| Hydropower is a concept that has been | | | | Creating More Power With Less Water |
| has been around for centuries and was | | | | A few variables control the generation |
| generally considered only viable in | | | | process for using hydropower as an |
| areas where the need for power was close | | | | effective tool for generating |
| to the potential source. One of the most | | | | electricity. The amount of water flow, |
| popular uses of hydropower today is in | | | | how far it drops before hitting wheels |
| generating electricity with the most | | | | that turn the generator affect the |
| famous in the United States being at | | | | amount of power being produced. The |
| Niagara Falls and Lake Meade in Nevada. | | | | climate also has a lot to do with their |
| The Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant | | | | efficiency as streams may freeze in the |
| has been providing electricity for parts | | | | winter or dry up during how summer |
| of New York and Canada for many years | | | | months, making their generating |
| using the flow from the falls to turn | | | | potential useless. |
| giant turbines. | | | | Small hydropower generators can be built |
| Lake Meade, created by the construction | | | | at home to supplement solar power in |
| of the Hoover Dam, uses the water from | | | | remote areas where access to moving |
| the lake as it runs through sluices in | | | | water is available. The turbine does not |
| the dam to control the amount of flow. | | | | have to be in the direct flow of the |
| The water impacts upon the fan blades of | | | | water to generate power. Water can be |
| the hydroelectric pumps, turning | | | | diverted into a pipe, which runs to the |
| turbines to generate electricity. | | | | generator's wheel and returned to the |
| Although many people see a growing | | | | stream from which it originated. |
| future in the use of hydropower as a | | | | Another type of hydropower generator has |
| clean renewable resource for | | | | internal flanges to turn the generator's |
| electricity, it has been is use long | | | | turbines. Similar to a water pump that |
| before electricity became popular. | | | | requires power to turn the pump, |
| Consider the water wheels that were used | | | | internal flanges turn the generator |
| in grain mills to turn the giant stones | | | | using the water to create power. How |
| that ground grain into flour. The water | | | | much power is generated is determined by |
| wheels used hydropower from adjacent | | | | the flow and speed of the water, the |
| streams and creeks to provide the power | | | | size of the generator and the rate of |
| and the water could be diverted away | | | | flow...how much water is available to |
| from the wheel when the grinding stones | | | | operate the generator. |
| needed to be stopped. | | | | |