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Hydroelectric Power. Worldwide, hydropower plants produce about 24 percent of the world's electricity and supply more than 1 billion people with power.
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Worldwide, hydropower plants produce about 24 percent of the world's electricity and supply more than 1 billion people with power. The world's hydropower plants generate a combined total of 675,000 megawatts, the energy equivalent of 3.6 billion barrels of oil, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. There are more than 2,000 hydropower plants operating in the United States, making hydropower the country's largest renewable energy source.
What is Hydroelectric Power? • Hydropower plants harness water's energy (of motion) and use simple mechanics to convert that energy into electricity. • Hydropower plants are actually based on a rather simple concept -- water flowing through a dam turns a turbine, which turns a generator.
What are the parts of a Hydroelectric Power Plant? • Intake and Penstock-pull water into the area where turbine is located • Turbine-spins as water passes through • Generator-generates electricity using mechanical energy of the spinning turbine • Transformer-transforms electrical energy for passage through the power lines • Reservoir-holds the water
Hoover Dam Powerhouses Hoover Dam has 17 generators giving it the capacity to produce over 2,000 megawatts of electricity.
Interesting Hoover Dam Facts • The Hoover Dam weighs 6.6 million tons • There is enough concrete in the dam to build a 3 inch thick, 4 foot wide sidewalk around the earth at the equator • Standing 726 feet tall, the Hoover Dam is tallest solid concrete dam in the western hemisphere
Benefits of Hydroelectric Power • Clean, very little pollution • Renewable resource • Inexpensive
Downsides to Hydroelectric Power • Diverts natural flow of water-changes the environment • Not suitable for all areas-need high and low elevations for gravity to cause water to move
Other Methods of Power Production: • Solar power • Wind power • Geothermal power • Biofuels • Nuclear • Wave power • Tidal Power *With your group discuss how are these other power production methods are similar/different?
Nuclear Power • Brain POP: Nuclear Power-as you watch the BP consider the following: • What are pros and cons for using nuclear power? • How does nuclear power create electricity? • What is a chain reaction? Nuclear Fission Chain Reaction Video
How does Tallahassee produce its power? The City of Tallahassee uses 4 power plants to generate electricity for its residents: • C.H. Corn Facility • Arvah B. Hopkins Generating Station • Sam O. Purdom Generating Station • Solar Farm Tallahassee requires approximately 425 megawatts of electricity daily! Source: www.talgov.com
C.H. Corn Facility • Hydroelectric powered • 1 of only 2 hydroelectric plants in Florida (why only 2?) • Has 3 generators • Capacity of 12 megawatts • City plans to shut this plant down as it is not cost effective *other hydroelectric power plant is on Lake Seminole Source: www.talgov.com
Arvah B. Hopkins Generating Station • burns fossil fuels (either natural gas or oil) to convert water to steam in two huge boilers. • The steam is used to drive two turbines which are in turn connected to power generators. • In addition, power can be produced when needed by two gas turbine generators located at the plant. • Capacity of 368 megawatts Source: www.talgov.com
Sam O. Purdom Generating Station • Purdom Unit 8 uses a system called Combined Cycle Technology, which effectively uses the energy from the burned fuel twice. • It then uses mechanical energy produced by steam to move the turbines. • Capacity of 320 megawatts Source: www.talgov.com
Plans for future energy needs Tallahassee broke ground on 5/30/17 on a 120-acre solar project at the international airport capable of powering 2,400 homes and businesses. Customers can opt in to use solar energy with a fuel rate of 5 cents per kilowatt hour for 20 years (compared to 3.5 cents for fossil fuels). Capacity is 20 megawatts Tallahassee Solar Farm Building Video http://www.talgov.com/you/solar.aspx
How does the electricity get to our homes? http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/dams/zoom.weml
Deerlake Middle School Solar Panel The PV (photovoltaic) panel collects the sun’s energy to generate power
How does it work? • Click the link to see how it works: http://www.solar-is-future.com/index.php?id=316 Video: https://www.eeremultimedia.energy.gov/solar/videos/solar_power_basics
Parts of the System Energy collected from the panel is stored in the batteries in the shed The system has a “brain” that determines where the power from the panel goes: either to the batteries or to offset power used from Talquin Electric
Solar Energy • Energy is collected and stored in batteries • Once the batteries are full, power is used to offset the electrical needs of the school • Some systems will actually feed back to the local power company if it generates extra power that is not used • Our solar panel generates enough power to operate our emergency lights and two outlets
The meters indicate power in from Talquin Electric (on left) and power produced by the panel (on right)
Data Monitoring • Energy Whiz website-data is uploaded to the internet from the panel http://energywhiz.com/
Natural Gas (CNG) Buses • Watch the video: http://flix.quickrewards.net/watch/4309757/ • Air pollutants are not released, just water • Natural gas is much cheaper than diesel • Natural gas is found in the United States • Leon County is currently adding CNG buses to it’s fleet, reducing the diesel buses
Answer in your spiral notebook…. • Which energy source do you think would be suitable for the most populations in the world? Explain using at least 2 reasons • Which energy source do you think would be best for Tallahassee? Explain using at least 2 reasons • Why can’t we use just one of the power production methods globally?
