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- Asset Management
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- Conventional Hydro
New Hydropower Representation in Production Cost Models
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Nathalie Voisin
This project focuses on improving the representation of hydropower in production cost models by informing the plant classification as a function of basin-scale hydrologic conditions, environmental constraints and grid economics signals that affect operational flexibility. The actionable results will provide a foundational basis for improving PCM methods for representing hydropower facilities in the context of the bulk power system’s (BPS) increasing needs for flexibility and evolving markets for grid services.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
New Stream-Reach Development Hydropower Resource Assessment
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shih-Chieh Kao (kaos@ornl.gov)
The New Stream-reach Development Resource Assessment (NSD) uses an innovative geographic approach to analyze the potential for new hydropower development in US stream segments that do not currently have hydroelectric facilities. Developed and implemented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the DOE Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), the assessments leverage recent advancements in various geographic datasets on topography, hydrology, and environmental characteristics to develop the highest resolution and most rigorous national evaluation of US hydropower potential to date. NSD assessments are not intended to determine economic feasibility or to justify financial investments in individual site development. The NSD does, however, identify high-energy intensity stream-reaches and classify new potential areas for hydropower development using a range of technical, socio-economic, and environmental characteristics.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2014
- Conventional Hydro
NPD Development Opportunities Assessment
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Scott DeNeale (denealest@ornl.gov)
This project will build on previous ORNL efforts to perform non-powered dam (NPD) resource assessment, classification research, and cost analysis. The project objective is to help identify the most promising development opportunities for NPDs in the US. We will do this by (1) assessing characteristics which influence NPD feasibility; (2) developing statistics-based groupings of NPDs based on multi-variate, multi-objective analysis; and (3) making preliminary determinations of feasibility based on available data.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Operation of Hydro Generators with Bypassed Stator Coils – Phase 2
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0379B
This guide will provide recommendations for temporary winding repairs in order to return generator back into operation. The guide will include methods to assess the consequences in the case of the bypassed damaged stator winding coils.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Generator
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2020
- Conventional Hydro
Operational Alternative Evaluation for the 2014/2024 Columbia River Treaty Review in a Participatory Modeling Framework
Lead Companies
University of Idaho
Lead Researcher (s)
- Mark Cecchini-Beaver
Basin-scale water resource management entails consideration of competing— sometimes conflicting—operational goals and constraints. In the Columbia River Basin, legal, social, technological, and ecological changes suggest a need for a collaborative process to devise and select new water management strategies. Computer modeling for decision support offers a compelling method for using hydrologic simulation models as tools for engaging stakeholders in the process of envisioning, testing, and evaluating novel operational alternatives. This study details the process of developing a daily timestep simulation model of the mainstem Columbia and Kootenay Rivers and integrating the results of a survey to create operational alternatives that implement stakeholder priorities for river management. These alternatives are then modeled over a sixty-nine year period of record and compared to each other and a Base Case scenario using a suite of performance measures that provide information related to flood control, hydropower, instream flow, recreation, navigation, and shoreline goals. A key result of this comparison is that coordinated management of Canadian storage facilities can improve downstream ecological flow objectives at the cost of hydropower generation and certain shoreline objectives at Canadian reservoirs. Distributive and integrative solutions to these tradeoffs are proposed as potential opportunities to reshape the transboundary management regime of the Columbia River Treaty.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Regulatory Management Process
Research Sub-Category
Water Management
Status
complete
Completion Date
2013
- Conventional Hydro
Operational time series aggregated data set
Lead Companies
Hydropower Research Institute
Lead Researcher (s)
- HRI Technical Steering Committee
This fundamental ongoing HRI project is focused on aggregating operational data from generating units for all HRI participants. Current participants represent 40% of the US hydropower capacity. This data set will be used to support digital transformation efforts for HRI participants and licensees, and to support collaborative HRI research projects.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Optimization and Commercialization of the juvenile eel/Lamprey Tag
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Deng
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Outage Planning Maturity Matrix
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0424
The matrix includes all activities for Outage Planning including the scheduling and impact evaluation of outages in the forecast mode, the evaluation of actual outage impacts computed after the fact, and issues pertaining to efficient communications within the organization.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Hydraulic Optimization
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Owner Dam Safety Program Audit Using the Dam Safety Maturity Matrix
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0249
To provide an audit of an owner's dam safety program using the DSIG Dam Safety Maturity Matrix and Peer Reviewers from multiple DSIG member utilities.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Dam or Weir
Research Sub-Category
Dam Safety
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2020
- Conventional Hydro
Penstock Inspection and Assessment Reference Manual
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0388
In developing this guide, the basic approach was to integrate two existing ASCE publications, Guidelines for Evaluating Aging Penstocks (1995) and Guidelines for Inspection and Monitoring of In-Service Penstocks (2000), into a single reference manual, enhanced where appropriate with current practices and augmented by contemporary risk-informed decision making and existing best management practices for penstock asset management, monitoring and surveillance.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Water Conveyance
Research Sub-Category
Penstock
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org