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 * HYDROELECTRIC POWER **

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 * __Intro duction: __**​

**Produced from Ontario Power Generation, the largest electricity company in Ontario, Canada**

__**What is hydroelectricity?**__
 * uses the movement of water from a higher elevation (potential to kinetic energy) to spin the turbines which then powers the generators
 * is a renewable energy source, as potential energy can be produced by raising the water back up through various storages, usually pumping (more closely discussed later on)
 * it is the most significant and largest source of electricity in Canada, as Canada has a wide access of bodies of water
 * it is relatively less polluting than other methods of producing electricity, but it does contribute some air pollution, such as the break down of algae, releasing methane, and more (discussed later on)

__**Different Types of Hydroelectric Schemes:**__

__**1. Tidal storage**__ (by Michael) Tidal storage is powered mostly through natural event of rising and falling tides, which is caused by gravitational pull from sun and moon. It is similar to pump storage hydropower in the sense that it utilizes the spinning of turbines to power the generators, but takes advantage of the tides of a large body of water, usually sea, and uses these to turn the turbines. Though not as controlled and reliable as pump storage hydropower, it is extremely environmentally-friendly, and has great potential for it utilizes the great size of the ocean. Furthermore, it can constantly produce power, since tides are constantly ongoing.

Tidal power facilities are placed in narrow mouths from a bay or places with frequently occuring high tides. As these kinetic energy of the tides pass through the generator, the energy is converted by the generators, run by turbines. The produced electricity is transferred along an underwater cable to provide electricity for various homes.



__Progress efforts to alternative energy source around the world__ Many leaders from around the world are looking towards tidal storage as an alternate energy source. In Northern Ireland, the world's first commercially available tidal turbine is planned to be installed. With its zero emmision and virtually no noise, the turbine invented by British company SeaGen will be able to deliver electricity to about 1000 homes. Ongoing research in Europe is going on to test for tidal power by the company "__European Marine Energy Centre__"

Besides Europe, many Asian nations such as China and South Korea, one of significant polluters, are working on tidal electricity as an alternative energy source. For example, the world's biggest tidal power is planned to be built in South Korea. Powered by UK company "Lunar Energy" in partnership with South Korea's "Midland Power" firm, is builting a 300 turbine plant, expected to deliver a whopping incredible 300 megawatts of power to Korea by the end of 2015. __Illustration of the World's Largest Tidal Plant, Situated in South Korea__ It has even gone so far as to provide a new turbine design to avoid any injury to marine animals : Additionally, many small industry are taking part to reap in the opportunies of profit from tidal energy. As a result, many of the North American coastal lands are being reserved to take advantage of possible future developments of tidal plants. Companies like [|**Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition**] are working towards raising awareness to teach people about the many benefits of tidal hydroelectricity.

2. Run-of-the-River Power



**Run of the River Hydroelectricity** = the utilization of a river's current for the generation of electricity - Typically, the run-of-the-river power stations are constructed on rivers which have dependable, unvarying flow -->The river current can be natural, or can be made by creating a sizeable reservoir at the top of the river which will then supply a controlled continual flow of water for the stations lower down the river - Run-of-the-River power plants do not need large reservoirs because instead some of the water is redirected from the river and sent in a penstock tube which will convey the water downward to the turbines of the power station -->As the water flows down the penstock, potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, providing it the speed needed to rotate the turbines which convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy -->The water which was deflected to the penstock is restored to the stream after the power house - The majority of run-of-the-river power plants have a dam crosswise the river to employ all of the water from the river for the production of electricity - Since the top part of the river does not require a big reservoir, the population surrounding the river does not need to be resettled elsewhere and environmental habitats are conserved - Forest areas must be cleared to make way for access roads, transmission lines, and powerhouses - Fish and other marine life populations may be affected by the diversion of the river water to penstocks


 * 3. Pump Storage **

Pump storage, a type of hydroelectric power generation, is the process of pumping water to from a lower elevation to a higher elevation to store potential energy in the water. During periods of high electrical demand, the water, which can be stored indefinitely, is then released to pass through hydraulic turbines to generate electricity. This indirect process is necessary since electrical energy cannot be stored in large quantities. In view of the fact that the level of electricity consumption is very low at night, the excess generated energy can be used for pumping the water for storage. Pump storage is the most cost-effective technique. The first pump storage system was used in the 1890s in Italy and Switzerland, while today almost all countries of the world have at least one pump storage system. Today, China and United States of America have the most plants and the US having the largest plant ([|Bath County], 2,772 MW located in Virginia).



Austria
 * Here is a list of some of the world-wide Pump storage plants: **


 * Häusling (1988), 360 MW
 * Lünerseewerk (1958), 232 MW
 * Kraftwerksgruppe Fragant, 100 MW

Canada

China
 * [|Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations], Niagara Falls (1957), 174 MW - reversible Deriaz turbine

France
 * Miyun, Beijing (1973), 22 MW
 * Panjiakou, Hebei (1992), 270 MW
 * Huizhou, Guangdong (2008), 2,400 MW
 * Baoquan, Henan (2009), 1,200 MW
 * Heimifeng, Hunan (2009), 1,200 MW

Germany
 * La Coche (1976), 285 MW
 * Le Cheylas (1979), 485 MW
 * Le Cheylas (1979), 485 MW

India
 * Markersbach (1981), 1,050 MW
 * Niederwartha, Dresden (1958), 120 MW
 * Waldeck II (1973), 440 MW

Iran
 * Srisailam Left Bank PH, Andhra Pradesh, 900 MW (6 x 150 MW)
 * Tehri Dam, Uttranchal, 1,000 MW

Italy
 * Siah Bisheh, [|Iran] (1996), 1,140 MW


 * Lago Delio (1971), 1,040 MW
 * Piastra Edolo (1982), 1,020 MW
 * Presenzano (1992), 1,000 MW

Japan

Luxembourg
 * Kannagawa (2005), 2,700 MW
 * Kazunogawa (2001), 1,600 MW

Portugal
 * Vianden (1964), 1,100 MW

Russia
 * Torrão, 144 MW
 * Vilarinho II, 74 MW

South Africa
 * Kuban (1968), 15.9/19.2 MW
 * Zagorsk (1994), 1,200/1,320 MW
 * Zelenchuk (under construction), 140/150.6 MW

South Korea
 * [|Palmiet], 400 MW Palmiet Pumped Storage SchemeThe Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme consists of two 200MW turbine units located 2km upstream of the Kogelberg Dam wall on the Palmiet River near Cape Town, South Africa. The pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant is capable of responding to a surge in peak power demand in minutes...
 * [|Steenbras] (1979), 180 MW Steenbras DamThe Steenbras Dam is a dam in the Hottentots-Holland mountains near Cape Town in South Africa. It is one of the city's water supplies. The Steenbras pumped-storage scheme was opened in 1979 to supplement the city's electricity supply during peak demand periods.The dam is named after the steenbras,...
 * Ingula (under construction), 1,332 MW

Spain
 * Cheongpyeong (1980), 400 MW
 * Cheongsong (2006), 600 MW
 * Yecheon (under construction, 2011), 800 MW

Switzerland
 * Aguayo (Cantabria), 339 MW
 * La Muela (Valencia), 628 MW

United Kingdom
 * Lobbia GR (EW der Stadt Zürich), 37 MW (pump)
 * Ova Spin GR (Engadiner Kraftwerke AG), 47 MW (pump)
 * Ferrera GR, Valle di Lei, 82 MW (pump)

U.S.A.
 * [|Foyers], [|Scotland] (1975), 305 MW
 * [|Ffestiniog], [|Wales] (1963), 360 MW (4 × 90 MW units) Ffestiniog power stationFfestiniog power station is a 360 MW pumped storage hydroelectric scheme, near Ffestiniog, in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, United Kingdom. The power station at the lower reservoir has four water turbines, which can generate 360 megawatts of electricity within 60 seconds of the need arising. The... Wales[[image:http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/topicthumbs/w/wa/wales.gif]]Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...


 * Helms (1984), 1,200 MW
 * Salina Pumped Storage (Grand River Dam Authority) (1971), 260MW
 * [|Bath County], 2,772 MW (Worlds Largest) Bath County Pumped Storage StationThe Bath County Pumped Storage Station is a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant. The station is located in the northern corner of Bath County, Virginia, on the southeast side of the Eastern Continental Divide, which forms this section of the border between Virginia and West Virginia...
 * [|Grand Coulee Dam] (1981), 314 MW Grand Coulee Dam[[image:http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/topicthumbs/g/gr/grand_coulee_dam.gif]]Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. In the United States, it is the largest electric power-producing facility and the largest concrete structure...

** The Energy Transformation of a Typical Hydroelectric Plant ** [[file:hydroelectric_dam.bmp]]
No matter it's moving water or still water that is stored in the reservoir(the area behind the dam), mechanical energy is the energy that electricity originates from. In moving water, mechanical energy refers to the kineric energy, or the energy based on movement. In still water, mechanical energy refers to potential energy, or the energy that has potential to do work. These mechanical energy is later converted to electricity through several components of a typical hydroelectric power plant. First component is a dam. The dam is usually built on a large waterbody that has a drop in elevation. By increasing the height of the dam, more gravitational potential energy can be added to the water. Beneath the dam there is a penstock, through which water flows to the turbine. The transformation of gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy takes place as the water speeds to the turbine. The greater the potential energy in the reservoir, the greater the pressure that will inhance the acceleration of water through the penstock. This great amount of kinetic energy rushes to the turbine, where the energy will be converted to rotational kineric energy. In this process, the water turns the turbine to rotate, which then rotates the shaft of the generator above the turbine. A hydroelectric plant usually have multiple generators. Mechanical energy is transfered to electricity by the generator. Inside the generator, the turning shaft powers the excitor, which sends a electric current to a series of large electromagnets (rotor) that spins inside a tightly wound coil of copper wire (stator). When the rotor spins, which is still a kinetic energy, the spinning of electromagnets inside the wiers causes electrons to move, a voltage is created. This is known as the effect of electromagnetic induction. Until now, mechanical energy is finally transfered to electric current. However, hydroelectric plant isn't this simple. The electric current is sent to a wire coil connected to a transformer. Beside this coil there is another wire which electrons from first wire will jump onto through air due to electromagnetic field. In this process, electrons, or electrical energy, go from the generator to the first coil, then to the second coil, which connects to the power lines. The power lines send the electrical energy to the public. Now, the water finish its job, and it flows through the pipelines to the river, during which the water gained mechanical energy again, ready for re-use.


 * Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroelectric Energy **
 * ** Pros ** || ** Cons ** ||
 * ** Hydropower is cost-effective, after the initial cost of building the dam is overcome. ** || Hydroelectric dams are very expensive to build. ||
 * ** The dams for hydropower facilities create wildlife habitat, as well as leisure spots for people if the dam isn’t used for drinking water. If it is used for drinking water, the dam serves a dual purpose and can help in times of drought. ** || Fish are killed whenever the plant’s turbines run. Also, the unnatural block in the river’s system disturbs natural fish migratory and spawning patterns. ||
 * ** Although their power is limited, hydroelectric dams produce 19% of the world’s power, it is estimated. This is quite a large contribution in a world that is struggling to lessen its reliance on non-sustainable fuels. ** || Hydroelectric dams don’t produce a lot of power compared to other electricity-generating systems. ||
 * ** Producing electricity through hydropower is a lot safer than other methods such as nuclear power. Hydropower can also be shut down quickly, meaning crises can be dealt with more swiftly. ** || When a dam breaks down, it causes huge amounts of damage. Problems with hydroelectric dams are very rare, but if a dam breaks during a flash flood the damage is huge. ||
 * ** The biggest benefit of hydropower is that it is renewable energy. After so much time spent relying on non-renewable resources for our power, the world is wising up to the fact that renewable engergy is the way of the future. ** || The major drawback of hydropower is that it involves the building of dams. This sounds innocent enough, but the sizable dams needed for full-scale hydropower end up flooding whole valleys. This significantly disrupts the local ecosystem. These dams also prevent the natural flow of silt down rivers and onto beaches and estuaries. The worldwide benefits of the renewable energy source that is hydropower usually overcome these local environmental concerns. ||

Site C, planned to be located on the Peace River in northeast British Colombia, will be the third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River. It will be a publicly owned heritage that will benefit all of B.C. It will approximately be 1100 m in length and 60 m above the river bed. The reservoir will be about 83 km long. **
 * British Colombia's Newest Hydroelectric Project (Site C): **
 * [[image:Conceptual_design_of_the_proposed_Site_C_dam_on_the_Peace_River.jpg caption="Conceptual design of the proposed Site C dam on the Peace River"]]
 * ~ __Supported__ ||~ __Opposed__ ||
 * < ** **Source of clean and renewable electricity for more than 100 years to come **
 * 1) providing 900 MW
 * 2) powering 410, 000 homes per year
 * **<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Creating new jobs and business opportunities **
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">creating 7650 jobs during the construction
 * 2) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">creating up to 35, 000 direct and indirect jobs
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Reducing our carbon footprint
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">cleanest process of generating electricity
 * 2) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">producing very little GHGs
 * 3) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">generation of energy can easily be increased
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Great benefits for northern communities and Aboriginal groups
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">upgrading infrastructure
 * 2) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">creating local jobs and skill training
 * 3) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">addition of more economical and social benefits ||< ** <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Damaging the ecosystem
 * 4) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">causing irreversible damage to wildlife
 * 5) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">causing irrevocable damage to local agriculture and forests
 * 6) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">destroying carbon sinks
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Increasing GHGs
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">could produce between 70,000 - 140,000 tonnes of GHGs per year
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Loss of property
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">flooding 104 km of homes and farms ||
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Both points of views are very convincing. But the production of the dam will do more good than harm, since it will reduce the usage of carbon fuels and other polluting fuels. It will also produce many jobs which can be a great asset considering today's economical downfall. Thus the dam production should be continued.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Sources:


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