Energy conversion is the process of changing one form of energy into another, a fundamental capability that enables modern civilization to function. It can occur in various ways, from converting the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical power through windmills to transforming solar energy into electrical energy in solar panels. This transformation is essential not just for daily usage but also for harnessing and utilizing natural resources more efficiently. In the context of rural electrification, this process plays a critical role. By converting available local energy resources into electricity, rural communities can access a stable and reliable power supply. This not only improves the quality of life but also supports economic development by powering homes, schools, businesses, and healthcare facilities. Consequently, energy conversion facilitates the broader goal of rural electrification, demonstrating the interconnection between technological innovation and societal advancement.

1. CHAPTER – 3:
Hydro Power
Basic Concepts (or)The general layout of Hydro
Power Plant
• A generating station which convert potential and
kinetic energy of water flow into mechanical energy
and then it is converted to electrical energy is known
as Hydro Power.
• https://energypedia.info/wiki/Hydro_Power_Basics

2. Cont.…
Fig: Schematic arrangement of a Hydro Electric Plant

3. Cont.…
Hydro Power system are primarily classified Based on
Hydraulic characteristics are:
Run-Of-River plant (diversion plant)
Storage plant (impoundment plant)
Pumped Storage plant

4. Fig: Diversion (Run-of-River) Hydropower

5. Fig: Storage plant (impoundment) Hydropower

6. Fig: Pumped storage Hydropower

7. Cont.…
• Secondary classification of hydro power plant based
on design head are:
High Head (300m and above)
Medium Head (30m to 300m)
Low Head (less than 30m)
• Power is proportional to head and flow rate of the
water.
Head (the vertical distance between the intake and turbine)
Flow (how much water comes down the stream)

8. Cont.…
• The main components of the hydro station are:
Reservoir
Dam
Spill ways
Intake
Fore bay
Penstock
Surge tank
Prime mover
Power house

9. Cont.…
Reservoir
• The main function of the reservoir is to store water
during rainy season and use it during dry season.
Dam
• A dam is a barrier constructed in the path of the river.
• It develops a reservoir which has capacity store water.

10. Cont.…
Spill ways
• It acts as a safety valve for a dam.
• It is helpful to release a water when the water exceeds
the maximum margin level of the dam in order to
protect the dam.
Intake
• It allows the water to flow into the penstock under
controlled conditions.

11. Cont.…
Fore bay
• It is an enlarged body of water just above the intake.
• It is used as a regulating reservoir.
Penstock
• The pipe between surge tank and turbine is known as
penstock.
• It is made up of steel through reinforced concrete.
• It supplies water from the fore bay to the turbine.

12. Cont.…
Prime mover
• Hydro turbine is a prime mover coupled to the hydro
generator which converts the kinetic energy of water
flow to mechanical energy.
• The water turbines are two types. They are
(1) Impulse turbine and
(2) Reaction turbine (Francis and Kaplan turbine).

13. Mention The merits and demerits of hydro
power plant
Merits:
• Hydro power plant requires no fuel since water is
used for generation of electrical energy.
• It is quite neat & clean (since no smoke and ash is
produced).
• Running cost is low.

14. Cont.…
• It is simple in construction and requires less
maintenance.
• It does not require long starting time like steam
power plant.
• In addition to the generation, it also helps in irrigation
and controlling floods.

15. Cont.…
Demerits
• High capital cost (due to construction of dam).
• Uncertainty about the availability of water throughout
the year.
• Skilled persons are required to build the plant
• It requires high cost of transmission lines (as the plant
is located in hilly areas which are quite away from the
consumers).

16. How to choose the site of hydro power plant? (Or)
Site Selection
• The site of hydro power plant should have the
following:
Availability of water
• Huge amount of water is required for hydro power
generation; therefore hydro power plant should be
located at the bank of the river or near the canal to
ensure the continuous supply of water.
Storage of water
• The site should provide adequate facilities for erecting
a dam and storage of water.

17. Cont..
Cost and type of land
• Cost should be reasonable since it requires more land
when compared to the nuclear plant.
• The bearing capacity of the land should be adequate so
that heavy equipment could be installed.
Transportation facilities
• The site should be accessible by road or railways so that
necessary equipment's and machinery could be easily
transported.

18. Types Of Hydropower Turbines
• There are two main types of hydro turbines:
• Impulse and Reaction.
• The type of hydropower turbine selected for a project
is based on the height of standing water-referred to as
"head“-and the flow, or volume of water, at the site.
• Other deciding factors include how the efficiency and
cost of the turbine is.

19. Cont...
Impulse Turbine
• The impulse turbine generally uses the velocity of the
water to move the runner and discharges to atmospheric
pressure.
• The water stream hits each bucket on the runner. There is
no suction on the down side of the turbine, and the water
flows out the bottom of the turbine housing after hitting the
runner.
• An impulse turbine is generally suitable for high head, low
flow applications. Example: Pelton turbine.

20. Cont...
Reaction Turbine
• A reaction turbine develops power from the combined
action of pressure and moving water.
• The runner is placed directly in the water stream flowing
over the blades rather than striking each individually.
• Reaction turbines are generally used for sites with lower
head and higher flows than compared with the impulse
turbines.
Example: Propeller Turbine, Kaplan Turbine.

21. Cont...
Figure: Reaction Vs Impulse Hydraulic Turbines

22. Small Scale Hydro Power for the Home
• Depending upon the physical size, head height and
electrical power generating capacity, small
hydroelectric schemes can be categorized into
Small
Mini and
Micro scale hydro schemes.

23. Cont...
Small Scale Hydro Power:
• It is a scheme that generates electrical power of
between 100kW and 1MW (mega-watts) feeding this
generated power directly into the utility grid or as
part of a large stand alone scheme powering more
than one household.

24. Cont...
Mini Scale Hydro Power:
• is a scheme that generates power between 5kW and 100
kW, feeding it directly into the utility grid or as part of a
battery charging or AC powered stand alone system.
Micro Scale Hydro Power:
• It is usually the classification given to a small home made
run-of-river type scheme that use DC generators to
produce electrical power between a few hundred watts up
to 5kW as part of a battery charging stand alone system.

25. Cont...
• Small scale hydro power systems, as well as Mini
Hydro Systems or Micro Hydro Systems, can be
designed using impulse type hydro turbines.
• The generation potential of a particular site will
depend upon the amount of flow of the water, the
available head which in turn is dependent upon the site
conditions and location and the rainfall characteristics
of the site.

26. Cont...
• If there is sufficient head and flow, small hydro power
plants can be driven directly from a river or stream,
called a “run-of-river” system built into or at the side
of a river or a stream without the need to dam, divert
or change the flow of water in any way.
• Making them the cheapest solution for generating
power.

27. How Much Power can we Extract from
the Water
• Water turbines are great for any small scale hydro
power scheme as they extract the kinetic energy from
the moving water and convert this energy into
mechanical energy which drives an electrical
generator producing a power output.

28. Cont...
• In order to determine the power potential of the water
flowing in a river or stream, it is necessary to
determine both the flow rate of the water passing a
point in a given time and the vertical head height
through which the water needs to fall.
• The theoretical power within the water can be
calculated as follows.

29. Cont...
Where:
P = power in kilowatts (kW)
g = gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2)
η = turbo-generator efficiency (%)
Q = quantity of water flowing (m3/sec)
Hn = effective head (m)
ρ = density of water (1000 Kg/m3).

30. Cont...
Problem - 1:
1. A small stream drops 20 meters down the side of a
mountain producing a water flow rate of 500 liters per
minute past a fixed point. How much power could a
small scale hydro power plant generate in kilo-watts,
if the type of water turbine used has a maximum
efficiency, (η) of 85%.
Solution:
• The data given: Head = 20m, Flow rate = 500
Lts/min, Efficiency = 0.85 and Gravity = 9.81 m/s2.
But first we must convert the water flow rate of 500
litres per minute into m3/sec.

31. Cont...
1,000 liters is equal to 1m3, so 500 liters is equal to
0.5m3. One minute is equal to 60 seconds, then a flow
rate of 0.5m3 per minute is equal to 0.00833 m3 per
second. Considering the density of water,
Note:
• Now 1.4 kW may not seem much, but this is equivalent
to over 12,000 KWh (1.4 x 24 x 365) of free hydro
electricity annually.
P (kW) = 9.81 x 0.00833 x 20 x 0.85
P (kW)= 1.389 = 1.4

32. Cont...
Problem 2:
1. A hydropower station has a gross head of 8.2 meter. Head
loss in water conductor system is 0.5 meters. Optimum
discharge in cumecs is 267 cubic meter per second. For
general estimation purposes, η is normally taken as 0.85
calculate the power and annual energy of the plant.
Solution:
P (kW)= 9.81 x 267 x 7.7 x 0.85
P = 17.143 MW
Energy generation E = average power x 24 x 365 in (kWh)
units
E= 17.143 *24*365 = 150.174 TWh

33. Components of a Small Scale Hydro
Scheme
• A typical small scale hydro power scheme, needs a
stream, an intake system to divert the water, a canal or
channel called a penstock to carry the diverted water,
a water turbine or water wheel to convert the waters
kinetic energy into a rotational mechanical energy and
an electrical generator to convert this rotational
energy from the wheel into electricity.

34. Cont...
Figure: A typical small scale hydro power scheme

35. Small Scale Hydro Generators
• As well as the civil works, one of the hardest parts of
designing a small, mini or micro hydro system for
electricity production is choosing the correct generator to
partner the water turbine .
• There are many of-the-shelf electrical machines available,
and all have there advantages and disadvantages but
permanent magnet alternators are by far the most popular
choice in successful small scale hydro power designs.

36. Cont...
Small Hydro AC Generators
• These are used for grid connected schemes and can be single-
phase or three-phase machines.
• AC hydro generators are connected permanently to the wiring
system of the house, supplying the loads directly.
• The system should include a power conditioner to ensure that
the output to the utility grid is always steady and at the correct
voltage and frequency regardless of the speed of the turbine.

37. THANK YOU