THE Hydro-electric energy it is the use of kinetic energy in the flow of water bodies.
The kinetic energy moves the turbine blades that are part of the hydroelectric plant system, to then be converted into electrical energy by the generator.
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A hydroelectric plant is a system with equipment that generates electricity using the water mass of a river. This happens due to the hydraulic flow and the accumulation of water existing in unevenness along the river.
The gaps can be composed of waterfalls or dams made to form reservoirs. There are two types of reservoirs: accumulation reservoirs, which are generally formed in the headwaters of rivers.
Due to the large amount of waterfalls, they are located in large reservoirs. And there are also the water lines that use the speed of the river's water itself to generate electricity without a lot of water accumulation.
For a hydroelectric plant to work and generate energy, there needs to be an integration of the river's flow, the existing unevenness in the land and the amount of water available.
The hydroelectric plant is composed of:
The dam is intended to interrupt the river's natural flow to create a reservoir. The reservoir has the function of storing water, creating unevenness and regulating the flow of rivers in periods of rain and drought.
It is formed by tunnels, channels and metallic conductors that carried the water to the powerhouse.
Here are the turbines that are connected to the generator. The movement of these turbines transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy.
The tailrace is the course of water after passing through the turbine and returning to the natural river bed. This channel is between the powerhouse and the river.
The spillway releases excess water whenever the reservoir exceeds the recommended limit. This usually happens in periods of rain.
In the 19th century, the world's first hydroelectric power plant was built. It was in the Niagara Falls, between the United States and Canada at the time when coal was the main fuel.
THE Hydro-electric energy it is a renewable energy, but data from Aneel showed that its relevance in the world's electric hue is small and the trend is to decrease even more.
An impact considered negative in the implementation of a plant to generate Hydro-electric energy it is the change in the routine of the population where it will be built.
As they are generally located further away from the big city, the population is usually made up of riverside communities and Indians who depend on the natural resources of this region.
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THE Hydro-electric energy it is considered clean because it does not burn fossil fuels, but the hydroelectric plant emits carbon dioxide and methane, which damage it, contributing to global warming.
Where a reservoir is formed, plants die, which for some animals are their main food. And the damming of these waters changes the habitat around them.
The soil used as a reservoir becomes unusable for other purposes. If the soil has a low level, a larger amount of water mass will be stored, which will require a larger area for the reservoir.
The river has a natural discharge system, water velocity, sediment load and bed characteristics.
When the reservoir is built, this balance is altered by changing the order of impoundment, the area around the river and in the bed below the reservoir.
There is a difference between the amount of energy that the plant can produce and the capacity of the installed structure. The amount of energy will depend on the flow of the hydraulic mass.
A plant with the power to produce a lot of energy with a river that does not have a large flow is an inevitable failure.
Brazil has the greatest potential for Hydro-electric energy of the world. The first plant was built in 1949, Paulo Afonso I, in Bahia. Its potential was 180 MW. Currently, the complex has 4 plants.
There is also the Balbina hydroelectric plant, on the Uatumã River in Amazonas, which, due to the river's low flow, produces a capacity of 109.4 MW, well below the capacity considered normal, which would be 250 MW.
Itaipu is the 2nd largest plant in the world. It is built in the state of Paraná between the borders of Brazil and Paraguay. It supplies our country with 7,000 MW equivalent to 16.8% of the energy consumed in our country.
The Tucuruí plant is on the Tocantins River in Pará and can produce 8,370 MW. There is also a hydroelectric power plant in Belo Monte, Pará, which has the capacity to produce 11,233.1 MW. It is the 3rd largest hydroelectric plant in the world and 100% national.
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