Search results for "hydropower"
showing 10 items of 30 documents
Improving operation of a complex headworks system for municipal use and hydropower production by mathematical programming
2013
The paper presents a Mixed Integer Non Linear Programming (MINLP) model of the water resources system supplying Genoa, in northern Italy. The system presently features five reservoirs, three main river intakes, and two well fields. The hydrological regime is typically Mediterranean; water availability is however relatively abundant, so that drought issues are limited, especially now that water demand from the supply sources has decreased due to reduced population, deindustrialization and to improvement in the operation and maintenance of the water distribution network. In this context, it is worthwhile considering the possibility to relax an over-conservative management of resources, justif…
Experimental and numerical investigation of the leading edge sweep angle effect on the performance of a delta blades hydrokinetic turbine
2020
Abstract In the last decades, an increase of energy consumption has been noted around the world. Hence, the excessive use of fossil fuels can lead to serious environmental concerns. Indeed, the use of renewable energy sources is needed to reduce the greenhouse gas effects and the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Small-scale hydropower could be an interesting and renewable alternative solution. The cross-flow turbines present several advantages compared to the axial-flow turbines. Therefore, increasing efforts are taken to enhance the efficiency and extend the applicability of the cross-flow turbines. In this paper, experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate the performance of a …
Introduction of Mysis relicta (Mysida) reduces niche segregation between deep-water Arctic charr morphs
2019
This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Hydrobiologia. The final authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-019-3953-4. Niche diversification of polymorphic Arctic charr can be altered by multiple anthropogenic stressors. The opossum-shrimp (Mysis relicta) was introduced to compensate for reduced food resources for fish following hydropower operations in Lake Limingen, central Norway. Based on habitat use, stomach contents, stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) and trophically transmitted parasites, the zooplanktivorous upper water-column dwelling ‘normal’ morph was clearly trophically separated from two sympatric deep-water morphs…
A New Cross-Flow Type Turbine for Ultra-Low Head in Streams and Channels
2023
In the last few decades, hydropower production has been moving toward a new paradigm of low and diffused power density production of energy with small and mini-hydro plants, which usually do not require significant water storage. In the case of nominal power lower than 20 kW and ultra-low head H (H < 5 m), Archimedes screw or Kaplan type turbines are usually chosen due to their efficiency, which is higher than 0.85. A new cross-flow type turbine called Ultra-low Power Recovery System (UL-PRS) is proposed and its geometry and design criteria are validated in a wide range of operating conditions through 2D numerical analysis computed using the ANSYS Fluent solver. The new proposed solution…
Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators for Pico Hydropower Application: A Parametrical Study
2022
A pico hydropower plant is an energy harvesting system that allows energy production using the power of the water flowing in small watercourses, and in water distribution network. Axial Flow Flux Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (AFPMSG) are particularly suitable for this application, being efficient machines that achieve high power with small dimensions. This paper presents a parametrical study of several configurations and topologies of three-phase and single-phase AFPMSG, for pico hydropower application, to assess the most suitable dimensional characteristics for the most energy production using a safe voltage of 25 V. The AFPMSGs here considered has a simple single stator and roto…
DEVIATORE DI FLUSSO PER TURBINE IDRAULICHE IN LINEA
2021
Un deviatore di flusso per una turbina idraulica a flusso incrociato presenta una sezione di uscita atta ad essere collegata alla sezione a valle della condotta idraulica per l’immissione di un flusso in uscita del fluido liquido in pressione con un vettore di velocità di uscita avente modulo di uscita (Vo) e direzione di uscita (do) predeterminati, un condotto di scarico per il ripristino del vettore velocità di detto flusso in uscita al modulo in ingresso ed a una direzione di uscita sostanzialmente parallela o coincidente con detta direzione di ingresso (di), in cui detto deviatore comprende, un primo settore immediatamente a valle di detta girante ed atto a variare la direzione del flus…
A New Device for Pressure Control and Energy Recovery in Water Distribution Networks
2017
The potential energy of the water in Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) usually exceeds the amount needed for delivery and consumption and, at the present time, it is mainly dissipated through Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) or Open Water Tanks. The present study suggests the use of a new energy-producing device, a Cross-flow turbine with positive outlet pressure named PRS (Power Recovery System), which can provide the same service as PRVs and water tanks, with additional significant hydropower production. After a short presentation of the PRS, the management rules of the proposed device are laid out, according to two possible modes. In the ‘passive’ mode, the piezometric level downstream o…
Coupled Electric and Hydraulic Control of a PRS Turbine in a Real Transport Water Network
2019
Although many devices have recently been proposed for pressure regulation and energy harvesting in water distribution and transport networks, very few applications are still documented in the scientific literature. A new in-line Banki turbine with positive outflow pressure and a mobile regulating flap, named Power Recovery System (PRS), was installed and tested in a real water transport network for the regulation of pressure and flow rate. The PRS turbine was directly connected to a 55 kW asynchronous generator with variable rotational velocity, and coupled to an inverter. The start-up tests showed how automatic adjustment of the flap position and the runner velocity variation are able to c…
Numerical analysis of a new cross-flow type hydraulic turbine for high head and low flow rate
2021
Cross-flow turbines have recently been proposed for energy recovery in aqueducts when the outlet pressure is greater than zero, owing to their constructive simplicity and good efficiency within a large range of flow rates and head drops. In the case of high head drop (higher than 150 m) and relatively small discharge (lower than 0.2 m3/s), the traditional design of these turbines leads to very small widths of the nozzle and the runner; as a consequence, friction losses grow dramatically and efficiency drops down to very low values. Standard Pelton turbines require zero outlet pressure and cannot be used as alternatives. A new counter-pressure hydraulic turbine for high head and low flow rat…
Performance study of a Helical Savonius hydrokinetic turbine with a new deflector system design
2019
Abstract The use of renewable energy sources has becoming a necessity to generate electricity. Helical Savonius rotors have been preferred for small-scale hydropower generation. Numerous studies were carried out to improve the performance of the Helical Savonius rotor which has not been fully explored. In this paper, an experimental study was carried out to evaluate the performance of a Helical Savonius water rotor in an irrigation channel. In order to enhance the performance of the studied water rotor, a new deflector system design was proposed. Different configurations of the proposed deflector system were tested numerically using the commercial software ANSYS FLUENT 17.0. Without a defle…