FORMULA IN SOLVING HYDRO ENERGY
1. Power Output (ideal):
𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄 𝐻
where:
(𝑃) = 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 (𝑊),
(𝜌) = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (≈ 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚³),
(𝑔) = 9.81 𝑚/𝑠²,
(𝑄) = 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 (𝑚³/𝑠),
(𝐻) = 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 (𝑚).
2. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚:
𝑃 = 𝜂𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 (𝜂) = 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 (𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚).
3. Flowrate & Area relation:
𝑄 = 𝐴𝑣
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 (𝐴) = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 (𝑚2 )
(𝑣) = 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝑚/𝑠).
PROBLEM SET (HYDRO POWER)
1. Water flows at 0.5 m³/s through a turbine under a head of 10 m. If the efficiency is 80%, find the power output.
2. A small hydro system has a head of 15 m and a discharge of 0.35 m³/s. Find the power if efficiency = 75%.
3. A micro-hydro plant uses a penstock carrying 0.25 m³/s of water. The elevation difference between intake and
turbine is 40 m, and efficiency is 85%. Find the power produced.
4. A mini-hydropower plant operates with an average flow of 1.2 m³/s and gross head of 60 m. Frictional losses
reduce the head by 10%. If the turbine efficiency is 90%, find the actual power generated.
5. A hydropower station has a reservoir supplying 5 m³/s to turbines under a net head of 120 m. If generator and
turbine efficiencies are 92% and 95% respectively, find the electrical power delivered.
6. A turbine produces 20 kW of power using 0.3 m³/s flow. If efficiency is 80%, find the head.
7. A hydro unit outputs 100 kW when discharging 0.5 m³/s of water with 85% efficiency. Find the head.
8. A turbine develops 500 kW of power with a flow of 1.8 m³/s. If efficiency = 90%, find the available head.
9. A mini-hydro plant produces 1.5 MW with a discharge of 2.5 m³/s. If the total efficiency is 82%, calculate the
gross head.
10. A run-of-river system generates 3 MW of power from a river flowing at 10 m³/s. Considering total efficiency of
88%, determine the head lost to friction if the gross head is 40 m.
11. Water velocity in a penstock is 2 m/s, and discharge is 0.5 m³/s. Find the cross-sectional area.
12. A turbine requires a flow rate of 1.2 m³/s at a velocity of 3 m/s. What is the diameter of the circular pipe feeding
it?
13. A rectangular channel carries 1.5 m³/s of water with a depth of 0.6 m and velocity of 2 m/s. Find the channel
width.
14. A steel penstock must deliver 3 m³/s at 4 m/s velocity. What is the internal diameter needed? (Round to two
decimals.)
15. A Pelton turbine needs 2 m³/s discharge, and the allowable velocity in the penstock is 5 m/s. If the penstock
consists of two parallel pipes, find the diameter of each pipe.
16. A hydro turbine receives water from a 25 m head with a flow rate of 0.8 m³/s. Due to friction, 2 m of head is lost
before reaching the turbine. If efficiency is 85%, find the power output.
17. A turbine produces 50 kW at a head of 20 m. If the head is increased to 25 m and efficiency improves from 80%
to 85%, find the new power.
18. A dam supplies 3 turbines equally, each operating at 1.2 m³/s discharge and 40 m head. Find the total power
output if efficiency = 90%.
19. A reservoir delivers 2.5 m³/s at 50 m gross head, but 12% of the head is lost due to friction and 5% of discharge
leaks out. Find the actual power produced at 88% efficiency.
20. Two turbines in parallel use 1.5 m³/s and 2 m³/s respectively from the same head of 30 m. Efficiencies are 85%
and 80%. Find total power produced.
21. A penstock 300 m long and 0.8 m in diameter delivers 2 m³/s to a turbine. If friction loss = 3 m and turbine
efficiency = 88%, find the power output assuming water density = 1000 kg/m³ and gross head = 50 m.
22. A hydropower plant uses a 500 m penstock. The gross head is 80 m, flow = 2.5 m³/s, and friction loss is 6 m. The
turbine and generator efficiencies are 90% and 95%. Find the actual power output.
23. A small dam has a reservoir at 120 m elevation and a turbine at 80 m elevation. The penstock is 1 km long with
friction losses equal to 10% of gross head. Flow = 1.6 m³/s. Find the effective power if overall efficiency = 85%.
24. Water flows from a headrace tunnel 200 m long with 1.5 m³/s discharge and 60 m gross head. Friction loss is 0.2
m per 100 m. Turbine efficiency is 88%, generator efficiency 95%. Compute the net electrical power.
25. A high-head hydro station has a gross head of 300 m and total flow of 10 m³/s. Head losses are 15 m in the
penstock and 5 m in the draft tube. If mechanical efficiency = 94% and electrical efficiency = 97%, find the net
electrical power produced.