绪言美国目前由于需要大量补充能源,对开发剩余水力资源的兴趣大增。大部份尚未开发的水能资源,都属于低水头(低于20米)范围。低水头电站开发的主要障碍,是工程造价偏高,在大多情况下,每千瓦装机容量的工程费用,仍比老式火电厂高。然而,随着燃料价格不断上涨,选择低水头电站会变得更为有利。 INTRODUCTION The United States currently has a significant interest in developing surplus water resources due to the large amount of additional energy it needs. Most of the undeveloped hydropower resources are of low headcount (less than 20 meters). The main obstacle to the development of low-head hydropower plants is the high project cost. In most cases, the project cost per kilowatt installed capacity is still higher than that of the old thermal power plants. However, as fuel prices continue to rise, it may be more advantageous to choose a low head station.