Run of Water Hydro Power
Run Of Water Hydro Power
Hydro electricity generation without a dam
hydroAs more and more people become concerned about the potential
global warming effects of hydropower and the other environmental concerns arising from constructing huge dams and flooding vast swathes of land, there is increased interest in
flow of river hydro-electricity generation. These smaller projects could not differ more from £multi-billion mammoth construction projects such as that undertaken building the 18GW
Three Gorges Dam and
hydroelectric power plant in China.
Run of Water hydro projects use the natural downward flow of rivers and
micro turbine generators to capture the kinetic energy carried by water. Typically water is taken from the river at a high point and gravity fed down a pipe to a lower point where it emerges through a
turbine generator and re-enters the river. Installation of such a system is relatively cheap and has very little environmental impact.
Pictured below is an example of some simple pipework used to take water downhill to a
microhydro turbine in a power generation project in India.
Such systems offer long operational life-times in excess of 25 years with minimal maintenance. The most electricity is generated in the winter when it is needed for heating and extra lighting. The payback time for small grid connected systems is often just a few years at the best locations, and under 10 years for most. And, electricity generation is far more consistent than with
wind or
solar power systems since power is generated 24 hours a day 365 days of the year.
Find out more about
hydro-electric power with our
Introduction to Hydro-Electric Power, or click here to find out about the benefits of
Pico Hydro (<5kW) electricity generation particulary for the developing world.
Article Last Modified: 13:22, 3rd Jan 2007Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Introduction to Water WheelsFind out more about using the power of a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 10:16, 12th Nov 2008hydroThree Gorges DamLearn about the world's largest dam and hydro electric project
Article Last Modified: 08:49, 4th Jan 2010hydroPico Hydro PowerFind out more about Pico Hydro power (sub-5kW generators)
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydroLow Head Waterwheel Invention70% efficiency waterwheel prototype invented for low head situations
Article Last Modified: 15:09, 25th Jan 2007hydro | newsBuilding a WaterwheelThe story of the construction of a DIY waterwheel in the UK
Article Last Modified: 13:16, 6th Jun 2008hydro | educationElectricity from WaterwheelsHow to generate electricity from a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 13:12, 27th Mar 2006hydroRainbow Power 300W Hydro Generator300 Watt 12/24 Volt hydro power generators from Rainbow Power
Article Last Modified: 12:44, 27th Jan 2012hydro | shoppingMicro Hydro Simplified GuideA simple guide to small scale hydro power generation ideal for DIY
Article Last Modified: 08:00, 21st Aug 2007hydro | education
|
|
|
