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Hydroelectric Power Plant

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

28

The energy crisis

The global energy crisis is one of

the most pressing issues facing the

world today. With traditional sources

of energy like coal and oil dwindling,

it is becoming increasingly important

to find alternative sources of energy.

Hydroelectric power plants are one

such alternative source of energy.

Hydroelectric power plants work

by harnessing the power of water.

Water is stored in a reservoir behind

a dam. When the water is released,

it spins a turbine which generates

electricity. Hydroelectric power plants

are considered to be one of the most

efficient and environmentally friendly

methods of generating electricity.

Despite their many advantages,

hydroelectric power plants have

some drawbacks. They can be

expensive to build and maintain, and

they can have a negative impact on

local ecosystems. But despite these

drawbacks, hydroelectric power plants

offer a promising solution to the global

energy crisis.

What is Hydroelectric Power

Plant?

Hydroelectric power plants are one of

the most common types of renewable

energy plants. They use the kinetic

energy of flowing water to generate

electricity.

There are three main types of

hydroelectric power plants: run-of-theriver,

storage, and pumped-storage.

Run-of-the-river plants are the most

common type. They use the natural flow

of water to generate electricity. Storage

plants store water in a reservoir and

release it when the demand for electricity

is high. Pumped storage plants pump

water from a lower reservoir to an upper

irrigation reservoir during periods of

low demand. The water is released

from the upper reservoir back into the

lower reservoir when the demand for

electricity is high.

Hydroelectric power plants are a clean

and efficient source of electricity. They

have low operating costs and produce

no air pollution or greenhouse gases.

The three components of a

hydroelectric power plant

A hydroelectric power plant is a facility

that converts the kinetic energy of

flowing water into electricity. There

are three main components of a

hydroelectric power plant: the dam, the

powerhouse, and the penstock.

The dam is perhaps the most important

component of a hydroelectric power

plant. The dam stores water in a

reservoir and releases it when needed

to generate electricity. Without a dam,

there would be no way to store the

water necessary to produce electricity.

The powerhouse is where the magic

happens. The powerhouse contains

the turbines and generators that

convert the kinetic energy of flowing

water into electricity. The layout of the

powerhouse can vary depending on

the specific design of the plant, but

all powerhouses have one thing in

common: they need to be located near

the base of the dam so that they can

access the water stored in the reservoir.

Types of Hydropower Plants

There are three types of hydropower

plants: impoundment, diversion, and

pumped storage.

Impoundment hydropower plants are

the most common type of hydropower

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