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Towards Resolving the Risk of Turbine Collision on Fish
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Lysel Garavelli
This project lays out the steps needed to understand collision risk for fish and charts a path to delivering the information needed to facilitate and accelerate permitting of marine energy projects.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Environmental Impact
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- Marine Energy
U.S. TEAMER Support
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Nicole Sather, PNNL
- Jesse Roberts, SNL
The U.S. Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) Program provides access to MHK testing facilities, as well as expertise to increase rigor and standardize data collection, and allow for transparent analysis and comparison of performance. PNNL's role (along with NREL and Sandia) is to provide input into the strategic vision of TEAMER, serve on the Technical Board for test participant selections, provide access to test facilities and environmental permits (as needed), provide expert testing assistance and training during testing, develop standardized protocols for data collection and testing (in coordination with Network Director) to be provided and adhered to by test participants, consult and utilize international standards as appropriate, provide numerical modeling and engineering expertise to participants, and provide routine feedback to U.S. TEAMER Management Team for how the program is working and opportunities for improvement
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability, Technology
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2025
- 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
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
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
- Marine Energy
WEC Array Power Management & Output Tool
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Zhaoqing Yang
This project creates a publicly accessible numerical modeling toolset to empower the wave energy sector to design projects of various scales (kW-100s MW), which are optimized on a plant performance basis and are compatible with different power systems and wave conditions. This design and analysis toolset will integrate with WEC-Sim, a wave environment model (SWAN-FUNWAVE), as well as established, relevant electrical analysis tools, such as PLEXOS, REOpt or DER-CAM, to model the grid system and interconnection, forecast short-term power output and optimize power output and power management for the WEC array. Additionally, the frameworks and portions of the tools and linkages developed for the WEC effort can be leveraged in future efforts to develop a similar toolset for tidal and river/ocean current energy plants.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
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