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- Asset Management
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- Climate Change
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- Fish and Aquatic Resources
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- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
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- Intake Gates
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- Penstock
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- Renewable Integration
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- Conventional Hydro
Innovative Outreach and Engagement Approaches
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shannon Bates
This project focuses on innovative outreach and engagement approaches that can be applied to all waterpower projects (marine and hydropower) within the WPTO portfolio.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro, Marine Energy, Pumped Storage, Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Hydropower and Energy Storage: Providing Essential Reliability and Ancillary Services Using Individual or Coordinated Hydropower Plants [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Thomas Mosier, Thomas.mosier@inl.gov
Macro-trends in the grid—increased penetration of variable generation resources and decommissioning of thermal generators in some regions of the US—are increasing the need for flexibility in the grid. Hydropower as a generation class can provide most grid needs, but the level of a given service it can provide varies significantly between plants. The objective of this project is to increase the value of both hydropower and energy storage and improve provision of grid requirements from existing hydropower plants by examining the synergies of integrating hydropower and energy storage. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Variable Renewable Generation and Battery Energy Storage: Value of Predictability in the Financial Performance of Hybrid Systems [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Thomas Mosier, Thomas.mosier@inl.gov
Increased deployment of variable renewable generation (VRG) assets and lower costs of grid-scale battery energy storage have led to increased deployment of hybrid generation and storage systems. The objective of this work is to compare the technical and financial value of integrating battery energy storage with ROR hydropower, wind, solar, and tidal generation resources. The Revenue, Operation, and Device Optimization (RODeO) model will be used to account for the financial value of capacity, energy sales (including arbitrage), and ancillary services from a VRG-battery hybrid system. Addressing this is important to understand the value of hybridizing resources and which types of resources to prioritize. In this work, at least two resource profiles will be selected for each generation type, and corresponding forecast uncertainties will be analyzed. These resource profiles will be normalized based on total energy produced per year and used as input to RODeO for market conditions corresponding to two different US Independent System Operators. Two of the key considerations that this work will address are: (1) How will forecast uncertainty affect the financial performance of a VRG-battery hybrid system?; and (2) Is hybridization financially advantageous compared to operating the VRG and battery storage independently? This work will provide a quantitative comparison to help motivate enhancement of the industry’s perspectives on “hydro-hybrids” (i.e., ROR hydropower + batteries and tidal + batteries). Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Water and Energy Systems Analysis Tool Development
Lead Companies
Colorado State University
Lead Researcher (s)
- André Dozier
Increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the bulk electricity system has caused new operational challenges requiring large ramping rate and reserve capacity as well as increased transmission congestion due to unscheduled flow. Contemporary literature and recent renewable energy integration studies indicate that more realism needs to be incorporated into renewable energy studies. Many detailed water and power models have been developed in their respective fields, but no free-of-charge integrated water and power system model that considers constraints and objectives in both systems jointly has been constructed. Therefore, an integrated water and power model structure that addresses some contemporary challenges is formulated as a long-term goal, but only a small portion of the model structure is actually implemented as software. A water network model called MODSIM is adapted using a conditional gradient method to be able to connect to an overarching optimization routine that decomposes the water and power problems. The water network model is connected to a simple power dispatch model that uses a linear programming approach to dispatch hydropower resources to mitigate power flows across a transmission line. The power dispatch model first decides optimal power injections from each of the hydropower reservoirs, which are then used as hydropower targets for the water network model to achieve. Any unsatisfied power demand or congested transmission line is assumed to be met by imported power. A case study was performed on the Mid-Columbia River in the U.S. to test the capabilities of the integrated water and power model. Results indicate that hydropower resources can accommodate transmission congestion and energy capacity on wind production up until a particular threshold on the penetration level, after which hydropower resources provide no added benefit to the system. Effects of operational decisions to mitigate wind power penetration level and transmission capacity on simulated total dissolved gases were negligible. Finally, future work on the integrated water and power model is discussed along with expected results from the fully implemented model and its potential applications.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
complete
Completion Date
2012
- Conventional Hydro
- Conventional Hydro
Interconnection Study
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Chris O'Reilley (oreilleycj@ornl.gov)
Small hydropower project developers across the United States have found interconnection procedures to be fraught with cost surprises and schedule overruns. System operators have struggled to understand impacts to overburdened or rapidly evolving transmission and distribution grids. The results have been stranded costs and unrealized small hydropower potential. Though regulatory actions and policy recommendations at the state level have increased the situational awareness, the remote nature of the small hydropower resource remains a fundamental challenge for interconnections. WPTO has tasked PNNL and ORNL with performing a Small Hydro Interconnections benchmark analysis to develop a clear characterization of the specific challenges and barriers developers face in the interconnection process, both as general overall challenges and challenges specific to hydro unit types/uses and utility being interconnected to (e.g., cooperative, municipal, IOU). Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- 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
- 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
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org