The Hoover Dam
Containing Energy
As you can see the hydro electric system holds water behind a wall to contain energy. It is used to control the amount of energy cycling through the atmosphere. The general idea is to use it more in the day when an average human needs the most energy and then it is turned off at night to hold more energy. In the Hoover Dam you can see how much water it is actually holding back and it's amazing to see how much energy it is containing. Soon all that water will eventually get passed the dam because of the more and more energy we need.
A hydro plant is typically a system with three different parts: an electric plant is where the electricity is produced, a dam that can be opened and closed to control water flow, and a reservoir where water can be stored. The water behind the dam flows through a intake and it pushes against blades in a turbine, this causes them to turn. The turbine then spins a generator to produce the electricity. The amount of electricity depends on how far the water drops and how much water actually moves through the system. The electricity can be transported over long-distance electric lines to homes, factories, and businesses.
What is a dam made out of?
Base: The base is usually created by pouring a lot of rocks, gravel, sand and dirt into the channel (because we use dirt and rocks it keeps the price of building it a lot cheaper.)
Concrete: Concrete is poured into the base to make it stronger and for it to hold its shape more.
Steel: Without steel the concrete would break due to the rushing waters, so they put a steel into it to help keep it's shape and to make it a whole lot stronger.
Concrete: Concrete is poured into the base to make it stronger and for it to hold its shape more.
Steel: Without steel the concrete would break due to the rushing waters, so they put a steel into it to help keep it's shape and to make it a whole lot stronger.
Parts of a dam:
1) Dam and Water Reservoir: Supplies the water and the dam raises the level of water in the reservoir, this allowing greater mechanical energy created.
2) "Intake and Penstock": The intake is where the water enters from the reservoir. This happens from gates that regulate the amount of water coming in. The penstock on the other hand is a long shaft like passage way that receives the flowing water through its tunnel and turns it into kinetic energy.
3) Turbines: This is the part of the plant were the flowing water's kinetic energy is turned into mechanical energy. The turbines are turned by the flowing water and with the blades turning it starts to power the generator.
4) Electrical System: This part of it consists of transmission and energy lines. These lines are a conductor from the plant to all the homes and business that need the energy.
2) "Intake and Penstock": The intake is where the water enters from the reservoir. This happens from gates that regulate the amount of water coming in. The penstock on the other hand is a long shaft like passage way that receives the flowing water through its tunnel and turns it into kinetic energy.
3) Turbines: This is the part of the plant were the flowing water's kinetic energy is turned into mechanical energy. The turbines are turned by the flowing water and with the blades turning it starts to power the generator.
4) Electrical System: This part of it consists of transmission and energy lines. These lines are a conductor from the plant to all the homes and business that need the energy.