Small-scale Hydroelectric Power Plant Research Articles

Harvesting Electricity from Water Pipeline in Hydro Power Generator

The purpose of this endeavour is to build a small-scale hydroelectric power plant that can produce energy for household use using water from a storage tank. One trustworthy and efficient kind of clean, green power is picohydroelectricity. It generates electricity with low maintenance and no fuel use. Water moving through residential pipes provides the kinetic energy to generate electricity for storage of energy. The design and construction of a pico-hydro generating system that extracts water from the water tanks of residential buildings are covered in this study. Three unique mechanical arrangements are added for improved operation and energy production: U-tube piping, a big nozzle pipe end, and an air bladder for sustaining water pressure. As a result, we might design a mechanical system which could produce electricity using the potential energy contained in a water storage tank from a water head. Key words: Renewable energy, Hydroelectricity, turbine , diaphragm pump, portable etc.

Development of Small Hydroelectric Power Plant Maintenance Costs using Chaos Embedded Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization

In this study, a new equation model is proposed to improve the maintenance costs of Small Scale Hydroelectric Power Plants (SHPP). The proposed equation model consists of 4 terms and 7 parameters using the Chaos Embedded Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (CEAPSO). The MATLAB program was used to calculate the parameters in the proposed equation model. In this study, the main error value for 14 maintenance items required for a SHPP is calculated as 17.4819%. The maintenance cost of a SHPP to be installed in this way can be predicted with high accuracy using the proposed equation model. In the study, the sensitivity analysis of the proposed equation model is also performed, and maintenance cost changes are expressed in different parameter values. In the study, corrected data from 8 SHPP in India are used. These data cover the maintenance costs of all components for the years 2015-2016. In the study, unlike the literature, the flow parameter is added to the power and head parameters. In this way, a more sensitive equation model is developed for SHPP data. In addition, realistic results are obtained by applying constraints to the parameters. Considering the 14 different maintenance cost parameters examined in the study, a correlation model is proposed to give better results than the literature for other maintenance costs except the power channel and penstock cost.

Microgrids Imitate Nature for Improved Performance—Use of Nature-Inspired Optimization Techniques in Future Power Systems

There is a constant push towards increasing use of renewable energy-based distributed generators around the globe. While they provide a clean and sustainable source of energy, they employ technologies that are unknown to traditional power systems. These generators are interfaced via inverters that lack the inertia of large synchronous machines. This manifests itself as a more volatile frequency profile that is susceptible to disturbances. This phenomenon is more amplified in stand-alone microgrids which are utilized as a popular electrification alternative in isolated or underserved communities. One solution approach takes its inspiration from nature, e.g., behavior of bees, butterflies, or ants. When employed in a suitable way, animals’ natural behavior helps optimize interaction between different renewable-energy based generators and create a more stable microgrid. There are different approaches to stabilizing such systems with novel optimization approaches. Some of them optimize the ratio between generators that utilize rotating machines and inverters. Penetration of renewable energy generation is about increasing the share of inverter-interfaced generators in the system without causing stability issues. Since renewable energy resources are intermittent and not dispatchable, it is important to create a diverse portfolio where the overall system achieves some stability. For instance, if a local grid is fed by PV panels, wind generation and a small-scale hydroelectric power plant, the varying nature of these resources may complement each other. On a sunny day, PV output might be very high, and wind may not be so significant. On the other hand, on a rainy day, clouds may reduce PV output while precipitation may feed the local hydro power plant. Similarly, wind generation might complement others on a windy day. While the idea is easy to comprehend qualitatively, finding the correct ratio is not trivial. Furthermore, there are many factors at play that are independently changing and impacting the outcome. For different sites, the available renewable energy resources, their profiles as well as the local load conditions would be different. Therefore, a systematic approach is required to optimize these systems at planning, operation and control levels. Nature-inspired optimization algorithms seem to have an edge in doing just that.

Perancangan Alat Micro Hydroelectric Portable dengan Menggunakan Sistem Turbin Archimedes Screw

Micro Hydroelectric portable is a small-scale hydroelectric power plant (< 100 kW) which has many advantages, especially without the use of reservoirs, is environmentally friendly, and is a renewable energy, so many are built for power generation purposes in rural areas. Micro Hydro is generally a permanent generator, so the main problem faced is the relatively expensive construction cost. The prototype of a Portable Micro Hydro Power Plant using an Archimedes screw turbine is a power plant that is capable of working on small-scale water discharge in the form of a beam with a length of 80 cm, a width of 40 cm, a turbine housing slope of 45o and a total weight of 8 Kg, making it a portable Micro Hydro. Micro Hydro works at a water flow rate of 0.1 - 1.1 m3/second using an Archimedes screw turbine which can work at low heads. Power from the Archimedes screw turbine is channeled to the generator using a 1:3 ratio, where one rotation of the turbine produces three rotations of the generator producing an average voltage of 7.3 Volts DC, then the voltage is converted by the inverter, charger controller, battery for 12 Volt loads, 12 Watt generated power capacity

Using Group Predictive Voltage and Frequency Regulators of Distributed Generation Plants in Cyber-Physical Power Supply Systems

The widespread use of distributed generation (DG) plants in cyber-physical power supply systems (CPPSS) requires solving the complex problem of setting their regulators. The presented study aimed to determine the performance of the group predictive voltage and frequency regulators of DG plants in CPPSS. These studies were conducted in the MatLab environment on the CPPSS models with gas turbine units and with a small-scale hydroelectric power plant. The proposed method for tuning group predictive regulators makes it possible to improve the quality control indices. The research has established that with an additional load connected, the maximum voltage dip is reduced by a factor of 3.5 compared to conventional control regulators. In addition, the time of a transient process for the generator rotor speed is decreased by a factor of 3. In the case of a short-term short circuit, predictive regulators can reduce the time of the transient process by a factor of 1.5 and the overshoot by more than 2 times. The simulation results have confirmed the efficiency of group predictive regulators when used in DG plants, i.e., improvement of the quality of control processes in various operating modes.

The Study of Synchronous Generators' Voltage and Frequency Group Prognostic Controllers of a Small-scale HPP

The application of a large number of distributed generation plants, built on the basis of synchronous generators in Electric Energy System (EES), requires solving the problem of their centralized control, adjustment of voltage and frequency local controllers, which entails taking into account a large number of interrelated system parameters. These problems can be solved using prognostic control algorithms. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the proposed group prognostic voltage and frequency controllers for small-scale Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) on various operating modes of the EES. The studies were conducted in the MATLAB environment using the Simulink and SimPowerSystems simulation packages. The results of computer simulation indicate that the use of group prognostic controllers significantly reduces overshoot, oscillability index, transient time and voltage dips, and frequency in the normal and emergency conditions. The proposed methods of the group prognostic controller formation and tuning allow to improve quality indices of small-scale HPP voltage and frequency control, while retaining the former settings of synchronous generators controllers.

The Study of Synchronous Generators' Voltage and Frequency Group Prognostic Controllers of a Small-scale Hydroelectric Power Plant

The Study of Synchronous Generators' Voltage and Frequency Group Prognostic Controllers of a Small-scale Hydroelectric Power Plant

Studi Awal Pemanfaatan Turbin Screw pada Aliran Sungai Kecil di Kota Jambi

The use of archimedes screw has shifted its use from pumps to a source of hydropower at low heads as water turbines. Archimedes srew turbine performance is influenced by several parameters including turbine submersion level, turbine tilt angle, pitch ratio, and number of blades. The contour of the lowland Jambi city that is passed by the Batanghari watershed makes the drainage potential can be utilized to become a small-scale hydroelectric power plant using screw turbines, because the contour of Jambi City is low, resulting in small water pressure although the discharge is sometimes large due to the overflow of the Batanghari river, then the choice of turbine with a low head is the solution, in this study, a study was made to calculate the potential drainage flow in the city of Jambi, whether it can be used or not.

Design and Construction of Single Phase Radial Flux Permanent Magnet Generators for Pico hydro Scale Power Plants Using Propeller Turbines in Water Pipes

Pico hydro or a small scale hydroelectric power plant is used as the rotating energy of the generator. Pico hydro is a hydroelectric power plant that has a power of less than 5 kW. Technically, Pico hydro has three main components namely water, turbine and generator. Turbine type propeller reaction has a special profile that causes a decrease in water pressure during the blades. This pressure difference exerts force on the blade so that the runner (rotating part of the turbine) can rotate. Permanent magnets are used to produce magnetic flux. Permanent magnets used are rare-eatrhrod magnet material, neodymium-iron-boron NdFeB with N35 type. The planned generator released is 36.85 V, 500 rpm, 50 hz. This designed water turbine has four blades which cannot change its angle. As for the measurement results produce a voltage of 35.1 V with a manufacturing efficiency of 95 %. Charging the battery voltage must be more than 12 V, therefore the generator must be turned at least 200 rpm with a voltage of 14 V to be used for charging batteries.

Techno-economic calculations of small-scale hydrogen supply systems for zero emission transport in Norway

In Norway, where nearly 100% of the power is hydroelectric, it is natural to consider water electrolysis as the main production method of hydrogen for zero-emission transport. In a startup market with low demand for hydrogen, one may find that small-scale WE-based hydrogen production is more cost-efficient than large-scale production because of the potential to reach a high number of operating hours at rated capacity and high overall system utilization rate. Two case studies addressing the levelized costs of hydrogen in local supply systems have been evaluated in the present work: (1) Hydrogen production at a small-scale hydroelectric power plant (with and without on-site refueling) and (2) Small hydrogen refueling station for trucks (with and without on-site hydrogen production). The techno-economic calculations of the two case studies show that the levelized hydrogen refueling cost at the small-scale hydroelectric power plant (with a local station) will be 141 NOK/kg, while a fleet of 5 fuel cell trucks will be able to refuel hydrogen at a cost of 58 NOK/kg at a station with on-site production or 71 NOK/kg at a station based on delivered hydrogen. The study shows that there is a relatively good business case for local water electrolysis and supply of hydrogen to captive fleets of trucks in Norway, particularly if the size of the fleet is sufficiently large to justify the installation of a relatively large water electrolyzer system (economies of scale). The ideal concept would be a large fleet of heavy-duty vehicles (with a high total hydrogen demand) and a refueling station with nearly 100% utilization of the installed hydrogen production capacity.

Come Together—The Development of Swedish Energy Communities

Community energy (CE) and grassroots innovations have been widely studied in recent years, especially in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, but very little focus has been placed on Sweden. This paper describes and analyses the development and present state of several types of community energy initiatives in Sweden. The methodology uses interviews, document studies, analysis of previous studies, and website analysis. The results show that fewer initiatives have been taken in Sweden than in other countries, but that even with a rather ‘hostile’ institutional setting CE has emerged as a phenomenon. Wind cooperatives are the most common form of initiative, with solar photovoltaics cooperatives and eco-villages also prominent. The various types of initiatives differ considerably, from well-organized wind cooperatives that have grown into professional organizations to small-scale hydroelectric power plants owned by a rural community. The initiatives may have modest impact on the energy transition in quantitative terms, but they are crucial in knowledge sharing and as inspirations for future initiatives.

Small Scale Hydroelectric Power Plants in Norway. Some Microeconomic and Environmental Considerations

The development of small-scale hydroelectric power plants in Norway is determined by natural conditions, policies, attitudes and property rights. The owner of the river is the central decision maker. It is he/she who decides whether he/she will develop the power plant himself/herself, whether he/he wants to enter into a contract with an external investor and let him/her develop the power plant, whether he/she will sell his/her property rights or postpone the decisions. All available choices will involve risk. In order for him/her to make the best choice, he/she must find the certainty equivalent to each of the choices and choose the one with the highest certainty equivalent. To find the certainty equivalent, we use the utility theory of John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. The owner of the river makes the decision that gives him/her the greatest utility when both economic and non-economic effects are assessed within the opportunity set made by the local and the central authorities.

회전자 형상에 따른 유도발전기 전압강하에 대한 연구

Induction generator is easy to durability and maintenance than the synchronous generator. So, recently Induction generator has been widely applied to small-scale hydroelectric power plant. When the rotor is operating faster than synchronous speed, induction machine can generate electric power. Induction generator has a large inrush currents, such as the starting current of the induction motor. Induction motor has been designed a variety of rotor shape in order to reduce starting current. Since the occurrence of high inrush current cause a voltage drop to the system, it will need to reduce possible. Because the starting current of the squirrel-cage induction motor varies in accordance with the rotor shape, it is necessary to analyze the magnitude of inrush current in order to apply to the generator. In this study, we analyzed the inrush current and the voltage drop caused in accordance with the rotor shape of 1500kw induction generator.

WATERMILL AND SMALL-SCALE HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT LANDSCAPES ASSESSED ACCORDING TO ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS / VANDENS MALŪNŲ IR MAŽŲJŲ HIDROELEKTRINIŲ KRAŠTOVAIZDŽIO VERTINIMAS EKOLOGINIAIS ASPEKTAIS

Research of watermill and small-scale hydroelectric power plant (HPP) landscapes in Latvia according to ecological aspects is a part of a more complex research. The aim of this research is to examine the existing situation of watermill and small-scale HPP landscapes in Latvia by applying the ecological assessment criteria, and then try to formulate a definition of common tendencies of the landscape character. This paper provides a landscape inventory matrix for research in the field studies of landscape identification at the local planning level. The duration of the research was from 2010 to 2012. The research includes 42 territories starting with the three most densely developed areas in Latvia: in Latgale, Kurzeme and Vidzeme uplands distribution ranges. The research results reflect tendencies of the landscape features assessed according to the previously developed criteria of ecological aspects. Santrauka Latvijos vandens malūnų ir mažųjų hidroelektrinių kraštovaizdžio vertinimo ekologiniais aspektais tyrimas yra kompleksinio tyrimo dalis. Tyrimo tikslas yra įvertinti esamą vandens malūnų ir mažųjų hidroelektrinių kraštovaizdžio situaciją ekologiniais aspektais ir išryškinti bendrąsias kraštovaizdžio charakterio tendencijas. Straipsnyje atspindėta kraštovaizdžio inventorizavimo matrica kraštovaizdžiui identifikuoti planavimo lygmeniu. Tyrimas atliktas 2010–2012 metais. Tyrimas apima 42 teritorijas, išsidėsčiusias trijose tankiausiai apgyvendintose Latvijos dalyse: Latgaloje, Kuržemėje ir Vidžemėje. Remiantis anksčiau suformuluotais kriterijais kraštovaizdžiui tirti ekologiškumo aspektais, tyrimo rezultatai atskleidžia tam tikras tendencijas.

The Effects of Small Scale Hydroelectric Power Plants Located in the Eastern Black Sea Basin in Turkey

Although the geopolitical position of Turkey has a great importance, Turkey is not able to benefit from its natural resources adequately and so the foreign dependency of energy is rising explosively. For this reason, an attempt is being made to increase energy production by constructing small scale hydroelectric power plants in Turkey. The Eastern Black Sea Basin is an important basin located in the northeast part of Turkey, with a high surface water potential. The unused water potential of this region, where there is a great amount of precipitation, was brought into use with the enactment of a law 2001. Under this law, the construction of numerous small scale plants was begun. In this study, the status of small scale plants, of which construction has started or is already completed as well as those in the project phase, were examined on a province by province basis for 2011, and the economical contribution of these plants to regional and national economy and the ecological effects were analyzed.

Fish passage experience at small-scale hydro-electric power plants in France

There are more than 1,700 small-scale hydro-electric power stations in France today, which can be found on the majority of rivers with migratory species in them. This article gives an overview of the different types of fish facilities in use at these small-scale hydro plants. The relative advantages and drawbacks of each type of fish pass are discussed, with reference to the requirements of migratory species and the site-specific constraints. Emphasis is placed on the problems of attraction and maintenance. The article also mentions the various techniques used to evaluate existing or recently constructed fish passes. Experience in using bypass facilities combined with trashracks for downstream juvenile salmonids and eels are related. The author points out the severe cumulative impact which may occur due to the existence of several small-scale hydro projects on the same river. He presents his view on the priorities for research on fish passage facilities, especially on “fish friendly” small-scale hydropower intakes.

小水力発電におけるヘッドタンクの水位制御法

小水力発電におけるヘッドタンクの水位制御法