A run hydro-electric power plant or a run power station or also a river-run power plant is a hydro-electric power plant and serves for the generation of current. Water power is converted from rivers and brooks into electric current.

Function mode

The river water is led by a water turbine, which converts the potential energy of the water into a mechanical rotating motion. This rotating motion propels a generator. In order to increase flow and downward gradient height, by means of a weir system the river water is accumulated. Thus an artificial lake, the so-called back pressure area develops on river upward the convenient side of the weir system. The head as difference in height between upper water and underwater as well as the water flow determine the installed achievement and the work ability of the power station. A diffuser at the withdrawal of the water turbine increases the efficiency with given difference in height, strengthened in addition, due to its vacuum formation the danger of turbine damage by cavitation.

For the drive of the generator Kaplan and Francis water turbines are usually used.

Types

Since the head is small usually, it concerns the type Niederdruckkraftwerk. Their achievement is obtained mainly by large flow rates. Storing and thus the regulation of flow and current production are possible only in special cases.

• Swelling enterprise

With run power stations with swelling enterprise the water is collected over some hours in the reservoir and led then on the turbine. Thus the achievement is increased and the possibility of the regulation is created.

• Ausleitungskraftwerke

With a Ausleitungsanlage the water over a channel or lug accumulated by the weir system is led to the power house, which does not stand directly with the weir system. Thus the river course is usually shortened strongly, in order to win thereby head. Thus with the Innkraftwerk with Imst by 12.3 km long penstocks the Innschleife with landhit a corner cut off and thus obtained a head of 143,5 m.

• Drinking water power station

A characteristic represents the drinking water power station in Gaming (Lower Austria). The water of the second Viennese water pipeline of source of high overcomes a downward gradient of 220 M. between Lunz at the lake and Gaming via 600 m a long piping the water the generation of current is used and continues thereafter his way to Vienna.

Economics

Current production

Run hydro-electric power plants produce around the clock river and therefore for the cover of the basic load are used. Floods and Niedrigwasser decrease the achievement. With flood the head is reduced, because the water level rises underneath the weir system. With Niedrigwasser the flow is reduced. In the winter current production, smaller under the smaller discharge of the rivers, is than in the summer. By the usually good extent of utilization of the turbines (>50%) and at the same time small operating cost run power stations produce for economical river. In Germany run hydro-electric power plants and storage power stations with an installed output of 4.215 MW (6%) are available, which supply a current production of 18,6 TWh to 4.430 hours.

Navigation

In order to make despite the interruption of the watercourse by the weir system the river navigable, air-locks are established. The navigation is often facilitated with Niedrigwasser or made possible by the reservoir by the rise for that depth of water at all only.

For the inland waterway craft travel an all year round usable water route between North Sea and black sea was created by lining up of power stations at the Danube and the building of the Main Danube channel.

Ecology

Run hydro-electric power plants produce river from renewable energy and are ecologically harmless from this view. Often however substantial interferences result into the environment from building and enterprise, which can lead to lasting change of the ecology. It is with consequences like the loss of the natural river dynamics, the loss of ecologically important floodings to count a decrease of the nutrient entry resulting from it etc.

see also: Conflicts with the building of hydro-electric power plants

See also

Stagnation pressure machine storage power station list of the power stations

large run power stations:

Three-ravine dam

Aswan dam

Related links

• alpha channel
• Function mode of a Ausleitungskraftwerkes
• Run hydro-electric power plants in Germany
• Currenton-line - Surfen and river understand

Articles in category "Run hydro-electric power plant"

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