Abstract
Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy. Due to ageing infrastructure, more and more existing hydropower plants have to be refurbished and modernised. This includes a complete review of the design parameters as well as the change of specific parts. Investments should be targeted to improve the overall performance of hydropower plants and ensure a long lasting life extension. This paper presents the concept of the submerged wall as a local high point in the headrace tunnel, which can—in combination with the intake gates—replace existing penstock shutoff valves. Such a replacement was conducted for the hydropower plant Schneiderau in Austria, which also allowed us to prove the concept based on measurements including a simulated break of the penstock. The presented solution can help to reduce investment costs and also minimise maintenance efforts and therefore is an attractive option for classic penstock shutoff valves for comparable projects.
Highlights
In 2019, hydropower generated 4.305 TWh of electrical energy worldwide according to the 2020 status report of the International Hydropower Association [1]
This paper presents the concept of the submerged wall as a local high point in the headrace tunnel, which can—in combination with the intake gates—replace existing penstock shutoff valves
This paper presents the concept of the submerged wall, which introduces a local high point in the headrace tunnel
Summary
In 2019, hydropower generated 4.305 TWh of electrical energy worldwide according to the 2020 status report of the International Hydropower Association [1]. The bigger variability of other renewable energy sources in the electrical grid can be compensated with hydropower (including pump storage), which needs flexible operation under constantly changing conditions. Those challenges can be met by improved control strategies, innovative solutions for the generator design, including variable speed due to power electronic converters, and the availability of a digital twin covering the complete system [2]. Rahi and Chandel [3] provide an excellent overview of the main areas of potential refurbishment of HPPs including a focus on the turbine and especially the runner, which has to withstand more changes in operation [4,5] and is a key part of achieving optimal electricity production
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