How does the technology of hydroelectricity work?

Answer 1

Hydroelectricity isn't very complicated; it is essentially a souped-up version of an old-fashioned water-wheel. Water (as you know) naturally flows downhill by the force of gravity, and a large volume of water, like a river, can release a tremendous amount of energy this way. To convert that 'flowing downhill' energy into electricity, engineers will find a spot where the water is flowing particularly heavily (often at the site of a natural waterfall, or by constructing a dam that builds up water to create pressure) and channel part or all of this flow through artificial tunnels. Inside the tunnels are turbines: the water pushes through the turbines, forcing them to spin, which spins some fairly hefty magnets inside coils of wire, which generates electricity. if you've ever taken apart the alternator on a car, or seen one of those science experiments where you can light a light bulb by spinning a handle, you're seeing the same principle.


Believe it or not, nuclear fission reactors function in much the same way - the nuclear fuel is used to produce a huge quantity of heat that boils a huge quantity of water, and the resulting steam pressure is used to drive steam turbines.