Pumped-storage Hydroelectric Power Station Research Articles

Fabrication of Solar-Powered Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Power Station

Renewable energy is now accepted as the preferred alternative for electricity generation and as the replacement for fossil fuels. Worldwide demand for energy derived from renewable resources, especially hydro energy, is rising in tandem with rising fuel prices and environmental concerns. Our power station aims to harness the renewable energy potential of solar and hydroelectric power, combining them in an innovative and efficient manner. The prototype power station incorporates two main components: solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays and a pumped storage hydroelectric system. The solar PV arrays consist of a network of solar panels that capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. The generated solar power is used for both immediate consumption and for pumping water to a higher elevation. Efficiency and efficacy differ substantially between the values obtained from upstream and downstream. Significantly surpassing downstream, upstream generates 30W of electricity at 20V of voltage and 1.5A of current. By comparison, downstream has to work with a voltage of 42mV, a current of 0.04A, and a power production of just 0.00168W. These differences amply show that the upstream arrangement makes better use of solar energy. As such, upstream proves to be the superior choice for using solar energy because of its increased productivity and performance.

Research on Seepage Control of Jurong Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Station

Based on the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the Jurong Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Station (JPSHP), a 3D groundwater flow model was developed in the power station area, which took into account the heterogeneity and anisotropy of fractured rocks. A control inversion method for fractured rock structural planes was proposed, where larger-scale fractures were used as water-conducting media and the relatively intact rock matrix was used as water-storage media. A statistical method was used to obtain the geometric parameter values of the structural planes, so as to obtain the hydraulic conductivity tensor of the fractured rocks. Combining the impermeable drainage systems of the upper storage reservoir, underground powerhouse and lower storage reservoir, the 3D groundwater seepage field in the study area was predicted using the calibrated model. The leakage amounts of the upper storage reservoir, powerhouse and lower storage reservoir were 710.48 m3/d, 969.95 m3/d and 1657.55 m3/d, respectively. The leakage changes of the upper storage reservoir, powerhouse and lower storage reservoir were discussed under the partial and full failure of the anti-seepage system. The research results provide a scientific basis for the seepage control of the power station, and it is recommended to strengthen the seepage control of the upper and lower storage reservoirs and the underground powerhouse to avoid excessive leakage and affect the efficiency of the reservoir operation.

Debris flow prediction and prevention in reservoir area based on finite volume type shallow-water model: a case study of pumped-storage hydroelectric power station site in Yi County, Hebei, China

In recent years, the development of pumped-storage hydroelectricity has seen a very rapid increase, and lots of stations have been proposed to be built in China to adjust the energy structure of production and alleviate electrical energy shortages. The site of pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants is usually chosen in the mountain area, which can conveniently provide headwaters and height difference for the proper functioning of hydroelectric power station; however, geological disasters such as debris frequently flows in the mountain areas, posing great threat to the safety of plants and staff. A large pumped-storage hydroelectric power station will be built in the Taihang Mountains in the northwest of Yi County, Hebei province. To predict the potential scale of debris flow hazard, the shallow-water model based on the finite volume method (SFLOW model) is used. During the work, reconnaissance, geomorphological analysis, and laboratory experiment are carried out for model construction and data input. Then the debris flow designed for 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-year return periods and the flood caused by dam break are simulated. The simulation study shows that the potential debris flow hazard will greatly harm the reservoir area, and if debris flows destroy the dam, floods could affect the residents of a maximum of 1.21 million square meters downstream. To prevent debris flows, retaining walls in the SFLOW model are set, and the results show that they can effectively reduce the hazard area of debris flow, ensuring the safety of the reservoir area. In general, the SFLOW model can accurately and efficiently solve the problem of fluid flow on irregular terrain and can be applied to similar engineering projects.

Assessment of the Performance of a Nuclear–Hydrogen Power Generation System

The article deals with the assessment of the performance and competitiveness of a nuclear power plant (NPP) combined with a hydrogen power plant compared with a gas-turbine power plant (GTPP) and a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station (PSPS) to satisfy the peak electrical demand in a power system in terms of the peak electric power prime costs. The structure of installed capacities of various interconnected power systems is shown considering the increase in the capacity levels in the immediate future. The necessity of curtailing the load of the power-generating units during the periods of the nighttime off-peak demand is justified. For this purpose, the efficiency of curtailing the load of the power-generating units of various types is analyzed under variable electric loads. As an example, the power-generating units of an NPP equipped with a VVER-1200 reactor, a 300-MW condensation electric power plant, and a PGU-450 combined-cycle gas turbine are considered. The increase in the electric power prime cost serves as the efficiency criterion. To provide the NPP with the base load, variants of combining the NPP with a hydrogen power plant with steam–hydrogen superheating of the live steam upstream from the high-pressure cylinder of the primary turbine and the high-pressure cylinder of the auxiliary steam turbine accompanied by ejection of the heating reheat steam are presented. The forecasted prices of fuel gas and nuclear fuels, as well as of the nighttime electric power for 2020 and in the long term until 2035, are taken into account. It is shown that the employment of GTPPs results in an additional increase in the expenditures caused by curtailing the load of the NPP at nighttime and appears to be inefficient in some cases. The expenditures on the substituted power are accounted for in comparison with the pumped-storage power station in the hydrogen power plant variant. It is shown that the pumped-storage power stations can compete in the foreseeable future with the hydrogen power plants in terms of peak electric power prime costs at minimum specific capital investments of approximately 660 $/kW. In the long term, due to a considerable increase in the nighttime electricity cost, the pumped-storage power stations will not be able to compete with the hydrogen power plants.

Field Validation of a Magnetic Sensor to Monitor Borehole Deviation during Tunnel Excavation.

In this article, a magnetic sensor is proposed to monitor borehole deviation during tunnel excavation. It is made by piling four super-strong N42 NdFeB cylinder magnets and then encasing them in an aluminum alloy hollow cylinder. The distribution of the magnetic field produced by the magnetic sensor and its summation with the geomagnetic field (GMF) in a global coordinate system are derived based on the theory of magnetic fields. An algorithm is developed to localize the position of the magnetic sensor. The effect of the GMF variation on the effective monitoring range of the magnetic sensor is also studied numerically. Field validation tests are conducted at Jinzhai Pumped-Storage hydroelectric power station, during the excavation of an inclined tunnel in Anhui Province of China. Test results show that the algorithm and the magnetic sensor are used successfully to detect the deviation of the borehole with an estimated error of approximately 0.5 m. The errors are mainly from the measurement errors of the coordinates, of both the test and the measurement points. The effective monitoring range of the magnetic sensor is dependent on the direction of the magnetic sensor as well as the variation of the GMF.

Integrating wind and water for renewable energy

The Naturstromspeicher in Gaildorf is a natural energy storage plant, combining a pumped storage hydro-electric power station with a wind farm. The pilot project, in a rural district of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany, uses pumps from an international technology group and is the first of its kind in the world.

Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Power Station Location in Tenerife Island

Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Power Station Location in Tenerife Island

Scaling model study of the air distribution in a powerhouse under different ventilation conditions

In order to clarify the air temperature distribution and air velocity distribution of a hydroelectric generating powerhouse in the mechanical ventilation mode, detailed ventilation experiments were conducted using a 1:20 small-scale model of a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station. In this model, we arranged fifty-seven circular inlets in double and triple rows to simulate the air supply pattern in a typical powerhouse. Six combinations of the inlets, and three air supply rates (28 m3/h, 56 m3/h, and 112 m3/h) were selected to determine the effect of the inlets’ arrangement and the air supply rates on the air distribution in the occupied zone of the powerhouse. A dimensionless method was adopted to process the acquired data of the air temperature and air velocity. The results revealed that the inlets’ arrangements and the air supply velocity had a significant influence on the air distribution in the powerhouse. Simultaneously, the ventilation efficiency of four heat sources was studied in the optimum case, i.e. the most effective air supply rate is 112 m3/h among the three tested values. The results of the experiments revealed that the air distribution was nearly independent of adjustable heat release rates. Our findings in this work may offer a significant advance in the understanding of ventilation system designs for hydroelectric powerhouses.

Two Dimensional Li Diffusion in Ion-Conductive Lithium Lanthanum Titanates

Developing energy storage systems is an indispensable and keyfactor in realizing a sustainable society. Although a pumped storage hydroelectric power station converts gravitational to kinetic energy via the movement of water and constitutes a reliable secondary battery system, such a system is a huge facility covering a vast area. By substituting the less dense substance Li for water and replacing the stronger chemical interaction of Li for the weaker gravitational force, a Li-ion battery attains high energy density. 1,2 Currently, most Li-ion batteries use a combustible liquid electrolyte solution, which requires them to be securely and heavily sealed in small packages. The use of a liquid electrolyte in batteries not only creates safety issues but also leads to degradation due to repetitive cycling. An irreversible reaction with Li is reported to happen at the anode surface, known as the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) region. 3 Preventing the loss of active Li at the SEI and eliminating the combustible liquid from the battery, will open the door to the development of large size, high-capacity batteries. For thisreason, researchers have devoted their attentions to incorporating a solid electrolyte into Li-ion battery systems. We have focused our efforts on studying the fundamental mechanism of Li diffusion in a particular solid electrolyte system, the lithium lanthanum titanates (LLTO), which show a high conductivity of 10 −3 Sc m −1 . 4,5

Simulation studies of a GPC controller for a hydroelectric plant

In this paper, the performance of constrained Generalized Predictive Control (CGPC) is investigated on a comprehensive non-linear multivariable simulation of the Dinorwig pumped-storage hydroelectric power station. The responses of the system are compared with those of the classic PI controller, as currently implemented on the plant. The results show that CGPC offers significantly better performance over the whole operating envelope. Fixed-parameter CGPC produces a faster primary response and better steady-state accuracy when the station is operating with a single unit, while also preserving stability when the operating conditions change as multiple units come on-line. It can accommodate large amplitude ramp power changes in combination with feed-forward control. It is less sensitive than PI to changes in hydraulic head and gives better power-tracking when units operate in frequency-control mode. Finally, the computational time of the CGPC algorithm is investigated.

MIMO Generalized Predictive Control for a Hydroelectric Power Station

In this paper, the approach of generalized predictive control (GPC) is applied to a multivariable model of the Dinorwig pumped-storage hydroelectric power station. The response of the system with constrained predictive control is compared with the classic PI controller as currently implemented. The results show that GPC offers significantly better performance across the plant's operating range. It is shown that fixed-parameter, constrained GPC produces a faster primary response when the station is operating with a single unit while preserving stability as the operating conditions change when multiple units are online

Reproducing oscillatory behaviour of a hydroelectric power station by computer simulation

This paper describes a complex simulation of a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station. Dinorwig power station's fast response is essential for controlling the electricity supply frequency on the national grid in Great Britain. The paper describes the station's key physical features and it is shown that the plant is nonlinear, multivariable and time-varying. The details of a Simulink ® model, which is valid over a wide range of operating conditions, are presented. The improved understanding of the station's dynamic characteristics is illustrated by using the simulation to investigate an incident of oscillatory behaviour in its power output.

The development of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)-faced hydrodynamic thrust bearings for hydrogenerator application in the United Kingdom

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-faced hydrodynamic thrust bearings have been used for many years in the former Soviet Union and in the People's Republic of China for large hydrogenerator applications. Although there has been some recent interest in other countries, few installations of this sort have previously been reported in Europe or the USA. This paper describes the state of the art and the development and laboratory testing of a prototype set of PTFE pads. Following these trials, a second larger set of thrust pads was designed for use in the pumped-storage hydroelectric power station at Ffestiniog in North Wales. The pads were installed in September 1996 and inspected in May 1997. After nearly 3000 h of operation including 900 separate occasions when the system was started up under load, the pads were found to be in excellent condition. Further hydrogenerator installations of PTFE-faced pads are planned as a result of this successful development.

Open Caissons for Deep Foundations

Open caissons are a very efficient method of deep foundation, provided the ground conditions are favorable. Design and construction of a 60‐m deep shaft, 27.0‐m ID for a pumped storage hydroelectric power station is described. The soil consists of about 8 m of soft fluvial deposits on a 200‐m thick layer of homogeneous over consolidated stiff marly clay. The upper 8 m of soft soil were excavated and replaced by 5 m of compacted soil on which the leading ring of the shaft was concreted. Above the leading ring a 20‐cm wide slit filled with stabilized bentonite slurry was provided in order to eliminate skin friction during sinking. The shaft was concreted using slip form work. The method of excavation and verticality control of the shaft axis during excavation and concreting and the construction procedure of the shaft bottom are described in some detail. The shaft was successfully completed within 120 working days. Two examples of open caisson foundation that had to be changed due to unfavorable soil conditions are discussed. It is emphasized that careful soil exploration is prerequisite to success in open caisson foundations.