The water continues past the propellor through the tailrace into the river past the dam. Power lines are connected to the generator that carry electricity to your home and mine. The shaft from the turbine goes up into the generator, which produces the power. At the end of the penstock there is a turbine propellor, which is turned by the moving water. Gravity causes it to fall through the penstock inside the dam. Near the bottom of the dam wall there is the water intake. The dam stores lots of water behind it in the reservoir. The theory is to build a dam on a large river that has a large drop in elevation (there are not many hydroelectric plants in Kansas or Florida). Take a look at this diagram (courtesy of the Tennessee Valley Authority) of a hydroelectric power plant to see the details: A coal-fired power plant uses steam to turn the turbine blades whereas a hydroelectric plant uses falling water to turn the turbine. In both cases a power source is used to turn a propeller-like piece called a turbine, which then turns a metal shaft in an electric generator, which is the motor that produces electricity. So just how do we get electricity from water? Actually, hydroelectric and coal-fired power plants produce electricity in a similar way. Visit Media to see details.įalling water produces hydroelectric power. Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions.

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