The power of water

Abstract

Ever switch on a light and wonder where the electricity came from? It might have just been generated by the power of water. Water can be used in two ways to generate electricity. Conventional hydroelectric stations capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water (usually from a dam) into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy. The electricity generated is fed on to the transmission lines that link up with the national electricity grid. Once the water has run through the turbines it is discharged back into the river below the power station to continue its course. On the other hand, pumped storage schemes reuse water to generate power. The schemes use off-peak energy to pump water into an elevated dam from a lower dam from which it can be released to generate electricity when required. When the energy is needed, the water is released from the top dam to flow through the power station to the bottom dam.

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