Study of certain economic aspects of turbomachinery for underground pumped hydroelectric storage plants
The economics of underground pumped hydroelectric storage (UPHS) were analyzed in two ways. First, the cost effects of a variety of machinery-related factors on a UPHS plant were estimated. Second, four actual turbomachinery options were evaluated in terms of those factors. Preliminary conclusions about UPHS costs are as follows: the use of advanced turbomachinery is more economical than the use of state-of-art turbomachinery; plant-construction cost and the cost of the turbomachinery itself decrease as the operating head increases (The lowest costs now occur at a head range of 1200 to 1500 m for a UPHS plant designed on the single-drop principle. A machine's high charge/discharge ratio also lowers construction cost.); and pump/turbine efficiencies and charge/discharge ratios represent very important design parameters for UPHS applications. One of the advanced options considered, a two-stage reversible pump/turbine engineered for Argonne by the Allis-Chalmers Hydro-Turbine Division, appears to have the most cost-effective design for high-head applications (1000 to 2000 m). Further development of the two-stage concept promises future heads greater than 1500 m.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 7078705
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ES-106
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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13 HYDRO ENERGY
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PUMPED STORAGE POWER PLANTS
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HYDROELECTRIC POWER
INVESTMENT
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UNDERGROUND
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