Hydro Power - What Is Hydro Power And How Is It Used?
Using the water's power is an age-old phenomenon. Over the years it has been employed for irrigation and working a variety of machines, including water-wheels. But today, it is used more importantly as a alternative energy source.
Electricity from hydro-power can be generated in three different ways: in hydroelectric dams, using the tides, and through the ocean's waves and currents.
Hydroelectric dams:
Hydro-electric dams produced up to 90% of the world's alternative energy, so it plays a vital role. Here, dams release water through huge turbines, which are spun by the force of the water.
The benefit to this type of hydro-power is the dam serves two purposes - to store water and to produce power. In fact, the water has so much stored energy, that it is capable of generating thousands of megawatts of power to light up an entire city.
However, many governments have come under scrutiny for using hydro-electric dams. These dams tend to flood a lot of land where thriving communities live. They can affect various plants and animals in the region, and cut-off the water supply for communities living downstream.
Tidal Power:
With tidal energy, hydro-power is generated as the tides comes in and goes out.
France and Russia have successfully used tidal power since 1966. One system is used in large bays and estuaries where water from the high tide is dammed up and diverted through turbines at low tide.
Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).
A second, more recent, tidal system looks very much like an underwater wind turbine. Large windmill like turbines are sunk in shallow water, where they are slowly spun by shifting tidal water.
The nice thing about this tidal system is that the technology is advanced and derived from our land-based wind turbines. And water is much denser than air, meaning it takes only a small current to get the turbine spinning.
The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities - like oyster farming - occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.
Power from the oceans waves:
This is the youngest of the three hydro-power solutions. The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.
What makes this technology so appealing is it potential to harness over two thousand megawatts of power that the ocean's waves contain.
But, as with all hydro-power solutions, it has potential environmental issues. Conservationists are worried about the impact these structures will have on the coastline's fauna and flora. Also, there is a possibility of water pollution if - for example - the hydraulic fluids accidentally leaked into the sea. This can be expected if the wave generators are constantly battered by rough seas.
Closing thought:
Man has come up with ingenious ways to harness the power of nature to produce electricity, hydro power being one of them. Although it is an important renewable energy for the future, there is still much controversy over its long-term environmental impact.
Electricity from hydro-power can be generated in three different ways: in hydroelectric dams, using the tides, and through the ocean's waves and currents.
Hydroelectric dams:
Hydro-electric dams produced up to 90% of the world's alternative energy, so it plays a vital role. Here, dams release water through huge turbines, which are spun by the force of the water.
The benefit to this type of hydro-power is the dam serves two purposes - to store water and to produce power. In fact, the water has so much stored energy, that it is capable of generating thousands of megawatts of power to light up an entire city.
However, many governments have come under scrutiny for using hydro-electric dams. These dams tend to flood a lot of land where thriving communities live. They can affect various plants and animals in the region, and cut-off the water supply for communities living downstream.
Tidal Power:
With tidal energy, hydro-power is generated as the tides comes in and goes out.
France and Russia have successfully used tidal power since 1966. One system is used in large bays and estuaries where water from the high tide is dammed up and diverted through turbines at low tide.
Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).
A second, more recent, tidal system looks very much like an underwater wind turbine. Large windmill like turbines are sunk in shallow water, where they are slowly spun by shifting tidal water.
The nice thing about this tidal system is that the technology is advanced and derived from our land-based wind turbines. And water is much denser than air, meaning it takes only a small current to get the turbine spinning.
The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities - like oyster farming - occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.
Power from the oceans waves:
This is the youngest of the three hydro-power solutions. The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.
What makes this technology so appealing is it potential to harness over two thousand megawatts of power that the ocean's waves contain.
But, as with all hydro-power solutions, it has potential environmental issues. Conservationists are worried about the impact these structures will have on the coastline's fauna and flora. Also, there is a possibility of water pollution if - for example - the hydraulic fluids accidentally leaked into the sea. This can be expected if the wave generators are constantly battered by rough seas.
Closing thought:
Man has come up with ingenious ways to harness the power of nature to produce electricity, hydro power being one of them. Although it is an important renewable energy for the future, there is still much controversy over its long-term environmental impact.
About the Author:
Tim McDonald has been living off the grid since June 2008. He recommends you read this Earth4Energy review before learning how to make your own DIY Renewable Energy at home and slashing your power in half.
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