Hydro Power Station Research Paper

ELEN 1004: ENGINEERING SKILLS AND DESIGN
MINIATURE HYDRO-POWER STATION (DESIGN PROPOSAL)

NAME : KGAKOLO JACQUES MOSIANE
STUDENT NUMBER: 893801
MENTOR NAME : PROFESSOR VAN OLST
GROUP NUMBER : 20
DATE : 25/08/14
ABSTRACT
The demand for energy supply is constantly increasing because of the increase in the population rate. That on its own acts as a great challenge to the suppliers and puts pressure on the world’s natural resources and poses a threat on the environment and health of human beings, because, most of the energy is generated through the burning of fossil fuels. This paper therefore looks to discuss hydro-power generation process as well as principles it operates under,

The power of the moving water is used to turn a propeller-like structure called the turbine, which is connected to the metal shaft going all up to the generator. Electricity is thus produced when the generator rotates. Water that leaves from a reservoir should be under a great deal of pressure, so that there must be rotation of the turbine when it strikes the turbine blades. Gravitational force and elevation ensures that the energy of flowing water is just right to cause rotation of turbines. Copper wires are connected to the generator in order to transfer produced electricity to the external

Since household scrap material would be used, the turbine would a circular disk-like plastic material with small plastic spoons attached to it (plastic spoons act as blades), the penstock on the other hand would be a hosepipe of an estimated diameter of 3cm, a reservoir would be a tank with dimensions of 1 by 1 meter and would be approximately 0.5 meters deep. A standard design of a generator would also be a part of the design as well as copper wire and a torch