Hydro Power
- The proposed Basin Mills Development on the Penobscot river
would have been a 64 foot high dam. The average flow rate on the
Penobscot is 14,000 cubic feet per second. What is the average amount
of power that this dam could deliver? Assume that the falling water
can be converted into electric energy with an efficiency of 80%.
- How much energy does a typical household use per month? How
many households could this Dam supply power for?
- Do some research and find out how much power other plants
(hydro, nuclear, and fossil fuel) in Maine produce.
- Estimate the flow rate of the small stream on campus. (Or,
estimate some other stream on the island.) In your
write up be sure to state how you performed this estimation.
- Estimate how much power the little stream could provide. To do
so you'll need to figure out the vertical drop of the stream.
- Translate the power of the little stream into some
understandable numbers. Could the stream provide power for a dorm,
the entire campus, one office?
- How much per year would COA save on its electricity bill?
Optional Other Stuff to Think About if you Want:
- How much power could be generated by tides?
The following web sites may prove useful:
-
http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/fortune/284/hydro.html.
- http://zebu.uoregon.edu/1997/ph161/l29.html.
-
http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/re-kiosk/hydro/index.shtml.
[Dave]
[Physics I]
[Mini-Projects]
[COA]
Web page maintained by dave@hornacek.coa.edu.