ABSTRACT
Hydropower is a form of renewable power that has been employed for a long time. Before electricity became prevalent, water wheels or water mills were employed to provide mechanical power to a variety of industrial processes. With the advent of electricity, hydropower has been an important part of the generation capacity of many countries. This chapter begins with a brief review of water resources and clarifying important concepts such as watersheds, hydrology and hydrodynamics. Then, we use basic principles from fluid dynamics to develop calculations of power based on head and flow. We discuss a variety of turbine types and their applications for various conditions of head and flow. Hydrological data on streamflow is very important in planning and operation of hydroelectric facilities, be it reservoir based, run-of-river, and pumped storage. Other forms of hydroelectric generation involve the use of tides and waves in the coastal environment. We conclude this chapter by examining these forms of generation. Several textbooks treat hydroelectric power generation and can serve as supplementary reading to this chapter [1-4].
