Page 55 - “GREENING” THE CONTENT IN CXC® SYLLABUSES

E-LEARNING MODULES AND LEARNING GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

Jamaica has several run-of-the river hydropower plants.

Components of a large hydropower plant

Source: Prajval.in

The 'dam' is the most important component of the hydroelectric plant where water is stored

behind the dam in a reservoir. The control gates or intake are gates built inside the dam so that

when the water from the reservoir is released, it is controlled through these structures. When

the control gates are opened, the water flows through the penstock to the turbines. The

penstocks are large pipes positioned with some slope. The surge chamber also called the surge
tank, is a cylindrical tank that is opened at the top control the pressure in the penstock. Various

types of hydraulic turbines can be used in power plants depending on the height of the reservoir,

quantity of water and total power generation capacity.

Types of hydropower

The main types of hydropower systems are:

1. Run-of-the-River (diversion)
a. These systems do not require dams.
b. Typically installed for small hydropower systems.

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