Some people worry about whether their small stream can possibly generate enough electricity to make a difference. Actually, it takes very little water movement, or a very small waterfall to generate significant power. In fact, a flow of even three gallons per minute, or a waterfall two to three feet high, may be enough to make it worthwhile. Another concern, particularly among those who have a lot of land, is how far from the micro hydro set up the resulting energy can be delivered. The answer is that the house can be a mile or even more away. Also, sometimes people will pay a small price, or perhaps even share the resulting electricity, with a neighbor if the neighbor allows the system to be located on their property because there is a better potential site there.

One of the environmental advantages that micro hydro shares with many other renewables is that there is little or no environmental impact. The water runs through the system with very little interruption in flow (in fact, the less the water slows down, the more optimal your system). Therefore, there is very little impact on the surrounding ecology. That said, in many states you may need a permit, or to have someone come out and inspect your system, to ensure that the environment is not being affected.

There is no way to estimate cost, or predict the time it will take for the system to pay for itself, given that each waterway is different. The costs could be as low as $1-2,000 or as high as $20,000, depending on your electricity requirements, waterway, and location. Maintenance is relatively inexpensive, with the need to occasionally change hydro turbines as the most common need.

One of the exciting things about micro hydro, and many other forms of renewable energy, is the potential to go “on grid”. Basically what this means is that your electricity produced by hydro will be linked in with the electric supply you get from your electric company. When you produce more electricity than you need, many power companies will buy back the extra. Your meter will actually spin backwards! This type of set-up is also useful if you are concerned about meeting all of your home’s needs through the micro hydro set up. It allows you to supplement your hydro power with electricity from the conventional power grid.

There are some disadvantages to micro hydro, many of which you’ve probably already considered. First, the size and flow rate of your stream or brook may restrict you from expanding your system if your electric needs increase. In addition, any seasonal fluctuation in flow, as is often seen in mountain areas for example, may mean decreased power during some times (for example, you may have less water flow in the summer, at the very time you want to plug in three air conditioners).

Micro hydro power is reliable, dependable, and effective. The electric supply that is generated is pure and high quality, and maintenance costs are minimal. Most systems pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time, and you can also feel good about reducing your electric and perhaps oil or gas use. As with any construction, please consult with someone local to you with knowledge of your area. Only a qualified and experienced person can give you an accurate estimate of your costs and savings, plus any possible surprises you might hit along the way.

For more information about micro hydro power, please see http://www.microhydrosystems.com For specific information about hydro turbines, please see http://www.hydroturbines.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Jacobson

You see, we had a 60 amp service in this old house I bought and the old fuses just couldn’t keep up to the demand that we had on the service. Once we knew we had to do some updates to this little home, we updated the water and now we have just finished upgrading the hydro system.

Learning to do some preliminary work for the electrician would save us some money so we invited a qualified, electrician out to our home and asked a lot of questions. This man was more than happy to offer us all the ways that we could save on our upgrade. You see, we would have to go underground to the road and that is over 140 meters (450 feet). Renting a trencher and backfilling it ourselves would save us over $200 off the top. Purchasing the ‘big O’ to have the hydro line run through and feeding a rope through it first to help pull the hydro line through would save us the time the electrician would charge us for. Cutting and mounting the new panel on the basement wall would also save us time. Adding the four new lines from outlets in our kitchen, bathroom and one in the front room to the basement panel area, feeding the line, mounting the boxes in the wall would save the electrician time when connecting them. Being home the day of all the work may seem to some that it cost us a days work, but in reality, it kept people working, and saved us labour costs.

This is how our week went. On the Friday, we booked a trencher to dig the trench to the road. Bought 450 feet of big ‘O’ and a roll of rope that was 500 feet long. Purchased a 3/4 sheet of plywood that was 4′ x 4′. (lumber store just happen to have a half sheet) When we arrived home, we unrolled the ‘big O’ and placed the spooled rope at one end. We tied a pretty big rock to the rope and began feeding the rock (and rope) through the big ‘O’. To feed it through, we just lifted the big ‘O’ up and made like a hill and valley for the rock to continuously roll down. It took awhile to finish the last fifty feet or so because the rock didn’t roll well with the added pull from all the rope. The heavier the rock, the better. Maybe a steel ball or rounded heavy iron pipe would have worked better. Never the less, we got it through. We tied off the rope on each end so it didn’t accidentally get pulled back into the big ‘O’. We rolled the big ‘O’ back up a bit so know one would get smart (or stupid) and steal it. Next, we premeasured the area we wanted the new hydro box to be placed and mounted the new back board being very careful not to harm any of the existing wires. We mounted the new box on the plywood we bought and with the left over wood, we built a nice shelf and enclosure around it. We fed the wires to the new feeds that we wanted in the house. Drilling though the walls, floors and mounting new boxes.

Saturday, we decided to pick up the trencher bright and early to get the job done. I am very glad we did. We hit rock after rock for the first 4 hours. Over and over, we had to lift the boom to allow the trencher to go over the rocks. I thought, well, I can begin diging out the rocks. James would stop the trencher after a few rocks so we could get them dug out. By 2p.m. we were exhausted and starving. We left for town for some lunch. I called a few friends to see if anyone would be willing to give us a hand. Two couples showed up around 4p.m. to help and brought us some bar-b-que treats for later. By 6p.m. we were about 2/3rds of the distance. We broke for a nice bar-b-que and were so tired, we didn’t bother with any more trenching. It would have to be done on Sunday. (personally, I don’t like working on Sunday but sometimes…)

Sunday, we didn’t get very early. For the two of us, we were pretty tired. Surprised by what we saw, there were the two couples out in the front yard digging up the last few rocks. Excited by this, with no breakfast we through on our clothes and went to help. (friends, what beautiful word) James gives the trencher a start and believe it or not, hit only one more rock. We finished digging the trench by hand out by the pole at the road and up by the house, drilled a big hole into the basement for the new line and to most of the afternoon off.

Monday, the electrician showed up bright and early at 7a.m. to hook up our extra feed boxes and prepare the new hydro panel. I knew he was coming that early but it sure felt more like 5a.m. to me. Don’t get me wrong, this was no little job. And we knew it. If you are considering on saving by helping do this, the only thing I have to say is that I hope you don’t hit any rocks. Hydro One cut the power at 9a.m. sharp. Hooked the hydro line up to one end of the rope we placed in the big’O’ and helped us pull it through. That all went very well. They made us dig out a few spots in the trench were the sides had caved in and asked the electrician when he wanted them back. “Give me three hours,” he said – He was done in just over two hours. We waited for an extra half hour for them to return but that was OK. We had time to back fill most of the trench. The electrician went out and got his lunch and returned only moments before the Hydro One guys did to turn the power back on.

Now we are so happy with the new updated 100 amp service. When you help to ‘do it yourself’ there is a great feeling you receive. I have been researching on how I can save energy and conserve energy in my little home online. I’ve bought new energy saver lights for replacement bulbs. All of the exterior bulbs have been replaced and we even gave some of the replaced bulbs to other people that said they would use them.

Keep in touch, I think that I will try to do some more research on how to save more energy in the home for another article.

Thanks for reading
Crystal

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Crystal_Jackson

The idea of using water directly as fuel is still science fiction. On the face of it, the idea seems absurd. Yet today you can buy hydro powered car kits that use the hydrogen in water as fuel (to supplement the gasoline) in standard automobiles, resulting in much higher mileage.

Why Should You Care?

This kind of hydro powered vehicle certainly isn’t the futuristic all-hydrogen vehicle you may have heard about, or the seemingly magical vehicle that runs on just tap water that we would all love to have. So why should you care about this kind of hydrogen-gasoline hydro powered car? There are lots of good reasons:

If you’ve bought gasoline recently, you know that the price is high and looks to be heading still higher. A hydro powered car can get much higher mileage than an all-gasoline car, which means big savings on gas.

Gasoline comes with lots of baggage. The West’s dependence on foreign oil makes it dependent on countries like Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, and Russia for energy. External hostility to the West, along with internal instability and unrest, make it scary to rely on many oil-producing countries. Anything that reduces Western dependence on their oil reduces the risks.

The sad fact is that Americans have a tremendous reliance on gas and the steady supply of it. Most simply don’t live in areas where alternative fuels are readily available. Many Americans must endure lengthy commutes to work, traffic jams and rush hour, not to mention routine errands that can’t be accomplished on foot. Public transportation is an option, however many areas of America don’t offer such services.

Don’t forget pollution. Burning gasoline for fuel pollutes the air. A hydro powered car gets better mileage and so reduces that pollution.

Last but certainly not least, you can convert your own car into a hydro powered car today using readily available parts. You don’t need to wait for the ideal hydro powered car to come out of the auto company labs. You can turn your own car into one and start getting the benefits right away.

How Does This Kind of Hydro Powered Car Work?

How can water, the same substance that comes from your kitchen faucet, be used to fuel your car engine? The key is hydrogen. What is water when you go down to the molecular structure? Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Get the hydrogen out of the water and mix it with your car’s gasoline and voila! a hydrogen-gasoline hybrid car.

Hydrogen is a highly desirable source of fuel because it delivers lots of energy and burns with virtually no pollutants. But cars that run solely on hydrogen aren’t ready yet and won’t be practical for a while. Using hydrogen as a supplemental fuel is a safe and effective alternative that’s available right now.

Hydro powered car kits available today use electricity to convert common water into hydrogen and oxygen in your car as needed. The hydrogen is immediately mixed with the car’s gasoline and burned, delivering better fuel efficiency and cleaner exhaust. It is an ideal solution for today’s world, and thousands of people around the world have purchased these kits to convert their own vehicle into a hydro powered car.

Bill Mann is a freelance technology writer who helps people benefit from the technology all around us. He recommends you visit this Hydro Powered Car Kits review page to learn about the 3 top kits that makes this possible.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Mann

Hydro de-burring machines use high-pressure water jets, that direct water at pressures ranging anywhere from 1,500 PSI to 7,500 PSI using from 5 to 30 GPM solution flow to knock away burrs at their root, leaving the part burr free. These machines are able to break off the burrs and blow away the residual chips, but they are not a miracle solution to all problems. Hydro de-burring cannot mechanically machine off the burrs, it does not leave behind a smooth finish, nor does it create rounded edges. The manufacturer will need to continue whatever process they are using to achieve those ends once the de-burring unit is installed.

Although a hydro de-burring unit is limited in its ability to accomplish the goals listed above, it is effective in many other areas. For example, it effectively removes heavy grease and oil. Also, high pressure spray impingement can take off paint and knock out embedded sand and dirt. Pockets of embedded chips are also removed from the part, along with solvents left over from the cleaning process.

Hydro de-burring uses a system of hydraulically powered rotary high pressure water jets, which shoot water at a straight, 0 degree angle. This allows the water to hit the part at a right angle, ensuring that the jets will travel into any hole on the part as deep as possible.

The effectiveness of hydro de-burring depends on three factors. First, the volume of water used. It must be enough to have the power to knock off the burrs. Second, the speed of the water propelled through the jets must be sufficient. And finally, the thickness and type of burr that is being attacked. The thinner the root of the burr, the more effective the process will be. Bigger burrs will require more water and higher pressures to be removed. A good test to determine if the burr being removed is of the correct size is the pencil test. If a burr can be removed by a .5mm diameter pencil lead that is 9.00mm long without damaging the lead itself, then the burr can be removed with high-pressure water.

Hydro de-burring is an effective and efficient process, but it is not ideally suited for all manufacturers. Not all metal cutters leave burrs in the same location every time. In these cases, brushes and media tumblers are a better choice for the company. Hydro de-burring is effective, but it should not automatically be considered the best option. If the burr is not consistently placed, the jets will not be able to remove the burr all the time. If it is, the hydro system will remove it consistently and effectively.

Therefore, if a part has consistent placement of burrs, a high-pressure direct spray system is appropriate. An example of this can be found in an automotive transmission plant. An aluminum valve body, once milled, is left with a consistent roll over bore in the spool bore. A power brush cannot access the hole where the spur is located. A probing brush may be able to access the burr, but there is the chance that it will damage the machined surface of the part and render it scrap.

A high-pressure water stream can shoot into the hole and knock the bore off with precision. It can then flush the burr out, and do no damage to the machined surface. Assuming the burr is formed in the same spot in the prior stages, the high-pressure water system will deliver the best quality possible every time.

With this quality comes a high cost. Properly engineered high pressure deburr systems cost at least $500,000 or more. The high cost can be attributed to the purchased components and customer driven plant safety regulations. Many of the parts necessary for a high-pressure system can cost upwards of $5,000. Hydro de-burr systems require parts such as:

-High Pressure Pump

-High Pressure nozzles and manifolds

-High Pressure tubing and hoses

-Filtration

-Oil Separation

-Fixtures to hold part in place

-Sound dampening measures

All of these parts can be expensive. However, if the hydro de-burr system is able to remove burrs quicker and easier than a wire brush system on a particular part, it is well worth the cost to invest in the unit. The guaranteed removal of burrs combined with the lack of damage to the part itself (wire brushes can remove burrs but also inflict damage on the part) will help the manufacturer recoup their initial investment through production of high quality parts.

The high pressure system comes in many different types of machines. Manufacturers can pick from robotic transfer, conveyorized pallet, rotating dial table, chain driven, belt driven, manual, and automated machines, depending on the needs of their specific plant and part. They also include part drying and blow off stations, to ensure that the part received when finished is clean, burr-free, and dry.

Hydro de-burring is especially popular within the automotive industry. Producers of oil pumps, engine blocks, valve bodies, transmission components, and crankshafts are among the users of hydro de-burring units. Any company with a repeatable, consistent burr production in their parts should consider a hydro system to make their production process better. If the money they will make from delivering a high-quality end product is worth the cost of the machine, then it may be time to invest in a hydro-deburring unit.

Midbrook Cleaning Systems is a minority owned provider of parts washer and parts cleaner systems, custom metal fabrications, CapSnap water bottling systems, and production cleaning services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Knapp

Recent interest in Small Scale Hydro Plants as part of movements in producing more cleaner and greener energy has attracted many researches to study and develop many improvements in Micro Hydro Technology.

Micro Hydro Plants can produce useful amount of electricity even from just a small stream. For houses that has access to streams can consider to set up a Micro Hydro Plant to produce reliable electricity supply at lower cost than other renewable technology sources.

One main reason why many people turn to Hydro Electricity Plant is because it is a renewable energy, meaning it will not be depleted over time and it will consistently be replenished. It is also a clean energy source, as it does not emit any toxins. Other reason many turn to Micro Hydro Plants is because it’s relatively more cheaper than other green technologies in converting energy to electricity and can be used almost immediately when turned on to meet the demand for electricity.

How Does a Micro Hydro Plant Work?

This Water Powered Electricity Generator works by relying on Potential Energy that is contained in water that are stored in height. You may be wondering what is Potential Energy anyway? Well you can imagine it as gasoline in your car that is parked in your garage, it has a potential to move your car but your car is still parked in your garage, but once you start the engine the potential released into movements.

So, when the water falls down from height it converts the Potential Energy into Kinetic Energy. This Kinetic Energy will then turn the turbines. The internal mechanic in the turbine will then produce electricity for you.

For Small Hydro Plant (Micro Hydro Plant) it can converts about 60%-80% of Kinetic Energy into Electricity. If you’re really interested in creating your own Micro Hydro Electric Power you should read a book from a professional Author that’s been in the business for years…

To learn more about green living and Amazing Green Technologies and Gadgets that are available now, you can visit :

http://green-tech-gadgets.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juandy_Liem

The term “hydro-organic nutrients” is a combination of hydroponics and organic nutrients. Hydroponics refers to the practice of growing plants in solution of organic nutrients without using soil. Hydroponics is based on the principle that plants require soil only to extract nutrients. Hence, soil is not really necessary.

Simply put, hydro-organic nutrients are organic nutrients dissolved in a rich nutrient solution without using soil.

Hydro-Organic Nutrients

Hydroponic gardeners have to ensure that their plants receive the exact amount of hydro-organic nutrients for better growth. However, it becomes difficult to measure and monitor organic nutrients. Hence, hydroponic gardeners often buy commercial preparations of hydro-organic nutrients.

Choosing the Right Hydro-Organic Nutrients

You can create your own hydro-organic nutrients, but this will require a lot of experimentation on what works best. Commercial hydro-organic nutrients undergo testing for years to improve plant resistance to disease, growth rates, and most importantly, yield. Using premixed hydro-organic nutrients will save your time and provide better results.

The choice of hydro-organic nutrient product will depend on the crop you are growing and the stage of growth. Some hydro-organic products are specially designed for certain vegetables and fruits such as watermelons, tomatoes, squash, and grapes. Plants have different nutritional needs in the seedling and vegetative stages. The mix of nutrients may differ from stage to stage.

Plants also deplete certain organic nutrients faster than others. Hence, you need to select the right hydro-organic product that provides the ideal mix of nutrients and optimizes the uptake of organic nutrient.

Using Hydro-Organic Nutrients

Even if you buy premixed hydro-organic nutrients, it is important to experiment with the feeding schedule and proportion to get the best results. Many hydroponic gardeners mix two or three hydro-organic products to get high-quality flowers and vegetables.

Too much or too little hydro-organic nutrients can damage the growth of your flowers and vegetables. Some organic nutrients in excess quantities can be toxic for your plants. It is easy to flush out hydro-organic nutrients, which easily dissolve in water.

Find more about Organic and Hydro-Organic Nutrients in detail on http://www.hydroasis.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richa_Parera

There could be two or even three of these. Each would have a hydroelectric motor with a direct drive propeller. Water tanks would be on both saucers above the hourglass configuration for thrust. There would be circulating tracks perpendicular to the direction of travel of this craft. When the water is depleted on the above tank where the water flows down the blimps would rotate and put the water back on top. This mechanism would be battery powered hooked to hydraulics.

The battery would be trickles charged by solar panel thin membranes on top of the saucers and also a little power by magnetic charges on the inner mechanism of the spinning propeller. This unit would once launched, could fly forever. And never need recharging. The issues with weight of the water providing the dynamic pressure for the at 8.2 pounds per gallon would not be an issue. Because you do not need that much water because you could increase the spin change interval of the saucers. This unit could be made big or small. Micro-hydro powered units are now being used in the houses, which allow condensed water to flow down hill and provide power for the house.

These small units can provide as little as 1-2 amps of power for mini-UAV flying balloons the size of two smashed shoe boxes for aerial surveillance. The solar micro thin cells would also heat the water a little and there for provide additional heat for the helium in side to keep the atoms moving around and providing more life. Depending on the drop of water height and speed of water, you could have the propellers hooked to a counter rotation system where by you could put two propellers front and back of each hourglass strut. The first idea for a use of this devise is to use it to patrol borders in low winds and in high winds tethered but always under power. Right now over our US Mexican border the lighter than air blimps are only up 60% of the time.

A friend in Yuma, AZ a former Boeing Research Engineer living in a Winter Snow Bird park tells me as soon as the blimps go down the flood of illegals come across. They just wait until they stop flying the surveillance blimps and come over in droves. A surveillance blimp needing no fuel has plenty of possibilities for so many applications.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Today hydropower generates about 15 percent of the world’s electricity (about 6 percent of the total energy supply). Rather than using waterwheels on a moving river or through a duct, most hydroelectric plants extract energy from the potential energy that comes from the vertical distance the water drops (the “head”). The water is channeled through a sluice or gate, or through enclosed pipes that funnel the water down to the turbines; these channels are called penstocks.

Hydroelectric Plants The typical hydroelectric plant needs four things to generate power:

Dam – The dam holds back a river, raising the level, and controls the flow through the penstock(s). Dams create reservoirs that can be used for recreation, but it is the height difference between the stored water above and the turbines below that represents the potential energy.

Turbines – The water behind the dam is channeled through the penstocks past the blades of turbines, which spin. This converts the kinetic energy to mechanical energy. 2. Turbine. The force of falling water pushing against the turbine’s blades causes the turbine to spin. A water turbine is much like a windmill, except the energy is provided by falling water instead of wind. The turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy.

Generator – The shafts of the turbines turn a generator, thus converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Transmission lines – The electricity is transmitted to substations and transported to consumers through the power lines.

Microhydros Hydroelectrical plants are big and powerful, but did you know that you can have your very own microhydro plant? All you need is a stream or a river with enough water running through it at the right pressure, and you can set up a system that feeds into turbines and generators, and into your home or business. Just as you can with your solar and/or wind systems, you can design a system that is grid-connected with battery backup, grid-connected, or standalone.

Microhydros come in two basic flavors: low-head and high-head. Head, you’ll recall, is the height differential between the water and the turbine. That corresponds to pressure. Think of a high-head system as one running off a waterfall, and a low-head system as one running off a fast-moving stream, although that isn’t always the case.

In a quick search online for microhydro resources, the names “Don Harris” and “HarrisHydro Systems” turn up over and over, with good reason: Harris is a well known pioneer in microhydro. He designs and manufactures turbine and generator systems in a shop that he powers with a microhydro system of his own. His designed feature a Pelton wheel, a highly efficient tangential-flow impulse turbine with spoon-shaped blades that capture a jet of water.

Impulse turbines transfer energy according to Newton’s second law of motion, which is roughly paraphrased as “the momentum of an object, or force, is equal to the object’s mass multiplied by its acceleration. It works like so: first, the water’s potential energy (the head) is converted to kinetic energy by being funneled through a nozzle to form a jet. The jet of water moves at a given velocity, but when it strikes the spoons/buckets of the turbine, it loses velocity or acceleration, so the momentum changes. That change in momentum translates to an exertion of force that turns the shaft. The water pressure itself doe not change. Impulse turbines are the most commonly used turbines in domestic systems, and those with high heads.

Reaction turbines transfer energy according to Newton’s third law of motion, which is roughly paraphrased as “for every action force there is an equal, but opposite, reaction force.” The water moves through the turbine, losing pressure, which forces it to give up its energy. The turbines have to be either encased (to contain the water pressure or suction) or be completely submerged by the flowing water. Water wheels are reaction turbines. Most turbines are reaction-type turbines. They are used for systems with low and medium heads.

A typical microhydro system, then, needs a stream, an intake system, a penstock, and a powerhouse. Although the actual components are much more high-tech and specialized, you can envision a high-head microhydro system as this as a box or funnel at the top of a waterfall, a garden hose or a trough running downhill from the intake, the water from the hose/trough shooting onto a turbine (probably Pelton-style), and the turbine turning a generator. A low-head microhydro system is equally simple. They have a screened intake (or a mini-dam), and this feeds into a settling basin or forebay for any silt to precipitate out; this empties into a short canal that feeds into a ten-foot draft tube. The water flowing through turns a turbine (probably Turgo-style). Note that in neither case do you block or divert the stream (for which you would need a permit anyway, even if the water is on your property, and which may turn out to be prohibited in your area).

Hydropower Advantages

1. As long as the water is there in sufficient quantity, hydro stations can generate power 24/7.

2. Large hydro stations can shift into maximum capacity to meet peak demands simply by controlling the amount of water released.

3. Microhydro systems produce no pollutants.

4. Hydropower is a renewable resource.

5. Most countries have access to waterways that can be used for hydro power.

6. Large dams can be useful for flood control.

7. Microhydro systems can provide power without affecting water quality, without affecting the habitat, and without altering the course of the river or stream. It leaves a very tiny footprint.

8. Large and mega-dams can create recreational lakes in areas where before there were none.

Hydropower Disadvantages

1. Large hydro stations that create reservoirs actually dump huge amounts of methane and CO2 into the atmosphere. When the area behind the dam is flooded, the trees and other plant material that get covered up rot and sift to the bottom where they continue to decompose without oxygen. This creates methane, which is released when the water flows through the turbines.

2. The reservoirs created by large dams and mega-dams destroy local habitats. When the area is flooded, plant life is submerged, and any animal and human life in the area must relocate or perish.

3. Large hydroelectric dams are expensive to build.

4. Large hydroelectric dams can only be used in a limited number of places those with large water supplies.

5. Damming rivers and streams changes the natural waterways, diverting water from areas that depend on it.

6. Damming rivers changes the quality, quantity and even the temperature of the water that flows downstream. This can have disastrous effects on agriculture as well as potability.

7. Changing the path of a river can cause serious disputes between neighbors, from individuals to nations.

8. Water moving over a dam can pick up nitrogen, causing fish kills downstream.

9. Many small and medium dams built in the past to power industries such as mills and factories are no longer used, and are growing unstable. Allowing them to self-destruct rather than removing them in a controlled manner can lead to serious flooding, including loss of life and property.

10. Dams alter the spawning patterns of the fish, and often result in absenting entire species from an area.

11. When large amounts of water are released from a large dam or mega-dam the shores of man-made reservoirs naturally recede, leaving behind mud flats and reducing the surface area leaving less space for fish. Sometimes Mother Nature plays a role, as with Lake Powell, created by the Glen Canyon Dam. With reduced flow of the Colorado River, evaporation, and seepage back into the canyon banks, Lake Powell loses an average of 860,000 acre feet of water each year about as much water as Los Angeles consumes annually. While it is perhaps one of the most beautiful lakes in the U.S. with its red-rock canyon sides, 150 feet below its 266 surface miles lie centuries of archaeological riches as well as the canyon itself.

Energy and our energy future are so important to all of us. Stay on top of the latest at Alternative Energy HQ

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Rockwell

So what is hydro power?

Well, basically it is the generation of electricity by using the natural force of water.

And how is hydro power generated ?

It is generated in 3 different ways: hydroelectric power, tidal power, and wave power.

Hydroelectric Power:

This is the most common form of hydro-power, making up the majority of all renewable energy produced. Electricity is produced in hydroelectric dams where the force of falling water drives massive turbines.

The advantage of this type of power is that not only does it produce electricity, but the dam helps collect water for our use, so it’s a power and water source in one. Furthermore, the force of the water is so strong that megawatts of electricity can be produced to help power entire cities.

There is also a large amount of control over how fast the turbines spin. If more power is needed, the controller simply opens the wicket gates more, which allows more water through the turbines and spins them faster.

The disadvantage is the devastating effect dams can have on plants, animals and even humans. When dams are built they flood large tracts of land that were once occupied by various species and communities of people. Furthermore, the water-borne animals, such as fish can also be affected. An example would be salmon that are blocked from swimming upstream to spawn by the newly erected dam.

Tidal Power:

The second most popular type of hydro power, tidal energy is produced by currents caused from the natural ebb and flow of the tide.

This has been achieved by France and Russia since 1966 in areas with a large tidal range, such as bays and estuaries. One of the systems of tidal power works by trapping water at high tide with a tidal barrage, then releasing that water in one quick burst at low tide. This gushing water drives turbines to produce power.

Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).

A second, more recent, tidal system looks very much like an underwater wind turbine. Large windmill like turbines are sunk in shallow water, where they are slowly spun by shifting tidal water.

The advantage of this system is that it is an adaptation of an already technologically advanced wind turbine – so all the refinement has been done. Furthermore, the dense water is far more efficient than wind at spinning these turbines. Thus even slow-moving water is just as effective as a strong wind.

The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities – like oyster farming – occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.

Wave Power:

This is the youngest of the three hydropower solutions. The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.

Although this technology is relatively new, it has been estimated that there is enough energy in ocean waves to produce up to 2000 Megawatts of power.

But, as with all hydro-power solutions, it has potential environmental issues. Conservationists are worried about the impact these structures will have on the coastline’s fauna and flora. Also, there is a possibility of water pollution if – for example – the hydraulic fluids accidentally leaked into the sea. This can be expected if the wave generators are constantly battered by rough seas.

Closing thought:

Man has come up with ingenious ways to harness the power of nature to produce electricity, hydro power being one of them. Although it is an important renewable energy for the future, there is still much controversy over its long-term environmental impact.

About the Author

Tim McDonald

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