Apart from above classification, hydroelectric power plants can be classified, on the basis of installed capacity, as large, medium, small, mini, and micro hydro power plants. Generally the mini, micro, and pico hydro come under the subcategory of small hydro plants. These are briefly described as below:
In the book the classification for Engineering and Design etc. of hydro power project classification is generally as follows: This is because International standards of hydro power equipment are as per these classifications. Power houses equipment/design for unit size between 5 MW – 25 MW (small) and 3 MW – 5 MW may be designed accordingly.
Hydropower plants range in size from small systems suitable for a single home or village to large projects producing electricity for utilities. Learn more about the sizes of hydropower plants. The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is an impoundment facility.
There are three types of hydropower facilities: impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage. Some hydropower plants use dams and some do not. Although not all dams were built for hydropower, they have proven useful for pumping tons of renewable energy to the grid.
The only known technology for storing produced electricity in the potential energy of water. A characteristic feature of these power plants is the two distinct, upper and lower reservoirs interconnected by penstocks. The aggregate of the plant consists of a water pump, a water turbine and an electric motor-generator all on one shaft.
5 kWLAYOUT OF HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANTFig. shows the typical layout of a hydroele of a hydroelectric power plant are(1) DamDams are structures built over rivers t stop the water flow and form a reservoir. The reservo r stores the water flowing down the river. This water