Hydropower Generation Info

Hydropower Generation Info - Go Back to Hydropower Projects Web Page --- Home

This web page has simplified visual examples of how the hydroelectric generation process works.

Sunlight and Gravity do the Work - Sunlight transfers energy from the sun to heat water in our oceans and other water bodies causing evaporation that transfers energy into water vapor in clouds. When water vapor condenses and rain falls, some of that energy is transferred to water in rivers and lakes. As that water flows naturally by gravity to lower levels it releases some of that energy on the way down. A body of water at a higher elevation has more kinetic energy (potential energy) stored in it than a similar body of water at a lower level.

We can capture some of the energy released on the way down by placing turbine blades into the downward flow which spins the blades along with a rod connected to a generator with magnets. This induces or creates an electrical current that can be carried by electric transmission lines to places far away. Once a hydroelectric system is in operation the ongoing costs are low making the whole process quite efficient.

A conventional hydropower dam project with large reservoir is displayed below:

Run-of-River hydropower projects with small or no reservoir are displayed below:

Figure 1 below shows a typical complete hydropower project layout from water collection to power distribution.

A typical Hydropower Plant layout is displayed below:

Hydropower Turbine-Generator set image below:

Turbine types images below:

Tunnel-boring machine (TBM) image below used for Theun-Hinboun Dam Expansion project.

Image below shows basic turbine types:

Lao Electric meter image below - 230 volt single phase at 50 Hz:

Electric Circuit Breaker Panel Box image below:

SCADA screen below for hydropower plant - system is used for monitoring and controlling various processes from remote areas in a hydropower plant. It allows an operator to make changes on remote controllers, to open/close valves/switches, to monitor alarms and to gather instrument information.

Human Machine Interface image below for typical hydropower turbine-generator set:

Image below shows a typical Control Panel for a hydropower plant.

Houay Por Turbines - Horizontal Francis below -

Installed capacity is 15 MW from 4 sets Horizontal Francis Turbine Generators - 2 sets at 5 MW each and 2 sets at 2.5 MW each

Images of Nam Che 1 generators below:

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Nam Kong 3 Hydro Power Project has head of 96 meters with three compact vertical axis Francis turbines of 18 MW each for a combined capacity of 54 MW below;

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Nam Khan 2 HPP has 2 vertical Francis turbine units at 65 MW

Nam Khan 2 turbine inflow tube image below:

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Nam Kap

The project is a run-of-the-river hydropower type.

Installed capacity is 12 MW (2 x 6 MW) with up to 54 GWh power output annually.

Pelton type of turbines & run of river implies low head

Nam Kap generator images below:

Nam Kap spiral case design below:

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Nam Long 1 great turbine/generator examples can see both above floor & stats

Sample output charts below from January to September (around year 2015)

Turbines - Type: Pelton
Quantities (set): 2
Rated Head: 240 meters
Output: 2.5 MW x 2

Generator - Type: 3-phase synchronous alternator
Output: 3,300 kVA
Rated current: 577A
Frequency: 50 Hz
Rated speed: 600 rpm

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Nam Leuk below

The project has net head of 183 meters.

The power plant has two vertical Francis turbine-generator sets of 30 MW each for a rated output of 60 MW. The annual expected production of the project was 245 GWh but now reduced to 215 GWh.

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Nam Ngiep 2B

18 MW from 3 Horizontal Axis Francis turbine-generator sets of 6 MW each

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Nam Phao project operates with a head of 62.5 meters.

The project has two horizontal Francis turbine-generator sets at .85 MW each for total capacity of 1.7 MW

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Nam Pha Gnai

The installed capacity of the project from horizontal Francis turbine-generator sets is 19.2 MW (7.4 MW+7.4 MW+4.4 MW

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Nam Sor

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Nam Thea - There are 3 Francis horizontal turbines at 8.2 MW capacity each for 24.5 MW total

shows 3rd wheel as vibration monitoring device

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Tad Chiad

The project has 10 MW installed capacity from two Horizontal Francis turbine/generator sets at 5 MW each.

Rated head for the project is 245 meters.

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XeKatam 1-XeNamnoy 2 Hydropower project

3 horizontal Francis spiral turbine-generator sets rated at 6.7 MW output each for 20.1 MW total capacity.

maybe I can add "spiral" to other similar sets above & comment on HVAC hoods

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A 10 MW expansion of Xeset 2 was completed in Feb. 2023 which brings the total capacity now to 86 MW. The expansion included a new powerhouse and two new turbine/generator sets of 5 MW each - assume Francis horizontal?