What is hydraulic energy and how is it used?

Did you know that in ancient times and in the Middle Ages some of the energies that we know by the name of renewables were already used? In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about what is hydraulic energy and how is it usedTo do this, we will make a brief trip through the past to see some of the uses that were given, as was the case of the water mills that were used to grind wheat or to dye clothes. Later, we will go on to talk about the uses that we give to this clean energy within our own homes, with some gadgets that you would not even imagine that work by the force of water.

Index

1. What is hydraulic energy?
2. Hydraulic energy and its use in history
3. The use of hydropower today

As the first element to be dealt with in the lesson on what hydraulic energy is and how it is used, we focus on its definition. This is an energy that is produced thanks to the force of waterTherefore, on many occasions we will find in the dams a series of coils which are placed to the millimeter.

With this it is achieved that, when the floodgates are opened, the water falls on top of the coils making them rotate and, in that way, generate electrical energy. As the force of water is used, we must know that this type of objects will be placed in waterfalls in rivers (whose current is large) in waterfalls or in the aforementioned dams.

In this other lesson from a TEACHER we will discover what are the types of renewable and non-renewable energy so that you know them.

Image: hydronauta.blogspot.com

We continue our lesson going to see the different uses that this energy has. To do this, first of all, we have to travel back in time to see one of the first uses of this energy.

Around 240 a. C. there is evidence of the first use of hydraulic energy, being used in the water Mill. This used a wheel that had a series of blades. It was located in some part of a river with a great current, an element that made the prayer turn, which, thanks to a series of gears, activated a mechanism that was used to grind the wheat. This invention went beyond the previous mill, which used animal traction to move the stone.

Over the years, and as a curiosity, we have to know that they have even existed elevators that were elevated thanks to the hunting of the water. We found that example in the Panama Canal where an elevator was raised thanks to the force of the water, for which it used a hydraulic wheel.

At the moment, hydraulic energy is used to convert it into electrical energy. Here we describe the different uses that it is given:

• Throughout the entire planet there are a series of buildings, hydroelectric power plants, where the energy generated by the different coils in the waterfalls is stored. This energy is usually used for industry, since they are centers where a large amount of electrical energy is spent. Even so, it is very common for the towns or cities adjacent to some hydroelectric plants to be fed by this clean energy.
• Similarly, there are certain inventions that are also very important in our daily lives, such as hydraulic brakes, the elevators, the hydraulic hammer and today they are investigating the use in engines.
• As a curiosity, have you ever stopped to think about the device that the dentist uses which has a tip in the middle and that spouts water? This tool, whose name in dental jargon is “drill", uses hydraulic energy to drive a mini turbine that it has, which makes the metal tip rotate at high speed, making it possible to clean teeth deeply, removing almost all plaque accumulated.
• Finally, we will talk about the use of hydraulic energy in an element as important as the pipelines, because the drinking water network of cities has different turbines inside that help water to reach all corners with the same pressure.

The conclusion is that today a great performance is being obtained from this type of energy, therefore, it is not by chance that it is considered the most attractive within the so-called renewable energy.

Image: biologiaygeologia.org

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