Large Storage Reservoirs Research Articles

Streamflow estimation using SWAT model including large storage reservoirs in Godavari River Basin, India

Streamflow estimation using SWAT model including large storage reservoirs in Godavari River Basin, India

Using parentage-based tagging to estimate survival of Chinook salmon fry in a large storage reservoir

Using parentage-based tagging to estimate survival of Chinook salmon fry in a large storage reservoir

Laboratory Evaluation of Efficacy of the Larvicide Spinosad Against AnophelesStephensi in Jigjiga, Ethiopia.

We report the efficacy of a commercial formulation of the insecticide spinosad against larvae of Anopheles stephensi populations found in the city of Jigjiga, Somali Region, eastern Ethiopia. Batches of 25 larvae (late III to early IV instars) collected from large water storage reservoirs associated with construction sites (the primary An. stephensi larval site in the dry season) were tested under laboratory conditions against each insecticide at a dose recommended by the manufacturer (Natular® G30, 0.02 g/5 liter), following World Health Organization guidelines. Mortality at 24-48 h postexposure was 100%. Results show that spinosad is effective against An. stephensi larvae and suggest that it may be a useful tool as part of larval source management plans aimed at controlling this invasive malaria vector in Ethiopia.

A Pragmatic Approach to the Economic Assessment of Green Synthetic Methane Power in the Baltics

The synthesis of methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide creates an energy resource that is suitable for long-term storage. Once this process is powered by renewable electricity, it produces a clean fuel for producing electricity and heat and supports large-scale renewable energy deployment, energy transition and climate change mitigation. This paper proposes a pragmatic approach to assessing the economic potential of synthetic methane-based power. Today, natural gas plays an important role in the Baltic region due to the existing infrastructure, which includes a transmission and distribution pipeline network, gas power plants and a large underground storage reservoir. Replacing natural gas with synthetic methane would fulfil carbon emission reduction ambitions. In this paper, we simulate electricity producers’ actions at market conditions and consider the generation portfolio in the Baltics and the interconnections with Scandinavia and Poland operating in the NORDPOOL electricity market. As a result of these calculations, we obtain the volume of the synthetic gas, the production costs, the volume of gas storage, the installed capacity of the gas power plant, and the investments required to ensure energy transition and system adequacy. These results are essential for the informed decisions made by policymakers, investors and system operators.

Battery Earth: using the subsurface at Boulby underground laboratory to investigate energy storage technologies

Renewable energy provides a low-carbon alternative to power generation in the UK. However, the resultant supply varies on daily, weekly and seasonal cycles, such that for green energies to be fully exploited new grid-scale energy storage systems must be implemented. Two pilot facilities in Germany and the United States have demonstrated the potential of the Earth as a battery to store compressed air, using off-peak surplus energy. Natural accumulations of salt (halite deposits) in the UK represent a large and untapped natural storage reservoir for compressed air with the ability to provide instantaneous green energy to meet peak demand. To realise the potential of this emerging technology, a detailed knowledge of the relationship between mechanics, chemistry and geological properties is required to optimise cavern design, storage potential and economic feasibility. The variable stresses imposed on the rock matrix by gas storage, combined with the cyclic nature of cavern pressurisation are barriers to deployment that need to be addressed to enable large-scale adoption of schemes. Well-designed field experiments are a lynchpin for advancing research in this area, especially when supported by state-of-the-art characterisation and modelling techniques. The research facility at STFC’s Boulby Underground Laboratory presents the ideal location to tackle these fundamental issues to optimise “Battery Earth”.

Over half a century record of limnology data from Lake Powell, desert southwest United States: From reservoir filling to present day (1964–2021)

AbstractLake Powell is a large water storage reservoir in the arid southwestern United States. Here, we present a 58‐yr limnology dataset that captures water quality parameters from reservoir filling to present day (temperature, salinity, major ions, total suspended solids), as well as a 38‐yr record of Secchi depth, and a ~ 30‐yr record of nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton assemblages. The dataset includes 5208 unique site visits spanning 258 unique sites of which 9 have been consistently visited. It also spans the establishment of an invasive bivalve (Dreissena bugensis, i.e. Quagga mussel) which was first detected in 2012. Given the general lack of long‐term data from lakes or reservoirs in arid regions, this dataset represents a unique contribution to regional, continental, and global‐scale limnology studies. As the hot drought in the desert southwest continues, we expect this dataset will inform water management decision‐making for this largest reservoir in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Transboundary water treaty design for poverty reduction and climate adaptation

When transboundary basins are developed in poor regions where freshwater resources are fully committed, it becomes important to design economically sustainable action plans to address existing poverty, especially in responding to mounting evidence of climate change and population growth. Increasing competition over shared water resources as well as climate water stress has attracted research efforts internationally addressing the benefits and costs of establishing water-sharing treaties. Despite this ongoing interest, few peer-reviewed works have investigated water development and use patterns that could produce economic gains for all parties from establishing transboundary water sharing agreements. This work develops an approach to address the gap by formulating and applying a basin-scale hydro-economic optimization model of West Africa’s Volta River Basin. The work analyzes the effects of a prospective multilateral water allocation and hydropower trade agreement on the size, sign, and distribution of basin-wide economic benefits. The model includes two new large storage reservoirs, five water use purposes, and two climate water supply scenarios with and without a water sharing treaty. From that, it assesses the net economic benefit-maximizing patterns of water use with and without the treaty. Results show a Pareto Improving outcome is achievable for all riparian countries from new storage capacity in the basin for which at least one country is better and none is worse off. This improvement is achievable with a multilateral water sharing treaty implemented with power trading among the six basin countries. Results indicate that all basin countries have the potential to secure significant economic gains from additional hydropower production with the treaty. Under its implementation, upstream countries would reduce agricultural water use in exchange for higher valued hydropower benefits under the climate-stressed low flow scenario. Despite potential benefits that are shareable from negotiation, practical implementation of such a treaty will require considerable diplomatic skill, patience and effort.

Unsteady characteristics of compressed air energy storage systems with thermal storage from thermodynamic perspective

Unsteady characteristics of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems are critical for optimal system design and operation control. In this paper, a comprehensive unsteady model concerning thermal inertia and volume effect for CAES systems with thermal storage (TS-CAES) is established, in which exergy efficiencies of key processes at each time are focused on to follow performance trajectories, and the control for sliding-pressure and constant-pressure operations is introduced. Meanwhile, a revised system efficiency model is proposed with energy transfer involved in joint chamber between components. Based on the model, the unsteady characteristics of charging process and discharging process of TS-CAES are first studied in depth. The difference between system performance under unsteady and steady operation is discovered, and the influence of unsteady factors, such as volume effect, thermal inertia, air reservoir size and pressure variation range on the system efficiency of TS-CAES system is studied for the first time. Results show that the unsteady effect has evident impact on the variation of operating parameters. For the whole system, the stronger the unsteady effect is, the less system efficiency and energy density are, while the thermal inertia having slight effect on system efficiency. The large air storage reservoir is beneficial to weaken volume effect's influence on system efficiency. The study of pressure-range effect indicates that the system efficiency decreases by an average of 0.95% with the maximum relative storage pressure increasing by 0.1, while the system efficiency decreases about 0.35% with the minimum relative storage pressure decreasing by 0.2.

Greenhouse gas emissions from an arid-zone reservoir and their environmental policy significance: Results from existing global models and an exploratory dataset

Reservoirs in arid regions often provide critical water storage but little is known about their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. While there is growing appreciation of the role reservoirs play as GHG sources, there is a lack of understanding of GHG emission dynamics from reservoirs in arid regions and implications for environmental policy. Here we present initial GHG emission measurements from Lake Powell, a large water storage reservoir in the desert southwest United States. We report CO2-eq emissions from the shallow (< 15 m) littoral regions of the reservoir that are higher than the global average areal emissions from reservoirs (9.4 vs. 5.8 g CO2-eq m−2 d−1) whereas fluxes from the main reservoir were two orders of magnitude lower (0.09 g CO2-eq m−2 d−1). We then compared our measurements to modeled CO2 + CH4 emissions from the reservoir using four global scale models. Factoring these emissions into hydropower production at Lake Powell yielded low GHG emissions per MWh−1 as compared to fossil-fuel based energy sources. With the exception of one model, the estimated hydropower emissions for Lake Powell ranged from 10−32 kg CO2-eq MWh−1, compared to ∼400−1000 kg CO2-eq MWh−1 for natural gas, oil, and coal. We also estimate that reduced littoral habitat under low water levels leads to ∼50% reduction in the CO2 equivalent emissions per MWh. The sensitivity of GHG emissions to reservoir water levels suggests that the interaction will be an important policy consideration in the design and operation of arid region systems.

Comparison between seasonal pumped-storage and conventional reservoir dams from the water, energy and land nexus perspective

Renewable sources of energy are providing an increasing share of the electricity generation mix, but their intermittency drives a need for energy storage. At the same time, water resources are increasingly scarce due to changes in demand, such as from population growth, supply side pressures such as climate change and governance challenges relating to poor management. Large storage reservoirs are used for water management and for energy storage. However, some existing and proposed hydropower reservoirs require vast areas of land and have considerable social and environmental impacts. Growing concerns on water and energy storage from a water-energy-land nexus approach motivated this study. Our objective is to compare how energy and water storage services, such as hydropower generation, electricity grid and water management, are provided with Seasonal Pumped-Storage (SPS) and Conventional Reservoir Dams (CRD) plants. Our case study region is Brazil, a country with extensive hydropower capacity and development plans, for which we compare the cost, land requirement and social impacts between CRD and potential SPS plants. Whilst seasonal pumped-storage have higher capital costs than conventional reservoir dams, given the much lower land requirements and evaporative losses, they are a valuable water and energy storage alternative especially in locations with plain topography and high evaporation. Results show that if Sobradinho CRD was built today it would result in a $USD 1.46 billion loss, on the other hand, Muquém SPS plant would result in a $USD 0.67b revenue.

Opportunities for development of tourist potentials in protected areas of the water storage reservoirs, on the example of spatial plans of the special purpose areas in Serbia

Areas of large and medium-sized water storage reservoirs whose hydropotential is used for water supply of settlements and/or as part of the energy system, at the same time, and under certain conditions and limitations, can represent the locations for the development of tourism. This potentially conflicting situation may be resolved through the planning process and development of Spatial Plans of the Special Purpose Areas (SPSPAs). A major challenge with water storage reservoirs of multiple purposes is in ?sharing? water amongst competing users with an aim of providing sustainable development of a wider territory and, simultaneously, to safeguard the health safety of the water at the source (water storage reservoir).This paper deals with planning treatment - by a new generation of SPSPAs in Serbia - of the areas that cover new and already formed water storage reservoirs and with prudent activation of their tourist potentials.

An alternative gravimetric measurement standard for calibration of liquid flow meters

This paper discusses the conception, construction and validation of a gravimetric system conceived as an alternative measurement standard for calibrating liquid flow meters. The ability to evaluate a large mass of a working fluid by measuring, with much lower uncertainty, a smaller quantity of it, reflects the innovative character of the proposed calibration system. In this work, the mass of water (over 10 tons) retained in a large squared (1.50m × 1.50m) cross section reservoir (5m high) is evaluated by weighing a mass of water confined in a much smaller reservoir (0.0835m diameter, 5m high), hydraulically connected to the first. A low capacity weigh scale (full scale: 32kg; resolution: 0.10g) is used to weigh, under static condition, the water in the smaller reservoir, whose liquid level is the same of the large storage reservoir. The metrological reliability of the proposed gravimetric system—assessed through the propagation of all impacting measurement uncertainties—falls in the range 0.018 % to 0.055 %, depending on the volume of the working fluid transferred throughout the calibration process (varying from a minimum of 0.001m3 to a maximum of 0.022m3).

A 13‐year record of erosion on badland sites in the Karoo, South Africa

AbstractLand degradation in South Africa has been of concern for more than 100 years with both climate change and inappropriate land management (overgrazing) being proposed as primary drivers. However, there are few quantitative studies of degradation and, in particular, few of erosion by water. Badlands, taken here to be the landform which results from extreme erosion, have been notably neglected. We report on 13 consecutive years of erosion pin measurements of badland erosion on 10 study sites in the Sneeuberg uplands of the eastern Karoo in South Africa. The study sites are on Holocene colluvium which mantles footslopes. They have been subject to overgrazing for at least 100 years, c. 1850–1950. Currently they are lightly grazed by sheep. The area receives about 500 mm rainfall per year. The sites are remote, with only informal, farmer‐operated, daily raingauges nearby. The nearest sub‐daily raingauge is c. 55 km distant. Also we report on an analysis of the erosion pin data which focuses on establishing the origins and context of the badlands, including the relationship between study sites and adjacent valley‐bottom gully systems; compare erosion rates on our study sites with rates determined by erosion pins on other badland sites; and discuss the implications of these erosion rates for landscape development and off‐site impacts. Net erosion rates on the study sites are relatively high compared with global badland rates and range from 3.1 to 8.5 mm yr‐1 which may be extrapolated to 53 to 145 t ha yr‐1 (using a measured bulk density of 1.7 g cm‐3). However, comparisons with badland sites elsewhere are difficult because of different measuring methodologies, lithologies, climate and dominant processes. Erosion rates on the study sites are strongly influenced by rainfall amounts and, in particular, by daily rainfall events which exceed ~10 mm: this is the threshold intensity at which runoff has been observed to commence on badlands. Of significance, but of lesser influence, is weathering, mainly by wetting and drying: this prepares bare surfaces for erosion. However, questions remain regarding the role of site characteristics, and of processes at each site, in determining between‐site differences in erosion rate. Crude extrapolation of current rates of erosion, in conjunction with depths of incision into the badlands, suggests that badland development started around 200 years ago, probably as a response to the introduction of European‐style stock farming which resulted in overgrazing. We assume, but cannot quantify, the additional influence of periods of drought and burning in the erosional history of the area. Intermittent connection of these badlands to valley‐bottom gullies and therefore to small farm dams and ultimately to large water storage reservoirs increases their impact on local water resources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Developing a New Operations Plan for the Bow River Basin Using Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support

AbstractThe Bow River Basin is a cornerstone of Alberta's development. In 2010, stakeholders representing interests from agriculture, municipalities, environment, and more formed the Bow River Project Research Consortium to help determine the potential for improving the operations in the basin. At present, upstream reservoirs are operated primarily for hydropower, whereas downstream reservoirs are operated for irrigation. Through Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support the stakeholders were able to develop a new method for operating the system that would dramatically improve environmental performance. The main components of the new operating strategy called for: purchase or setting aside of a small amount of storage volume in the power reservoirs; a set of rules for releases from that storage; an agreement by the major irrigation districts with the largest water licenses to utilize their ability to shift deliveries to and from their large offstream storage reservoirs to allow for increased instream flows, and to allow junior water license holders (mainly municipal and industrial supplies) an uninterrupted water supply; limitations of reservoir fluctuations to improve inreservoir habitat for fisheries; and increased minimum flows throughout the system leading to improved environmental outcomes. Costs of this strategy were minimal, impacts on power revenue were estimated at &lt;US$2 million/yr on average. Compensatory arrangements should be possible.

Nitric Oxide Delivery by Core/Shell Superparamagnetic Nanoparticle Vehicles with Enhanced Biocompatibility

We report the synthesis of Fe(3)O(4)/silica core/shell nanoparticles and their functionalization with S-nitrosothiols. These nanoparticles are of immense interest because of their nitric oxide (NO) release capabilities in human alveolar epithelial cells. Moreover, they act as large storage reservoirs of NO that can be targeted magnetically to the specific site with a sustainable release of NO for up to 50 h. Such nanoparticles provide an enhancement of the biocompatibility with released NO while allowing intracellular accumulation ascribed to their small size.

Dams in the Cadillac Desert: downstream effects in a geomorphic context

This paper was motivated by the 25th anniversary of the publication of Marc Reisner's book, Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water. Dams are ubiquitous on rivers in the United States, and large dams and storage reservoirs are the hallmark of western U.S. riverscapes. The effects of dams on downstream river ecosystems have attracted much attention and are encapsulated in the serial discontinuity concept (SDC). In the SDC, dams create abrupt shifts in continua of downstream changes in physical and biotic properties. In this paper, we develop a framework for understanding how channel geometry and network structure influence how the physical components of habitat and the biota rebound from discontinuities set up by large dams. We apply this framework to data describing the flow regime, temperature, sediment flux, and fish community composition below Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, and Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River. Sediment flux in dam tailwaters is under strong control by channel geometry. By contrast, dam-related changes in temperature and flow variation are not significantly modulated by channel geometry or tributary inputs if flow volumes are small (Missouri and Colorado River tributaries). Instead, small tributaries provide near-native conditions (flow and temperature variation) and, as such, provide key refuges for biota from novel habitats in mainstem rivers below large dams. Unregulated tributaries that are large relative to their respective mainstem (e.g., Yampa River) provide refuges as well as significant amelioration of flow and temperature effects from upstream dams. Finally, the proportion of native fish increases with distance from dam and exhibits sharp increases near tributary junctions. These results suggest that tributaries-even minor ones in terms of relative discharge-act as key refugia for native species in regulated river networks. Moreover, large, unregulated tributaries are key to restoring continuity in physical habitat and the biota in large regulated rivers.

Multi-Phase 1 GHz Voltage Doubler Charge Pump in 32 nm Logic Process

A multi-phase 1 GHz charge pump in 32 nm logic process demonstrates a compact area (159 × 42 ?m2) for boosting supply voltage from twice the threshold voltage (2 Vth) to 3-4 Vth. Self contained clocking with metal-finger flying capacitors enable embedding voltage boost functionality in close proximity to digital logic for supplying low current Vmin requirement of state elements in logic blocks. Multi-phase operation with phase separation of the order of buffer delays avoids the need for a large storage reservoir capacitor. Special configuration of the pump stages to work in parallel enables a fast (5 ns) output transition from disable to enable state. The multi-phase pump operated as a 1 V to 2 V doubler with >5 mA output capability addresses the need for a gated power delivery solution for logic blocks having state-preservation Vmin requirements.

Potential on-shore and off-shore reservoirs for CO 2 sequestration in Central Atlantic magmatic province basalts

Identifying locations for secure sequestration of CO(2) in geological formations is one of our most pressing global scientific problems. Injection into basalt formations provides unique and significant advantages over other potential geological storage options, including large potential storage volumes and permanent fixation of carbon by mineralization. The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province basalt flows along the eastern seaboard of the United States may provide large and secure storage reservoirs both onshore and offshore. Sites in the South Georgia basin, the New York Bight basin, and the Sandy Hook basin offer promising basalt-hosted reservoirs with considerable potential for CO(2) sequestration due to their proximity to major metropolitan centers, and thus to large industrial sources for CO(2). Onshore sites are suggested for cost-effective characterization studies of these reservoirs, although offshore sites may offer larger potential capacity and additional long-term advantages for safe and secure CO(2) sequestration.

Practical Considerations in Estimating Test Duration for Perforation Inflow Tests

Abstract Perforation inflow tests are short, cost-effective and environmentally- friendly solutions to estimate the initial reservoir pressure, permeability and skin, immediately after perforating the well. The reservoir-dominated (radial) flow regime must be reached before terminating the test in order to obtain reasonable estimates of these parameters. These reservoir parameters and chamber (or wellbore) volume directly influence the rate of build-up of pressure and the test duration. In the field, it is not easy to ascertain whether or not sufficient data has been obtained so that the test can be terminated, especially when the data is not analyzed in real time. If the rate of build-up is closely monitored, it is possible to predict whether (i) the minimum required data will be obtained within the stipulated test time, (ii) the test has to be run longer, or (iii) a downhole shut-in is required. In this paper, analytical simulation is used to run a sensitivity study on reservoir and well parameters and see how these affect the onset of the reservoir-dominated flow regime. The impulse derivative is used to identify the presence of reservoir-dominated flow. The rate of pressure build-up at I hour is used to determine if sufficient data will be collected within the test duration. The outcome is a practical field guide to help the operator decide whether the test should be continued, modified or stopped. Introduction Perforation inflow tests are short and therefore increasingly popular in the industry. They can deliver valuable reservoir information, such as the initial reservoir pressure, the reservoir permeability and the skin effect. The data obtained from perforation inflow tests can be divided into two parts:the early-time data is wellbore storage dominated, andthe late-time data is reservoir- dominated. Perforation inflow tests are not likely to exceed approximately 24 hours, and should be designed so that reservoir-dominated flow occurs during that period. For cases where wellbore storage does not excessively affect the early time data and when reservoir permeability is high enough, the duration of the perforation inflow test is likely sufficient to reach radial flow. However, for large wellbore storage and low reservoir permeability, the time to reach reservoir- dominated flow will be prohibitively long. In such cases, one option is to reduce wellbore storage by running a bridge plug, thus reducing the effects that initially masked the true reservoir performance.

Feasibility of storing CO 2 in the Utsira formation as part of a long term Dutch CCS strategy : An evaluation based on a GIS/MARKAL toolbox

This study provides insight into the feasibility of a CO 2 trunkline from the Netherlands to the Utsira formation in the Norwegian part of the North Sea, which is a large geological storage reservoir for CO 2. The feasibility is investigated in competition with CO 2 storage in onshore and near-offshore sinks in the Netherlands. Least-cost modelling with a MARKAL model in combination with ArcGIS was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of the trunkline as part of a Dutch greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy for the Dutch electricity sector and CO 2 intensive industry. The results show that under the condition that a CO 2 permit price increases from €25 per tCO 2 in 2010 to €60 per tCO 2 in 2030, and remains at this level up to 2050, CO 2 emissions in the Netherlands could reduce with 67% in 2050 compared to 1990, and investment in the Utsira trunkline may be cost-effective from 2020–2030 provided that Belgian and German CO 2 is transported and stored via the Netherlands as well. In this case, by 2050 more than 2.1 GtCO 2 would have been transported from the Netherlands to the Utsira formation. However, if the Utsira trunkline is not used for transportation of CO 2 from Belgium and Germany, it may become cost-effective 10 years later, and less than 1.3 GtCO 2 from the Netherlands would have been stored in the Utsira formation by 2050. On the short term, CO 2 storage in Dutch fields appears more cost-effective than in the Utsira formation, but as yet there are major uncertainties related to the timing and effective exploitation of the Dutch offshore storage opportunities.