POWER STATION ENGINEERING & ECONOMY

MODULE-II SHORT-QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 1. What are the two key parameters of water on which the magnitude of hydro-power depends? Ans: The two key parameters of water on which the magnitude of hydropower depends are flow or discharge rate Q and head of water H. 2. Enlist the advantages and disadvantages of water power. Advantages: Water sources are permanently available. No fuel is required to be burnt. Running cost is very small as compared to thermal or nuclear power station. No problem with regards to disposal of ash. Problem of emission of polluting gases to the atmosphere does not exist. Can be switched ON or OFF in short time. System reliability is much greater than that of other power plants. Greater life expectancy. Manpower requirement is low. Disadvantages: Hydropower projects are capital intensive with a low rate of return because interest of capital cost is a larger part of annual cost. Gestation period of hydro projects is quite large i.e. gap between foundation & completion of project may extend from ten to fifteen years. Power generation depends on quantity of water available. Such power plants are often far away from load centre and require long transmission line to deliver power. Thus cost of transmission lines and losses in them are more. Large hydro power plants disturb the ecology of the area, by the way of deforestation and uprooting people. 3. Explain the optimization of hydro-thermal mix in meeting the power demand of a certain region. Ans: The hydro thermal mix is optimized to achieve minimum cost of power generation, which may be 30% hydro & 70% thermal. Load sharing by Hydro is maximum when available flow of water is maximum i.e. as long as there is plenty of water stored in the reservoir the hydro plant carries base load thermal carries the peak load. When water availability is low, during dry months steam plant take the base load and hydro plants meet the peak load.

4. Discuss the factors which should be considered while selecting a site for a hydroelectric plant. Availability of water Water storage capacity Available water head Accessibility of the site Distance from load center Type of land of site 5. What do you understand by hydrology? Explain the hydrological cycle. Ans: Hydrology may be defined as the science which deals with the depletion and replenishment of water resources. It deals with surface water as well as ground water. Hydrology Cycle: Most of earths water sources such as rivers, lakes, oceans and underground sources etc get their supplies from rains while rain water itself is the evaporation from these sources. Water lost to the atmosphere as vapour from earth which in then precipitated back in the form of rain, snow, hail, dew, sleet or frost etc. This evaporation & precipitation continues for ever and there by a balance is maintained between two. This process is known as Hydrology Cycle. 6. What do you meant by (i) hydrograph (ii) Flow duration curve and (iii) power duration curve? What is primary power and secondary power? (i) Hydrograph: Hydrograph is defined as the graph showing discharge of flowing water with respect to time for specified time. Discharge graphs are known as flood or run off graphs. (ii) Flow duration Curve Flow duration curve is another useful form to represent the runoff data for the given time. This curve is plotted between flows available during a period vs fraction of time. (iii) Power Duration Curve In a flow duration curve if magnitude of ordinate is the potential power contained in the stream flow then the curve is known as Power Duration Curve. It is useful for the development of water power. 7. What is a mass curve? What does the slope of the curve at a point indicate? Ans: A mass curve is the graph of cumulative values of water quantity (run off) against time. A mass curve is an integral curve of the hydrograph which expresses the area under the hydrograph from one time to another. The slope of the curve at any point indicates the rate of flow at that particular time. 8. Explain what you mean by storage and pondage. Why are they required? Ans: Water behind the dam at the plant is pondage & water held in upstream reservoirs is storage. They are required for the regulation of the flow of water so as to make it available in requisite quantity to meet the power demand at a given time. 9. State the essential elements of a hydroelectric power plant.

Ans: The essential elements of Hydroelectric power plant are: Catchment Area Reservoir Dam Spill ways Conduits Surge Tanks Prime movers Draft Tubes Power House & Equipment 10. What is a catchment area? Why is a reservoir required? Ans: The whole area behind the dam draining into a stream of river across which the dam has been built at a suitable place is called catchment area. A reservoir is required for storage during times of plenty for subsequent use in times of scarcity. 11. State the functions of a dam. How are dams classified? Briefly describe a few important types of dams. How would you select the site and the type of the dam? Ans: Function: (i) It develops a reservoir of desired capacity to store water (ii) It builds up a head for power generation Classification: Dams are classified in ways based on the following (i) Function (ii) Shape (iii) Material of construction (iv) Hydraulic & structural design (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Based on Function: (a) Storage Dam (b) Diversion Dam (c) Detention Dams Based on Shape : Trapezoidal or arch dams Based on Material of construction: Earth Dam, Rock pieces, stone masonary, concrete, RCC Based on Hydraulic design: Non over flow, Over flow Structural Design: Gravity Dam, Arch Dam, Buttress Dam

Selection of site & choice of Dam

12. What is a spillway? Why are spillways required? What are the different types of spillways?

Ans: The excess water of the dam relieve the reservoir through a structure provided in the body of the dam or close to it is known as Spillway. It is require providing structural stability of the dam under conditions of floods without raising the reservoir level above H.F.L. (High flood level) Types Of Spillway: (i) Overall spillway (ii) Chute or through spillway (iii) Side channel spillway (iv) Saddle spillway (v) Shaft spillway (vi) Siphon spillway 13. Explain the following terms (i) Headrace: A head race is a channel which leads water to turbine. (ii) Tailrace: A tail race is a channel which carries water from the turbine. (iii) Canal: A canal is an open waterway excavated in natural ground. It has to follow the contour of the ground, with perhaps slight gradient corresponds to head loss. (iv) Flume: A flume is an open channel erected on the surface of supported above ground on a trestle. (v) Tunnel: It is a closed channel excavated through a natural obstruction such as a ridge of higher land between the dam and the power house. (vi) Pipeline: A pipeline is a closed conduit usually supported on or above the surface of land. (vii) Penstock: It is closed conduit for supplying water under pressure to a turbine. 14. What is a surge tank? Why is it important in a hydro-plant? Ans: A surge tank is a small reservoir in which the water level rises or falls to reduce the pressure swings so that they are not transmitted to the closed conduit. It is necessary to reduce the pressure swing so that they are not transmitted to the closed conduit. 15. What is the function of a draft tube? Briefly explain the different types of draft tubes? Ans: Draft tube serves the following purposes: i. It allow the turbine to be set above tail water level, without loss of head, to facilitate inspection and maintenance. ii. It regains by diffuser action, the major portion of kinetic energy delivered to it from the runner. The different types of draft tubes are (i) Straight conical draft tube , (ii) Elbow type draft tube. 16. Enlist the various equipment provided in a powerhouse. Ans: The various equipment provided in power house are: i. Hydraulic Turbines ii. Electric Generators iii. Governors iv. Gate Valves v. Relief valves vi. Water circulation pumps vii. Air duct

viii. Switch board and instruments ix. Storage Batteries x. Cranes 17. Explain the different methods of classifying a hydroelectric power plant. What is a run off river plant? Ans: The different methods for classifying hydroelectric power plant are (a) According to the availability of Head (b) According to the nature of load (c) According to the quantity of water available. Run of river plant means the plant which generate electricity as long as there is a flow in the river. 18. Explain with a neat sketch a pumped storage plant. What are its advantages? 19. What are mini and micro-hydel plants? Why are they important these days? Ans: The plants which operate with 5m- 20m head producing about 1MW to 5MW of power are known as Mimi hydel plants & the plant which work under a head of less than 5m and generate electricity between 0.1MW to 1MW are known as Micro Hydel Plants. Its advantage is that we can use the natural source in hilly terrain for power generation with low head standardized turbo generator units. 20. How does a hydraulic turbine convert energy? What is a waterwheel? Ans: Hydraulic turbine convert the potential energy of water into shaft work, which in turn rotates the electric generator coupled to it in producing electric power. Waterwheel is a device which is used in middle ages for flour mills to grind wheat. 21. Describe the classification of hydraulic turbines in different categories. Ans: The hydraulic turbines are classified according to i. Head and quantity of water available ii. Name of originator iii. Nature of working on the blades iv. Direction of flow of water v. Axis of the turbine shaft vi. Specific speed 22. How is the size of turbine ascertained? 23. Classify the hydro-turbines according to head, power, size and specific speed. Ans: Based on Head: (i) Low head (2-15m) (ii) Medium Head (16-70m) (iii) High Head (71-500m) (iv) Very High Head (Above 500m) Based on Size 24. What type of turbine would you recommend for the following heads and why? (a) 1000 m: Pelton Turbine (b) 150 m : Francis Turbine (c) 20 m : Kaplan Turbine