Jul 5, From 60 to years. Explanation: Most engineers agree that hydroelectric dams function properly 50 years. But the longest-living operating dams have lasted for years. Related questions Why do hydroelectric dams raise the water behind them high as possible? The availability of water power has long been closely associated with kick-starting economic growth. Some of the key developments in hydropower technology happened in the first half of the ninteenth century.
In , French engineer Benoit Fourneyron developed a turbine capable of producing around 6 horsepower — the earliest version of the Fourneyron reaction turbine. In , British—American engineer James Francis developed the first modern water turbine — the Francis turbine — which remains the most widely-used water turbine in the world today.
In the s, American inventor Lester Allan Pelton developed the Pelton wheel, an impulse water turbine, which he patented in Into the 20th century, Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan developed the Kaplan turbine in — a propeller-type turbine with adjustable blades.
Four years later, the first plant to serve a system of private and commercial customers was opened in Wisconsin, USA, and within a decade, hundreds of hydropower plants were in operation.
They were used to supply mills and light some local buildings. By the turn of the century the technology was spreading round the globe, with Germany producing the first three-phase hydro-electric system in , and Australia launching the first publicly owned plant in the Southern Hemisphere in Since saving energy costs less than generating it, be sure your home is as energy efficient as possible, reducing your electricity usage so that you do not purchase a system that is bigger and more costly than you need.
Add up all the estimated costs of developing and maintaining the site over the expected life of your equipment, and divide the amount by the system's capacity in Watts. This will tell you how much the system will cost in dollars per Watt. Then you can compare that to the cost of utility-provided power or other alternative power sources. Whatever the upfront costs, a hydroelectric system will typically last a long time and, in many cases, maintenance is not expensive. In addition, sometimes there are a variety of financial incentives available on the state, utility, and federal level for investments in renewable energy systems.
They include income tax credits, property tax exemptions, state sales tax exemption, loan programs, and special grant programs, among others. When deciding whether to install a micro-hydropower system on your property, you also need to know your local permit requirements and water rights.
Whether your system will be grid-connected or stand-alone will affect what requirements you must follow. If your micro-hydropower system will have minimal impact on the environment, and you are not planning to sell power to a utility, the permitting process will most likely involve minimal effort. Locally, your first point of contact should be the county engineer.
Your state energy office may be able to provide you with advice and assistance as well. Army Corps of Engineers. You'll also need to determine how much water you can divert from your stream channel.
Each state controls water rights; you may need a separate water right to produce power, even if you already have a water right for another use. See planning for a small renewable energy system for more information on state and community codes and requirements for small renewable energy systems.
Energy Saver Planning a Microhydropower System. This involves determining these two things: Head -- the vertical distance the water falls Flow -- the quantity of water falling. You will need the following: An assistant A 20—30 foot 6—9 meters length of small-diameter garden hose or other flexible tubing A funnel A yardstick or measuring tape.
Stretch the hose or tubing down the stream channel from the point that is the most practical elevation for the penstock intake. Have your assistant hold the upstream end of the hose, with the funnel in it, underwater as near the surface as possible. Meanwhile, lift the downstream end until water stops flowing from it. Measure the vertical distance between your end of the tube and the surface of the water. This is the gross head for that section of stream.
Nonrenewable sources. Oil and petroleum products. Diesel fuel. Heating oil. Also in Oil and petroleum products explained Oil and petroleum products Refining crude oil Where our oil comes from Imports and exports Offshore oil and gas Use of oil Prices and outlook Oil and the environment. Also in Gasoline explained Gasoline Octane in depth Where our gasoline comes from Use of gasoline Prices and outlook Factors affecting gasoline prices Regional price differences Price fluctuations History of gasoline Gasoline and the environment.
Also in Diesel fuel explained Diesel fuel Where our diesel comes from Use of diesel Prices and outlook Factors affecting diesel prices Diesel fuel surcharges Diesel and the environment.
Also in Heating oil explained Heating oil Where our heating oil comes from Use of heating oil Prices and outlook Factors affecting heating oil prices. Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids. Natural gas. Also in Hydrocarbon gas liquids explained Hydrocarbon gas liquids Where do hydrocarbon gas liquids come from? Transporting and storing Uses of hydrocarbon gas liquids Imports and exports Prices. Also in Natural gas explained Natural gas Delivery and storage Natural gas pipelines Liquefied natural gas Where our natural gas comes from Imports and exports How much gas is left Use of natural gas Prices Factors affecting natural gas prices Natural gas and the environment Customer choice programs.
Also in Coal explained Coal Mining and transportation Where our coal comes from Imports and exports How much coal is left Use of coal Prices and outlook Coal and the environment. Renewable sources.
0コメント