Hydropower

Hydropower involves capturing the ability of moving water to generate power. This power may be generated in a variety of ways, including the driving of waterwheels and the powering of hydroelectric turbines. The technology has been used for many centuries and has helped to concentrate the settling of populations close to river systems and increased people's reliance on the rivers' predictability. In recent years, new developments have made it more possible to harness the power of tidal streams and of the waves of the open sea.

Waterwheels have been built according to a number of different designs in most civilizations of the world. The basic principle is to use the moving water to drive the buckets or panels that are used to create the wheel so ...