hydroelectricity power plant

8/11/2019 Hydroelectricity Power Plant

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HYDROELECTRICITY POWER PLANT

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricitygenerated by hydropower;

the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force

of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form ofrenewable

energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity generation 3,!"

terawatt#hours of electricity production in !$1$,%1&and is e'pected to

increase about 3.1( each year for the ne't !) years.

Hydropower is produced in 1)$ countries, with the *sia#+acific region

generating 3! percent of global hydropower in !$1$. hina is the largest

hydroelectricity producer, with "!1 terawatt#hours of production in !$1$,

representing around 1" percent of domestic electricity use. -here are now

three hydroelectricity plants larger than 1$ /0 the -hree orges amin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam


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hina, Itaipu amacross the 2rail4+araguay border, and uri amin

5eneuela.

-he cost of hydroelectricity is relatively low, maing it a competitive source

of renewable electricity. -he average cost of electricity from a hydro plant

larger than 1$ megawatts is 3 to ) 7.8. cents per ilowatt#hour.%1&It is also

a fle'ible source of electricity since the amount produced by the plant can

be changed up or down very 9uicly to adapt to changing energy demands.

However, damming interrupts the flow of rivers and can harm local

ecosystems, and building large dams and reservoirs often involves

displacing people and wildlife.%1&:nce a hydroelectric comple' is

constructed, the proect produces no direct waste, and has a considerably

lower output level of the greenhouse gascarbon dio'ide>? -/h of hydroelectricity in !$$6 and even mor today.

Hydropower has been used for centuries by humans. -he electricity is

typically created when the water is passed over large mechanical turbines,

the water pressure forces the turbines to turn, the mechanical energy

created is then converted into electricity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaipu_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guri_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-REN21-2011-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaipu_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guri_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-wi2012-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity#cite_note-REN21-2011-2


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Advantages of Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity does not @use@ water, all of the

water is returned to its source of origin.

Hydroelectric power can be created !4"

indefinitely assuming that the body of water it is

utiliing never runs dry. It is also another absolutely clean source of energy.

-he power plants, once in place, do not create any waste byproducts in

their conversion. ams constructed can also shut their gates and conserve

the water for use when power is in higher demand.

Disadvantages of Hydroelectricity

Aie all power plants, hydroelectric plants are very e'pensive to build, and

must be built to a very high standard. -he high cost means that plants must

operate for a long time to become profitable. -he creation of dams can also

create flooding of land, which means natural envrionment and the natural

habitat of animals, and even people, may be destroyed.

-he building of dams for hydroelectric power can also cause a lot of water

access problems. -he creation of a dam in one location may mean that

those down river no longer have control of water flow. -his can create

controversy in places where neighboring countries share a water supply.

How electricity is generated tro!g ydro"ower

* hydroelectric power station converts the inetic, or movement, energy in

flowing or falling water into electrical energy that can be used in homes and


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businesses. Hydroelectric power can be generated on a small scale with a

Brun#of#riverC installation, which uses naturally flowing river water to turn one

or more turbines, or on a large scale with a hydroelectric dam.

* hydroelectric dam straddles a river, blocing the waterCs progress

downstream. /ater collects on the upstream side of the dam, forming an

artificial lae nown as a reservoir opens, the immense weight of the reservoir forces water through a channel

called the penstoc


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turbine, hitting its blades and causing it to spin, converting some of the

waterCs inetic energy into mechanical energy. -he water then finally flows

out of the dam and continues its ourney downstream.

* shaft connects the turbine to a generator

hydroelectricity power plant

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