Tech Briefs

IEEE releases two new hydroelectric standards

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has produced two new standards for the hydro industry.

IEEE Guide for Control of Small (100 kVA to 5 MVA) Hydroelectric Power Plants is a 56-page standard that provides a description of the electrical control and monitoring requirements for equipment and systems associated with small hydroelectric power plants.

IEEE Guide for the Installation of Vertical Generators and Generator/Motors for Hydroelectric Applications is a 52-page standard that describes the procedures for installation of all types of synchronous generators and generator/motors rated 5 MVA and above to be coupled to hydraulic turbines or hydraulic pump/turbines having vertical shafts.

– The small plant standard can be purchased as a pdf for $60 (5 non-members) and printed for 5 ($90 non-members) at www.techstreet.com/cgi-bin/detail?vendor_id=5213. The generator standard can be purchased as a pdf for $100 ($120 non-members) and printed for $120 ($150 non-members) at www.techstreet.com/cgi-bin/detail?vendor_id=4063.

Corps releases draft report on aquatic nuisance transfer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepared a draft of its Focus Area 2 Aquatic Pathways Assessment Summary Report.

This report presents the methodology and key evidence used to assess the potential for transfer of aquatic nuisance species, such as Asian carp, between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through several aquatic pathways.

A total of 18 potential aquatic pathways reports, as well as one report for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will be released in phases as part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS), Focus Area 2. The objective of this portion of GLMRIS is to produce an interim report for each potential aquatic pathway that is found between the two basins. Each report evaluates key evidence to qualitatively estimate the likelihood of an aquatic pathway forming and aquatic nuisance species being able to utilize it to reach the adjacent basin.

Included in many of the pathway assessments, as well as the summary report, are potential actions or opportunities that might prevent or reduce the probability of aquatic nuisance species transfer between the basins.

The draft was opened for comments September 14, and the comment period was closed on October 14. The Corps is now working to incorporate this public input before finalizing and reissuing the report in the winter of 2002.

– The draft report is available for download at www.glmris.anl.gov.

Final 2012 numbers reported for Pelton Round Butte fish passage

As of Oct. 25, more than 36,700 fish had been passed downstream around the Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project on the Deschutes River in Oregon in 2012. In addition, 170 returning adult fish were captured at the fish trap below the project.

These fish are being aided in their travels by the operation of a selective water withdrawal tower in the reservoir behind the dam that began operating in December 2009. The tower was designed to combine fish collection, water flows for power generation and downstream temperature management.

The three species of fish passing this project are chinook, steelhead and sockeye. Before the tower began operating, fish passage around the project had been blocked since the late 1960s.

Companies that worked on this project are Barnard Construction Company, CH2M Hill, EES Consulting, ENSR/AECOM Technology Corp., Thompson Metal Fabricators, Dix Corp. and Associated Underwater Services.

Trelleborg releases glossary of sealing, engineering terms

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions offers a free glossary of commonly used engineering and sealing terms that can be accessed on the Internet or on an iPhone or android phone.

This Sealing Technology & Engineering Glossary contains more than 2,000 definitions. It is available at www.tss.trelleborg.com, or the app can be downloaded by searching for “Trelleborg” in the Apple app store or Google play.

The glossary can be searched via keywords or browsed alphabetically.

Each definition has a comment field so users can provide feedback on terms.

Fish passage reference database available online

The Joint EWRI-AFS Fish Passage Reference Database is available online at scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage.

The database is a collaboration between the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental & Water Resources Institute and American Fisheries Society Bioengineering Section Partnership Development Ad Hoc Committee.

The database contains literature citations on technical aspects of fish passage, including engineering, biology, design and other relevant disciplines. It also includes compilations of existing literature databases, bibliographies, and published and unpublished information from multiple sources.

Users can search for citations using author, journal, and keywords and may enter additional citations into the database through the Scholarworks web portal.

Support for the development of this database was provided by the University of Massachusetts Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Hydraulic Investigations and Laboratory Services Group, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory.

Reclamation updates invasive species inspection manual

The Bureau of Reclamation has updated its inspection and cleaning manual for equipment, vehicles and boats to prevent the spread of invasive species including zebra and quagga mussels and numerous species of plant life.

Reclamation operates facilities in 17 western states that deliver water to more than 31 million people and generate 44 billion kWh annually. Intended for its own use, the manual provides guidance for any large water resources or hydropower operator that manages field personnel, vehicles, equipment and boats serving more than one water body.

“This manual has application for agriculture, construction, facilities, and for many organizations and agencies. It is easy to use to reduce invasive species and pest problems on land and in water,” says Invasive Species Program Coordinator Joe DiVittorio.

Additions to the new version of the 224-page manual include diving equipment, a quick-find subject directory, new graphics, and a new flow chart that walks users through multiple steps of inspection and cleaning actions. The manual also is to serve as a reference standard that contractors must follow while working on Reclamation facilities and lands.

Five equipment types are covered in the manual, rubber-tired land vehicles, tracked land vehicles, personal use equipment including dive gear, construction and facility equipment, and watercraft.

Reclamation has been conducting a multi-pronged effort to find ways to combat zebra and quagga mussels in its reservoirs. As of 2011, zebra mussels had been reported within, or in waters adjacent to the borders of, 30 states. Initially, quagga mussels were confined primarily to the Great Lakes, but they have been reported in 15 states since 2007.

The updated manual, Inspection and Cleaning Manual for Equipment and Vehicles to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species, may be obtained at www.usbr.gov/mussels/prevention/docs/EquipmentInspectionandCleaningManual2012.pdf.

Kleinfelder boosts website, social media presence

Kleinfelder has launched a redesigned website at www.kleinfelder.com and bolstered its presence on such social media as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The new website features content focused on client solutions, such as: an overview of recently completed projects categorized by markets (including energy and water); an expertise section providing a comprehensive look at the company’s capabilities; a resource library with technical papers and articles, project briefs and marketing materials; a news and events section and more.

In addition, Kleinfelder has a Facebook page providing company news, case studies and project overviews; a LinkedIn page allowing individuals to connect and learn more about Kleinfelder; and a YouTube channel featuring videos of project overviews, expert interviews and company news.

In other company news, Appa (Ray) Hoare, P.E., has received the 2011 Young Engineer of the Year award from the central chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Hoare, a senior project manager in the Dallas office, has been with the company for eight years. This award recognized young engineers for their achievements and dedicated service to the engineering profession.

Kleinfelder is an architecture, engineering and science consulting firm that serves many industries, including hydro.

AFI Hydro announces new, interactive website

Industrial manufacturer AFI Hydro has marked its 20th anniversary by unveiling a new website at www.afihydro.com that the company says is easier to navigate and is designed to highlight its design, build and installation capabilities.

“AFI Hydro is proud to be fully committed to the development of hydropower equipment as a one-stop solution,” says Chief Executive Officer Mark Barrington. “Our new website is built around this commitment.”

Barrington says the new site showcases several AFI Hydro projects and also includes an interactive hydropower products section. This section will display AFI Hydro’s products, including intake, sluiceway and bulkhead gates, trash racks, cranes and hoists.