Mini/micro hydro power: Classification of hydropower schemes
The hydroelectric power plants may be classified according to:-
A. Classification According to the Extent of Water Flow Regulation Available :
i. Run off river power plants without pondage
ii. Run off river power plants with pondage
iii. Reservoir power plants
B. Classification According to Availability of Water Head
i. Low Head
ii. Medium Head
iii. High Head
C. Classification According to Type of Load Supplied
i. Base Load
ii. Peak Load I
ii. Pumped storage plants for the peak load
D. Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants Based on Installed Capacity.
i. Large hydro
ii. Medium hydro
iii. Small hydro
iv. Mini hydro
v. Micro hydro
vi. Pico hydro
A Classification According to the Extent of Water Flow Regulation Available
i. Run off river power plants without pondage:
• In this type of hydroelectric power plant, water is not available all the time.
• So, this type of power station is not suitable for constant steady load.
• There is no pondage or storage facility available in such type of power plant.
• Plant is placed in such a area, where water is coming directly from the river or pond.
• This type of hydroelectric power plant is called run off power plant without pondage.
• Plant produces hydro electricity only when water is available.
ii. Run off river power plants with pondage:
This type of plant is used to increase the capacity of pond. The pond is used as a
storage water of hydro electric power plant. Increased pond size means more water is
available in the plant, so such type of hydro electric power plant is used during
fluctuating load period depending on the size of pondage. Such types of power plant
save conservation of coal.
iii. Reservoir power plants:
Most hydroelectric power plant in the world is reservoir power plant. In this type of
plant, water is stored behind the dam and water is available throughout the year
even in dry season. This type of power plant is very efficient, and it is used during
both base and peak load period as per requirement.
B. Classification According to Availability of Water Head
Though there is no rule regarding water head height but below 30 meters is considered as
low head, above 30 meters to 300 meters is called medium head and above 300 meters is
known as high head hydro electric power plant.
i. Low head hydro electric power plant:
• Francis, Kaplan or propeller turbines are used
for this type of hydro electric power plant.
• To create a low head, dam construction is
essential.
• Water resource level i.e. river or pond is placed
just behind the dam to create a necessary
water head level.
• Water is led to the turbine through the
penstock. This type of hydro plant is located
just below the dam and it creates useful water
level as well.
ii. Medium head hydro electric power plant:
In these power plants, the river water is
usually tapped off to a forebay on one bank of
the river as in case of a low head plant. From
forebay the water is led to the turbines
through penstocks. The forebay provided at
the beginning of penstock serves as a water
reservoir for such power plants. In these
plants, water is usually carried in open
channel from main reservoir to the forebay
and then to the turbines through the
penstock. The forebay itself serves as the
surge tank in this case. In these plants
horizontal shaft Francis, propeller or Kaplan
turbines are used.
iii. High head hydro electric power plant:
The head of this power plant is more than 300 meters.
A dam is constructed in such a level that maximum
reserve water level is formed. A pressure tunnel is
constructed which is connected to the valve house.
Water is coming from reservoir to valve house via this
pressure tunnel and it is the starting of penstock. A
surge tank is also constructed before valve house which
reduces water hammering to the penstock in case of
sudden closing of fixed gates of water turbine. Surge
tank also store some extra water which is useful for
picking load demand because it will serve extra water
to the turbine. Valve house consists of a main valve
sluice valves and automatic isolating valves, which
operate on bursting of penstock and cut off further
supply of water to penstock. The penstock is a
connecting pipe which supplies water from valve house
to turbine. For high head more than 500 meters, Pelton
wheel turbine is used for lower head Francis turbine.
C. According to the types of load supply
i. Base load hydro electric power plant:
Base load plant is suitable for constant load.
Run off river plants without pondage and reservoir plants are
used as base load plants
ii. Peak load hydro electric power plant:
when demand is high, this type of plant do their job very well. Run off river plants with pondage can
be employed as peak load plants. If water supply is available, it generates large portion of load at a
peak load period. It needs huge storage area. Reservoir plants can be used as peak load plants. This
type of plant can serve power throughout the year
iii. Pumped storage hydro electric power plant for the peak load
This is unique design of peak load plants. Here two types of water pond is used, called upper head
water pond and tail water pond. Two water ponds are connected each other by a penstock. Main
generating pumping plant is lower end. During the off load period, surplus energy of this plant is
utilized to pumping the lower head pond water to upper head pond water. This extra water is used
to generate energy at pick load periods
Classification of water turbine
Water turbines or hydraulic turbines are rotary prime movers which convert the potential
or kinetic energy of water into mechanical energy in the form of rotational energy. A
water turbine when coupled with an electrical generator produces electrical energy. It is
one of the most suitable means of electric power generation system.
i. Impulse turbine:
In this case, the total potential energy of water is converted to kinetic energy in the nozzles.
The impulse due to the high velocity jet coming out of the nozzles is used to turn the
turbine wheel. The pressure inside the turbine is atmospheric. It is found suitable when the
available potential energy is high and flow available is comparatively low. E.g. Pelton wheel
ii. Reaction Turbines:
In these turbines, water enters the runner under pressure having some velocity head.
While the water passes over the runner, its pressure is gradually converted into velocity
head until its pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure along with the change in K.E
based on its absolute velocity.
Water turbines are classified on various parameters:
D. Based on position of Shaft
• Horizontal shaft type
• Vertical shaft type
a) Impulse Turbine: The operation of a Pelton turbine is
fairly simple. In this type of turbine,
high speed jets of water emerge from
the nozzles that surround the
turbine. These nozzles are arranged
so the water jet will hit the buckets at
splitters, the center of the bucket
where the water jet is divided into
two streams. The two separate
streams then flow along the inner
curve of the bucket and leave in the
opposite direction that it came in.
This change in momentum of the
water creates an impulse on the
blades of the turbine, generating
torque and rotation in the turbine.
b) Reaction Turbine:
Reaction turbine is quite suitable for low head and high discharge. The water supplied to the
reaction turbine possesses both pressure as well as kinetic energy. The total pressure energy is
not fully converted to kinetic energy initially, as it happens in impulse turbine. The water flows
first of all to guide blades which supply water in a proper direction and then it is passed through
moving blades which are mounted on the wheel. A part of the pressure energy of water, when
flowing through the moving blades, is converted into kinetic energy which is absorbed by the
turbine wheel. The water leaving the moving blades is at low pressure. Thus, there is a difference
in pressure between the entrance and exit of the moving blades.
Essential components of hydroelectric system
The main components of a Hydro electric power plant are given below.
1. Power House
2. Penstock
3. Water Reservoir
4. Water Turbine or Hydraulic Turbine (Prime mover)
5. Spillway
6. Dam
7. Surge Tank
8. Draft Tube
9. Tail Race Level
10. Gate
11. Pressure Tunnel