Tucuruí Dam facts for kids
The Tucurui Dam is a giant wall built across the Tocantins River in Brazil. It's located in a region called Tucurui province. This huge dam was built to create electricity using the power of moving water. It's one of the biggest hydroelectric dams in the world!
Building a Giant Dam
Building the Tucurui Dam was a massive project. Construction started way back in the 1980s. It's known for its strong "gravity wall" design, which means the sheer weight of the dam itself holds back the enormous amount of water in the river.
How Dams Make Electricity
Dams like Tucurui are super important for making clean energy. Here's how it works:
- A huge wall (the dam) blocks a river, creating a large lake behind it.
- Water from this lake is then released through special pipes called penstocks.
- As the water rushes down these pipes, it spins giant machines called turbines.
- These spinning turbines are connected to generators, which then create electricity.
- This type of electricity is called hydroelectric power, and it's a renewable energy source because it uses the natural flow of water.
Tucurui's Big Impact
The Tucurui Dam provides a lot of electricity for Brazil. It helps power homes, schools, and businesses across the country. Building such a large dam also changes the environment around it, creating new lakes and affecting local areas.
