Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
I believe that a majority of man-made reservoirs lack sufficient gravity potential for the hydraulic head,necessary to power a turbine-generator.Utilities installing pumped-hydro storage are currently forced to locate on top of existing hills/mountains,far above the turbine's elevation to get enough pressure differential across the turbine blades.Any fluid mechanics text would have the formulas for available power,given a specific elevation.It requires 32-feet of water column to develop an atmosphere of pressure (14.6 psi).Many hundreds of feet would be required to overcome a utility-scale generator.Edison used Niagara Falls,at 167-feet.The Oroville Dam is 770-feet.
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The big Columbia River dams don't have that much height to them, you can have height, or you can have volume. The turbines can be designed to work with either.
The new British Columbia hydro projects use the heights and lower volume and don't pool a reservoir at all. Well maybe a little one or just a diversion dam, then pipe the water down the mountain. Lots of pressure, not as much volume.