Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report

Wilhelms, S C; Schneider, M L; Howington, S E

Title: Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report

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Abstract

This report summarizes various in-lake, in-structure, and downstream techniques to enhance the dissolved oxygen concentration of hydropower releases. In-lake and in-structure techniques appear to be the most applicable for Corps of Engineers projects because of the large discharges of most hydropower projects. Of these, the in-structure techniques, particularly turbine venting, appear very attractive considering cost and degree of improvement. Tests were conducted at the Clarks Hill Dam powerhouse to evaluate various aspects of turbine venting and thereby provide a data base to develop predictive and design capabilities for turbine-venting systems. Test results indicated that, at most, the oxygen deficit in the penstock could be reduced by about 30%, i.e., if the penstock oxygen deficit is 8.0 mg/(l), then, at most, about 2.4 mg/l of oxygen could be absorbed into the release flow. Two reaeration processes that contributed to the overall oxygen transfer were observed: (a) due to the turbulence in the tailrace area and (b) due to the air bubbles (vented through the turbine) as they traveled through the draft tube. A numerical computer model was developed that included the impact of the changes in thermodynamic (pressure) state as the bubbles passed through the draft tube. By developing the pressuremore »« less

Authors:: Wilhelms, S C; Schneider, M L; Howington, S E

Publication Date:: Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

Research Org.:: Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS (USA). Environmental Lab.

OSTI Identifier:: 6240263

Report Number(s):: AD-A-181372/4/XAB; WES-TR-E-87-3

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 13 HYDRO ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; HYDRAULIC TURBINES; VENTS; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; WATER QUALITY; AIR; BUBBLES; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DAMS; DISSOLVED GASES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; OXYGEN; TUBES; TURBULENCE; ELEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FLUIDS; GASES; MACHINERY; NONMETALS; POWER PLANTS; SIMULATION; SOLUTES; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY; 130600* - Hydro Energy- Environmental Aspects; 520100 - Environment, Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)

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                    Wilhelms, S C, Schneider, M L, and Howington, S E. Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report.  United States: N. p., 1987. 
        Web.

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                    Wilhelms, S C, Schneider, M L, & Howington, S E. Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report.  United States.

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                    Wilhelms, S C, Schneider, M L, and Howington, S E. 1987.  
        "Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report".  United States.

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@article{osti_6240263,

  title        = {Environmental and water-quality operational studies: improvement of hydropower-release dissolved oxygen with turbine venting. Final report},

  author       = {Wilhelms, S C and Schneider, M L and Howington, S E},

  abstractNote = {This report summarizes various in-lake, in-structure, and downstream techniques to enhance the dissolved oxygen concentration of hydropower releases. In-lake and in-structure techniques appear to be the most applicable for Corps of Engineers projects because of the large discharges of most hydropower projects. Of these, the in-structure techniques, particularly turbine venting, appear very attractive considering cost and degree of improvement. Tests were conducted at the Clarks Hill Dam powerhouse to evaluate various aspects of turbine venting and thereby provide a data base to develop predictive and design capabilities for turbine-venting systems. Test results indicated that, at most, the oxygen deficit in the penstock could be reduced by about 30%, i.e., if the penstock oxygen deficit is 8.0 mg/(l), then, at most, about 2.4 mg/l of oxygen could be absorbed into the release flow. Two reaeration processes that contributed to the overall oxygen transfer were observed: (a) due to the turbulence in the tailrace area and (b) due to the air bubbles (vented through the turbine) as they traveled through the draft tube. A numerical computer model was developed that included the impact of the changes in thermodynamic (pressure) state as the bubbles passed through the draft tube. By developing the pressure time history, the increased potential for oxygen transfer due to the increase in hydrostatic pressure was included in model formulation. Good agreement was obtained in comparing model predictions and oxygen uptake data from previous tests at Clarks Hill.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6240263},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1987},

  month        = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1987}

}

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