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- Conventional Hydro
Value of flow forecasts to power system analytics
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Nathalie Voisin
This project will use inflow forecast, reservoir and power system model simulations, and case studies to practically demonstrate where forecast improvements would create the most value for hydropower services. This research will benefit utilities and other hydropower operators who utilize flow forecasting to support water management and electricity production; it will also support DOE in targeting future investments related to forecasting that will benefit these groups.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Value of flow forecasts to power system analytics [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
PNNL, INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Nathalie Voisin, Nathalie.voisin@pnnl.gov
Hydropower operators use weekly water inflow forecasts to optimize reservoir releases and unit commitment and to meet power grid needs. The accuracy of inflow forecasts, combined with related scheduling adjustments, contracts, and market opportunities, are reflected in a utilities’ revenue. One of the goals of the HydroWIRES Initiative is to quantify the flexibility of hydropower operations and understand its adaptability to changes in water supply, regulation, markets, and power grid needs. In partnership with North Carolina State University and the National Corporation of Atmospheric Research, researchers from PNNL and INL will use inflow forecasts, reservoir and power system models, and case studies to demonstrate the contribution of flow forecast to provide hydropower services to the grid. Flow forecast accuracy metrics, combined with regional power system analytics (including regional economics and generation portfolios), will help detangle the value of incremental improvement in flow forecasts. This research supports DOE in developing strategic partnerships with other institutions to invest in information products and decision-support practices for meeting power grid needs. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Hydraulic Forecasting
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Valuing PHS with high REN
Lead Companies
GE
Lead Researcher (s)
- David Havard
Project will help industry to understand how various PSH designs, namely variable speed and synchronous drive, provide value to the electrical system under high intermittent renewables.
Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Vibration and Alarm Settings for Hydro Machines with Hydrodynamic Guide Bearings
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0389
The results in this report propose that a dynamic vibration monitoring system could be installed in order to protect and monitor machines against unwanted high loads.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Turbine
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Water Risk for the Bulk Power System: Asset to Grid Impacts
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Vince Tidwell
The majority of electricity generation in the United States (U.S.) is based on thermal and hydro power assets (90%, combined). The economic operations of hydropower assets, and the power grid, are affected by water availability, ambient temperatures, climate extremes (flood and drought), and water regulations, all of which have region-specific characteristics. A lack of water and/or warm temperatures can lower the available capacity at thermal and hydro assets and pose risks to the reliable operation of regional power systems. Future conditions are expected to significantly change and “accelerate” the hydrologic cycle, affecting both the timing of water availability and the temperature, exacerbating various risks to the power sector. Yet, there is no standardized, consistent mechanism for utilities and other stakeholders to understand how evolving predictive climate and hydrologic science can be translated to evaluate various potential water-related risks of their current grid assets (thermal, hydro) and future investment decisions.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Asset Management
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Water Start Up Time Model Validation Test
Lead Companies
Oregon Institute of Technology
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Lee
This report is an Oregon Institute of Technology thesis project completed in partial fulfillment for the Masters of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering degree. The testing and research done for this report, investigate the phenomena of water start up time in the spiral case of hydro units. Water start up time is defined as the time it takes for water to accelerate from zero to rated velocity. From analysis of the literature there shows no published article of water start up time being measured and compared to theoretically calculated values. However a multiplier is used to create a buffer in the estimations of water start up time to use in the engineering and selection of governors for hydro units. The multiplier has also been widely used in computer model simulations which causes a dependence of this multiplier. In 2013 an article was published which challenges the hypothesis that water start up time has been over hypothesized and that the multiplier would be of a smaller value than what was hypothesized which would mean that the governing ability is more than what was expected. This proposal of a higher governing ability would mean that the hydro facilities that are currently standing has a higher stability rating than what was initially thought. The higher stability would allow for increased penetration of renewables onto the electrical grid. The lack of actual water start up time measurements as well as the infeasibility of testing on an actual hydro unit meant that a model would need to be designed, built, and tested. The model had two testing parameters that were examined. One of the parameters was flow rate that was controlled by the number of wicket gates that was installed into the system and the other was the reference height from the forebay to tail water. There were one hundred results from the test trials. The data from the trials showed a trend for the multiplier which was not constant as previously hypothesized and instead illustrated a parabolic trend that tapers into a linear digression. This result means that the range of testing was insufficient and the height range in which the trials were taking placed was subjected to higher variability. The results showed that the multiplier used in water start up time is not a constant and is variable based on the water level. The previous hypothesis stating that the water start up time is faster is false. In accordance with the results the trend showed that the actual water start up time is slower than what is hypothesized. This means at lower water levels the hypothesized governing ability is actually less than what is calculated to be using the current method of water start up time calculation for spiral cases. The theoretical analysis showed that with increased water level and flow rate showed that the multiplier has less effect on water start up time. The value of the water start up time tapering off from the experimental data shows that the trend for water start up time for both theoretical and experimental share similarities. An increased testing range of the water level in the trials will hypothetically lower the variability of the multiplier and in turn conform to a linear equation. The linear equation is shown to approach zero with increased head in which a static value can be achieved for a specified range.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Powerhouse Equipment
Research Sub-Category
Turbine
Status
complete
Completion Date
2015
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Design Optimization
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Ryan Coe
Wave energy converter (WEC) designs to date—including Reference Model (RM) designs by the DOE and those submitted for the Wave Energy Prize—have followed a traditional design/build/test approach that requires potentially costly iteration. There are two significant shortcomings with this design approach: (1) WEC design theory builds on knowledge from naval architecture and offshore engineering, but fails to fully utilize design/analysis tools for oscillating systems (e.g., from electronics), and (2) current WEC design is ad-hoc, where designers clarify overarching system parameters to define the geometry of the device, then design a control system that is constrained by the hydrodynamics of that previously set geometry. More robust, analytical design approaches, utilizing optimization algorithms, have yet to take hold in the WEC development community, due to the lack of an efficient modeling/control design approach. This project seeks to overcome these critical issues in WEC design by creating a hybrid optimization system that simultaneously optimizes geometry and controls of existing WEC concepts. Highly-efficient model/analysis approaches which utilize pseudo-spectral methods to consider the dynamics of the entire system will be leveraged with this optimization system. Using the tool developed by this project, existing WEC concepts can be optimized for reduced LCOE and reduced CapEx/O&M costs.B) GOVERNMENT ROLE: These projects are collaborations between Sandia National Labs and private WEC developers. These collaborations allow these WEC developers to access unique engineering expertise at Sandia.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Interlink
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Leo Fifield
This project led by NREL and PNNL, in partnership with offshore cable experts Delmar Systems Inc. (Delmar) and the University of Southampton, will accelerate the development and reduce LCOE of commercial wave energy systems by empowering the design and utilization of robust and cost-effective medium voltage power and communication umbilicals that connect floating WECs to subsea transmission lines. This two-year project will utilize accepted industry practices from offshore wind and oil & gas and existing software tools (WEC-Sim and OrcaFlex) to evaluate the lifecycle mechanical and electrical performance of interlink umbilicals (umbilicals), define expected requirements, and make suggested improvements based on a techno-economic evaluation.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Modeling
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kelley Ruehl
The Labs have developed and released open source codes (e.g. WEC-Sim) that are readily used by the wave energy community and require basic maintenance to support the growing user community. Additionally, the Labs are involved in several international efforts (i.e. international community on WEC model verification and validation, control competition and standards development) which require the continued Lab support in order to be successful. This project supports development and maintenance of DOE WPTO funded open sources codes (e.g. WEC-Sim), in addition to supporting international collaborations through the IEA OES Task 10 code validation, and IEC TC 114 standards development. In FY21, additional efforts also include an overhaul maintenance/clean-up of WEC-Sim and open-source Boundary Element Method (BEM) code improvement.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2023
- Marine Energy
Wave-SPARC (Structured Innovation)
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jesse Roberts
Three novel WEC technology concepts with high techno-economic performance potential will be delivered and capable of achieving the DOE/EERE/WWPTO program goals for successful commercial and economic operation of U.S. WEC technology reaching domestic and global wave energy markets. These technologies will be developed and described up to TRL3 and verified and validated to deliver TPL7 or higher. The Intellectual Property (IP) associated with these novel WEC technology concepts described will be checked for Freedom or Operation and published in patents format to protect against counter contra patenting attempts and openly provided to the US WEC technology development industry. This important project outcome and the subsequent full technology development of these concepts by the U.S. industry to TRL9 while maintaining TPL7+ will satisfy the entry requirements for wave energy into the large electricity market of continental power grids. This overall outcome has the strong potential to enable technology convergence, engage important original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), attract investment, develop strong supply chains, and deliver the required disruptive step-change improvement of techno-economic performance to achieve economic viability and commercial operation – the maximum desirable big outcome. All applied, customized and newly developed methodologies and tools for WEC technology assessment and innovation will be provided to the U.S. industry for their own use. This will enable industry to independently develop novel high potential WEC technology concepts as well as assess and fundamentally improve and advance their technologies currently under development. The labs will fully support this effort in the form of objectively conducted assessments and innovation services.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic, Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2024
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Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org