Hydropower Geotechnical Foundations: Current Practice and Innovation Opportunities for Low-Head Applications

DeNeale, Scott; Bishop, Norman; Buetikofer, L. B.; Sisson, Richard C.; Sasthav, Colin; Musa, Mirko; Wilcox, T.C.; Stewart, Kevin; Tingen, William; DeRolph, Christopher R.

doi:10.2172/1649157

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Second, the optimal designs of small hydropower can differ significantly from their high-head counterparts, thus requiring new technologies to enable them. For example, most small hydropower potential is located in valley regions with lower terrain slopes, meaning it would require longer conveyances to achieve a given head (DeNeale et al 2020). Some design concepts leverage in-stream modular technologies without long penstocks to avoid this cost (Witt et al 2017).…”

Section: Small Hydropowermentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities

Musa

Ghobrial

Sasthav

et al. 2023

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Section: Small Hydropowermentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities

Musa

Ghobrial

Sasthav

et al. 2023

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“…• Modular foundations represent an innovative concept that could offer cost and timeline reductions. This concept is addressed as a part of ORNL's standard modular hydropower research 38 and is addressed by DeNeale et al (2020). Example applications include the concepts developed by GZA GeoEnvironmental and Littoral Power systems as a part of the Groundbreaking Hydro Prize.…”

Section: Emerging Structural Technologies and Testing Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Once a site has been preliminarily investigated to rule out any features that may prove fatal to the overall project's success, more detailed field testing is conducted. Common field testing typically includes subsurface investigation, geophysical exploration subsurface exploration, in situ testing, pore pressure evaluation, and permeability testing, as described in more detail by DeNeale et al (2020). These measurements and tests are conducted to better assess the site-specific foundation condition and begin quantifying some of the physical characteristics of the subsurface prior to foundation treatment.…”

Section: A3 Conventional Structural and Geotechnical Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Needs and Opportunities for Testing of Hydropower Technology Innovations

Musa

Smith²,

Sasthav

et al. 2022

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Despite hydropower's status as a well-established technology, changes in the global energy sector have prompted a variety of necessary hydropower technological innovations. Examples include efficient lowhead turbines, more flexible and dispatchable hydropower and pumped storage systems to complement variable and intermittent renewable resources, and technologies providing higher environmental performance. However, while innovative technologies are currently being proposed to meet these development challenges, small hydropower facility owners do not have sufficient risk-bearing capacity to adopt new, unvalidated technologies. This discourages manufacturers from bringing nascent technologies to market and stalls the technological growth of the sector. To reduce the risks associated with new technologies and promote further innovation, systemic (and sometimes unconventional) validation activities and new testing capabilities for hydropower are highly desired. These testing capabilities must demonstrate the safety, environmental acceptability, reliability, and performance of innovative technologies to quantify their value compared with existing technologies. Establishing these capabilities through dedicated testing facilities will be key to promoting hydropower growth in the United States.Following direction from the House Energy and Water Development Committee, the US Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has been tasked with understanding the state of hydropower testing in the United States. This scoping report discusses the needs and opportunities of hydropower testing in the United States, with a specific focus on small hydropower. Future developments will likely mostly target low-head sites with less than 30 ft (9.1 m) from new stream-reach developments, non-powered dam retrofits, and rehabilitation/upgrade of existing plants.Based on emerging technology trends, testing gaps evaluation, and stakeholder inputs, four overarching thematic challenges were identified for testing hydropower innovations: 10

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Hydropower Geotechnical Foundations: Current Practice and Innovation Opportunities for Low-Head Applications

Cited by 2 publications

References 28 publications

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities

Needs and Opportunities for Testing of Hydropower Technology Innovations

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