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Hydropower: Electricity From Moving Water

Hydropower: Electricity From Moving Water. By: Lauren Murphy and Candice Burgan. http://www.lasvegastourism.com/tours/hoover_dam.gif. Main goal. To provide an adequate and efficient natural source of energy without the burning of fossil fuels. To harness the energy of moving water

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Hydropower: Electricity From Moving Water

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  1. Hydropower: Electricity From Moving Water By: Lauren Murphy and Candice Burgan http://www.lasvegastourism.com/tours/hoover_dam.gif

  2. Main goal • To provide an adequate and efficient natural source of energy without the burning of fossil fuels. • To harness the energy of moving water • To provide a cheap source of energy http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/Utilities/Pinnacles%20Hydro.JPG

  3. Layout of a Dam http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

  4. How it works • Build a dam on a large river that has a large drop in elevation • The dam stores lots of water behind it in the reservoir • Near the bottom of the dam wall there is the water intake • Gravity causes it to fall through the penstock inside the dam • At the end of the penstock there is a turbine propeller, which is turned by the moving water

  5. How it works contd. • The shaft from the turbine goes up into the generator, which produces the power • Power lines are connected to the generator that carry electricity • The water continues past the propeller through the tailrace into the river past the dam

  6. Hydroelectric generator A hydraulic turbine converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. A hydroelectric generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

  7. Hydroelectric Power: 9.8% http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

  8. Top Generating Countries http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

  9. Expense of Power Production http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

  10. Purpose of Dams http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

  11. Provides 97.9% of all Electricity by Renewable Resources http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

  12. Advantages •  - Fuel is not burned so there is minimal pollution -Water to run the power plant is provided free by • nature -  It's renewable - rainfall renews the water in the reservoir, so the fuel is almost always there • No waste products • Moderate to high net energy • High efficiency (80%) • Low cost electricity • Long life span • Provides flood control below dam • Provides year-round water for irrigation and crop land • Useful for fishing and recreation due to reservoir

  13. Disadvantages/Environmental problems • High construction costs • High environmental impacts • High CO2 emissions from biomass decay in shallow reservoirs • Floods natural areas • Converts land habitat to lake habitat • Danger of collapse • Uproots people • Decreases fish harvest below dam • Decreases flow of natural fertilizer to land below dam • Large water loss due to evaporation

  14. Collapsing of dams • Many dams aren’t maintained properly • Lack of concern about risk and problems • This causes mass-flooding and even loss of life • Internal erosion http://www.hatchenergy.com/Innovations/Spring2006/guest_dam.html

  15. Problems with hydropower • Takes up a lot of space • Costs are extremely high • Good land areas for construction have already been taken • Consumes a lot of time for planning and construction • The life expectancy of dams are only around 50 years • Even at this age these dams are considered to be at a high risk for failing

  16. Rate of construction http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.html

  17. Make a difference • Hydroelectricity eliminates the flue gas emissions from fossil fuels, including pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, dust, and mercury in the coal. • Doesn’t contribute to global warming! http://www.solcomhouse.com/Global_Warming.gif

  18. Technological obstacles • Building strong and efficient dams to withstand the passage of time • Find efficient ways to minimize environmental impacts http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/cpm/woodruff_dam_pic.jpg

  19. Political/Economic obstacles • High production/building costs • Creating total revenue to build • Value tradeoffs • Market prices • Water use allocations cause controversy • Mass displacement of people • Large investments in energy sources (large scale dams)

  20. Three Gorges Dam • Largest dam in the world http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/06/23/knDAM_wideweb__470x309,0.jpg

  21. Bibliography • http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html • http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.html • http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html • http://www.lasvegastourism.com/tours/hoover_dam.gif • http://oilbeseeingyou.blogspot.com/2007/07/post-peak-dam-maintenance-or-lack.html • http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/06/23/knDAM_wideweb__470x309,0.jpg • http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tlh/cpm/woodruff_dam_pic.jpg • http://www.hatchenergy.com/Innovations/Spring2006/guest_dam.html • http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/Utilities/Pinnacles%20Hydro.JPG

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