Construction Of Hydropower Plants Research Articles

Design and construction of an off-grid gravitational vortex hydropower plant: A case study in rural Peru

Low-head hydroelectric technology is allowing the expansion of distributed power systems into isolated regions that are difficult to connect to the grid. Such technology can provide renewable energy resources to a wider population, especially in developing countries. Here, we evaluate a 10-kW-scale gravitational vortex hydropower (GVHP) system constructed on a river in rural Peru. Detailed specifications of the design, construction, and initial testing are given, along with a basic economic evaluation. We critically compare the GVHP technology to mature low-head hydropower technologies. The GVHP technology is suitable for operation at a head as little as 1 m with a minimum flow rate of 0.5 m3/s. We demonstrated that the GVHP infrastructure could be constructed with a high level of manual labor, with materials and technologies available in a developing country. The relatively small investment cost and short payback time make it an interesting option for small rural communities where connection to the grid is not favorable, or where the simplicity of the design outweighs the need for high efficiency. Labor was the main cost (despite inexpensive labor in Peru). Considering the challenging high-torque operating conditions, power transmission from the turbine to the generator is a major limitation of this system.

RANCANG BANGUN DAN UJI KELAYAKAN PEMBANGKIT LISTRIK TENAGA PICOHYDRO TIPE PROPELLER

South Sulawesi is an area which has abundant hydro energy. Thus allowing the construction of hydro power plant. According to Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) in 2012, South Sulawesi has 72.22% electrification ratio. It shows that there are 27.78% areas of South Sulawesi which have not supplied by electricity. To overcome this, a pico-scale independent power plant is required. Propeller type of picohydro power plant is one of the hydro power plants that can be used in unsupllied areas . This type of plant requires only 2-10 m head so that it has a wide coverage area usage. Beside that, it is very easy in maintenance and simple in construction. Seeing this, picohydro power plant’s design and proper test is important to do as a solution for the people in an unsupplied area. Based on design and proper test , a hydro power plant with 180 mm diameter turbine tap and 55 mm diameter turbine hub, 4 turbine blades and 7 % as the highest system efficiency is constructed.

Is the hydropower boom actually taking place? A case study of a South East European country, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Over the last two decades, the world has experienced a boom in the number of hydropower projects. Considered an important part of sustainable development, particularly in post-socialist transition and developing countries, it is claimed that hydropower plants will make substantial contributions to environmentally friendly economic growth and poverty eradication. However, the so-called ‘hydropower boom’ has not resulted in a global mass construction of plants. In general, over-ambitious planning, a lack of funding opportunities and corruption are often put forward as explanations for the discrepancy between the number of plans and actual construction of hydropower plants. In this paper, it is added to these three reasons, illustrating with a case study from Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the planning of hydropower projects very rarely results in their construction. The results are based on secondary data and primary data, i.e. semi-structured interviews and informal talks, collected during fieldwork in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The data was analyzed using the analytical induction method. The results highlight how administrative complexity, over-estimations of exploitable capacity, an unattractive sociopolitical and socioeconomic situation and how these factors in combination create the conditions for various practices of corruption hinder the construction of plants. Comparing the results with other findings from around the world, the paper suggests approaching the so-called global hydropower boom with caution.

Experience and Possibilities of Effective Use of Energy Resources Dargom-Taligulyanskiy Water and Energy Tract. Part I

This part of the article briefly analyzes the current and future development of the electricity sector of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030. The continuing trend of the predominant use of natural gas as a fuel in the production of electric and thermal energy in thermal power plants (TPPs) is established and marks the need for technological complexity of future mining, processing of natural gas with a promising multicomponent gas–condensate, oil–gas–condensate deposits of hydrocarbons, and the creation of modern gas chemical complexes. The data on the remaining significant emissions of harmful substances into the environment of TPPs are given. Using renewable energy resources of the country, in the priority order of hydropower resources of natural and artificial watercourses, is necessary. The experience of the use of hydropower resources of water–energy tract of a complex purpose, created earlier in the Samarkand region, is important. The volume of electricity generation data operated by hydroelectric power plants on the path and the volume of natural gas savings are shown. The influence of hydrological regimes of the water–energy tract on monthly power generation is shown. The possibility of the further development of hydropower potential usage of the water–energy tract through the construction of new small hydropower plants is shown. Upon analysis of hydrological regimes, using a water supply by a water–power path, the differentiation of the number of hours of use of promising small hydropower plants is established. The necessity to search for technologies and technical solutions to ensure uniform power generation all year round by promising small hydropower plants is substantiated.

Impacts of small cascaded hydropower plants on river discharge in a basin in Southern China

AbstractThe run‐off volume altered by the construction of hydropower plants affects ecohydrological processes in catchments. Although the impacts of large hydropower plants have been well documented in the literature, few studies have been conducted on the impacts of small cascaded hydropower plants (SCHPs). To evaluate the impacts of SCHPs on river flow, we chose a representative basin affected by hydropower projects and, to a lesser degree, by other human activities, that is, the Qiuxiang River basin in Southern China. The observed river discharge and climate data during the period of 1958–2016 were investigated. The datasets were divided into a low‐impact period and a high‐impact period based on the number of SCHPs and the capacities of the reservoirs. The daily river discharge alteration was assessed by applying the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration. To separate the impact of the SCHPs on the local river discharge from that of climate‐related precipitation, the back‐propagation neural network was used to simulate the monthly average river discharge process. An abnormal result was found: Unlike large reservoirs in large watersheds, the SCHPs regulated the flows during the flood season but were not able to mitigate the droughts during the dry season due to their limited storage and the commonly occurring inappropriate interregulations of the SCHPs. The SCHPs also reduced the annual average river discharge in the research basin. The contribution of the SCHPs to the river discharge changes was 85.37%, much higher than the contributions of climate change (13.43%) and other human activities (1.20%). The results demonstrated that the impacts of the SCHPs were different from those of large dams and reservoirs that regulate floods and relieve droughts. It is necessary to raise the awareness of the impacts of these river barriers.

Life cycle assessment of run-of-river hydropower plants in the Peruvian Andes: a policy support perspective

Low-carbon emissions are usually related to hydropower energy, making it an attractive option for nations with hydropower potential as it enables them to meet increasing electricity demand without relying on burning fossil fuels. In fact, the new wave of hydropower plant construction is occurring mainly in tropical areas where an additional environmental impact must be considered: biogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the degradation of biogenic carbon in reservoirs. Peru is planning to install up to 2000 MW in hydropower until 2021, but the input and output flows, as well as the environmental impacts that these generate, have not been explored. Hence, a set of three hydropower plants built in the past decade located in the Peruvian Andes were analyzed from a life cycle perspective. The main objective of the study is to generate detailed life cycle inventories for each of these three hydropower plants with the aim of obtaining specific information for current conditions in Peru. The life cycle assessment methodology was applied to compute the environmental impacts. Data collection was based mainly on primary data obtained directly from the hydropower companies, although biogenic emissions were modeled considering local net primary productivity conditions and other site-specific conditions. Although the calculation of GHG emissions related to hydropower plants was a priority, considering the important policy implications of decarbonizing the Peruvian electricity grid, other environmental categories, such as eutrophication or the depletion of abiotic resources, were also considered. The IPCC method was used to calculate GHG emissions, whereas a set of eight additional impact categories were computed using the ReCiPe 2016 method. Results show that GHG emissions per unit of electricity generated were in the lower range of emissions observed in the literature, in all three cases below 3 g CO2eq/kWh. Biogenic emissions represented less than 5% of the total GHG emissions despite their location in a tropical nation, due to the arid conditions of the landscape in the Andean Highlands, as well as the mild temperatures that are present in the reservoirs. In terms of stratospheric ozone depletion, a GHG with ozone depletion properties, N2O, was the main source of impact. The results are intended to be of utility for an array of applications, including relevance in decision-making in the energy sector and policy-making at a national level, considering the implications in terms of meeting the nationally determined contributions to mitigate climate change in the frame of the Treaty of Paris.

Software-Defined MANET Swarm for Mobile Monitoring in Hydropower Plants

The construction and running of hydropower plants does not merely involve hydropower generation itself but also facilities surveillance, water quality monitoring, harmful creatures tracking, etc., thus requiring mobile and collaborative monitoring capabilities. MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Networks), with its mobility, flexibility, and robustness in volatile networking environment, is a competitive candidate to fulfill such tasks. Nevertheless its distributed structure prevents the effective collaboration between MANET nodes. SDN (Software-Defined Networking) provides the centralized control over the network underlay. This paper proposes the SDN-controlled IEEE 802.11 MANET swarm for mobile monitoring in hydropower plants. First, the MANET node is implemented by integrating Raspberry Pi with cameras, various sensors, etc., into the low-cost wheeled mobile hardware to enable sensibility and mobility. Then, multiple such MANET nodes are networked through ad hoc protocols, to construct a flexible and distributed MANET underlay; meanwhile, to implement centralized control over the MANET underlay, every MANET node is equipped with OpenFlow switch software (e.g., Open vSwitch) so that OpenFlow directives issued by the SDN controller can be understood and executed, hence the SDN overlay on top of the MANET underlay. Finally, OpenFlow is extended to offer physical actions such as mobility and sensibility manipulation, beyond pure data forwarding in traditional SDN applications, to achieve mobile monitoring in hydropower plants. The SDN-controlled MANET swarm features mobile and sensing capabilities, flexible networking through ad hoc protocols, and efficient and unified control by SDN. Experiment results prove the feasibility of this network architecture.

Tulevaisuuksien muotoilua Lapin varhaisessa seutusuunnittelussa

The reconstruction of Lapland after World War II did not mean merely restoring the pre-war infrastructure and buildings; Lapland was both reconstructed and built afresh at the same time. Reconstruction was viewed by planners and architects as an inspiring challenge to modernise the devastated areas. Lapland region was considered a real-life laboratory for arranging novel ways for “living, moving and working”. Almost all the rapids of Finland´s longest river, the Kemijoki, were harnessed during the 1950s and 1960s. The construction of hydropower plants changed both the mental and physical landscape of Northern Finland in ways that were not anticipated in the planning stage of the projects. One of the rapids harnessed on the Kemijoki River was Pirttikoski. During the construction years (1955-1959) the population of Pirttikoski grew from zero to almost 4000. In this article I will discuss the kinds of modernising influences that the construction of the power plants introduced into the culture and everyday lives of the people living in the region, asking what was the ethos of regional planning articulated in the planning of both the community and the region. I will further explore what was the anticipated future society that the designers of Lapland regional plan in the 1950s were pursuing. In this article the village of Pirttikoski serves as a model community in two ways. Firstly, Pirttikoski was originally designed as an experimental model community for creating solutions for future power plant construction site communities. Secondly, it is a model village of my study, a micro case from which I will examine the process of designing a regional plan for Lapland in the 1950s.
 

Basin‐scale effects of small hydropower on biodiversity dynamics

Construction of small hydropower plants (<10 megawatts) is booming worldwide, exacerbating ongoing habitat fragmentation and degradation, and further fueling biodiversity loss. A systematic approach for selecting hydropower sites within river networks may help to minimize the detrimental effects of small hydropower on biodiversity. In addition, a better understanding of reach‐ and basin‐scale impacts is key for designing planning tools. We synthesize the available information about (1) reach‐scale and (2) basin‐scale impacts of small hydropower plants on biodiversity and ecosystem function, and (3) interactions with other anthropogenic stressors. We then discuss state‐of‐the‐art, spatially explicit planning tools and suggest how improved knowledge of the ecological and evolutionary impacts of hydropower can be incorporated into project development. Such tools can be used to balance the benefits of hydropower production with the maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. Adequate planning tools that consider basin‐scale effects and interactions with other stressors, such as climate change, can maximize long‐term conservation.

EVALUATION AND OPTIMAL LOCATION'S SELECTION FOR MINI HIDRO POWER PLANT'S CONSTRUCTION ON RIVER VRBAS

The presented paper is part of a wider research related to the application of water, as a renewable source, which was made in the frame of master program with energy efficiency's topic. This paper analyzes aspects of the mini hydro power plant's construction (with installed power of 0.5 MW) for the energy-ecological development of the rural area and the application of renewable energy sources without negative impact on the environment. An analysis of 3 different locations on river Vrbas was performed using the AHP method and a selection of the most suitable location for the construction of this type of facility was made. At the beginning of the paper, the significance of the mini hydroelectric power plant is described in relation to the large, and later, the potential for the construction of facilities of this type in the wider region of the Republic of Srpska and BiH. The aim of paper is to show the importance of producing electricity using water as a renewable energy source and optimal location selection using the AHP method.

From natural flow to ‘working river’: hydropower development, modernity and socio-territorial transformations in Lima's Rímac watershed

By combining scholarship on modernity, urbanization and territory, this paper analyses how urban-based visions and ambitions have been realized in hydropower development and specific water access and control arrangements in the Rímac watershed in Lima, Peru. The discourses that sustained and promoted hydropower plant construction and associated development projects in the watershed are scrutinized, showing how the dream of conquering nature through engineers' technical skills was enmeshed with political agendas and visions of modernizing not only nature, but also people. Besides the historical analysis, the paper also explores how historical physical-ecological, legal, social and symbolic reconfigurations continue to shape hydrosocial relations between the city of Lima and the Rímac watershed. Analysing the current management of the watershed's highland lakes and community water use from the hydropower company's tunnels shows how the history of the Rímac is not a clear cut story of water deprivation but rather of complex, entangled, multidimensional relations and dependence. In the context of increasing pressure on water resources, the socio-territorial arrangements and the watershed's history itself are becoming matters of discussion.

Past, present, and future of a freshwater fish metapopulation in a threatened landscape.

It is well documented that hydropower plants can affect the dynamics of fish populations through landscape alterations and the creation of new barriers. Less emphasis has been placed on the examination of the genetic consequences for fish populations of the construction of dams. The relatively few studies that focus on genetics often do not consider colonization history and even fewer tend to use this information for conservation purposes. As a case study, we used a 3-pronged approach to study the influence of historical processes, contemporary landscape features, and potential future anthropogenic changes in landscape on the genetic diversity of a fish metapopulation. Our goal was to identify the metapopulation's main attributes, detect priority areas for conservation, and assess the consequences of the construction of hydropower plants for the persistence of the metapopulation. We used microsatellite markers and coalescent approaches to examine historical colonization processes, traditional population genetics, and simulations of future populations under alternate scenarios of population size reduction and gene flow. Historical gene flow appeared to have declined relatively recently and contemporary populations appeared highly susceptible to changes in landscape. Gene flow is critical for population persistence. We found that hydropower plants could lead to a rapid reduction in number of alleles and to population extirpation 50-80 years after their construction. More generally, our 3-pronged approach for the analyses of empirical genetic data can provide policy makers with information on the potential impacts of landscape changes and thus lead to more robust conservation efforts.

GIS-based approach for assessing the energy potential and the financial feasibility of run-off-river hydro-power in Alpine valleys

In the last decade, European attractive policies are favoring the construction of new run-off hydro-power plants. The realization cost of these plants is quite low in mountain areas thanks to small water discharges and high gross heads. For this reason, small rivers have been strongly exploited without considering an optimal use of the resource. Nowadays, available sites are often in areas with low accessibility and a greater specific cost of civil engineering works. However, during the planning of new small hydro-power plants, the dependency of physical, technical, legal and financial variable on space is often not assessed. The tool presented in this paper addresses this gap to support the planning of run-off-river plants. The method improves on previous approaches by (1) integrating all the legal, technical and financial analysis in a GIS tool, and (2) trying to validate the site-specific model with local knowledge. The tool is applied to the Gesso and Vermenagna valleys in the Alps. Information and data were collected and discussed with local stakeholders in order to improve the model results.

Оценка воздействия на трансграничный бассейн реки Селенги в границах Российской Федерации в связи с планами строительства гидроэнергетических объектов на территории Монголии

Оценка воздействия на трансграничный бассейн реки Селенги в границах Российской Федерации в связи с планами строительства гидроэнергетических объектов на территории Монголии

PRILOG POZNAVANJU FAUNE LEPTIRA (LEPIDOPTERA) KANJONA SUTJESKE I HRČAVKE

U ovom radu dati su prvi prikazi faune leptira u neposrednoj zoni predviđenoj za gradnju mini-hidrocentralana rijekama Sutjesci i Hrčavki u Nacionalnom parku Sutjeska. U kratkom vremenskom intervalu,u samo jednom dijelu sezone, na uniformnom tipu staništa zabilježeno je 68 vrsta dnevnih i 48 vrstanoćnih leptira, što ukazuje na izuzetan biološki potencijal. Sedam vrsta dnevnih i 47 noćnih su prvi putzabilježene u Nacionalnom parku Sutjeska, dok je postojanje dvije vrste roda Apatura potvrđeno poslijeviše od sto godina. Pronađene su neke od vrsta sa Crvene liste Republike Srpske, kao i Natura 2000vrste. Kako su leptiri jako osjetljivi na bilo kakve promjene u staništu, bili bi dobar bioindikator uticajaprocesa izgradnje.

Numerical and experimental study of the pressure pulsations at the free discharge of water through the turbine

The free discharge through the turbine is applied in the course of construction of hydro power plant or in case of excessive water inflow during floods or emergency situation. The experimental and numerical investigation of flow-induced pressure pulsation in hydraulic turbine draft tube at free discharge was performed.

Ant fauna associated with areas under the direct impact of small hydropower plants in the state of Paraná, Brazil

Ants can be important tools to assess the conditions of a given environment, as well as to monitor restoration of degraded areas. This study evaluated the richness and abundance of ant assemblages associated with areas directly impacted by the construction of small hydropower plants in the State of Paraná. To survey the ant fauna, samples were collected in September 2014 and January 2015 using pitfall and malaise traps. The association of the ant fauna composition with fragments and seasonality was analyzed by detrended correspondence. Fifty-eight species of ants were registered. The subfamily Myrmicine and the genus Camponotus were the most abundant (S= 25, S = 10, respectively). The removal of vegetation and formation of lakes in the directly affected area cause impacts that can be monitored based on the results of this study.

The study of the influence of stabilizing devices on the pressure pulsations at the free discharge of water through the turbine

The free discharge through the turbine is applied in the course of construction of hydro power plant or in case of excessive water inflow during floods or emergency situations. The experimental and numerical investigation of flow-induced pressure pulsations in hydraulic turbine draft tube at free discharge was performed using a special setup for suppression of draft tube surge. Such special equipment in draft tube cone as fins and “spider”-like units was considered for reducing these pressure pulsations. The paper considers influence of these units on vortex structures and pressure pulsations in the draft tube in several regimes.

Population Genetic Structure and Genetic Diversity in Twisted-Jaw Fish,Belodontichthys truncatusKottelat & Ng, 1999 (Siluriformes: Siluridae), from Mekong Basin

The Mekong River and its tributaries possess the second highest diversity in fish species in the world. However, the fish biodiversity in this river is threatened by several human activities, such as hydropower plant construction. Understanding the genetic diversity and genetic structure of the species is important for natural resource management.Belodontichthys truncatusKottelat & Ng is endemic to the Mekong River basin and is an important food source for people in this area. In this study, the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and demographic history of the twisted-jaw fish,B. truncatus,were investigated using mitochondrialcytochrome bgene sequences. A total of 124 fish specimens were collected from 10 locations in the Mekong and its tributaries. Relatively high genetic diversity was found in populations ofB. truncatuscompared to other catfish species in the Mekong River. The genetic structure analysis revealed that a population from the Chi River in Thailand was genetically significantly different from other populations, which is possibly due to the effect of genetic drift. Demographic history analysis indicated thatB. truncatushas undergone recent demographic expansion dating back to the end of the Pleistocene glaciation.

Estimation of the cost of electro-mechanical equipment for small hydropower plants – review and comparison of methods

The estimate of the cost of electro-mechanical equipment for new small hydropower plants most often amounts to about 30-40% of the total budget. In case of modernization of existing installations, this estimation represents the main cost. This matter constitutes a research problem for at least few decades. Many models have been developed for that purpose. The aim of our work was to collect and analyse formulas that allow estimation of the cost of investment in electro-mechanical equipment for small hydropower plants. Over a dozen functions were analysed. To achieve the aim of our work, these functions were converted into the form allowing their comparison. Then the costs were simulated with respect to plants’ powers and net heads; such approach is novel and allows deeper discussion of the problem, as well as drawing broader conclusions. The following conclusions can be drawn: significant differences in results obtained by using various formulas were observed; there is a need for a wide study based on national investments in small hydropower plants that would allow to develop equations based on local data; the obtained formulas would let to determinate the costs of modernization or a new construction of small hydropower plant more precisely; special attention should be payed to formulas considering turbine type.