What Are the Different Types of Hydropower Facilities?

A hydropower facility, also known as a hydroelectric dam, is different from a conventional dam. To begin with, it's built over a river and converts the energy of flowing water into electricity. There’re 3 kinds of hydropower facilities: impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage.

Impoundment:

An impoundment hydropower facility is the most common type of hydroelectric power plant. The water flowing through the dam is released through turbines in the powerhouse, spinning them and generating electricity.

Diversion:

A diversion facility (diversion hydropower facility) is a hydropower plant that does not typically require the construction of a dam but redirects the flow of water for electricity generation. Diversion facilities may reduce water flow at times depending on how water is diverted and/or the size of the stream or river segment being used.


 

Pumped Storage:

While hydroelectric dams have been around since the early 1900s, there's another type of hydropower, called pumped storage hydropower, or PSH, that works like a giant battery. A PSH facility stores energy by pumping water from a reservoir at a lower elevation to a reservoir at a higher elevation. This is somewhat like filling your tub with the water from the lowest faucet and then using the higher faucets to open the valves in order to make it flow back down into your tub.

When electricity is in high demand, a pumped-storage hydroelectricity facility uses water to create energy. To save energy, the water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During periods of low demand for electricity, the water is released back down to the lower reservoir and powers a turbine to generate electricity.


 

Call Canadian Babbitt Bearings for Highly Effective Hydropower Solutions

Canadian Babbitt Bearings and its sister company Canadian Maritime Engineering offer one-stop solutions for your hydro plant. Your hydro plant will be up and running with minimal downtime through our dedicated point of contact. We make sure there is effective coordination between all parties involved. We handle every aspect of your project, from the initial technical survey to design, project management, and installation. We also do mechanical overhauls, maintenance, and complete refurbishment and manufacturing.

For highly effective Hydropower Solutions, contact Canadian Babbitt Bearings at 519-752-5471!

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