THE POWER OF WATER
How It Works UK|Issue 195
We're hooked on fossil fuels. But hydroelectric power is becoming an increasingly important replacement for coal and oil
IAN OSBORNE
THE POWER OF WATER

Hydroelectric power meets around 15 per cent of the world’s electricity needs, supplying about a billion people with power – that’s comparable to 3.6 billon barrels of oil. The importance of hydropower will grow over the coming decade, with a huge number of major schemes currently under construction – as of February 2024, there are at least five in China alone. It means that although our reliance on fossil fuels is still significant – it’s a hard addiction to crack, after all – hydropower is helping us decrease our dependence.

Power production is simply a process of converting energy from one form to another. In hydroelectric plants, it’s the ‘potential energy’ of water collected in a dam that eventually ends up as electricity. A pipe known as a penstock runs through the base of the dam. As water rushes through, the potential energy becomes kinetic energy – the energy of motion. This kinetic energy rotates a turbine in the penstock.

The turbine leads to a shaft that in turn leads to a generator. Inside the generator, huge magnets start to rotate past copper coils to produce alternating current (AC) electricity.

Finally, this is changed to a higher voltage using a transformer and delivered to the power grid.

Although initial construction is expensive, once up and running, hydroelectric generators are cheap to run, produce zero waste and don’t generate any pollution. There are over 1,500 hydroelectric power plants in use in the US alone, making it the country’s largest renewable energy source. One such plant is located on the Hoover Dam, spanning the Colorado River on the border between Arizona and Nevada. When the dam was completed in 1936, it supplied Las Vegas with the majority of its electricity, though the city has since expanded and now has to get energy from other sources as well.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 195-Ausgabe von How It Works UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 195-Ausgabe von How It Works UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS HOW IT WORKS UKAlle anzeigen
THE POWER OF WATER
How It Works UK

THE POWER OF WATER

We're hooked on fossil fuels. But hydroelectric power is becoming an increasingly important replacement for coal and oil

time-read
4 Minuten  |
Issue 195
EXPLORING THE MOON'S CAVES
How It Works UK

EXPLORING THE MOON'S CAVES

Earth's rocky neighbour is home to a network of unexplored caves, and scientists are keen to take a peek inside

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Issue 195
HOW TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT
How It Works UK

HOW TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT

The campaigns, votes and elections that put someone in America's most powerful office

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Issue 195
WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?
How It Works UK

WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?

Why some pregnancies can cause nausea and vomiting

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Issue 195
20 WEIRDEST SCIENCE MYSTERIES
How It Works UK

20 WEIRDEST SCIENCE MYSTERIES

From dark matter to deep-sea crabs, science still can't fully explain these strange quirks of nature

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
Issue 195
THE TRIANGULUM GALAXY SHINES IN A NEW HUBBLE IMAGE
How It Works UK

THE TRIANGULUM GALAXY SHINES IN A NEW HUBBLE IMAGE

A nearby galaxy is shining with star formation in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 195
The world's fastest charger fully powers smartphones in five minutes
How It Works UK

The world's fastest charger fully powers smartphones in five minutes

Scientists have revealed the fastest battery-charging technology in the world for smartphones, which can fully charge a smartphone in less than five minutes.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Issue 195
Real-time brain stimulation slashes Parkinson's symptoms by half in trials
How It Works UK

Real-time brain stimulation slashes Parkinson's symptoms by half in trials

Brain stimulation that rapidly adjusts in real-time can dramatically reduce Parkinson’s symptoms, an early trial suggests.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Issue 195
The hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef
How It Works UK

The hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is facing the hottest sea surface temperatures in four centuries.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Issue 195
Massive medieval coin hoard worth about 150 sheep' discovered
How It Works UK

Massive medieval coin hoard worth about 150 sheep' discovered

Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed over 1,500 medieval silver coins after a citizen noticed what looked like ‘small metal plates’ while digging during a construction project.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Issue 195