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- Conventional Hydro
Ultrasonic Transducer Field Test for Quagga Mussel Settlement Control
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shane Mower
The goal of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of ultrasound waves for the prevention of invasive mussel settlement on critical submerged hydropower and water delivery structures and equipment in order to prevent issues associated with flow restriction. Ultrasound waves are not likely to directly kill mussel veligers, but they may reduce food availability for mussels preventing growth and survival. An ultrasound transducer produced for algae control will be tested at Lake Powell, AZ. Mussel settlement and biofouling reduction will first be assessed on settlement plates and if found to be effective will be tested on submerged structures in the forebay at Glen Canyon Dam.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Understanding Greenhouse Gas Emissions from US Hydropower Reservoirs
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Natalie Griffiths (griffithsna@ornl.gov)
Accurate quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes is paramount for the hydropower industry as GHG emissions may be considered when evaluating hydropower's status as a form of renewable energy. However, estimates of GHG emissions from all reservoirs (including hydropower) are highly uncertain, with global estimates varying over an order of magnitude (St. Louis et al. 2000, Deemer et al. 2016, Prairie et al. 2018). Characterizing uncertainty of methane (CH4) emissions from reservoirs has been identified by WPTO as an important first step in identifying and mitigating risk from high-emitting reservoirs. This project will utilize a coupled modeling-measurement approach to reduce uncertainty in GHG emission estimates, particularly CH4, both within individual hydropower reservoirs and across reservoirs in the U.S. Development and validation of novel, in-situ GHG measurement technologies combined with comprehensive, statistically based monitoring designs informed by GHG emission models will be critical components of this project.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Understanding Operational Flexibility in the Federal Columbia River Power System
Lead Companies
University of Washington
Lead Researcher (s)
- Karen Studarus
Operational flexibility describes a power system’s ability to respond with controllable real power resources to rapid changes in power balance error. For balancing areas with high penetrations of stochastic generation, these changes can be large enough to cause operating problems. We create the tools to quantify and intuitively explore operational flexibility in any power system and apply those tools to analyze the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). We chose the FCRPS because it is a large system with complicated constraints, and because conflicting demands on operational flexibility have become a regional public issue. We inventory system obligations, map all obligations and forecasts to constraints in the form of power (MW) vs. time, create data structures and an algebra for unifying these time series, and assemble an original metric of operational flexibility. The metric quantifies a common but vague concept of flexibility, intuitively characterizes a power system, and yields actionable intelligence that dovetails with existing deterministic indicators of system state. The resulting information-dense summary can improve schedule quality both as a visualization tool for human schedulers and as a versatile formulation for dispatch algorithms.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
complete
Completion Date
2014
- Conventional Hydro
Understanding the Incident Command System – Guidance to Dam Owners/Operators
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0243
This document introduces dam owners to the Incident Command System (ICS), which they may find themselves working in during an emergency. Understanding the reasoning and function of ICS will increase a dam owner’s efficiency and effectiveness when working with emergency responders.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Dam or Weir
Research Sub-Category
Dam Safety
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Update to Mechanical Overhaul Guide for Hydroelectric Turbine Generators
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0354B
To provide updates to the previously published CEATI report Mechanical Overhaul Guide for Hydroelectric Turbines which provides guidance on the mechanical refurbishment of hydroelectric turbine generators.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Turbine
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2020
- Conventional Hydro
Use of Novel Parasites to Control Naive North American Dreissenid Populations
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jacque Keele
In this project, populations of North American quagga and zebra mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis and D. polymorpha) are being evaluated in the laboratory for their "naïveté" to closely related parasites that normally infect only "cousin" Dreissena spp. -- dreissenid species whose evolution diverged from zebra and quagga mussels millions of years ago. Such isolated "cousin" dreissenid species are present in the Europe and Asia (e.g., D. caputlacus, D. anatolica, D. blanci, and D. carinata). Since North American populations of zebra and quagga mussels have not encountered these European/Asian parasites before, infection may prove lethal. Our goal is to identify these parasites, evaluate them, and one day have a new and novel biocontrol agent for quagga and zebra mussels. This project has several parts. First, traveling throughout Europe and Asia to collect and look for parasites in isolated populations of "cousin" dreissenid species. Once these parasites are collected they will be identified by both morphology and molecular methods to determine if they are new or novel. Once a novel parasite is identified the next step will involve investigating the parasites life cycle, and to start to evaluate if the parasite would be a candidate for infecting quagga and zebra mussels. The final step will be to expose naïve quagga or zebra mussels to the parasite and determine the impact that the parasite has on the mussels. This is a multiyear research project that could have a great payoff if a hypervirulent parasite to quagga and zebra mussels is identified.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- 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
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Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org