Hydro Power Generators - Harnessing The Power Of Water
For hundreds of years the power of water has been shaping the world of industry, ancient hydro power generators included, in their most basic of forms the waterwheel which assisted in the milling of grain and wheat, eliminating much of the back breaking work of feeding communities across the globe. Wherever flowing water was to be found it was harnessed for the good of mankind. Today hydro power generators are far removed from these primitive devices and supply electricity in vast amounts to cities across the globe, powering industry as we forge ahead into the 21st century. From the Hoover Dam to the recently completed Three Gorges project in China man is continually seeking new ways to harness hydro power to generate the vast amounts of electricity the modern world requires.
Even today a small electric power plant can be used to provide power to communities across the globe. Often found at sites where before waterwheels drove the mills of yesteryear these small plants supply electricity to communities like those found in the North Eastern United States. These micro hydro power generators can be used to generate up to 100 kW. Used in conjunction with other sources of environmentally friendly power sources like solar panels these methods of electrical generation can make it possible for communities to live completely off the regional or national power grid.
However, the most visible of today’s hydro electric power generators are found where water has been dammed into vast man made reservoirs. Where this happens a hydro electric power plant has the ability to awe anyone viewing the spectacle of their vast dam walls and the sheets of water created by turbines running at full capacity. The Three Gorges Dam which is the biggest dam in the world achieved full capacity in 2009 and is now able to generate 18,200 MW’s of hydro electric power when operated at full capacity. Compare this with the oldest continuously operated hydro electric plant in the United States on the Hudson River in New York, with seven 750 Kw units.
Our normal view of hydro power generators is a vast man made wall holding back a vast dam through which water flows, powering enormous turbines which then feed electricity into the nations grid. However, in the last decade man has learned to tap into other sources of hydro power. Today, although not in widespread use, engineers have been able to tap into the power of the tides to generate electricity. Tidal power is more reliable than the power of the wind or even solar power. As with wind or solar power, tidal power is classified as a renewable energy source and is, arguably the most eco friendly of all power generation. Tidal energy generators work in a similar way to the turbines that produce power from dammed up water with the water flowing between high and low tides powering turbines which produce electricity.
Whether it is in a fresh water dam or at sea, the power of water has never failed to amaze human beings. Today it is being harnessed in ever more inventive ways to ensure that the wheels of global industry keep turning. As an eco friendly source of power it is almost certain that hydro power generators will continue to play an increasingly important part in electricity production the world over.
