Fishways as Downstream Routes in Small Hydropower Plants: Experiences with a Potamodromous Cyprinid

Fish need to move upstream and downstream through rivers to complete their life cycles. Despite the fact that fishways are the most commonly applied solution to recover longitudinal connectivity, they are not considered viable for downstream migration. Therefore, alternative facilities are recommended to facilitate downstream migration. However, a few recent studies have disagreed with this general assumption, showing the potential for bidirectional movements. This study advances our understanding of the potential of fishways for downstream migration by studying their efficiency in a run-of-the-river hydropower plant in the Duero River (Spain). To achieve this, downstream movements of the Iberian barbel (n = 299) were monitored in a stepped fishway for two years with passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tag technology, considering the effect of fish origin and release zone. The results showed that 24.9% of barbels descended through the fishway, with the origin and release zone affecting the fishway location. In addition, downstream movements were observed throughout the whole year, except in winter. The study concludes that, under specific scenarios, fishways could act as safe alternative routes for downstream migration.

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Development of a Hydropower Turbine Using Seawater from a Fish Farm

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9020266 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 266

Author(s):

Md Rakibuzzaman ◽

Sang-Ho Suh ◽

Hyoung-Ho Kim ◽

Youngtae Ryu ◽

Kyung Yup Kim

Keyword(s):

Power Plants ◽

Guide Vane ◽

Cross Flow ◽

Synchronous Generator ◽

Fish Farm ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Fish Farms ◽

Data Simulation ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants

Discharge water from fish farms is a clean, renewable, and abundant energy source that has been used to obtain renewable energy via small hydropower plants. Small hydropower plants may be installed at offshore fish farms where suitable water is obtained throughout the year. It is necessary to meet the challenges of developing small hydropower systems, including sustainability and turbine efficiency. The main objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of constructing a small hydropower plant and develop 100 kW class propeller-type turbines in a fish farm with a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The turbine was optimized using a computer simulation, and an experiment was conducted to obtain performance data. Simulation results were then validated with experimental results. Results revealed that streamlining the designed shape of the guide vane reduced the flow separation and improved the efficiency of the turbine. Optimizing the shape of the runner vane decreased the flow rate, reducing the water power and increasing the efficiency by about 5.57%. Also, results revealed that tubular or cross-flow turbines could be suitable for use in fish farm power plants, and the generator used should be waterproofed to avoid exposure to seawater.

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Fine-scale multiannual survey of benthic invertebrates in a glacier-fed stream used for hydropower generation

Scientific Data ◽

10.1038/s41597-021-00887-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Scotti ◽

Roberta Bottarin

Keyword(s):

Research Programme ◽

Eastern Alps ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Research Network ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Before And After ◽

Long Term Ecological Research ◽

Research Facilities

AbstractThe present dataset contains information about aquatic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables collected before and after the implementation of a small “run-of-river” hydropower plant on the Saldur stream, a glacier-fed stream located in the Italian Central-Eastern Alps. Between 2015 and 2019, with two sampling events per year, we collected and identified 34,836 organisms in 6 sampling sites located within a 6 km stretch of the stream. Given the current boom of the hydropower sector worldwide, and the growing contribution of small hydropower plants to energy production, data here included may represent an important – and long advocated – baseline to assess the effects that these kinds of powerplants have on the riverine ecosystem. Moreover, since the Saldur stream is part of the International Long Term Ecological Research network, this dataset also constitutes part of the data gathered within this research programme. All samples are preserved at Eurac Research facilities.

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Macroinvertebrate Recovery to Varying Hydropeaking Frequency: A Small Hydropower Plant Experiment

Frontiers in Environmental Science ◽

10.3389/fenvs.2020.602374 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Claire Kathryn Aksamit ◽

Mauro Carolli ◽

Davide Vanzo ◽

Christine Weber ◽

Martin Schmid

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Ecological Impact ◽

Power Production ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Recovery Times ◽

Plant Experiment ◽

Specific Reactions ◽

Macroinvertebrate Drift

As the demand for hydroelectricity progresses worldwide, small hydropower operators are increasingly examining the feasibility of using existing infrastructure (e.g., settling basins) in run-of-the-river schemes for intermittent power production. Such flexible production causes short-term discharge fluctuations (hydropeaking) in downstream reaches with potential adverse effects for the sensitive fauna and flora in alpine streams. In an experimental field study on a previously unregulated section of the upper Rhone River (Switzerland), we measured density and composition of macroinvertebrate drift in two habitats (riffle, pool) following a 15-minute hydropeaking wave. The experimental hydropeaking was replicated five times over 14 days with decreasing recovery times between peaks (8, 3, 2 days, and 24 h), and drift measurements were compared with kick samples for the benthic community. Results from the kick sampling showed that benthic macroinvertebrate abundance and composition did not significantly change between the experimental peaks. There were habitat specific reactions in macroinvertebrate drift to hydropeaking, with the pool experiencing more pronounced drift abundances than the riffle. Overall, drift abundance was not significantly correlated with recovery time, but results indicate taxa-specific differences. This research advocates for the importance of completing more in-situ field experiments in order to better understand the ecological impact of flexible power production in small hydropower plants.

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Design of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Up to 25MW Hydropower Plant

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Electrical Engineering - Advances in Computational Intelligence and Robotics ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2718-4.ch005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 95-106

Author(s):

Sumer Chand Prasad

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Fuzzy Logic Controller ◽

Fuzzy Controller ◽

Hydraulic Turbine ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Response To Change ◽

Turbine Speed ◽

Gain Adjustment

In this chapter the emerging control techniques for 25 MW small hydropower (SHP) plants which utilize fuzzy logic are compared with conventional PID control for the speed control of hydraulic turbine in terms of rise time, smoothness of response, settling time, and overshoot in wicket gate opening with the response to change in turbine speed. In the case of the PID controller, gain adjustment (tuning) is required. The fuzzy controller algorithm is based on intuition, experience, and it incorporates a simple, rule-based IF X AND Y THEN Z approach. These controllers obtained don't require gain adjustment. The work done is a small step towards the automation of the hydropower plants.

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AN AHP APPLICATION IN THE INVESTMENT SELECTION PROBLEM OF SMALL HYDROPOWER PLANTS IN TURKEY

International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process ◽

10.13033/ijahp.v7i2.198 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Burak Omer Saracoglu

Keyword(s):

Electricity Generation ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

Feasibility Studies ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Four Levels ◽

Hierarchy Process

<p>Turkey is a country that has had to deal with high electricity consumption due to its rapid growth and development. Attempts have been made to address this increase in demand by increasing the electricity supply by means such as boosting resources by privatization. The electricity generation sector has been privatized in Turkey; hence investors have been looking for the most appropriate electricity generation projects for a long while. Therefore, researchers and practitioners should focus on how the most suitable small hydropower plant project (SHPP) investments can be selected. In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to make the most appropriate and satisfying decision according to the decision makers, experts or investors for a SHPP investment from amongst some alternative SHPP investments in Turkey. All of these SHPPs were assumed to be in the pre-development investment stage, which indicated that their pre-feasibility and feasibility studies had not been presented or taken into consideration until this study was performed. This main constraint forced the researchers to obtain the data and information from the information forms such as the application document to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works during the data and information gathering process. The AHP model of this study was structured in four levels with five main criteria, seventeen basic criteria and five alternatives on the Super Decisions Software. The results indicated that Alternative 1 and Alternative 5 should be primarily investigated in detail in subsequent SHPP investment investigation steps.</p>

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An Improved Techno-Economic Approach to Determination of More Precise Installed Parameter for Small Hydropower Plants

Water ◽

10.3390/w13172419 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 2419

Author(s):

Vidosava Vilotijević ◽

Uroš Karadžić ◽

Radoje Vujadinović ◽

Vuko Kovijanić ◽

Ivan Božić

Keyword(s):

Net Present Value ◽

Design Flow ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

A Value ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Wide Range ◽

Installed Capacity

Designing a small hydropower plant (SHPP) necessitates fulfillment of energy and ecological constraints, so a well-defined design flow is of the utmost significance. The main parameters of each SHPP are determined by appropriate techno-economic studies, whereas an improved approach to defining more precise SHPP installed parameter is presented in this paper. The SHPP installed parameter is the ratio of the design flow and averaged perennial flow obtained from the flow duration curve at the planned water intake location. Previous experiences in the design of SHPPs have shown that the SHPP installed parameter has a value in a wide range without the existence of an unambiguous equation for its determination. Therefore, with this aim, the thirty-eight (38) small watercources in the territory of Montenegro, denominated for the construction of SHPPs, have been investigated. SHPPs are divided into two groups depending on the installed capacity and the method of calculating the purchase price of electricity. For both groups, the range of SHPP installed parameter is determined according to the technical and economic criteria: the highest electricity production, the highest income, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period (PB).

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Analyzing the impact of intake structure on the flow at low pressure SHPP

Pollack Periodica ◽

10.1556/606.2020.00149 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lucia Bytčanková ◽

Ján Rumann ◽

Peter Dušička

Keyword(s):

Velocity Distribution ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Low Head ◽

Structural Parts ◽

Numerical Flow Modeling ◽

Intake Structure ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe structural parts of intake structures directly affect the flow velocity distribution in the turbine intake of small hydropower plants, where inhomogeneous flow leads to uneven load of the turbine units causing operational problems. A 2D numerical flow modeling was used for investigations of the flow in an intake structure of a low-head small hydropower plant. The effects of shape changes of the intake structure on the flow velocity distribution in the turbine intakes were investigated and assessed proving significant effect of the shapes of the intake structure on the flow homogeneity in turbine intakes.

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An angled rack with a bypass and a nature-like fishway pass Atlantic salmon smolts downstream at a hydropower dam

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf18065 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (12) ◽

pp. 1894 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D. Nyqvist ◽

J. Elghagen ◽

M. Heiss ◽

O. Calles

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Salmon ◽

Fish Passage ◽

Downstream Migration ◽

Migratory Fish ◽

Hydropower Dam ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Longitudinal Connectivity ◽

Hydropower Dams ◽

Passage Efficiency ◽

Feeding Grounds

Hydropower dams disrupt longitudinal connectivity and cause fragmentation of river systems, which has led to declines in migratory fish species. Atlantic salmon smolts rely on intact longitudinal connectivity to move downstream from rearing habitats in freshwater to feeding grounds at sea. Smolts often suffer increased mortality and delays when they encounter hydropower plants during their downstream migration. Currently, there are few examples of downstream passage solutions that allow safe and timely passage. We assessed the performance of two passage solutions at a hydropower dam, namely, an angled 15-mm rack with a bypass and a large nature-like fishway. The performance of these new fish passage solutions was evaluated by tracking radio-tagged Atlantic salmon smolts as they encountered the facilities. The radio-tagged smolts passed the dam 9.5h after release (median) and exhibited a dam-passage efficiency of 84%, with passage rates increasing with body length. Fish passage occurred through both the rack bypass and the nature-like fishway. The passage efficiencies were 70–95% for the rack bypass and 47% for the nature-like fisway. The new fish passage facilities resulted in improved passage conditions at the site, confirming that angled racks with bypasses as best-practise solutions for downstream passage, but also that large nature-like fishways may act as downstream passage routes for salmon.

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Operating Small Hydropower Plants in Greece under Intermittent Flow Uncertainty: The Case of Tsiknias River (Lesvos)

Challenges ◽

10.3390/challe11020017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ourania Tzoraki

Keyword(s):

Hydropower Plant ◽

Low Flow ◽

Intermittent Flow ◽

The European Union ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Road ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Crete Island ◽

Hydropower Potential

In arid and semi-arid parts of the world, river exploitation is intensive, involving water storage for irrigation or hydropower generation. In Greece, 100 small hydropower plants (SHPs) take advantage of less than 10% of the hydropower potential of low flow streams (<2 m3/s), a very small amount in relation to the 70% of the European Union. The energy policy of complete decarbonization of the country by 2023 on a national scale opens the road for new investments in SHP projects, especially in intermittent-flow streams of the Greek islands. Simulated flows by the Modello Idrologico SemiDistribuito in continuo (MISDc model) are used to construct the annual flow duration curve (FDC) to study and assess the hydropower potential of an intermittent stream (Tsiknias river, Lesvos, Greece). For Tsiknias River, but also for six other intermittent-flow rivers of Crete island, the capacity factor (CF), which represents the mean annual power of the hydropower plant, should remain >75% to exploit the river’s potential. The FDC and CF are essential in designing SHP projects in intermittent-flow streams with long no-flow periods. The development of public participatory approaches and a closer cooperation among policy makers and stakeholders should work to promote hydropower exploitation and accelerate licensing procedures.

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Investigation of climate change impacts on hydropower generation: the case of a run-of-river small hydropower plant in North Western Greece

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/899/1/012026 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 899 (1) ◽

pp. 012026

Author(s):

C Skoulikaris ◽

K Kasimis

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Models ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Regional Climate Models ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Run Of River

Abstract Services and uses arising from surface water‘s availability, such as hydropower production, are bound to be affected by climate change. The object of the research is to evaluate climate change impacts on energy generation produced by run-of-river small hydropower plants with the use of future river discharges derived from two up-to-date Regional Climate Models. For doing so, the hydropower simulation model HEC-ResSim, calibrated and validated over real power data, was used to simulate the generated energy in the two future periods of 2031-2060 and 2071-2100. The future river discharges in the case study area are derived from the hydrological model E-HYPE that uses as forcing the climatic variables of the CSC-REMO2009-MPI-ESM-LR and KNMI-RACMO22E-EC-EARTH climate models under two Representative Concentration Pathways, namely RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The research outputs demonstrate a decrease of the generated energy varying from 2.86% to 25.79% in comparison to the reference period of 1971-2000. However, in most of the simulated scenarios the decrease is less than 10.0%, while increased energy production is projected for one of the scenarios. Overall, it can be concluded that the case study run-of-river small hydropower plant will be marginally affected by climate change when the decrease of the relevant river discharges is up to 10-15%.

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