A Summary of Environmentally Friendly Turbine Design Concepts

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1218115· OSTI ID:1218115

Odeh, Mufeed ^[1]

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1. United States Geological Survey - BRD, Turners Falls, MA (United States)

The Advanced Hydropower Turbine System Program (AHTS) was created in 1994 by the U.S. Department of Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, and the Hydropower Research Foundation. The Program’s main goal is to develop “environmentally friendly” hydropower turbines. The Program’s first accomplishment was the development of conceptual designs of new environmentally friendly turbines. In order to do so, two contractors were competitively selected. The ARL/NREC team of engineers and biologists provided a conceptual design for a new turbine runner*. The new runner has the potential to generate hydroelectricity at close to 90% efficiency. The Voith team produced new fish-friendly design criteria for Kaplan and Francis turbines that can be incorporated in units during rehabilitation projects or in new hydroelectric facilities**. These include the use of advanced plant operation, minimum gap runners, placement of wicket gates behind stay vanes, among others. The Voith team will also provide design criteria on aerating Francis turbines to increase dissolved oxygen content. Detailed reviews of the available literature on fish mortality studies, causation of injuries to fish, and available biological design criteria that would assist in the design of fish-friendly turbines were performed. This review identified a need for more biological studies in order to develop performance criteria to assist turbine manufacturers in designing a more fish-friendly turbine.

• Research Organization: US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (United States). Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office; United States Geological Survey - BRD, Turners Falls, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AI07-99ID13741
• OSTI ID: 1218115
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID/13741; 3727
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
42 ENGINEERING
AHTS
ARL
Advanced hydropower turbine system program
Alden
DO
Francis
Kaplan
NREC
Voith
aerate
aerating
biological
conceptual
design
dissolved oxygen
efficiency
environmentally friendly
fish
fish friendly
fish-friendly
gap runners
injuries
manufacturer(s)
mortality
new
operation
performance
rehabilitation
runners
turbine
vanes
wicket gates