Power Plant Engineering Practice Test: Hydroelectric Power Plant — Flashcards

Hydroelectric Power Plant topics include: Pelton wheel turbine, kaplan, francis and deriaz turbines.

A hydroelectric power plant uses the power of moving water to generate electricity. The word "hydro" comes from the Greek word for water. 

Here's how hydroelectric power plants work:
A dam is built across a large river to create a reservoir.
A penstock is a large steel pipe that carries water from the reservoir to the turbine.
As the water flows down through the penstock due to gravity, its potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy.
The kinetic energy turns a turbine, which makes generators move.
Generators are machines that produce electricity. 
The amount of electrical energy produced is proportional to the flow rate and the drop in elevation. 

Some types of modern hydroelectric power plants include:
Pumped storage hydropower plants
Reversible turbine pump hydropower plants
Underground hydropower plants
Tidal power plants 

Related Test: Power Plant Engineering Practice Test: Nuclear Power Plants