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- Asset Management
- Buoy
- Canal
- Climate Change
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- Dam Safety
- Environmental Impact
- Fish and Aquatic Resources
- Future Grid
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- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
- Hydrokinetic
- Intake Gates
- Markets
- Penstock
- Regulatory Process
- Renewable Integration
- Sediment Transport
- Shoreline and Riparian Resources
- Spillgates
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- Water Management
- Water Resources
- Water Systems
- Wave
- Marine Energy
Improvements to Hydrodynamic and Acoustic Models for Environmental Prediction
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jesse Roberts
This research will develop and finalize the spatial environmental assessment toolkit (SEAT) made of linked, user-friendly and open-source (freely available) numerical models and mapping tools for designing MRE array layouts that, a priori, maximize energy production and beneficial environmental change while simultaneously minimizing and supporting mitigation of undesirable change. This work supports both the continental grid market and Powering the Blue Economy (PBE) applications such as coastal resilience and disaster recovery for local communities at device spatial and energy scales (e.g. local shoreline protection, reduced coastal erosion and storm surge, beneficial sediment and habitat management, powering isolated communities, etc.). Imperative, and not found elsewhere, is that the SEAT allows MRE project developers to assess site- and technology-specific challenges unique to each deployment as well as find optimal project layouts for power generation and environmental impacts. The goal of the SEAT is to reduce project design, permitting, and monitoring costs with high quality site characterization and better, a priori, understanding of the potential environmental impacts (beneficial or potentially detrimental), while simultaneously defining array layouts that maximize energy production under given constraints. Because SEAT provides a thorough understanding of the environmental effects from MRE deployments, it helps screen (i.e. retire), or where not possible effectively mitigate, environmental risks enabling effective mitigation and efficient monitoring programs to be developed.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2025
- Conventional Hydro
Improving predictions of scour in the vicinity of vegetation in habitat rehabilitation areas
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Dombrowski
How can ecohydraulic modeling capabilities be improved by enhancing capability to predict scour in support of habitat and riparian rehabilitation projects? Multi-dimensional hydraulic, sediment, and habitat modeling are now routinely requested by project offices in order to meet demands for quantitative evaluation of alternative restoration designs. The complexity of ecohydraulic processes requires improvements in ability to predict interactions that effect localized patterns. Ability to better predict scour that will affect vegetation recruitment and removal, to the benefit or detriment of habitat rehabilitation projects, is vitally important to guide designers in order to ensure long-term success. The benefit of the project will be in producing a more useful tool for restoration practitioners to use in evaluating alternative designs.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Shoreline and Riparian Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
International Energy Agency Hydropower Technology Collaboration Program Participation
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Deng
PNNL actively participates in the Annex XIII: Hydropower and Fish to share and vet DOE-funded hydropower research outcomes with IEA members, as well as gain access to research from the international participants in these forums. Through its extensive fish passage expertise, PNNL contributes to Annex XIII to enhance research and collaborative products.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
International Environmental Data Sharing Initiative (Annex IV Project & Tehys Database)
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Andrea Copping
This project aims to reach a broad national and international audience with the latest and most impactful research on the environmental effects of marine renewable energy. To help organize and disseminate this information and data to researchers, project developers, regulators, and the MRE community, DOE WPTO has directed Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to create and manage the Tethys, a web-based knowledge management system with semantic properties to enable enhanced searching and tagging capabilities, providing researchers, project developers, and regulators access to information and data on environmental effects of offshore renewable energy.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Invasive Mussel Literature Resource
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Yale Passamaneck
Invasive quagga and zebra mussels present a significant risk to US Bureau of Reclamation operations and infrastructure. They have the potential to disrupt USBR operations and to cause damage to infrastructure leading to expensive repairs. A number of initiatives are currently underway at Reclamation to look at invasive mussels, including their spread, their economic impact, and potential methods for control in Reclamation infrastructure and open water environments. A centralized resource for accessing scientific literature and reports on invasive mussels will serve as a resource for these and other projects.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
Investigation of environmental RNA (eRNA) as a detection method for dreissenid mussels and other invasive species
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jacque Keele
Environmental RNA is an emerging field of interest for biologists performing early detection of invasive species. The goal of this research proposal is to gain a greater understanding of both the advantages and limitations of using eRNA as a tool for the early detection of aquatic invasive species, including quagga, and zebra mussels.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Investigation of flow and sediment transport over RoR dams, and potential effects on upstream and downstream geomorphology, sedimentation, and aquatic habitat.
Lead Companies
Colorado State University
Lead Researcher (s)
- Robert Queen
Low-head or Run-of-River (RoR) dams exist on all types of rivers throughout the United States, yet the exact mechanisms of how sediment moves around the structures have not been well researched. Due to the increasing use of RoR dams in small hydroelectric projects, there is a need to better understand the controlling factors of how sediment passes over these dams. A one-dimensional morphodynamic model was developed to investigate the effects of RoR dams on channel morphology over long time scales. The model solves the gradually varied flow equations to compute the flow field in the vicinity of the dam, computes grain-size-specific sediment transport rates, and uses sediment mass conservation and vertical storage bookkeeping to calculate the evolution of bed elevation, the bed surface grain-size distribution, and the vertical pattern of stratigraphy. The model’s hydraulic calculations were calibrated using data collected from a series of flume experiments performed with a model RoR dam to better capture the non-hydrostatic flow over a dam. Numerical experiments designed to investigate how the grain-size distribution of the sediment supply rate, flow rate (steady and unsteady), and dam height act as controls on sediment passage over RoR dams were conducted using parameters reported in the literature for a RoR dam in northern Delaware. These one-dimensional simulations were complemented with a few simulations using, a two-dimensional morphodynamic model, Nays2DH. The 1D simulation results show that the stored sediment upstream of RoR dams does depend on the sediment supply, dam height, grain-size and flow discharge. Once sedimentation in the reservoir has reached equilibrium, high flow events will reduce or scour the sediment while lower flows will typically increase the amount of sediment behind the dam. Finally, a dam that stores more sediment will have greater downstream effects in terms of changes to grain-sizes and bed elevation due to the increased time it takes to pass sediment over the dam and reach an equilibrium condition on the upstream side of the dam.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Sediment Transport
Status
complete
Completion Date
2018
- Conventional Hydro
Low-Head, Short-Intake Flow Measurement Research
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Marshall Richmond
Completed projects with no scope descriptions
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
complete
Completion Date
2019
- Conventional Hydro
Marmot Dam Removal
Lead Companies
U.S. Geological Survey
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jon Major, Cascades Volcano Observatory
Immediate sediment response to removal of Condit Dam on the White Salmon River.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Sediment Transport
Status
complete
Completion Date
2012
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org