How is a hydroelectric power plant made?
A hydroelectric plant usually includes five elements: a water collection system, a penstock a turbine transforming potential energy into mechanic energy, a generator converting mechanic energy into electric energy and a control system regulating the water flow. After being used, water is returned to its natural flow without undergoing any transformation from the viewpoint of its chemical and physical properties. The collection system is mainly a barrage or a dam. It has to comply with very rigorous building and operating principles regulated by the law and, in the case of larger plants, monitored by the National Dam Service. The surface levelling hoses and the bottom outlet ensure a controlled management of the water in the basin. According to the characteristics of the area where the barrage is built, different types of batters (small size barrages) or dams apply. After it has been collected, the water is conveyed into a turbine through pipes. These pipes start from the place where th
