Introduction to Power Plant Engineering

CHAPTER 13

Hydel Power Plants

13.1 Introduction

Before steam engines were developed, mechanical power generated by river water flowing past water wheels was the major source of power for industrial mills. These mills had to be located near river falls so that water could be diverted from an impoundment upstream of the falls and fed to a water wheel or turbine discharging to a lower level downstream of the falls. The need for mechanical power and sites for industrial facilities soon outgrew the availability of hydropower, leading to the introduction of steam engines and, eventually, steam electric power plants that distribute their power via electric lines to consumers far removed from the power plant site. Nevertheless, today hydropower continues ...