Pumped storage power station

a flexible, powerful, efficient and green option to store and deliver large quantities of electrical energy, pumped-storage hydro plants shop and generate power by going water between two reservoirs at various elevations. During times of reasonable electrical energy need, such as during the night or on vacations, extra energy is used to push liquid to an upper reservoir. The turbine acts as a pump, going liquid back uphill. During times of high electricity demand, the retained liquid is circulated through turbines.

A pumped-storage plant works just like the standard hydroelectric section, except equivalent water-can be applied again and again. Water power makes use of no fuel when you look at the generation of electrical energy, making for really low operating prices.

Duke Energy runs two pumped-storage flowers – Jocassee and Bad Creek. Moved storage space can be used to recapture unused electricity during times during the low use. Moreover it permits us to keep our coal-fired and nuclear flowers working much longer and much more effortlessly.

Upper reservoir

When energy from plant is required, liquid stored in a top reservoir is released into an underground tunnel.

Intake tunnel

Water rushes along the intake tunnel.

Turbines

The force associated with the water drives huge turbines, which are underground in the base of a dam. The spinning turbines are attached to huge generators, which create the electrical energy.

Discharge tunnel

The water after that moves through a discharge tunnel into less reservoir.

Recharging

When demand for electrical energy is low, the turbines spin backwards and pump water back-up to the top reservoir to really make it available to create electrical energy when it's needed.