2. Renewable Energy Technologies

Hydropower — Quiz

Test your understanding of hydropower with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

For a pico-hydro site with net head $H=30\,\mathrm{m}$, flow rate $Q=0.05\,\mathrm{m^3/s}$, and overall efficiency $\eta=0.65$, what is the approximate electrical power output $P$ (in kW)?

Question 2

For a penstock with length $L=500\,\mathrm{m}$, diameter $D=0.1\,\mathrm{m}$, flow rate $Q=0.02\,\mathrm{m^3/s}$, friction factor $f=0.03$, and $g=9.81\,\mathrm{m/s^2}$, what are the approximate flow velocity $v$ (m/s) and Darcy–Weisbach head loss $h_f$ (m)?

Question 3

Which type of surge tank incorporates a throttling orifice at its inlet to dampen pressure oscillations in a penstock system?

Question 4

Which is the primary advantage of a sediment bypass tunnel in small-scale hydropower design?

Question 5

If a hydropower plant has a gross head of $50\,\mathrm{m}$ and the tailwater elevation rises by $2\,\mathrm{m}$ during flood, by what percentage does the hydraulic power potential decrease?