Being converted irrigation ponds to medium scaled hydro-electric power plants and the investigation of potential electricity generation of them

ABSTRACT Renewable energy has a significant place in terms of providing both energy requirements of a country during energy production and consumption by using regional sources and clean energy compared to the other energy sources for nature. Turkey is a rich country regarding renewable energy sources because of its geographical position and geological structure. Maximally using of these sources will contribute a continuous supply of energy requirement, increase the ratio of clean energy usage, and create new employment areas. The installed capacity of hydro-electric power plants in Turkey constituted 34% of total renewable energy sources at the beginning of 2017. Turgutlu pond, under construction in Sakarya, Turkey, was studied within the scope of the investigation of potential energy production of irrigation ponds with the conversion to medium scaled hydro-electric power plants. Once the suitability of the equipment of hydro-electric plant investigated so as to determine the adaptation to the current pond embankment and field of river mouth, the investigation was completed by adding the equipment of hydro-electric plant on the current systems. Then, the design of the new equipment of the hydro-electric plant was made. In this regard, various calculations of the equipment which was planned to introduce such as surge chamber, turbine, generator, switchyard, powerhouse, and tail-water channel were made. According to the calculations, a medium scaled hydro-electric plant which has the power of 2MW has been designed. Consequently, the feasibility of the project has been decided in accordance with a cost analysis which was determined by using the design calculation. Keywords: Potential of electric production, Hydro-electric power plant (HPP), Irrigation pond.