Many power users are experiencing change every day due to advancement in technology. Scientists are always coming up with new innovations which make life easier and interesting, some innovation have been existing since the early days while others are improve of the original product. When you need power or electricity for your equipment to operate smoothly, having power in your home is the first thing you should consider before settling in your place of interest.
Hydropower is a mechanical process where falling water is used to provide electricity. In the early days coal was used to produce power, but the amount of electricity power produced could not serve for a longer time and cater for the need of power, hence the innovation of the hydropower.
The Mechanism Involved - Transmission Line
Hydropower generation involves energy conversion mechanisms whereby kinetic energy or the energy of water in motion is converted into electricity or hydroelectricity which is stored and later delivered into our homes. There are various hydropower facilities used in this mechanism, they include impoundment, diversion and pumped storage.
Impoundment mechanism is where flowing water is held in a reservoir of a dam, and then the falling water rotates a turbine which uses an installed generator to make electricity. The produced electricity is then moved into the grid for storage. After the storage depending on the management and distribution procedures the electricity can be delivered to the recipients immediately.
The other facility used in this process is the diversion whereby the flowing water from the river is sidetracked to another direction without use of a dam and is converted into hydroelectricity and supplied to the people, companies or institutions in need of the power. High Voltage transmission line is an important part of "Hydropower Delivered to Homes".
Some areas have shortage of water and thus the impoundment and diversion mechanisms cannot be applied thus the pumped storage procedure is employed, here the mechanism behind this operation involves pumping water form a lower ground to a higher ground, therefore when electricity is in demand the water can be released to be converted into electricity and later be delivered to serve the consumers.
Advantages of using water in hydropower generation
Water is the main source of hydroelectricity, this is because water cannot be damage when the generation mechanism is taking place and it can also be renewed and you can use it during another electricity production procedure. Another merit of using water during generation of power is because water does not emit or produce substance such as carbon dioxide or fossil fuels which can pollute the environment. The dams' which hold this water can also be a great benefit to the surrounding community as it helps to control floods during rainy seasons while they receive power at the same time.
The Disadvantages of Hydropower
Whenever you tackle the merits of something, you should not forget the demerits, using water as the ultimate source for electricity generation as its disadvantages. Hydropower supply depends on the natural availability of water, we have the rainy seasons when water is fully available and the dry seasons when no limited amount of water can be accessed making the generation of hydropower difficult.
Another demerit of hydropower production is that the flowing water is forced to move in one direction into the hydroelectric plant hence affecting the flow and distribution of the water in the river. Water released from the turbines is always warmer than the existing one thus it poses a great danger to the survival of aquatic creatures such as fish which only needs slight ranges of temperature, and this can also make life difficult for the fishermen who depend on the river, hence affecting the economy of the surrounding area.