Types of Hydropower Plants
There are three types of hydropower facilities:
impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage. Some hydropower plants use
dams and some do not. The images below show both types of hydropower
plants.
Many dams were built for other purposes and hydropower was added
later. In the United States, there are about 80,000 dams of which only
2,400 produce power. The other dams are for recreation, stock/farm
ponds, flood control, water supply, and irrigation.
Hydropower plants range in size from small systems for a home or
village to large projects producing electricity for utilities. The sizes of hydropower plants are described below.
Impoundment
The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is an impoundment
facility. An impoundment facility, typically a large hydropower system,
uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. Water released from the
reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a
generator to produce electricity. The water may be released either to
meet changing electricity needs or to maintain a constant reservoir
level.
An impoundment hydropower plant dams water in a reservoir.
Diversion
A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river, facility channels a
portion of a river through a canal or penstock. It may not require the
use of a dam.
The Tazimina project in Alaska is an example of a diversion hydropower plant. No dam was required.
Pumped Storage
When the demand for electricity is low, a pumped storage facility
stores energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper
reservoir. During periods of high electrical demand, the water is
released back to the lower reservoir to generate electricity.
Facilities range in size from large power plants that supply many
consumers with electricity to small and micro plants that individuals
operate for their own energy needs or to sell power to utilities.
Large Hydropower
Although definitions vary, DOE defines large hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of more than 30 megawatts.
Small Hydropower
Although definitions vary, DOE defines small hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of 100 kilowatts to 30 megawatts.
Micro Hydropower
A micro hydropower plant has a capacity of up to 100 kilowatts. A
small or micro-hydroelectric power system can produce enough electricity
for a home, farm, ranch, or village.
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