Deck 9: Hydropower

Question 1

​In the equation P = rgQH, the _____ measures the height in feet (ft) from which water descends and determines its pressure.

A) ​Q
B) ​g
C) ​H
D) ​ρ

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Impact turbines are used for high-flow facilities and are not common in residential and small-scale commercial systems.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

​Which of the following statements is true regarding the environmental impact of large-scale hydroelectric plants?

A) ​The release of water timed to accommodate peak demands in electricity bears a striking resemblance to natural flood cycles.
B) ​Dams can inundate productive land, destroy wildlife habitat, and interrupt fish migration.
C) ​Water released from dams is usually cooler than the undammed river, preventing undue stress on fish and other organisms.
D) ​When dams flood vegetated land,  the resulting decomposition fertilizes the land for crop growth.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

​Hydroelectric generators cannot be started or stopped quickly.

Question 5

​Hydropower, unlike solar and wind, offers predictable and reliable energy.

Question 6

​_____ turbines are not submerged and use nozzles to focus high-pressure jets of water into curved bowls on the rim of a wheel.

A) ​Impact
B) ​Reaction
C) ​Francis
D) ​Kaplan

Question 7

​Which of the following statements is true regarding micro hydro systems?

A) ​Micro hydro systems range in capacity from less than 100 kW to more than 1 million kW.
B) ​The constancy and predictability of hydropower, even if the available resource is small, dramatically improve off-grid systems.
C) ​For off-grid systems, micro hydro is an unpredictable and unstable source of energy.
D) ​Even without stored resources of a reservoir, power produced by micro hydro installations does not vary with the seasonal flow of the water supply.

Question 8

​Most commercial power plants use reaction turbines, designing the turbines to permit fish and other small objects to pass through unharmed.

Question 9

​Small-scale hydropower installations that rely on long pipes to convey water to the turbine experience lower efficiencies than fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.

Question 10

​The _____ is a channel or pipe that connects the water intake to the turbine and often includes a control gate for regulating flow rate.

A) ​powerhouse
B) ​tailrace
C) ​intake pipe
D) ​penstock