What is Hydro Electric Energy?
“Water falling from heights can be used to run the turbine and to produce electric energy and so it is called hydro electric energy”
“Hydro” comes from the Greek word for “Water” Hydro electric energy is a form of energy and it’s a renewable energy. Water falling from heights can be used to run the turbine and to produce electric energy and so it is called hydro electric energy.
Hydroelectric energy has been in use for thousands of years. Ancient Romans built turbines, which are wheels turned by flowing water. Roman turbines were not used for electricity, but for grinding grains to make flour and breads.
Definition of Hydro electric energy
- The conversion of energy produced by the running water into electric energy is called hydro electric energy.
- Hydro electric energy is one of the widest available renewable energy.
Hydro electric energy for kids
- Energy that is generated by the moving water is called hydro electric energy.
- When water moves at high speed, it can able to rotate turbine blades, if the turbine blades are rotated electricity can be generated.
History of Hydro Electric Energy
People have used water power for more than 2,000 years. Ancient Egyptians used water wheels for grinding grain. In the 1880s, scientists learned how to use a flowing river to spin the turbines of a generator. The first hydro electric power plant in the U.S. opened on the Fox River , Wisconsin, in 1882. The first hydro power plant powered two paper mills and one house.
The thing is Thomas Alva Edison unveiled the incandescent light lamp only in 1884. But hydro electric energy has its origin in 1882 itself .
Sources of Hydro electric energy
- Water is the source of hydro electric energy
It is a well known fact that about one by third part of earth is filled with water. So it is not hard to find water.
Example for hydro electric energy
Hydro electric energy can be easily explained with a simple example .Consider a dam which is used to trap water. The dam is much thicker at the bottom because the pressure of water increases in depth. Now the water is allowed to flow through the tunnels in the dam. Because of the great height of the water, it will arrive at the turbines at high pressure, which means that we can extract a great deal of energy from it.
Hydroelectric power plants near waterfalls can create huge amounts of energy, too. Water crashing over the fall line is full of energy. A famous example of this is the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls, which spans the border between the United States and Canada.
Benefits of hydro electric energy
- Hydro electric energy is a renewable energy source.
- Hydro electric energy makes it feasible to utilize other renewable sources.
- Hydro electric energy promotes guaranteed energy and price stability.
- Hydro electric energy contributes to the storage of drinking water.
- Hydro electric energy increases the stability and reliability of electricity systems.
- Hydro electric energy helps fight climate changes.
- Hydro electric energy improves the air we breathe
- Hydro electric energy offers a significant contribution to development.
- Hydro electric energy means clean and cheap energy for today and for tomorrow.
- Hydro electric energy is a fundamental instrument for sustainable development.
Disadvantages of Hydro electric energy
- High investment costs are needed for hydro electric energy generation.
- Generation of Hydro electric energy is Hydrology dependent (precipitation)
- In some cases, inundation of land and wildlife habitat is affected by hydro electric energy.
- In some cases, loss or modification of fish habitat also occurred by hydro electric energy.
- Fish entrainment or passage restriction
- In some cases, changes in reservoir and stream water quality
- In some cases, displacement of local populations
Interesting facts of hydro electric energy
- In 2006, 20% of world’s electricity is supplied by hydro electric energy
- Hydro electric energy is produced in 150 countries
- Large amount of hydro electric energy is produced in China
- The largest hydroelectric power plant in the world is the enormous Three Gorges Dam, which spans the Yangtze River in China. It is 185 meters (607 feet) tall and 115 meters (377 feet) thick at its base. It has 26 turbines and will be able to generate more than a billion watts of power.
Other types of Electric energy
