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- Pumped Storage
Real Time Inertia Monitor Based on Pumped Hydro Operation Signatures [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Yilu Liu (liu@utk.edu)
This project seeks to develop a real-time, low-cost, accurate inertia monitoring system for pumped storage hydropower plants. Monitoring inertia is essential for stable system operation, especially in high-renewable grids, but traditional inertia estimation approaches do not work in systems with high penetrations of inverter based resources. Researchers will demonstrate and deploy their monitoring system by the end of the two-year project. Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Test Facility for Hydropower and Pumped Storage Technologies
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Mirko Musa (musam@ornl.gov)
Hydropower and pumped-storage growth in the United States is contingent on validation of the safety, environmental acceptability, reliability, and performance of innovative technology that can deploy with significantly reduced costs relative to existing technology. A network of one or more federally supported hydropower test facilities offering technology testing and validation capabilities may be one way to achieve such validation. This project will characterize the requirements for these testing capabilities; catalog the availability of these capabilities within existing test facilities and federal water infrastructures; and summarize findings in the form of a Hydropower Test Facility Scoping Study Report. Beyond hydraulic and related (sediment, biological, safety, and instrumentation and controls) testing, the full spectrum of hydropower and PSH technology testing needs may also include the means to test the major mechanical, electrical, civil/structural sub-systems of hydropower technology. Overall, widespread use of a federally-supported test facility will further WPTO’s goals of commercialization of new technologies and deployment by hydropower owners and operators.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro, Pumped Storage
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
The Economic Feasibility of Pumped Storage Hydropower
Lead Companies
Washington State University
Lead Researcher (s)
- Lisa Dilley
There is little general modeling research available for evaluating new PSH proposed for development from an economic point of view. This modeling framework enables the analyst to evaluate hypothetical pumped-storage within the generation fleet that it would be built in with limited data requirements on the front end. Using shortest paths optimization and a k-shortest paths technique, a simulation model is developed that demonstrates the potential effects of storage on a thermal generation system. It is shown that these simulation results reproduce analytical economic efficiency conditions, which gives specific insight to the sensitivity of PSH to design choices and wind statistics. It is shown that system marginal cost and total cost can be reduced through operations policies. These results also inform the need for additional data and detailed modeling in the feasibility stages of design
Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
complete
Completion Date
2015
- Pumped Storage
Transforming the U.S. Market with a New Application of Ternary-Type Pumped Storage Hydropower Technology [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
NREL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Greg Stark, greg.stark@nrel.gov
The U.S. electrical grid is seeing a huge increase in new renewable energy (RE) generation and, at the same time, a huge amount of thermal generation retirements. This dynamic is changing the traditional operation of the grid and is placing a premium on assets that can provide fast-ramping flexible capacity. Addressing this need, the study’s goals were to assess & quantify how innovative, fast-acting advanced PSH systems can economically solve these grid integration challenges during future high RE contribution scenarios. Project focused on ternary PSH (T-PSH) and quaternary PSH (Q-PSH), coupling them with sophisticated transmission monitoring/control equipment (i.e., dynamic transmission) as a proposed solution.
Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Valuation Framework and Techno-Economic Studies for Pumped Storage Hydropower
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Mark Weimer
This project aims to advance the state of the art in assessing the value of PSH plants and their contributions to the power system. The specific goal is to develop a detailed, step-by-step valuation guidebook that PSH developers, plant owners or operators, and other stakeholders can use to assess the value of existing or potential new PSH projects.
Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Valuation Guidance and Techno-Economic Studies for Pumped Storage Hydropower [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
ANL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Vladimir Koritarov, koritarov@anl.gov
The objective of this project is to advance state of the art in the assessment of value of PSH plants and their role in the power system. The goal is to develop a detailed step-by-step valuation guidance and apply it to two competitively selected PSH sites to test the valuation methodology and assist the developers in understanding the value streams available from their projects. The project outcomes are: • Develop a comprehensive, repeatable, and transparent valuation guidance that will allow for consistent valuation assessments and comparisons of potential new PSH projects or project design alternatives • Test the PSH valuation guidance and its underlying methodology by applying it to two selected PSH projects • Transfer and disseminate the PSH valuation guidance to the hydropower industry, PSH developers, and other stakeholders Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Markets
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Pumped Storage
Value and Role of Pumped Storage Hydro under High Variable Renewables [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
Lead Researcher (s)
While advanced PSH technologies like variable speed units have existed for some time, none have been installed in the US. As such, market and operations models do not capture the capabilities of these technologies. The overall goal of this project is to overcome a range of market barriers for PSH by helping utility companies understand benefits of PSH that are not well understood or quantified, by demonstrating the capabilities of new PSH technologies such as variable speed PSH, and by helping developers improve PSH revenues with development of a new scheduling optimization tool. Technology Application
Pumped Storage
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
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
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org