Hydroelectric power utilizes the energy of falling water to create electricity.
What is it?
Hydroelectric energy collects kinetic energy from water movement, and generates the energy into electricity through turbines and generators. The first ever hydroelectric plant was invented in 1978, run by a natural waterfall, the Niagara fall. The technology has existed more than a 100 years and is being recognized as the most developed and reliable renewable source by far. According to Bruce Babbitt, former United States Secretary of the Interior stated, ‘on average’ the country build dams everyday.
How does it work?
Dam: The dam is a storage and collection basin for water.
Control gate: The releasing point for the water when the dam reaches appropriate capacity.
Turbine: The turbine is located further in from the control gate, in where the water is released. The turbine will turn when the force of the falling water pushes each blade.
Electric generator: The electricity produced by the motion of the turbine turning. This is produced by a magnet and a wire. When the turbine turns due to the force of the water, electrical current is produced when a turning magnet revolve around copper wire or coil.
Transformer: The role of the transformer is to change the electrical current produced by the generators into a higher voltage.
Power lines: The power lines transport the electrical current to different parts of an area to distribute the electricity.