Hydro
Energy - General Information
History
Hydro energy has a long and important historical role in providing
mechanical energy which was used in the every day's human activity.
Specifically, watermills were used in Mesopotamia as early as 3000
BC and since then the energy of water was harnessed almost anywhere on
the planet where rivers or streams exist. Anything approximating the
strength of a horse that didn't need to be fed or wan never tired was immensely
valuable.
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Early
uses were mainly agricultural such as pumping water and the traditional
grist mill for grinding corn. In the Middle Ages, trade flourished
where there was waterpower and even cities grew. During the 18th century
the application of waterwheels spread further into industry, driving
a vast range of machines for every conceivable purpose, notably textile
production. A century later there were over 20,000 waterwheels operating
in England alone.
The advent of steam, seemingly offering the potential of limitless
power in almost any location, soon came to dominate the landscape.
In the developed world today, though the actual waterwheels are mostly
gone, a rich legacy of delightful mill-sites and much expensive civil
engineering work remains. We have the opportunity to employ their
descendant, the more efficient water turbine to generate electricity
- the most versatile form of energy known to man.
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| Small Hydro Turbines
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Assessment |
For
the design of a hydro system the following basic considerations
must be taken:
The
definition of the loads demand.
Estimation
of the resources that are available to meet this demand :
The manometric head and flow figures. By these figure, the optimum
turbine will be chosen.
Distance
from the generation site to the site of use which will determine
the voltage and following the amperage.
Determination
of the size and length of the pipeline. By choosing of the proper
pipe diameter the minimum loss and maximum amount of power will
be reached.
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25°C 
Hydro Energy 
