Planning & projects | “People on the fringes of the electricity network can
be more exposed to power outages, and the supply can be less reliable,” Gilmore said. “If there’s a power outage during a bushfire, for example, a pumped hydro system will give you enough energy to last a day, whereas a battery typically lasts around eight hours.” Although encouraging, the researchers say some limitations of the study require further analysis, including fluctuations in water availability, pump scheduling and discharge efficiency. “Our findings are encouraging for further development of this emerging technology, and there is plenty of scope for future technological improvements that will make these systems increasingly cheaper over time,” Gilmore said. “The next step would be setting up a pilot site, testing the performance of a system in action and modelling it in detail to get real-world validation.”
Indonesian updates Most research on dams in Southeast Asia mainly
Below: Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise dam engineering but several challenges need to be addressed before it can be fully integrated
focuses on the Mekong River Basin, meaning there is limited research on dams in Indonesia. In order to rectify this a new study has led to the development of a comprehensive database of the country’s dams. The authors of the research published in Remote Sensing, say that national level databases can be used to complement and validate existing global databases. As such, the aims of their study was to develop a dam database for Indonesia by consolidating information from multiple sources, providing a breakdown of different dam types, and assessing the location of dams across the country. The research team from Singapore, Indonesia, and Brazil, compiled a comprehensive database derived from global and local datasets, using Google Earth Pro to locate additional dams and validate the presence of all dams. The new database has a total of 1506 dams (from large to mini and run-of river structures) in operation or under construction – three times the number reported in Indonesia’s national database for dams. There were another 250 planned dams, of which, only 30 had known locations. The new open-access database provides a
comprehensive list of information that includes the description of the dam’s characteristics, its location, its relationship to rivers, and its tributaries, as well as the
purpose of the dam. Such information is useful when assessing the social and environmental impacts of a dam. In addition, such a database can also be used for dam monitoring and management and for informing investigation efforts regarding dam failure. Catchment level studies that seek to understand the impacts of a dam or a series of dams in a watershed will also benefit from such a database.
Java had the highest number of 697 operational dams, followed by Bali Nusra (326), Sumatra (241), Sulawesi (153), Kalimantan (58), Maluku (16), and Papua (15). Of the 1506 operational dams, 22% were located on the main river, and the remaining 78% on river tributaries. The number of mainstream dams was highest in Bali Nusra and the number of tributary dams was highest in Java. Upon assessing the primary purpose of dams, most dams in the new database were for irrigation, followed by water supply and storage, hydropower and flood control. The database can be used by researchers, non-
government organisations, and government agencies for conducting multiple types of water resources, environmental, and social-economic studies. The research team believe its work contributes towards a better comprehension of the state of water use in Indonesia, and hope that it can help to improve public administration and governance.
Intelligent insights Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise
the field of dam engineering, providing engineers with new tools and techniques to better predict dam behaviour, optimise operations, make informed decisions and thus lead to improved dam safety, efficiency, and sustainability. However, despite the potential benefits of AI, several challenges need to be addressed before it can be fully integrated into dam engineering. According to new research by Hariri-Ardebili et al published in Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, this includes data quality and availability, algorithmic transparency, and ethical considerations. As cited in the report, The Role of Artificial
Intelligence and Digital Technologies in Dam Engineering: Narrative Review and Outlook, one of the significant challenges in implementing AI in dam engineering is the availability and quality of data.
26 | April 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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