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Hydro or hydro-electric power is a form of energy
utilization used since all times. Was it in the past more mechanical
kind of work, so is today almost exclusively electricity generated by
hydro power plants.
Basically the same principle always applies: in the
gravity field of the earth, the potential energy of the water is
converted into kinetic energy of a running flow. By further contact
with turbine blades this starts to spin and a part of the kinetic
energy is transferred to the turbine shaft. The spinning turbine shaft
represents the mechanical force for the drivetrain of the generator.
The generator converts this rotational energy into electricity.
Hydro-electric power plants are used for many
centuries and the oldest turbines for electricity production were
installed more than 200 years ago.
Today hydro power plants experience a small
renaissance. The potential however often is present in small
applications as micro and pico (< 100kW) or small hydro turbines
(0.1 - 1MW). Particularly much unused potential can be found in the
rural mountains of many developing and threshold countries. The durable
and reliable technology has much potential for contribution for
covering base and peak load demands.
Another distinction can be made in dependence of the
head: high pressure plants (head > 100m), medium pressure plants
(head of 15m-100m) and low pressure plants (until 15m).
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