Hydroelectric Plants and the Functionality of the Hydro Turbine Control System
Hydroelectric plants are important facilities that generate a large amount of electricity with the use of water reservoirs. The water contained within the reservoirs is used to spin turbines within the plant, that of which then activates generators for energy generation. In order to efficiently produce power and to avoid any backups or hazardous water conditions, hydroelectric plants need to control the amount of water flowing through the entire system. To achieve this, plants will often use a hydro turbine control system that can vary the output and spill gates of the hydro turbine generator.
Hydroelectric power was first created due to the prevalence of the textile industry during the late 19th century. Before the debut of the hydroelectric turbine, most mills relied upon water wheels for centuries in order to conduct their operations. These wheels often ran into the problem of backwater which would inhibit the turning of the wheel. During the 1800s, however, Uriah A. Boyden developed the Boyden turbine during their employment at Appleton Company which served as a major improvement over the conventional water wheel. Further improvements to this design were made by French engineer Benoît Fourneyron in the 1840s, and they added a conical approach passage for incoming water. In 1948, Bowden improved their own design alongside engineer James B. Francis to invent the Francis turbine which served as the first mixed-flow turbine. With the Francis turbine, such assemblies could match the water flow and pressure of a particular site to ensure more efficient operations.
For a run-of-river hydroelectric plant, the amount of electricity that may be produced is entirely dependent on the volume of water flowing downriver. Some of this river water is diverted into a reservoir and directed towards a pipeline so that it may reach the power plant. Once the water enters the plant, it is passed through hydro turbine assemblies, causing them to begin spinning. The turbine is attached to a turbine generator through a shaft, and the spinning turbine and shaft causes the generator to produce electricity. Through this method of operations, diverted water can be used to produce electricity before being returned to the river after passing through the turbine. With the use of the hydro turbine control system, the river flow, reservoir level, and loads may all be monitored and governed to ensure optimal power generation. Furthermore, such systems also reduce the environmental impact of such procedures as they regulate the flow of water back into the river.
Hydroelectric plants are commonly used across the globe, and they currently account for around 16.6% of the world’s total electricity. China currently serves as the largest producer of hydroelectric power while some other countries have been following suit. As fossil fuels and other expendable resources are finite, hydropower presents a cleaner, renewable option for power generation that can benefit various areas that can accommodate such equipment. Over the following years, the amount of power generated through hydroelectric plants is expected to increase by a rate of 3.1% each year between 2015 and 2040.
Hydroelectric power is a very useful method for electricity production, and having the most reliable parts can ensure more efficient operations and power generation. When you are ready to begin procuring the parts that you need for your plant, look no further than Buy Aviation Parts. Buy Aviation Parts is a premier purchasing platform offering customers top quality aircraft parts, NSN components, and other such items catering to various applications. As the quality of our offered parts is of the utmost importance to us, we subject everything to rigorous quality assurance inspections and testing as well as ship items alongside their qualifying certifications or manufacturing trace documentation as applicable. If you would like to receive a competitive quote for items that you are interested in, our team of industry experts are readily on standby 24/7x365 and are happy to provide personalized solutions upon receiving a completed RFQ form. Get started today and see how Buy Aviation Parts is revolutionizing the part procurement process for the benefit of our customers.
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