Economic & Environmental Aspects of Power Generation
Economic Aspects
Cost and Types
The cost of a product is the sum of the various expenses incurred to produce it. For power plants, the product is electrical energy supplied to the network (kWh).
Internal Costs relate to the economic costs passed on to the productive process, which can be divided into:
- a) Depreciation costs of investment: fixed annually
- b) Fuel costs: variable
- c) Cost of operation and maintenance (O&M): fixed (staff) and variable (lubricants, waste management, etc.)
This analysis of
Read MoreA Timeline of Earth’s Glacial Events and Climate Fluctuations
Before 1,000 Mya Faint young Sun paradox
2,400 Mya Great Oxygenation Event probably leads to Huronian glaciation perhaps covering the whole globe
650-600 Mya Later Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth or Marinoan glaciation, precursor to the Cambrian Explosion
517 Mya End-Botomian mass extinction; like the next two, little understood
502 Mya Dresbachian extinction event
485.4 ± 1.9 Mya Cambrian–Ordovician extinction event
450-440 Mya Ordovician–Silurian extinction event, in two bursts, after cooling perhaps
Read MoreDam Engineering: Types, Components, and Control Mechanisms
DAMS
Definition
Dams are water reservoirs designed to store water. Their primary functions include:
- Supplying water for consumption
- Controlling water flow to prevent flooding
- Harnessing water power and transforming it into other forms of energy (electrical, mechanical, etc.)
Classification of Dams
Types of Dams Based on Structure:
- Gravity Dams
- Lightweight Gravity Dams (Buttress Dams)
- Arch Dams
Types of Dams Based on Material:
- Concrete Dams
- Embankment Dams
- Composite Dams
Types of Dams Based on Application:
- Check
A Comprehensive Guide to Dam Types, Structures, and Control Elements
DAMS
Definition
Dams are water reservoirs designed to store water. Their functions include:
- Supplying water for consumption
- Controlling flow to prevent flooding
- Harnessing water power for energy transformation (electrical, mechanical, etc.)
Classification of Dams
Types of Dams by Structure:
- Gravity dams
- Lightweight gravity dams (buttresses)
- Arch dams
Types of Dams by Material:
- Concrete dams
- Embankment dams
- Mixed dams
Types of Dams by Application:
- Filter dams
- Storage dams
- Flood control dams
- Diversion dams
- Energy production
A Comprehensive Guide to Dam Types, Components, and Control Mechanisms
DAMS
Definition
Dams are barriers constructed across rivers or valleys to create reservoirs for water storage. Their primary functions include:
- Water supply for consumption
- Flood control
- Hydropower generation
Classification of Dams
Types of Dams Based on Structure
- Gravity Dams
- Buttress Dams (Lightweight Gravity Dams)
- Arch Dams
Types of Dams Based on Material
- Concrete Dams
- Embankment Dams
- Earth Dams
- Rockfill Dams
- Earth-Rockfill Dams
- Composite Dams
Types of Dams Based on Application
- Check Dams
- Flood Control Dams
- Diversion
The Water Cycle, Pollution & Sustainability of Aquatic Resources
The Water Cycle
- Renewable: atmosphere, rivers (circular process)
- Middle ground: groundwater aquifers
- Non-renewable: oceans, icecaps
Transfers are: advection, flooding, surface run-off.
Storages: oceans, soils, groundwater, lakes
Human Impact on the Water Cycle
- Withdrawals: domestic use, irrigation in agriculture and industry
- Discharges: adding pollutants to water
- Diverting rivers or sections of rivers
Urbanization and Flash Floods
Ocean Currents and Energy Distribution
- Ocean currents: movements of water vertically