Various Components of Hydroelectric Power Plants and their Working: Part-1

Written by:  • Edited by: Lamar Stonecypher
Published Sep 13, 2008
• Related Guides: Hydroelectric Plants

In this three part article series let us see the various components of hydroelectric power plants and the working of hydroelectric power plants. The most important part of the hydroelectric power plant is the dam, which acts as the water reservoir.

The water flowing in the river comprises of kinetic energy and potential energy. In hydroelectric power plants the potential energy of water is utilized to produce electricity. There are eight important components of the hydroelectric power plant. All these components and their working have been described below:

1) Dam

The dam is the most important component of hydroelectric power plant. In fact the name ‘dam’ is considered to be synonymous to the ‘hydroelectric power plant.’ The dam is built on a large river that has abundant quantity of water throughout the year. The dam is built at location where the height of the river is sufficiently high so as to get maximum possible potential energy from water.

2) Water reservoir

Water reservoir is the place behind the dam where water is stored. The water in the reservoir is located at the height above the rest of the dam structure. The height of water in the reservoir decides how much potential energy water possesses. Higher the height of water more is its potential energy. The high position of water in the reservoir also enables it to move downwards effortlessly due to gravity.

The height of water in the reservoir is higher than the natural height of water flowing in the river, hence water in reservoir is considered to be altered equilibrium. This also helps to increase the overall potential energy of water, which helps ultimately produce more electricity in the power generation unit.

3) Intake or control gates

These are the gates built on the inside of the dam. The water from reservoir is released and controlled through these gates. These are called inlet gates because water enters the power generation unit through these gates. When the control gates are opened the water flows due to gravity through the penstock and towards the turbines. The water flowing through the gates possesses potential as well as kinetic energy.

Components of Hydroelectric Power Plant (Source: Hyroelectricity, Wikipedia)

Components of Hydroelectric Power PlantDam of Vianden

Comments

Showing all 3 comments
 
Sohan Jun 22, 2010 8:12 AM
hydro power plant
I want to know whether gates and dam technologically have different useful life or are they intertwined so that they have same life
Zakari Abubakar Apr 20, 2010 12:08 PM
Hydro Power Generator
i want to know the type of generator to be used to generate power by using mini hydro system.
ANURADHA THAKUR Jan 23, 2010 2:37 AM
DC BATTERY
Use DC Battery in any hydro power staion. For 400MW hydro power station what capacity of storage battery is to be used. For which Electromechanical equipment DC supply is needed of hydro power station.
 
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