Hydraulic energyis the one obtained from utilizing the gravitational potential of water, the energy that can be obtained due to the movement of water from a certain point to a lower level. The systems that determine this type of energy are called micro turbines.
He Greater use of hydraulic energy It is performed in the waterfalls of the dams. Water is usually held in reservoirs or swamps. These are large reservoirs usually constructed artificially, in which the mouth of a valley is closed with a causeway or dam holding the water of a river.
This stored water can later be used for irrigation, supplying the population or for production of electrical energy in a hydroelectric power station. Most hydraulic dams are used for the production of electrical energy. Although in times of scarcity it can also be used for other purposes.
Hydropower is the largest source of electricity in the world
Loose countries with great hydraulic potential receive the majority of electricity hydraulic power stations because of its great advantages. One is that it is an inexhaustible resource that is freely and continuously renewed in nature, and the surplus can be used for other purposes.
But the hydraulic energy It also has disadvantages. It is not possible to make predictions because they depend on the annual hydraulics. And it is impossible to know with the necessary precision whether there will be drought or abundant rain. Therefore, even though it is one of the are main sources of renewable energy, their reliability can be cyclical.
Loose Hydraulic sites are usually far from major citiesIt is therefore necessary to transport the produced electrical energy via expensive networks. Another unfavorable aspect is the negative effect that the construction of a reservoir can have on the environment. In addition to the possible problems of, among other things, changes in channels, erosion, consequences for the population and the loss of fertile lands.
These disadvantages, together with the large investments required for hydroelectric power stations and the increasingly difficult location of sites, prevent greater use of this energy source. However, Hydropower remains the most widely used renewable energy source for the production of electricity.
Hydraulic power: a very reliable technology
The technology of the main facilities has remained the same throughout the 20th century. The installations that benefit from hydraulic energy They depend on a large water reservoir held by a dam. The water flow is controlled and can be kept almost constant. The water is transported through pipes or force pipes, controlled with valves and turbines to adjust the water flow to the demand for electricity.
The water entering the turbine leaves through the discharge channels. The generators are located just above the turbines and are connected to vertical shafts. He The design of the turbine depends on the water flow. Francis-Kaplan turbines are used for large flow rates and medium and low heads. And Pelton turbines for high heads and small flow rates.
Hydraulic turbines are used to it harness the energy of moving water. The Kaplan turbine is comparable to a ship’s propeller. The wide blades of the turbine are driven by high-pressure water released through a gate.
The Pelton turbine is a 19th century model whose operation is more similar to that of a traditional watermill. The wheel turns when water is forced out of the tube and hits vanes or blades. The water exits through the nozzle under high pressure and drives the blades that rotate a shaft.
In addition to the plants in containment dams, which depend on the reservoir containing large amounts of water, there are some plants that rely on the natural fall of water, when the flow is uniform. All of them are used almost all over the world due to their efficiency and long service life.
