Post license enhancements - passing minimum flows through outlet works and generators
- Gomez and Sullivan Engineers, Dunbarton, NH (United States)
- Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., Pearl River, NY (United States); and others
Many licensees in the {open_quotes}Class of `93{close_quotes} have not received a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. As such, plans for passing minimum flows below dams or in bypass reaches have not been given much forethought. In many cases, at smaller capacity projects, low-level outlets or gates will most likely be used to pass the minimum flow. However, at larger capacity projects designed in the early 1900`s, low-level outlets or structures capable of conveying flow to the base of the dam were not installed. This was the case for Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc (ORU) who received a FERC license in 1992 and was required to install bypass works in order to pass minimum flows below each dam. Licensees in the Class of `93 may also be requested by the FERC to evaluate the feasibility of passing minimum flows through turbines in order to offset some of the lost energy. Again, ORU conducted such a study on two projects where site conditions warranted such an evaluation. Several turbine types, and powerhouse layouts were evaluated as discussed in this paper. In short, ORU was confronted with a number of dilemmas that may be common to licensees in the Class of `93. This paper will shed some light on the design of low-level outlet works, how the design considered water quality parameters, some unique solutions for passing minimum flows, and the feasibility of installing minimum flow units.
- OSTI ID:
- 220209
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9507190-; TRN: 96:000708-0291
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waterpower 1995: international conference, San Francisco, CA (United States), 25-28 Jul 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Waterpower`95. Volume 1-3; Cassidy, J.L. [ed.]; PB: 2869 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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