WASHINGTON, July 28, 2016 - A stream’s potential for
small-scale, “run of river” hydropower can now be assessed
by a new computer modeling package developed by a team of engineers at Oregon State University (OSU). Run of the
river hydropower is one where little or no water storage is provided.
The free, open source software program will allow engineers
and policy makers to make better decisions about hydropower development and
investment, both in the U.S. and around the world, say the researchers.
Small-scale hydropower continues to be popular because it
can be developed with fairly basic and cost-competitive technology, the team
says, and does not require large dams or reservoirs to function. The
researchers say this is an option to produce electricity that’s of special
importance in the developing world.
“These types of run-of-river hydropower developments have a
special value in some remote, mountainous regions where electricity is often
scarce or unavailable,” says Kendra Sharp, professor in humanitarian engineering
at OSU. “There are parts of northern Pakistan, for instance, where about half
of rural homes don’t have access to electricity, and systems such as this are
one of the few affordable ways to produce it. The strength of this system is
that it will be simple for people to use, and it’s pretty accurate even
though it can work with limited data on the ground.”
One of the most basic approaches to develop small-scale
hydropower is to divert part of a stream into a holding basin, which contains a
self-cleaning screen that prevents larger debris, insects, fish and objects
from entering the system. The diverted water is then channeled to and fed
through a turbine at a lower elevation before returning the water to the
stream.
The modeling system does not require data that is often
unavailable in foreign countries or remote locations and it is easy to use, say
the researchers. Importantly, the program can consider hydropower potential not
only in the present, but also in the future – as projected changes in climate
and stream runoff occur, the researchers say.
Most previous tools used to assess specific sites for their
small-scale hydropower potential have not been able to consider the impacts of
future changes in weather and climate, the team says, and are far too dependent
on data that is often unavailable in developing nations.
Findings on the new assessment tool have been published in
Renewable Energy, in work supported by the National Science Foundation.
To request a copy of the software, contact Kendra.sharp@oregonstate.edu
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