| Europe
Turbine and generators Developing new technologies to strengthen the
capabilities of the hydropower system and enhancing the operational and system flexibility is the objective of research into turbines and generators. A paradigm shift in design and operation of the power plants is possible by introducing power electronic converters. Reversible pump-turbines will operate smoothly, ramping rates will be faster, efficiency will be higher, and the operating range of Francis turbines will be wider when introducing variable speed turbines and generators. Iinterest from the hydropower sector for more optimised operation and maintenance of rotating machinery resulted in ground-breaking research on how faults in generators can be discovered by monitoring the magnetic field. A new method developed in HydroCen uses small signals and machine learning to discover faults before the damage occurs. Thus, both power industry and society can avoid major damages and costs.
Market and services The main objective here is to prepare stakeholders
for future value creation using hydropower’s unique capabilities to provide energy storage, system services, reliability of supply, environmentally friendly operation, and the ability to adapt to and mitigate consequences of climate change. Increasing value creation from hydropower depends on the ability to exploit opportunities in the power markets through delivery of services such as flexibility, stability and security. The future value of hydropower production and
correct investments are very much dependent on the future market prices of the different services that hydropower can provide. Information about prices, market designs and price structures for the future power market are therefore important input information.
Environmental design The main objective of environmental design is to
develop knowledge and innovative technology to mitigate environmental impacts from hydropower operations. Water resources are important for several socio- economic benefits in addition to production of climate- neutral energy. This comprises flood protection and control, security of supply and balancing services. In addition, essential ecosystem services such as irrigation, drinking water, biodiversity and recreation are stakeholders in water management – and usage. In addition to all the research projects focusing on user cases in Norway, HydroCen researchers have also studied how three of Europe’s largest hydropower nations – Austria, Switzerland and Sweden – work to modernise and improve the environmental conditions in rivers with existing hydropower plants. The project is called “Environmental Measures in European Hydropower Nations”, and the researchers have looked into how the governments of these three countries have faced the conflicts between contradictory national strategies, guidelines and legislation.
Finding an acceptable balance between the need for energy and environmental goals is more difficult
than one would think. Hydropower contributes important renewable and environmentally friendly energy, at the cost of the ecosystems in the rivers. These conflicts make it difficult to find a good balance when licences are up for revision, and it is necessary to have clear guidelines, boundaries and definitions. The research shows that all countries still face challenges in this area, and that some central challenges need to be solved, like how to value hydropower against environmental values in the rivers in the best possible way, and how hydropower production as a whole affects the environment.
Cooperation The research work is carried out in work packages,
organised as projects with researchers, PhD- students, Master students and academic staff. Many projects have a high degree of laboratory work with technical tests, followed by analysis, documentation and publication. The production of publications in HydroCen is high, and all involved are encouraged to communicate and share research results in available channels. The challenges in hydropower are rarely limited to Norway, and the international cooperation is very important for all our researchers. There are strong relations to researchers in Europe, Asia, Tasmania, and the Americas. Our partners are essential to make sure that the
research is focused on current and future challenges in the hydropower sector. In Norway there is a long history of close cooperation between the industry and the research community, and the user partners contribute with user cases, data, and possibilities for real life technical tests in their plants and waterways.
Usefulness HydroCen measures its success not only in
publications and innovations, but also in how much of the research has been put to use in the hydropower sector. To achieve success on usefulness, the partners play a key role. Therefore, HydroCen puts a great deal of effort into sharing and communicating research results in an understandable way, and have gathered all results in the HydroCen Knowledge Hub “Kunnskapsbanken”:
https://hydrocen.nina.no/english/ All examples mentioned above are found at the Knowledge Hub, with details and contact details for the involved researchers.
Author
Liv Randi Hultgreen is the Executive Director of FME HydroCen and can be contacted at:
liv.hultgreen@
ntnu.no www.hydrocen.com
www.waterpowermagazine.com | October 2024 | 21
Above: Generator research is looking to strengthen capabilities and enhance operational and system flexibility within hydropower
Below: Research is developing knowledge and innovative technology to mitigate the environmental impacts from hydropower operations
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