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- Conventional Hydro
Using “waste cold” from Liquid Air Energy Storage to achieve temperature objectives
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Michael Wright
Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a greenhouse gas-free method of storing potential energy for later conversion. Hydropower generated during off-peak hours can be used to liquefy air. Stored air can be used to generate energy by heating it, creating pressurized air that can be run through a turbine. "Waste cold" is generated during the heating process. The energy industry is seeking use cases for economical disposal of this asset. Hydropower dams are frequently located above stretches of river in which fish evolved for cold water, especially anadromous salmonid species, are present during the summer. Regulatory requirements to preserve cold water in these habitats are operationally challenging, and sometimes hydrologically impossible, to meet. This study seeks to examine the cold water benefits offered by LAES waste cold. Water supply planning models will provide reservoir elevation time series for power modeling, which will be used to estimate availability (off-peak hours). Water temperature models will be used to convert waste cold into cold water within reservoirs and downriver, with fish mortality models being used to quantify temperature impacts. Other uses for the waste cold relevant to Reclamation such as fish hatcheries will also be considered.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
Using beryllium-10 derived erosion rates as a proxy for reservoir sedimentation
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Melissa Foster
A technique to calculate basin-averaged erosion rates from 10Be concentrations in quartz river sands was pioneered in the mid-1990s. Basin-averaged erosion rates represent the long-term surface lowering for the entire basin upstream from the measurement point. This is a relatively inexpensive technique that could provide a baseline for sediment production in basins. We hypothesize that trends will exist between basin-averaged erosion and rates of reservoir sedimentation, which may allow the 10Be-derived measurements of basin-averaged erosion to be used as a proxy for reservoir sedimentation. Therefore, an inexpensive measurement could be used to better understand sedimentation rates in reservoirs where funds are not available for expensive reservoir surveys.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Using eDNA analysis at stream gages to assess fish distribution and seasonal activity patterns
Lead Companies
U.S. Geological Survey
Lead Researcher (s)
- David Pilliod
Proper management of riverine ecosystems require physical, chemical, and biological data, but acquisition of the biological information has been a challenge because of the time, effort, and cost of traditional assessments. As a solution to this problem, USGS and BLM scientists explored integration of environmental DNA – eDNA – into the USGS National Streamflow Network. The proof-of-concept study involved collecting monthly eDNA samples alongside physical measurements at five streamgages in southwest Idaho for an entire water year. Samples were also collected at equally spaced intervals between streamgages during three sampling events to determine whether the spacing of existing gages was adequate. Using rainbow and bull trout, two species with different distribution and environmental tolerances, researchers found that eDNA analyses at streamgages provided useful information about distribution and habitat associations for both species. However, to meet regulatory requirements, occasional sampling between streamgages may be necessary for species that occur at very low density, have restricted distributions, or have narrow environmental tolerances or habitat preferences.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
complete
Completion Date
2019
- Conventional Hydro
Using Maturity Matrices to Evaluate Dam Safety Programs
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0234
The maturity matrices described in this manual have been developed for owners to assess the effectiveness of a dam safety program against industry practice.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Dam or Weir
Research Sub-Category
Dam Safety
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Using Remote Sensing and Ground Measurements to Improve Evaporation Estimation and Reservoir Management
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Dagmar Llewellyn
Evaporative losses from reservoirs are not well understood due to climatic conditions, size and shape of the reservoir, and reservoir operations. However, these losses have the potential to be managed through science based decision making tools. The current method(s) used to estimate and account for evaporative losses rely upon technology from a century ago (i.e. Class A Evaporation Pan) and area-capacity tables for individual reservoirs. Technological advances using remote sensing (e.g. LandSat-8) and highly sensitive instrumentation (i.e. 3-D Sonic Anemometer with hygrometer, infrared sensor, etc.) have shown the potential to be used in estimating evaporation losses on spatial and temporal scale with more accuracy. Preliminary studies (BoR Technical Report RO5AC40438 2013) have been conducted at Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs by US Bureau of Reclamation and New Mexico State University.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Hydraulic Forecasting
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
Utilizing Acoustic Sensors to Detect Streambed Mobilization
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Rebecca Braz
This proposal seeks to assess the viability of utilizing acoustic sensors to detect when streambed mobilization begins. The test location for this technique will be the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Rio Chama, a tributary of the Rio Grande in northwestern New Mexico. This stretch of the Chama is located below El Vado Dam and is a high-sediment system with a significant amount of mud. This mud restricts oxygen transport in the streambed, impacting the food source and habitat of the brown trout, a key species in the designation of the Wild and Scenic Reach.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Pumped Storage
Valuation Framework and Techno-Economic Studies for Pumped Storage Hydropower
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Mark Weimer
This project aims to advance the state of the art in assessing the value of PSH plants and their contributions to the power system. The specific goal is to develop a detailed, step-by-step valuation guidebook that PSH developers, plant owners or operators, and other stakeholders can use to assess the value of existing or potential new PSH projects.
Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Valuation Guidance and Techno-Economic Studies for Pumped Storage Hydropower [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
ANL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Vladimir Koritarov, koritarov@anl.gov
The objective of this project is to advance state of the art in the assessment of value of PSH plants and their role in the power system. The goal is to develop a detailed step-by-step valuation guidance and apply it to two competitively selected PSH sites to test the valuation methodology and assist the developers in understanding the value streams available from their projects. The project outcomes are: • Develop a comprehensive, repeatable, and transparent valuation guidance that will allow for consistent valuation assessments and comparisons of potential new PSH projects or project design alternatives • Test the PSH valuation guidance and its underlying methodology by applying it to two selected PSH projects • Transfer and disseminate the PSH valuation guidance to the hydropower industry, PSH developers, and other stakeholders Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Value and Role of Pumped Storage Hydro under High Variable Renewables [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
Lead Researcher (s)
While advanced PSH technologies like variable speed units have existed for some time, none have been installed in the US. As such, market and operations models do not capture the capabilities of these technologies. The overall goal of this project is to overcome a range of market barriers for PSH by helping utility companies understand benefits of PSH that are not well understood or quantified, by demonstrating the capabilities of new PSH technologies such as variable speed PSH, and by helping developers improve PSH revenues with development of a new scheduling optimization tool. Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Value Drivers [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
ANL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Todd Levin, tlevin@anl.gov
The US power system has undergone a number of changes over the past decade driven in part by increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy, distributed energy resources and grid-scale battery storage, as well as increasing consumer participation and shifting load profiles to name a few. These changes are anticipated to continue in the coming decade and beyond, likely accompanied by others—technological, socio-political, and market-oriented—that may substantially change the operational requirements of the power grid. The varying degrees to which these changes manifest will drive changes in the value that hydropower resources can provide to power systems. Many hydropower resources have technical capabilities to provide a range of grid services that have traditionally been largely untapped due to either low system requirements for these services, or a lack of clear price signals for the value that they provide to the grid. We will establish a framework for quantifying the system value generated by conventional hydropower and PSH through the provision of grid services, as well the system factors that may augment these value streams in the future as power systems continue to evolve. The outcomes of this work will help stakeholders make prudent decisions regarding changes in operating practices and directing capital investments to improve resources' abilities to provide various grid services. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
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Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org