In: Electrical Engineering
MUST ANSWER A, B and C
Consider a pumped hydro system that is used for energy storage. During off peak hours, excess electricity is used to pump water up to a storage reservoir. During peak demand periods the flow is reversed and electric power is generated by flowing the water through a hydraulic turbine. The storage reservoir is 100 m above the hydro turbine/pump units and the hydraulic turbine can accommodate up to 650 liters per second of flow.
3a) How much area would the pumped storage reservoir need to be to store 1000 MWh of hydro energy if its average depth were 10 m? Express your answer in square meter. Is this reasonable?
3b) Estimate the theoretical power (assume 100% efficiency) produced during the times that electricity is generated.
3c) If the roundtrip efficiency of the pumped storage unit is 75% (i.e., energy out/energy in), how much water (m 3) must the reservoir hold to store the same 1000 MWh of energy?