Hydropower systems

There are four main types of hydropower projects. These technologies can often overlap. For
example, storage projects can often involve an element of pumping to supplement the water that
flows into the reservoir naturally, and run-of-river projects may provide some storage capability.
▪ Run-of-river hydropower: a facility that channels flowing water from a river through a canal or
penstock to spin a turbine. Typically a run-of-river project will have little or no storage facility.
Run-of-river provides a continuous supply of electricity (base load), with some flexibility of
operation for daily fluctuations in demand through water flow that is regulated by the facility.
▪ Storage hydropower: typically a large system that uses a dam to store water in a reservoir.
Electricity is produced by releasing water from the reservoir through a turbine, which activates a
generator. Storage hydropower provides base load as well as the ability to be shut down and
started up at short notice according the demands of the system (peak load). It can offer enough
storage capacity to operate independently of the hydrological inflow for many weeks or even
months.
▪ Pumped storage hydropower: provides peak-load supply, harnessing water which is cycled
between a lower and upper reservoir by pumps which use surplus energy from the system at
times of low demand. When electricity demand is high, water is released back to the lower
reservoir through turbines to produce electricity. Learn more.
▪ Offshore hydropower: a less established but growing group of technologies that use tidal
currents or the power of waves to generate electricity from seawater.
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REACTION TURBINE
A reaction turbine generates power from the combined forces of pressure and moving water. A runner
is placed directly in the water stream, allowing water to flow over the blades rather than striking each
individually. Reaction turbines are generally used for sites with lower head and higher flows and are the
most common type currently used in the United States.
The two most common types of reaction turbines are Propeller (including Kaplan) and Francis. Kinetic
turbines are also a type of reaction turbine.
Propeller Turbine
A propeller turbine generally has a runner with three to six blades. Water contacts all of the blades
constantly. Picture a boat propeller running in a pipe. Through the pipe, the pressure is constant; if it
wasn't, the runner would be out of balance. The pitch of the blades may be fixed or adjustable. The
major components besides the runner are a scroll case, wicket gates, and a draft tube. There are several
different types of propeller turbines:
Bulb turbine: The turbine and generator are a sealed unit placed directly in the water stream.
Straflo: The generator is attached directly to the perimeter of the turbine.

Tube turbine: The penstock bends just before or after the runner, allowing a straight-line connection to
the generator.

Kaplan Turbine: Both the blades and the wicket gates are adjustable, allowing for a wider range of
operation. This turbine was developed by Austrian inventor Viktor Kaplan in 1919.
Francis Turbine
The Francis turbine was the first modern hydropower turbine and was invented by British-American
engineer James Francis in 1849. A Francis turbine has a runner with fixed blades, usually nine or more.
Water is introduced just above the runner and all around it which then falls through, causing the blades
to spin. Besides the runner, the other major components include a scroll case, wicket gates, and a draft
tube. Francis turbines are commonly used for medium- to high-head (130- to 2,000-foot) situations
though they have been used for lower heads as well. Francis turbines work well in both horizontal and
vertical orientations.
Kinetic Turbine
Kinetic energy turbines, also called free-flow turbines, generate electricity from the kinetic energy
present in flowing water rather than the potential energy from the head. The systems can operate in
rivers, man-made channels, tidal waters, or ocean currents. Because kinetic systems utilize a water
stream's natural pathway, they do not require diversion of water through man-made channels,
riverbeds, or pipes, although they might have applications in such conduits. Kinetic systems do not
require large civil works because they can use existing structures, such as bridges, tailraces, and
channels.
IMPULSE TURBINE
An impulse turbine generally uses the velocity of the water to move the runner and discharges at
atmospheric pressure. A water stream hits each bucket on the runner. With no suction on the down side
of the turbine, the water flows out the bottom of the turbine housing after hitting the runner. An
impulse turbine is generally suitable for high-head, low-flow applications. The two main types of impulse
turbine are Pelton and cross-flow turbines.

Pelton Turbine
The Pelton turbine was invented by American inventor Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s, A Pelton wheel
has one or more free jets discharging water into an aerated space and impinging on the buckets of a
runner. Pelton turbines are generally used for very high heads and low flows. Draft tubes are not
required for an impulse turbine because the runner must be located above the maximum tailwater to
permit operation at atmospheric pressure.

Cross-Flow Turbine
The original cross-flow turbine was designed by Anthony Michell, an Austrian engineer, in the early
1900s. Later, Donát Bánki, a Hungarian engineer, improved upon it, and it was improved even further by
German engineer Fritz Ossberger. A cross-flow turbine is drum-shaped and uses an elongated,
rectangular section nozzle directed against curved vanes on a cylindrically shaped runner. It resembles a
"squirrel cage" blower. The cross-flow turbine allows water to flow through the blades twice. On the
first pass, water flows from outside of the blades to the inside; the second pass goes from the inside
back out. A guide vane at the entrance to the turbine directs the flow into a limited portion of the
runner. The cross-flow turbine was developed to accommodate larger water flows and lower heads than
the Pelton can handle.

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