Transcript HydroEnergy - sabresocials.com

HydroEnergy
Jan Pinon
• 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 output a
combined total of 675,000 megawatts, the
energy equivalent of 3.6 billion barrels of oil.
• Canada is the largest producer of hydropower
in the world while the United States is second.
What is hydro energy?
• Hydro energy is simply energy that is taken
from water and converted to electricity.
• The most common method of using energy
from water is a hydroelectric dam.
• It can be generated from the energy flowing
water, tidal forces or wave power.
Ideas from the Past.
• The waterwheel is a device that uses flowing
or falling water to create power with a set of
paddles mounted around a wheel.
• The force of the water moved the paddles,
and the rotation of the wheel is transmitted to
machinery via the shaft of the wheel.
• The first reference to its use dates back to
about 4000 B.C.
• They were used for crop irrigation, supply
drinking water to villages, drive sawmills, etc.
Hydroelectric dams
• This is based on a simple idea- water flowing through
a dam turns a turbine, which turns a generator,
creating energy.
• Step 1: a dam is built to hold back water, creating a
reservoir
• Step 2: gates open and water flows towards turbines
• Step 3: the water turns the turbines, which is attached
to a generator.
• Step 4: a series of magnets turn inside the generator,
producing alternating current
• Step 5: the water re-enters the river
Pumped-storage dams
• A different type of hydroelectric
dam
• Instead of having water flow
down through the dam then
exiting, a pumped-storage dam
has two reservoirs
o Upper reservoir - The water
in this reservoir flows
through the hydropower
plant to create electricity.
o Lower reservoir - Water from
the upper reservoir is
pumped back up and to
generate more electricity.
• Basically, its recycling the water
again.
• This is done during periods of
peak consumption
Pros:
• Hydropower is clean.
• It is renewable.
• It doesn't produce any
greenhouse gases or other air
pollution.
• It also doesn't generate any
waste products, or burn fossil
fuels.
• It is cheaper than other
methods
• It can be used quickly to meet
demand
Cons:
• The dams are very expensive to build.
• It can sometimes change the natural flow of
the water which can make it possible to harm
plants and animals in the water.
• It can also damage areas and wildlife when
areas are flooded upstream
• Finding a suitable site can be difficult.
Hydro Electric Plants in B.C.
• There are 19 hydro electric plants
in BC
• Aberfeldie, Arrow Lakes,
Akolkolex, Bonnington,
Brandywine Creek, Brilliant
Dam, Elko Dam, Falls River,
Furry Creek, Gordon M Shrum,
Mica, Peace Canyon, Pingston
Creek, Revelstoke, Rutherford
Creek, Seven Mile, Upper
Mamquam, Waneta Dam,
Woodfibre.
• Most are operated by B.C. Hydro.
Citations:
– "Hydroelectric Plants in Canada - British Columbia." The Power
Plants Around the World. 01112009. Platts, Web. 17 Jan 2010.
<http://www.industcards.com/hydro-canada-bc.htm>.
– Bonsor, Kevin. "How Hydropower Plants Work." HowStuffWorks.
Discovery, Web. 17 Jan 2010.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/hydropower-plant.htm>.
– "Hydro Energy." KidzWorld. Web. 17 Jan 2010.
<http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1375-hydro-energy>.
– Bellis, Mary. "Waterwheel ." About. Web. 17 Jan 2010.
<http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwaterwheel.
htm>.