Power Plants
 In these power plants, the river water is usually tapped off to
a fore bay on one bank of the river as in case of a low head
plant.
 The fore bay provided at the beginning of penstock serves as
a water reservoir for such power plants
 From the fore bay the water is led to the turbines through
penstocks.
 In these plants, water is usually carried in open channel from
main reservoir to the fore bay and then to the turbines
through the penstock.
 The fore bay itself serves as the surge tank in this case

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 (c) High Head Hydroelectric Power Plants
If high head is available, a site may be chosen, where a stream descending a
steep lateral valley can be dammed and a reservoir for storage of water is
formed.
A pressure tunnel is constructed between reservoirs to valve house at the
start of penstock to carry water from reservoir to valve house.
Surge tank is built just before the valve house so that the severity of water
hammer effect on penstock can be reduced in case of sudden closing of
fixed gates of the water turbine.
Surge tank also serves as a ready reservoir from which the turbine can draw
water temporarily when there is sudden increase in demand.
Penstocks are pipes and carry the water from the valve house to the turbines.
The generators used are of high speed and small diameter.
Penstocks are of large length and comparatively smaller cross section.

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 C. Classification According to Type of Load Supplied:

a. Base Load
b. Peak Load
(a) Base Load Plants:
 The plants which can take up load on the base
portion of the load curve of the power system
are called the base load power plants.
 Unvarying load, which occurs almost the whole
day on the power plant, is called the base load.

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 Such plants are usually of large capacity. Since such plants are
kept running the load that is practically constant
 Run-off river plants without pondage and reservoir plants are used
as base load plants.
 Plants having large storage can best be used as base load plants
and particularly in rainy seasons
 For a plant to be used as base load plant, the unit cost of energy
generated by the plant should be low.
 The power plants to be employed as base power plants should
have low operating cost, Capability of working continuously for the
long periods, requirement of few operating personnel and their
repair should be economical and speedy.

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(b) Peak Load Plants:
 Plants used to supply the peak load of the system corresponding to the load at the
top portion of the load curve are called the peak load plants.
 The various peak demands of the load over and above the base load of the power
plant is called the peak load
 Run - off river plants with pondage can be employed as peak load plants.
 If the pondage is enough, a large portion of the load can be supplied by such a plant
if and when required.
 Reservoir plants can of course be used as peak load plants also.
 Peak load plants have large seasonal storage. They store water during off-peak
periods and are operated during peak load periods.
 The power plants to be employed as peak power plants should have the capability
of quick start, synchronization and quick response to load variations.

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Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants Based on Installed Capacity

 Very large hydro power plants coming up with

capacity ranging from more than 5,000 MW up to
10,000 MW.
 Small hydro is concerned the upper and lower limit
varies from country to country.
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 Pumped Storage Plants
 A pumped storage plant stores power in the
form of potential energy of water.
 The scheme consists of a storage reservoir at a
higher level and turbine-pump installation.
 The scheme is used to generate power only
during the peak hours of demand.
 During off-peak hours, pumping the water from
the low reservoir back to the storage reservoir at
higher elevations and water is thus stored.
 This stored water is utilized again during hours of
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 Cont.
 For the purpose of cost reduction use the
newly developed machine which is designed
to work as turbine as well as pump.

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 The necessary head can be created in
different ways
1. Building a dam across a stream to hold back water and release
it through a channel conduit or a tunnel.

2. Divert a part of the stream by creating a low-head diversion

structure like barrage

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 Cont.
 In the diversion type of layout, the diversion
could be using a canal and a penstock or a
tunnel and a penstock for divert the portion of
river.
 The diversion type is usually called the open-
flow diversion system and the latter pressure
diversion system.

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Open flow and Pressure diversion channel

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 Cont…
 The main parts of a high-head diversion canal type plant
are
a. the weir
b. the canal intake
c. he head race
d. the head pond with spillway and gate or valve chamber
e. penstock
f. powerhouse
g. tailrace.

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Multistage (Cascade) hydroelectric system
 A series of integrated power developments
along the same watercourse is called a
multistage hydroelectric system .
 Each portion of the river with a power plant of
its own is referred to as a stage.

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 Assignment 1
1. List the source of electric power generation in Ethiopian with
its installed capacity?
2. List hydropower plant station in Ethiopian with its installed
capacity?
3. How much percent of the hydropower plant contribute for the
total power demand in Ethiopia? Describe using pie chart.
4. How many hydropower potential is available in Ethiopian for
the production of electric energy from water.
5. How much percent of hydropower plant is developed in
Ethiopia while compare to the hydropower generating
capacity?
Sub date: Thursday(15/09/2011) - 5:30 LT
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• The Government of Ethiopia has focused on
the construction and expansion of
various power generating projects to deliver
reliable electricity. Approximately 90% of the
installed generation capacity is
from hydropower while the remaining 8% and
2% is from wind and thermal sources
respectively.Nov 5, 2018

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