Run-off

• Rain fall (used in a general sense) or “precipitation” may be

defined as the total condensation of moisture that reaches
the earth in any form.
• It includes all forms of rains, ice, snow, hail or sleet etc.
• “Evaporation” represents practically all of that portion of
the rainfall that does not reach the point of ultimate use as
stream flow.
• evaporation, includes all the rainfall that is returned to the
atmosphere from land and water surfaces.
• Thus total evaporation is:
Run-off
1. Evaporation from land and water surfaces.
2. Evaporation by transpiration which is the vaporization of
water from the breathing pores of vegetable matter.
3. Atmospheric evaporation (evaporation while precipitation
is falling).
• The portion of the total precipitation that flows through the
catchment area is known as “Run-off”.
• The catchment area of a hydro site is the total area behind
the dam, draining water into the reservoir.
Run-off = Total precipitation – Total evaporation
The unit of run-off are m3/s or day-second meter.
Factors Affecting Run-off
1. Rainfall Pattern. Short, hard showers may produce
relatively little run-off. Rains lasting a longer time results
in larger run-off.
2. Nature of Catchement Area. The Topography, shape and
nature of surface and dub surface geology have greater
influence. The Step and rocky surface give more run off
3. Shape & Size of Catchment Area. Large catchment area
give more run off. The run off at point X in Figure a is more
than that in Figure b.
Factors Affecting Run-off
4 Vegetation. Evaporation and seepage are increased by cultivation.
Cultivation opens and roughens the hard, smooth surface and
promotes seepage.
5- Weather Condition: Low Temperature, high relative humidity
and low winds result in high run off because evaporation losses
increases with increase in temperature, decrease in relative
humidity and increase in wind velocity
Hydrographs
• A hydrograph is graphical representation that represents
variation of discharge or flow with time
• The following information is available from hydrograph
(i) Rate of flow during any instant during the duration period
(ii) Volume of water during that duration
(iii) Mean annual/monthly run off
(iv) Maximum and Minimum run off
(v) Maximum rate of run off during flood
Hydrographs
Flow Duration Curve
• A flow duration curve shows the relation between
flows and lengths of time during which they are
available.
• The flow duration curve is drawn with magnitudes
of run off as ordinate against the corresponding
percentage of time as abscissa
• The flow duration curve is drawn from available run
off data
 Conversion inch to feet

1 m3/s= 35.314 ft3/s

Reservoir Power Plant
• a. Run off river power plants without pondage
This type of hydroelectric power plant, water is not
available all the time.
This type of power station is not suitable for constant
steady load.
There is no pondage or storage facility available in
such type of power plant.
Plant is placed in such a area,where water is coming
directly from the river or pond. This type of
hydroelectric power plant is called run off power
plant without pondage
Reservoir Power Plant
• b. Run off river power plants with pondage
•
This type of plant is used to increase the capacity of
pond.The pond is used as a storage water of hydro
electric power plant.Increased the pond size means
more water is available in the plant,so such type of
hydro electric power plant is used fluctuating load
period depending on the size of pondage.
Pondage Factor
• It is ratio of total inflow hours in a given period to
total number of hours the plant is running during
the same period
SPECIFIC SPEED OF TURBINE
• the specific speed is number of revolutions per
minute at which a given runner would revolve