Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Hydroelectric Energy


Man has been using water as a source of power for centuries, from the early water wheel to the advanced versions of this ancient technology in use today.
Hydroelectric energy is a renewable energy source dependent upon the hydrologic cycle of water, which involves evaporation, precipitation and the flow of water due to gravity.

Electricity produced from generators driven by water turbines that convert the energy in falling or fast-flowing water to mechanical energy. Water at a higher elevation flows downward through large pipes or tunnels (penstocks). The falling water rotates turbines, which drive the generators, which convert the turbines’ mechanical energy into electricity. The advantages of hydroelectric power over such other sources as fossil fuels and nuclear fission are that it is continually renewable and produces no pollution.



Canoe Trip

Myth:
Using hydropower means building new dams.

Reality:
Only 2,400 of 80,000 dams are online and used for hydroelectric energy generation.

Did You Know?

-In the United States, hydropower produces enough electricity to serve the needs of 28 million residential customers. That is equivalent to all the homes in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kentucky, and Tennessee.


-Hydropower can come “on-line” quickly to meet rapid increases in electric demand and respond to emergency energy needs.

-Hydropower does not produce greenhouse gases or other air pollution, and it leaves behind no waste.



Hydroelectric Energy

Hydroelectricity is the renewable energy source that is used most often to generate electricity by dams. It accounted for over 7 percent of total U.S. electricity and 73 percent renewable energy in 2005. Hydroelectric Energy is one of the oldest sources of energy, and it was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for grinding grain. The United States' first industrial use of hydroelectricity was in to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 lamps were powered using a water turbine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first United States hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity thus polluted the air greatly. Because the source of hydroelectric power is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source (e.g. a river). Therefore, it was not until the transition of electricity over long distances was developed that hydroelectric power became widely used.

The energy is derived by directing channeling moving water. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its incline and speed of the water (also known as flow). Large rivers, like the Columbia River along the border between Oregon and Washington, carries a great deal of energy in its flow. Another example of high flow is show in Niagara Falls in New York where the water descends very rapidly. In either instance, the water flows through a pipe in a damn, then it pushes against and the blades of a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. Meanwhile, the dam creases a large reservoir or a lake. This can be used for recreational purposes like boating, fishing, and even swimming. On the other hand, the rivers beyond the dam provide excellent opportunities for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and other boating trips. A great example of this situation is the Hoover Dam that tames the wild Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. People can relax in Lake Mead (the reservoir), or enjoy other water sports in a one hundred and ten mile recreational area. The magnificent thing is that this all happens in a desert setting.

Many people regard hydroelectric power as an ideal fuel for electricity generation because, unlike its nonrenewable fuels counterparts, hydroelectric energy cost barley anything. Another great advantage is that there are no waste products, and hydroelectric power does not pollute the water or the air. Despite its great advantages, hydroelectric power receives criticism because it creates an artificial lake thus changing the environment and affects the natural habitats. This is a great problem for salmon because they must swim upstream to their spawning grounds to reproduce, but numerous dams gets in their way. Although the construction of fish ladders has solved this problem, the natural way the salmon get to their breeding grounds is lost. Despite the fact that dams obstruct the nature, hydroelectric power is still a great option to go due to the fact that it costs very little and reliable because it has been used since ages. If you want, a cleaner planet with virtually no cost hydroelectric power is for you.

No comments: