Français
1. Natural resources
Usable hydraulic power is proportional to water flow and head. The use of resources therefore requires knowledge of the river environment.
1.1 Topography and geology
Topography provides precise information on the surface area of the watershed feeding the river, and its altitude, which determines the flow regime. The longitudinal profile of the river is used to locate the dam and diversion structures, so as to optimize the ratio between the length of the diversion structures and the head (L/h) (see the article
The topology of the slopes can be used to locate important structures. A dam is located at a rocky bolt at the outlet of a basin,...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
This article is included in
Energy resources and storage
This offer includes:
Knowledge Base
Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees
Services
A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources
Practical Path
Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills
Doc & Quiz
Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading
Natural resources
Environmental impact
Economic data
In 2000, 18% of the world's electricity was generated by hydropower. The breakdown of installed hydropower capacity is shown in figure 1 .
In France, 15% of the electricity generated (70 TWh) is hydroelectric. This makes France the leading...
Bibliography
Work
In Engineering Techniques
Organizations
Commission internationale des grands barrages (CIGB) http://www.cigb-icold.org
Association internationale de recherche hydraulique (AIRH) http://www.iahr.org
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
