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R&D Forum

Research reports and study findings related to hydropower
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U.S. government funding available for low-impact hydro technology R&D

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) has announced a million funding opportunity titled Research and Development of Innovative Technologies for Low Impact Hydropower Development.

The goal is to foster the development of technologies to overcome environmental, social and levelized cost of energy challenges. This announcement continues the HydroNEXT new technology program initiated by DOE’s Water Power Program, to focus on hydropower technology innovation that will foster development of new potential hydro capacity in the U.S.

Applicants will provide new concepts for alternative http://www.hydroworld.com/index.html hydropower systems that will lower costs of civil infrastructure development, can be deployed in a maximum of two years with relatively low environmental impacts, and can be removed or replaced after their intended life is completed. They will be able to operate at a cost that is competitive with traditional sources of generation.

The three topic areas covered are:

— Design and laboratory testing of new rapidly deployable technologies that can be easily removed or replaced at the end of their life including, but not limited to, water impounding structures, water conveying systems and pre-fabricated structures;

— Research on innovative methods and/or materials for construction of conventional hydropower facilities including, but not limited to, concrete alternatives, in-water construction and innovative advanced tunneling methods; and

— Design and laboratory testing of innovative conventional hydro powertrain components such as composite and replaceable blade technologies for turbine runners, new generator technologies and/or materials and coatings for powertrain components.

The full application submission deadline is June 15.

Hydropower included in U.S.-China research project

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding a consortium to pursue five identified research and development topics at the nexus of energy and water, one of which includes http://www.hydroworld.com/industry-news.html hydropower.

U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center: Energy and water funding opportunity includes five topics:

— Water use reduction at thermoelectric plants;

— Treatment and management of non-traditional waters;

— Improving sustainable hydropower design and operation;

— Climate impact modeling, methods and scenarios to support improved energy and water systems understanding; and

— Data and analysis to inform planning, policy and other decision.

Proposals must address all five topics.

The consortium will form a technical track under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research center, a bilateral initiative to encourage R&D collaboration and accelerate technology development and deployment. The DOE funding opportunity will support the U.S. consortium. In parallel, Chinese funding will support a counterpart Chinese consortium. Estimated total project funding is $12.5 million.

Assessment planned of runner design for 603-MW Ice Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to perform biological assessments of runner designs for the 603-MW Ice Harbor Dam project based on computational fluid dynamic model outputs.

Voith Hydro http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/12/voith-hydro-celebrates-strong-2014-supplying-hydroelectric-generating-facilities-worldwide.html completed design and model testing with the Corps’ Hydroelectric Design Center and Walla Walla District for Kaplan runners. The three entities http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-33/issue-4/articles/testing-to-improve-fish-passage-through-the-ice-harbor-turbines.html collaborated to develop the designs of a fixed-blade propeller and an adjustable-blade turbine runner to be safer for fish passage.

The chosen company must be able to perform services and demonstrate expertise in hydro turbine fish passage and design evaluations, including the ability to conduct a biological assessment of new turbine designs, prior to prototype installation, based on computational fluid dynamic model outputs.

Mulligan: Profile of a graduating fellow of the HRF

Editor’s Note: This continues our http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/01/daniel-leonard-graduating-fellow-of-the-hydro-research-foundation.html profiles highlighting potential future members of the hydro industry.

Kevin Mulligan recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a PhD in civil and environmental engineering. His research focused on Cost-Effective Improvements to Surface Bypass Systems for Alosines. A floating impermeable guidance structure (FIGS) is constructed as a series of partial-depth panels anchored across a river channel, reservoir or power channel. Fish will avoid a dangerous intake structure while passing the dam through a safer route (i.e., the bypass).

A parameterized computational fluid dynamics model of an idealized power channel was constructed. Design parameters investigated were angle and depth of the FIGS and average approach velocity in the power channel. A FIGS set at a small angle and deep enough such that the effective guidance depth is greater than the expected vertical distribution of fish approaching the structure performs the best.

Hydro Research Foundation (www.hydrofoundation.org) supports graduate students to conduct hydro-related research.

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