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- Conventional Hydro
Alternate Control Strategy for Dreissinids Using Carbon Dioxide
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kevin Kelly
Can carbon dioxide be used as an environmentally neutral molluscicide for mitigation of zebra and quagga mussel macrofouling? Carbon dioxide is a natural chemical that does not require a separate or specialized production (e.g. fermentation), is already produced in large quantities, is recycled from initial combustion waste streams for good environmental stewardship, has an indefinite shelf life, nonflammable, is easy to handle and store, does not require electrical or mechanical power to deliver, and can be distributed easily and evenly in water, including hard-to-reach confined water. Through the carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffer, the change in pH of the water is limited. Addition of carbon dioxide also reduces the bioavailability of calcium in the water, thereby inhibiting shell growth. Only species that has taken up residence in the confined water (i.e. Dreissinids) would be exposed long enough to reach mortality levels. Once the water is freely exposed to the air at the outlet, purged, or the CO2 is stripped and reused, equilibrium is quickly re-established and PCO2 goes back to ambient pressure, so that it will not affect the downstream water ecology.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Alternate Control Strategy for Dreissinids Using Electrical Methods
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kevin Kelly
Since the discovery of zebra mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1986 on natural gas well head and well markers, zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) have spread across large areas of the continental United States. In industrial systems, control of Dreissena spp. biofouling has primarily concentrated on oxidizing and nonoxidizing chemicals. However, chemical treatments are usually not viable options in Reclamation facilities. There is a need for economical and environmentally safe control strategies for these major biofouling mussels in Reclamation raw water delivery systems. Alternative methods utilizing electricity has been shown to impact mussel behavior, including mortality and a reduction in the rate of byssogenesis (byssus attachment). Methods include electrified fields which inhibited passage of live veligers (larval life stage) and electrical currents which prevented attachments to metallic surfaces. This project proposes to carry out well established electrical testing procedures to investigate the effectiveness of electrical control methods under field conditions similar to those found in Reclamation facilities. The goals of this project are to determine and compare the electrical dosage and electrical power consumption of AC and DC applied at different waveforms (sinusoidal AC, squared DC, cycle rates, etc.) to induce quagga mussel mortality and inhibition of byssogenesis in the raw water parameters typically found in Reclamation facilities on the Lower Colorado River (LCR). Electrical dosage or power density can be determined by the measured ambient conductivity and the applied voltage gradient.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
An Advanced Study of Wind Power Variability on the Federal Columbia River Power System
Lead Companies
Oregon State University
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kelcy Lajoie
Renewable energy, particularly wind power, has increased dramatically over the past two decades. In the Pacific Northwest, the power system has accommodated a large amount of new wind power. The variability of wind power has introduced many challenges, requiring additional reserve generation to be available to maintain system stability. The primary source for reserves is the Federal Columbia River Power System, and the aging dams of this system are believed to be near their limit for providing this service. This paper will explore the dynamics of the power system as a whole, and investigate the relationships that wind power has to the rest of the power system. Several types of studies have been used to examine these relationships including Maximal Information Coefficient analysis, Correlation analysis, and Regression analysis. The results of these analyses demonstrate that the dynamics of the power system changed as wind power was added to the system. The results will also show that the power system is increasingly reliant on resources other than hydropower, including thermal power and interties to California and Canada, to provide balancing reserves for wind power.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
complete
Completion Date
2014
- Conventional Hydro
An Analysis of Partial-Depth, Floating, Impermeable Guidance Structures for Downstream Fish Passage at Hydroelectric Facilities
Lead Companies
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kevin Mulligan
A floating impermeable guidance structure (FIGS) for downstream fish passage is constructed as a series of partial-depth panels anchored across a river channel, reservoir, or power channel. If guidance is successful, the fish will avoid entrance to a dangerous intake structure (i.e. turbine intakes) while passing from the upstream to downstream end of a dam through a safer passage route (i.e. the bypass). To evaluate the flow field immediately upstream of a FIGS, a parameterized CFD model of an idealized power channel was constructed in ANSYS Fluent v. 14.5. The design parameters investigated were the angle and depth of the FIGS and the average approach velocity in the power channel. Key findings indicate that a FIGS set at a small angle and deep enough such that the Effective Guidance Depth of the FIGS is greater than the expected vertical distribution of fish approaching the structure will perform the best.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
complete
Completion Date
2014
- Conventional Hydro
An Assessment of Energy Potential at Non-Powered Dams in the United States
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shih-Chieh Kao (kaos@ornl.gov)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory conducted an assessment on the energy potential at non-powered dams (NPDs) throughout the United States. The laboratories studied 54,391 of the 80,000+ NPDs in the nation to quantify the potential capacity and generation available from adding power production capabilities. The remaining dams were eliminated from the study because of erroneous geographic information, erroneous flow or drainage area attributes, or their height was less than five feet. Quality control and review processes were conducted to ensure that all dams in the study were analyzed as accurately as possible.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
complete
Completion Date
2012
- Conventional Hydro
An Examination of the Hydropower Licensing and Federal Authorization Process
Lead Companies
DOE, WPTO
Lead Researcher (s)
- Brenda Pracheil
Permitting and regulation are necessary to ensure hydropower projects comply with statutory requirements and meet multiple stakeholder priorities that consider the range of other important water uses. However, the process to acquire a license for an individual development project is uncertain at best, impacting the length and cost of project development. This project was completed in October 2021 with issuance of a report that provides analysis of the hydropower regulatory process including licensing costs, timelines, and developer risks associated with hydropower licensing. A link to this report can be found here: https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/79242.pdf with report timeline and cost data found here: https://hydrosource.ornl.gov/dataset/hydropower-licensing-timeline-and-cost-dataset Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Analysis of environmental DNA from sediments for detection of invasive dreissenid mussels
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Yale Passamaneck
The proposed work will test the utility of DNA analysis on sediments for detection of low abundance populations of invasive dreissenid mussels. Many reservoirs considered to be at low risk for establishment of invasive dreissenid mussels are sampled infrequently due to allocation of limited resources. Such infrequent sampling decreases the probability of detecting an introduction of mussels should it occur. Because DNA is expected to have a longer persistence in sediments that in open water, sampling and analysis of sediments should provide an additional means for detection of invasive dreissenid introductions in infrequently samples waters.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Annex IX
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Abhishek Somani
This project aims to explore the unique role of hydropower in producing significant amounts of firm renewable energy and storage to support VRE’s, and providing flexible energy services to support electricity systems – collectively termed ‘hydro balancing’. Specifically, Phase 2 will develop an understanding of two key strategic themes: (1) How hydropower may be valued in future electricity market scenarios, and (2) How hydropower may be valued in providing climate change adaptation services (e.g. flood control).Phase 2 will capture the contribution of hydropower by documenting the capabilities, challenges, opportunities, and market structures for compensating hydropower services in TCP member countries as well as additional countries recruited to the effort.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Annual Hydropower Market and Trends Report
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Rocio Uria Martinez (uriamartiner@ornl.gov)
This project informs the Water Power Technologies Office's research and development planning and provides stakeholders with comprehensive and up-to-date data and analysis on U.S hydropower and pumped storage hydropower assets and industry trends. The main deliverable from this project is the U.S. Hydropower Market Report (HMR) which is intended to be a foundational reference publication on U.S. hydropower development, performance, and supply chain trends for industry and other stakeholders such as other federal partners and policymakers. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro, Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Applied Statistical Analysis Techniques for Hydro Generation and Runoff
Lead Companies
CEATI International
Lead Researcher (s)
- #0426
The focus of this report is to review the current practices for data analysis techniques, with specific emphasis on contemporary approaches relevant to hydropower systems.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Hydraulic Optimization
Status
complete
Completion Date
2020
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Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org