- Show all
- Asset Management
- Buoy
- Canal
- Climate Change
- Controls
- Dam Safety
- Environmental Impact
- Fish and Aquatic Resources
- Future Grid
- Generator
- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
- Hydrokinetic
- Intake Gates
- Markets
- Penstock
- Regulatory Process
- Renewable Integration
- Sediment Transport
- Shoreline and Riparian Resources
- Spillgates
- Tidal
- Transmission Services
- Turbine
- Water Management
- Water Resources
- Water Systems
- Wave
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Alternative Opportunities for Hydropower
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Travis Douville
This project focuses on identifying alternative opportunities for small hydropower in the U.S.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Alternative Value Streams for Hydropower
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- TJ Heibel
This project focuses on identifying alternative value streams for small hydropower in the U.S.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Evaluating Options for Non-Powered Dams to Provide Grid, Community, Industry, and Environmental Benefits [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Thomas Mosier, Thomas.mosier@inl.gov
This project aims to create a ranking framework that weighs various hydropower and energy storage options for non-powered dams (NPDs). With about 600 NPDs in the U.S. identified as having potential to generate hydropower, NPDs are a high impact option for new hydropower development. To evaluate and justify investment in NPDs moving forward, researchers will develop a system to evaluate costs and benefits of various NPD projects to their communities, the environment, and the grid. The ranking system will include standardized criteria to compare various options against one another. Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Gravity Water Booster
Lead Companies
INGEREC
Lead Researcher (s)
- Guy Sarremejeanne
The Gravity Water Booster (GWB) is a patented new and innovative hydroelectric generating process that mechanically converts kinetic energy into potential energy and requires just two components to operate: the hydraulic cylinder and the Pelton turbine. It is a small civil engineering structure with a volume of roughly 300 m^3. Its operation is based exclusively on the laws of hydraulics as we know them (Pascal's principle, Bernoulli's equation, Archimedes' thrust), its energy efficiency is 80%. It uses the same components as conventional hydroelectricity (concrete, steel, copper, etc.) and requires no complex technology or use of rare earths. It offers an alternative to dams, since its hydraulic efficiency is 15 times greater, and a 10 m column of pressurized water is equivalent to the potential energy of a 156 m column of water. The power generated by a GWB is controllable (i.e pilotable), unlike wind and solar.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
complete
Completion Date
2022
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) system
Lead Companies
ORNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Momen, Ayyoub
This project targets achieving energy storage by pressurizing enclosed air via a liquid piston. The project’s final product will be a prototype, demonstrating the feasibility and the value proposition of the technology.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- 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
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Market Analysis of Shell Energy North America’s Hydro Battery System
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Patrick Balducci
PNNL’s contribution to this project is the market feasibility assessment, which will be performed in three FERC power markets and Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The PNNL scope of work focuses on the economic innovations and impacts.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
National Conduit Resource Assessment
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shih-Chieh Kao
Among various undeveloped hydropower resources classified by the US Department of Energy (DOE), the hydroelectricity potential from man-made water conduits (e.g., pipelines, aqueducts, irrigation ditches, and water conveyance canals) has been estimated as being relatively small but having the highest development feasibility. This type of small hydropower development does not require the construction of new dams or impoundments; involves minimum environmental concerns; entails reduced development risks; is eligible for net metering in most states, yielding high value for energy generated; and is likely to qualify for an expedited 45-day regulatory approval process through the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act (HREA) of 2013 and its amendments in 2018. To help DOE and the broader hydropower industry quantify the total hydropower potentials from national conduits, a reconnaissance-level hydropower resource assessment will be conducted in this study covering three main conduit sectors (municipal, agricultural, and industrial). The assessment will leverage the best available data acquired through federal and state drinking water regulatory agencies, as well as novel remote sensing techniques for systematic identification of national canal drop sites. The final product will be a national conduit hydropower resource assessment report summarizing the total resource potentials at both state and county levels without revealing sensitive or proprietary information at any site.
Technology Application
Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org