Now all we need to do is a little mathematics. Engineers have found that we can calculate the power of a dam using the following formula:. To get an idea what kilowatts means, let's see how much electric energy we can make in a year.
Since electric energy is normally measured in kilowatt-hours, we multiply the power from our dam by the number of hours in a year. The average annual residential energy use in the U. So we can figure out how many people our dam could serve by dividing the annual energy production by 3, So our local irrigation or recreation dam could provide enough renewable energy to meet the residential needs of people if we added a turbine and generator.
Note: Before you decide to add hydropower to a dam, have a hydropower engineer review your calculations and consult with the local resource agencies to be sure you can obtain any permits that are required. Book Navigation. How Hydropower Works Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity.
Parts of a Hydroelectric Plant Most conventional hydroelectric plants include four major components see graphic below : Dam. Raises the water level of the river to create falling water. Also controls the flow of water. The reservoir that is formed is, in effect, stored energy. The force of falling water pushing against the turbine's blades causes the turbine to spin.
The greater the flow and the higher the head, the more the electricity that can be generated. At the plant level, water flows through a pipe—also known as a penstock—and then spins the blades in a turbine, which, in turn, spins a generator that ultimately produces electricity.
Most conventional hydroelectric facilities operate this way, including run-of-the-river systems and pumped storage systems. Learn More. Hydropower News. Speakers will share highlights on each WPTO topic and sub-topic. Each energy resource has its advantages and disadvantages. Explore nonrenewable and renewable options with this collection on energy resources. Hydroelectric energy is power made by moving water.
Renewable energy comes from sources that will not be used up in our lifetimes, such as the sun and wind. Renewable resources are an energy source that cannot be depleted and are able to supply a continuous source of clean energy. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.
Skip to content. Image Slovenian Hydroelectric Dam A hydroelectric dam slows the flow of a Slovenian river as in generates power for the local community. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Types of Hydroelectric Energy Plants There are three different types of hydroelectric energy plants, the most common being an impoundment facility. Also known as hydroelectricity. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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