Module 3 (Part 1)

Concepts in Hydroelectric
Power Systems
Hydropower Energy
Hydropower Energy

From Student Energy:

Hydropower 101
Main Types of
Hydropower Energy
Hydropower Factors
Topographic Factor Hydrologic Factor

A very good hydropower site have:

• HIGH stream flow and
• large basin area and high ridge enclosure
Hydropower Potential
Water Unit Weight
= 9810 N/m3 Dam Head – dictates the
height of drop water
Power P = HQ Dam Crest Length – indicates
amount of materials to be used
for blocking the water in river

Best Combination is:

• HIGH Dam Head
• SHORT Dam Crest Length
Hydrologic
Factor
Topographic
Factor Gamma = kN/m3
H = meter
Q = m3 /s
P = kiloWatts
Hydropower System
(Run-of-River) • Weir or Dam – blockage or barrier structure

• Intake – water collection

• Headrace – open channel that transports water

from intake to forebay
Headrace

• Forebay – storage and basin

• Penstock – drops water from forebay to

powerhouse rapidly

• Powerhouse – have turbines generating power

(from Kinetic energy to Electrical energy)
Tailrace
• Tailrace – open channel that transports water
from powerhouse back to river.
Common Turbines
for Hydropower

Pelton Kaplan Francis

Head
Low Medium High
Low Pelton

Discharge
Medium Francis
High Kaplan
Site Selection – which of the two shall be used?

Terrain with Elevation Info Terrain with Elevation and River Info

OR
Site Selection
Discharge (Q)

Hydrograph Flow Duration Curve

3 3
Q (m3/s)

Q (m3/s)
2

1 1

0 0
JFMAMJJASOND 100 200 300 365
Number of Days Flow Equalled or Exceeded
Calendar Date

Percentage of Exceedance
Flow Duration Curve
Discharge

Dependability (% Exceedance)
Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Dependable Flow: based on % time exceeded

Low Flow-high dependability

High Flow-low dependability
Discharge

Dependability (% Exceedance)
Flow Duration Curve (FDC) Steps for drawing Flow Duration Curve

1. Calculate the total number of data, say N.

2. Give rank to the data for the data 1,2,3,…., N; say m.
3. Compute frequency (f) f= Total numbers of data (N) / Rank (m)
4. Compute the probability of exceedance (p) p= 1/f p= m/N
5. Now place the discharge in descending order.
6. Draw the probability of exceedance or % of the time versus discharge.
Flow Duration Curve (FDC)
1000
Rivers with water flowing most
of the time across the year: the
100 base flow is sufficient
Discharge m3/s

Rivers with water flowing

10 across the year but with
significant changes

1
Rivers that runs out of flowing
water – zero discharges for
0.1 some months

0.01
 Produced Energy
Capacity Factor (means Revenue)

Indicator of how much of the 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 (𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡 − 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟)

𝐶𝐹 =
installed turbine returns revenue 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡 ∗ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 (𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟)
in a hydropower system

Streamflow FDC
High Capacity Factor High Capacity
(means more money of (means big turbine
same investment) or investment)

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑑
T Simplified: 𝐶𝐹 =
𝑄𝑇 𝑇

Use T = 1 (100%)
QT
IWMI Global Data
IWMI Global Data
IWMI Global Data
IWMI Global Data
IWMI Global Data
DPWH River and Streamflows
DPWH River and Streamflows
Probability Plotting
• The purpose is to check if a data set fits • Plotting position is a
the particular distribution. simple empirical
technique.
• The plot can be used for interpolation,
extrapolation and comparison purposes. • Relation between the
magnitude of an event
• The plot can be used for estimating verses its probability of
magnitudes with specified return exceedance.
periods.
• Several empirical
• Extrapolation must be attempted only methods to determine
when a reasonable fit is assured for the the plotting positions.
distribution.
Probability Plotting Position

1. Arrange the given series of data in descending order.

2. Assign a order number to each of the data (termed as rank of the data).

3. Let ʻnʼ is the total no. of values to be plotted and ʻmʼ is the rank of a value, the
exceedence probability (p) of the mth largest value is obtained by various plotting
position formulae.

4. The return period (T) of the event is calculated by T = 1/p.

5. Plot magnitude of event verses the exceedence probability (p) or 1 – p or the

return period T.
Weibull Method Generalized Form
• Most commonly used method. plotting position – general form:
𝑚−𝑏
• If “n” values are distributed 𝑝 𝑋 ≥ 𝑥𝑚 =
uniformly between 0 and 100 𝑛 + 1 − 2𝑏
percent probability, then there
must be n+1 intervals where b is a parameter
𝑚
𝑝 𝑋 ≥ 𝑥𝑚 = 1. Hazen b = 0.5
𝑛+1 2. Chegodayev b = 0.3
3. Weibull b = 0
• Indicates a return period T one 4. Blom b = 3/8
year longer than the period of 5. Tukey b = 1/3
record for the largest value. 6. Gringorten b = 0.44
Summary
Hydropower

P = HQ
Site Topography Hydrology of River
References
 Module 3 (Part 2)
Hydroelectric Power Systems
Applications
Example 1

Determine the Hydropower Capacity in kilo-Watts for an installed turbine with discharge
of 60% percent exceedance or dependability and dam height of 9 meters.

Choose a % near to 60%:

Q 58.3% = 83.5
Q 60% = x (being asked)
Q 66.7% = 56.75

Then interpolate linearly…

Q 60% = 78.0863 m3/s

𝑚3
𝑃 = 𝛾𝑄𝐻 = 9.81 ∗ 9𝑚 ∗ 78.0863 = 6894.24 𝑘𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
𝑠
𝑃 = 6.89 𝑀𝑒𝑔𝑎 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
Example 2

Determine the Hydropower Capacity in kilo-Watts for an installed turbine with discharge
of 70% percent exceedance or dependability and dam height of 8 meters.

Choose a % near to 70%:

Q 66.7% = 56.75
Q 70% = x (being asked)
Q 75% = 51

Then interpolate linearly…

Q 70% = 54.4638 m3/s

𝑚3
𝑃 = 𝛾𝑄𝐻 = 9.81 ∗ 8𝑚 ∗ 54.4638 = 4274.32 𝑘𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
𝑠
𝑃 = 4.27 𝑀𝑒𝑔𝑎 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
Example 3
Dependability % Discharge (m3/s)
10 40.0
Determine the capacity factor of an installed turbine
20 28.0 at 80% dependability level
30 19.2 2.8 + 1.8 1.8 + 1.2
2.8 ∗ 80 + ∗ 10 + ∗ 10
𝐶𝐹 = 2 2 = 0.9357 = 93.57%
40 10.3 2.8 ∗ 100

50 7.4
Determine the capacity factor of an installed turbine
60 5.5
at 90% dependability level
70 4.0 1.8 + 1.2
1.8 ∗ 90 + ∗ 10
𝐶𝐹 = 2 = 0.9833 = 98.33%
80 2.8 1.8 ∗ 100
90 1.8

100 1.2
 100𝑃 + 100
Example 4 𝑄=
𝑃2 + 100
Determine the capacity factor of an installed Determine the capacity factor of an installed
turbine at 80% dependability level. turbine at 50% dependability level

100 ∗ 80 + 100 100 ∗ 50 + 100

𝑄80 = 2 = 1.246 𝑄50 = 2 = 1.9615
80 + 100 50 + 100
100 100𝑃 + 100 100 100𝑃 + 100
1.246 ∗ 80 + ‫׬‬80 1.9615 ∗ 50 + ‫׬‬50
𝐶𝐹 = 𝑃2 + 100 𝐶𝐹 = 𝑃2 + 100
1.246 ∗ 100 1.9615 ∗ 100
99.68 + 22.283 98.075 + 68.8284
𝐶𝐹 = = 0.9788 𝐶𝐹 = = 0.85089
124.6 196.15

= 97.88% = 85.089%
Example 5
In a dataset of N=100 records, what is the probability (percentage of exceedance)
of the record that has a rank of m=10.
Using Weibull plotting position?
𝑚−𝑏 10 − 0
𝑃= = = 0.0990099 = 9.9%
𝑛 + 1 − 2𝑏 100 + 1 − 2(0)

Using Blom plotting position? where b is a parameter

3 b = 0.5 Hazenʼs formula
𝑚−𝑏 10 −
8
𝑃= =
𝑛 + 1 − 2𝑏 100 + 1 − 2(3)
= 0.0960099 = 9.60% b = 0.3 Chegodayevʼs formula
8 b=0 Weibullʼs formula
b = 3/8 Blomʼs formula
Using Gringorten plotting position?
b = 1/3 Tukeyʼs formula
𝑚−𝑏 10 − 0.44
𝑃= = = 0.0954854 = 9.54% b = 0.44 Gringortenʼs formula
𝑛 + 1 − 2𝑏 100 + 1 − 2(0.44)
References