Description

Hydroelectric Dam

Hydroelectric Dam. Digital image. A Students Guide to Global Climate Change. United

States Environment Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

The above picture is a representation of a hydroelectric dam. A dam like this uses the natural power of flowing water to create electricity. This is an excellent example of renewable energy. As displayed above. There are many mechanisms to a hydroelectric dam.

Reservoir: The reservoir is one of the more important working parts in the system as a whole. To create a reservoir, you need to build a dam on a large river and create a significant elevation drop (Perlman). This way gravity will create the flow of water.

The dam: The dam is the man-made structure that you build to block up a river. The reservoir would not be possible without the dam.

Intake: The water flows through the intake into the large pipe that pushes the water through the turbine. (Zimesnick) Many times there will be a screen over the intake that will help keep out debris and control the flow of water.

Turbine: The turbine kind of looks like a huge fan. Basically the water will flow through it causing it to spin and in turn generating kinetic energy. This energy is fed to the generator.

Generator: The generator is attached to the turbine. The turbine spins and creates kinetic energy. The “electricity is produced by creating a changing magnetic flux through a closed circuit using the mechanical energy of the spinning turbine shaft” (Zimesnick). To simplify, the generator spins and creates the energy.

The river: The river is where the water used to create the energy flows out to. This is important because this is what makes it a renewable energy source. Nothing has been taken away and it will be able to run its normal course.

Summary:

-          The reservoir collects and holds the water.

-          The dam blocks the water to create the reservoir.

-          The intake allows the water to travel to a large pipe to get to the turbine.

-          The turbine is a large fan like mechanism that spins as the water flows through.

-          The generator uses the energy created by the turbine spinning to generate electricity.

-          The river receives the water from the entire process.

Perlman, Howard. "Hydroelectric Power: How It Works." Hydroelectric Power: How It Works, USGS

Water-Science School. United States Geological Survey, 6 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

"Water Energy." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

Zimesnick, Michael. "How Do Hydroelectric Dams Work: Parts of a Dam Examined & Explained."

Renewable Energy Index. Renewable Energy Index, 28 Jan. 2010. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.