Hydropower (Hobomaps) Flashcards
3-phase power
a three-wire ac power circuit with each phase signal 120 electrical degrees apart
abatement
the reduction or elimination of pollution
abiotic
relating to things in the environment that are not living
abstraction
the process of taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics.
abutment
the edge of a hill or solid high ground against which a dam is constructed to resist the forces of movement.
accretion
growth or increase by gradual accumulation
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers
instruments used to measure water velocities, direction of flow and depth.
acre
1 acre is equal to about 4,000 square meters or .4 hectare
acre-foot
The volume of water that would cover one acre to a depth of one foot. 1 acre-foot= 43,560 cubic feet or 326,000 gallons.
active power
the amount of electric power in an AC electric circuit which is actually consumed or utilized. Also called true power or real power and is measured in Watts.
active storage
also known as active volume, regulating capacity or live storage - the portion of a reservoir that can be drawn down and removed by drainage gravitation. Contrary to dead storage that must be pumped out.
adit tunnel
a nearly-horizontal passage dug for access to an underground tunnnel or mine. Used for ventilation, haulage, drainage, repairs or other access.
aerate
to force or introduce additional air into a material such as water
aeration weir
a weir designed to aerate the water flowing over it.
aerator
forced-air system used to aerate water
aerobic
living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen
affermage
lease agreement where the lesee takes over operational responsibility of an enterprise but the assets remain the property of the lessor.
afforestation
the planting of new forests on lands where the preceding vegetation or land did not contain forests.
air
so-called “pure” or “natural” air is a mixture of gases containing about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, less than 1% carbon dioxide, argon and other gases and varying amounts of water vapor.
Air Quality Index (AQI)
numerical index used for reporting severity of air pollution levels to the public
algal bloom or algae bloom
a rapid increase or accumulation of algae in freshwater or marine water systems often noticed by color change in the water.
alluvial
made up of sand and earth deposited by rivers, floods, etc.
alternating current (ac)
electric current that reverses its direction of flow several times per second, as contrasted with direct current which travels in only one direction.
alternator
alternating generator
American Wire Gauge
is the US standard measure for the diameter of electrical conductors.