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- Asset Management
- Buoy
- Canal
- Climate Change
- Controls
- Dam Safety
- Environmental Impact
- Fish and Aquatic Resources
- Future Grid
- Generator
- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
- Hydrokinetic
- Intake Gates
- Markets
- Penstock
- Regulatory Process
- Renewable Integration
- Sediment Transport
- Shoreline and Riparian Resources
- Spillgates
- Tidal
- Transmission Services
- Turbine
- Water Management
- Water Resources
- Water Systems
- Wave
- Conventional Hydro
Gates Inspection and Maintenance Guide
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- 03/108
The purpose of this project is to develop an Inspection and Maintenance Guide to sustain the equipment health of existing gate structures, including the effective identification and correction of anomalies that may hamper reliable and safe flow shut-off and/or discharge capability.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Water Conveyance
Research Sub-Category
Intake Gates
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2022
- Conventional Hydro
GMLC 6.1.1 Flex Power
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Felipe Wilches
Emerging hybrid renewable energy systems offer 1) new opportunities for the global renewable energy industry with disruptive market potential, and 2) a scalable, economic, and reliable solution applicable to a power system of any size (e.g., large interconnected power systems, islands, microgrids). The project will result in development of a New National Asset – a grid-scale hybrid system test bed that can be used by the industry and research community for validation and demonstration of new control concepts, stakeholder engagement, workforce education, and as a validation platform for future standardization of hybrid technologies. It will lead to both technology and vendor neutral, “plug-and-play” hybridization guidelines and control architecture openly available at all segment of stakeholder community. This project proposes a pioneering approach to demonstrate how technology hybridization can fully leverage the value of variable utility-scale wind and solar PV generation in combination with hydro power generation to take them from a simple variable-energy resources to ones that provide dispatchability, flexibility and capacity services (similar to conventional power plants) and a full range of reliability and resiliency services (similar to or better than conventional plants) to the bulk power system. The project will demonstrate the ability of hybrid plants to operate in grid-forming mode and provide reliability and resilience services (black start, islanded operation) in a multi-MW scale system.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Gravity Water Booster
Lead Companies
INGEREC
Lead Researcher (s)
- Guy Sarremejeanne
The Gravity Water Booster (GWB) is a patented new and innovative hydroelectric generating process that mechanically converts kinetic energy into potential energy and requires just two components to operate: the hydraulic cylinder and the Pelton turbine. It is a small civil engineering structure with a volume of roughly 300 m^3. Its operation is based exclusively on the laws of hydraulics as we know them (Pascal's principle, Bernoulli's equation, Archimedes' thrust), its energy efficiency is 80%. It uses the same components as conventional hydroelectricity (concrete, steel, copper, etc.) and requires no complex technology or use of rare earths. It offers an alternative to dams, since its hydraulic efficiency is 15 times greater, and a 10 m column of pressurized water is equivalent to the potential energy of a 156 m column of water. The power generated by a GWB is controllable (i.e pilotable), unlike wind and solar.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
complete
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Grid and Market Integration of Hydropower and Wind Energy: Challenges and Opportunities [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
ANL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Audun Botterud, abotterud@anl.gov
This project seeks to build an archive of case studies documenting the co-existence of hydropower and wind turbines across the U.S. and Norway, while also investigating challenges and opportunities for hydropower resources as wind penetration increases. This work will be instrumental in identifying locations in both countries that may be prone to facing these challenges in the future. This project will increase foundational understanding of the combination of hydropower and wind turbines, in turn helping to advise future projects of this nature. This work will be pursued under the framework of DOE’s memorandum of understanding with Norway’s Royal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Grid Value Proposition of Marine Energy
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jan Alam
PNNL and NREL are in the second year of a three-year project to comprehensively review the grid value for marine hydrokinetic development at scale on an intermediate- to long-term horizon. The project will dovetail with nationally-accelerating valuation efforts to characterize and quantify specific services from generating resources and estimate the value of those services over time. It will capitalize on the larger conversation and technical approach to establish locational value, referencing adopted frameworks and related laboratory analysis. And it will take advantage of laboratory expertise in a variety of disciplines – ocean physics, mechanical engineering , electrical engineering, energy economics – chained together in order to ensure that benefits and services assessed are realistic for MHK technologies and ocean energy resources.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) system
Lead Companies
ORNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Momen, Ayyoub
This project targets achieving energy storage by pressurizing enclosed air via a liquid piston. The project’s final product will be a prototype, demonstrating the feasibility and the value proposition of the technology.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
Grouted Post-Tensioned Rock Anchor Assessment
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0230
This report presents the results of an extensive study of grouted post-tensioned rock anchors of various designs installed in concrete gravity dams to determine the effects of the aging process.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Dam or Weir
Research Sub-Category
Dam Safety
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Guide to Ensuring Quality for Manufacturing and Installation of Hydroelectric Plant Equipment
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- 03/102
This guide provides a basis for an owner’s quality assurance program for the supply and installation of electrical and mechanical equipment for hydroelectric plants.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2020
- Marine Energy
H2 Generation from Seawater for MHK Power Storage
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kelsey Stoerzinger
Electrocatalytic water splitting is a possible route to the expanded generation of green hydrogen however a long-term challenge is the requirement of fresh water as an electrolyzer feed. The use of seawater as a direct feed for electrolytic hydrogen production would alleviate fresh water needs and potentially open an avenue for locally generated hydrogen from marine hydrokinetic or off-shore power sources. One environmental limitation to seawater electrolysis is the generation of chlorine as a competitive anodic reaction. This work evaluates transition metal (W, Co, Fe, Sn and Ru) doping of Mn-Mo based catalysts as a strategy to suppress chlorine evolution while sustaining catalytic efficiency. Electrochemical evaluations in neutral chloride solution and raw seawater showed the promise of a novel Mn-Mo-Ru electrode system for oxygen evolution effi-ciency and enhanced catalytic activity. Subsequent stability testing in a flowing raw seawater flume highlighted the need for improved catalyst stability for long-term applications of Mn-Mo-Ru catalysts. This work highlights that elements known to be selective toward chlorine evolution in simple-oxide form (e.g. RuO2) may display different trends in selectivity when used as isolated dopants, where here Ru suppressed chlorine evolution in Mn-based catalysts. Adiga P.P., N. Doi, D.M. Santosa, L. Kuo, G.A. Gill, J.A. Silverstein, and N.M. Avalos, et al. 2021. "The Influence of Transitional Metal Dopants on Reducing Chlorine Evolution During the Electrolysis of Raw Seawater." Applied Sciences. PNNL-SA-165321. [Unpublished]
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Drinking Water in Oregon
Lead Companies
U.S. Geological Survey
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kurt Carpenter
Drinking water sources serving significant portions of Oregon's population have large reservoirs in their headwaters, which are subject to Harmful Algal Blooms or that release nutrients downstream that support in-stream algal production, either of which can generate toxins affecting the drinking water safety. This study seeks to better evaluate risks to drinking water sources from HABs including the ways that reservoir operations affect algal toxin formation. Nutrient sources to the reservoirs from upstream land management, including wildfire and resource extraction are also included. Recent data collection efforts include lake profiling buoys and satellite imagery to help with situational awareness as blooms develop and provide real-time notification.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org