How Can Water Be Used For Energy
Energy from falling water
Falling water possesses energy. Look at the photograph of a water bike driven by falling water. When water falls downwards, its gravitational potential free energy is converted into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is transferred to the water cycle and the water wheel rotates. If the h2o bicycle is continued to a generator, electricity can be generated. This is the bones principle of hydroelectricity: using falling h2o to generate electricity.
Of form, the blueprint of a hydroelectric ability plant is much more than avant-garde than that of a water wheel. For a typical hydroelectric power plant, a dam is built to store water at a college level. Water is controlled to flow through the dam, driving the turbine generators near the base of the dam to generate electricity.
The blitheness below shows the performance of a hydroelectric ability plant.
Water cycle
How does water go to high places in nature, assuasive us to brand use of its gravitational potential free energy to generate electricity? The reply lies in the water cycle of the Earth.
Permit's take a look at the water cycle illustrated in the figure below. When the sun heats up the h2o in the sea, some water is evaporated. The rise water vapour forms clouds in the sky. The water vapour condenses and falls to the basis every bit rain. As water flows down from loftier places as river, its gravitational potential free energy can be used to produce electricity
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| Fig. 3 The water cycle: (1) solar radiation heats upwards the sea, (2) body of water water vaporizes, (three) water vapour forms cloud, (4) water vapour condenses every bit rain and falls to the ground, (5) water flows down from loftier places as rivers, returning water to the ocean. Some water is retained by the state. |
The Iii Gorges Project
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| Fig. four In a hydroelectric power institute, water from the upper reservoir is controlled to flow through the dam to plow the turbine generator. |
China is currently working on the Iii Gorges Project, which is the largest hydroelectric project ever built in the earth. The dam site of the project is situated on part of the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang Metropolis, Hubei Province. The principal dam is about 2,309 m long and 185 chiliad tall at its highest point [1]. When the project is finished, a reservoir will be formed with a normal h2o level 175 k college than the water level on the other side of the dam [2]. The water from the reservoir is controlled to flow through the dam and so as to plow the turbine generator units installed behind the dam to generate electricity. The Three Gorges Project volition provide a total generating chapters of eighteen,200 MW [2]. In comparing, the Castle Meridian Power Station of CLP Ability has a generating chapters of 4110 MW [3].
Hydroelectric generation does non eat any fuel and does not produce air pollution or greenhouse gas emission. It is likewise a source of renewable energy. The electricity produced past the 3 Gorges Project could salve the burning of huge amounts of coal and assist ameliorate the air quality in Red china. Hydroelectric power, however, also has drawbacks. The edifice of dams is very expensive and dams may disrupt the natural menses of water. This disturbs the ecology and blocks the movement of fish and other organisms. The reservoirs formed oft flood big areas of country, destroying the habitat. Heavy metal like mercury and other contaminants may accumulate in the reservoir, causing environmental bug. Although hydroelectric generation is considered a source of renewable energy, large-scale hydroelectric projects may not exist sustainable in the long run because of their impact on the surround [4]. For large-scale projects similar the Three Gorges Project, at that place is also the demand to resettle large population to make room for the dam and the reservoir.
Practice you desire to make a model of a hydroelectric turbine generator that tin can really produce electricity? This activity will bear witness yous how.
Energy storage using water
H2o can likewise be used, in a sense, to shop energy generated past power plants. The electric free energy from power plants is used to pump h2o to a place of high altitude. The electrical free energy used for pumping water is thus stored as the gravitational potential free energy of h2o. During peak hours when the demand of electricity is loftier, water is allowed to flow back to a lower position. Turbine generators are used to convert the stored gravitational potential free energy of h2o back to electrical energy. The facility that performs this energy storage process is chosen a pumped storage ability station. Come across how it operates in this animation.
The Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station is an case of such an energy storage facility. By design, the water levels of the higher and lower reservoirs have a height difference of 535 m [5]. The facility has 8 turbine generator units each has capacity of 300 MW [6]. The turbine generators are designed to be reversible. That is, they can use falling water to generate electricity every bit well every bit make use of electricity to pump water to a higher position.
The total efficiency of the facility is 76 % [5], this means on the whole the facility consumes electricity during its operation. The facility is not a generation facility, but rather, it is an energy storage facility.
References
| [1] | Red china Iii Gorges Project Corporation web folio |
| [2] | Mainland china Three Gorges Project web page |
| [3] | CLP Grouping Castle Tiptop Power Station web page |
| [iv] | Re-energy.ca Renewable Energy Nuts web folio |
| [5] | Chinese National Commission on Large Dams spider web page |
| [6] | CLP Group Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station spider web page |
| [7] | For more data on some other renewable energy - air current free energy in Hong Kong, please refer to the following spider web pages: |
How Can Water Be Used For Energy,
Source: http://www.hk-phy.org/energy/alternate/print/hydro_is_print_e.html
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