Humans have been harnessing the power of moving water for thousands of years. This free online course, Introduction to Hydroelectric Power Plants, describes the potential energy of falling water that has been used to drive mills, pumps, and numerous other applications. Converting the potential, kinetic and mechanical energy of flowing water to electrical energy, however, is a relatively new concept.

Modern hydroelectric plants represent the pinnacle of hydropower engineering, but how do they work? How efficient are they? Are they really 'green'? In this course, we are going to answer all of these questions and many more!

This hydroelectric power course is designed to help you understand essential concepts concerning hydro power plant engineering knowledge. Even if you already have some background power plant engineering knowledge, this course will serve as an efficient refresher. The course begins by describing what role hydroelectricity plays in today's power engineering market, and it lists the common hydropower plant components (penstock, gates, spillway, turbines, etc.). Next, you will learn about hydropower plant terminology (headwater, tailrace, etc.), and how different hydropower plants work (dam, run of the river, tidal, pumped storage, etc.). You will also learn about the differences between several hydro turbines and their typical applications (Kaplan, Pelton, Francis).

Whatever your level of understanding, or engineering background (electrical engineering, automobile engineering, power engineering, oil and gas, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.), we guarantee you will learn something new with this course. Interactive 3D models are used to show you each type of hydroelectric power plant works, their main components, and each type of hydroelectric turbine. So, why wait? Start the course today and by the end of the week, you will have gained some valuable knowledge about the role that hydroelectricity plays in today's power generation market!