Hydroelectric power Made by: Kekoa, Sara, Kupaa and Bree
How it s produced General: Hydroelectric power creates kinetic energy by using water to turn a propeller turbine which turns a metal shaft in a electric generator. 1)Water Stored in a Reservoir 2)Water flows through Penstock (enters through intakes) 3)Spins Turbine which is connected to a Generator 4)Electricity is transferred from here to a transformer and ultimately to homes etc.
How it s produced
Waste products produced Air Emissions- There is no direct greenhouse emissions, vegetation along the riverbed can decay causing big amounts of methane gas. Water Changes- water at the bottom of the lake created by a dam is harmful to fish because it colder and lacks oxygen compared with water at the top. Erosion- These dams can cause erosion along the riverbed
Found,Used and Stored Usually found in hills and mountains Create streams and rivers that eventually run into the ocean. Hydroelectric power is used for almost one fifth of the worlds power. Most important and widely used renewable source of energy. Stored in the form of water in an upper reservoir, pumped from another reservoir at a lower elevation in a storage facility.
Environmental Advantages Hydroelectric production does not produce any pollutants, except for the construction of the mill or dam. Hydropower, aside from creating power, manages flood control, irrigation and water supply. Cleans the air The graph shows Hydropower is lacking popularity though the benefits exceed other renewable resources
Economic Advantages It s a domestic source of energy, so a city does not have to rely on international sources. Because it generates energy from the water cycle, the source is cheaper and won t deplete like fossil fuels. Impoundment hydropower (using dam water as a reservoir) offers recreational opportunities like fishing, swimming, and boating. Hydropower is dependent on rain and elevation changes; high levels and large elevation changes are necessary to generate electricity. Thus, The Pacific Northwest has more productive hydropower plants than an area such as the Gulf Coast, which might have large amounts of precipitation but is comparatively flat.
Environmental Disadvantages Causes emission of methane and carbon dioxide. Flooding or building of a dam leads to a disturbance of habitat. It diverges natural waterways. The lack of high oxygen water and divide in the water can lead to fish depletion. Breaking of dams causes flooding to local towns, habitats and other surrounded structures. Hydroelectric production sites can be harmful to aquatic ecosystems by altering the flow of water
Economic Disadvantages Dams are usually very expensive to build considering the material and the building time. People living in towns or valleys that are planned to be flooded must leave. Hydroelectricity can lead to conflicts between countries, states, or even towns. When dams block the progress of a river in one place, the water supply from the same river in a different place is out of their control.
Interesting facts In 2006 hydroelectricity produced 20% of the worlds power The largest hydroelectric plant in the world is The Three Gorges in China Hydroelectric is one of the oldest sources of energy dating back as far as ancient greece where it was used to grind grain Hydroelectric production sites can be harmful to aquatic ecosystems by altering the flow of water Hydroelectricity is often called hydropower
More interesting facts Hydropower is very reliable do to the fact that rivers do not change their current minute to minute like the wind can. Hydropower is the cheapest renewable energy source in america Hydropower can be used anywhere on earth where water flows downward More than 30m countries use hydropower as their main source of energy
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