A2.4 Hydroelectric Power Plants and Renewable Energy Sources
Key concepts of energy technology, with emphasis to renewables. Hydropower technology. Hydroelectric dams: layout, design, operation, simulation, optimization. Small hydropower works: technology, design. Environmental issues. Solar and wind energy: estimation of solar/wind potential, system design, allocation, legislation. Biomass. Hybrid systems. Pumped-storage. Energy economics. Water and energy. The course structure is as follows:
- Key concepts of energy technology: definitions, units, forms of energy, renewable energy, electric energy balance
- Principles of hydropower: energy, power and head formulas, layout of hydroelectric systems, preliminary design
- Penstocks and turbines: layout and design criteria, hydraulic losses, turbine types, efficiency curves
- Technology of large hydroelectric works: dams, intakes, penstocks, power stations, draft tubes, spillways, gates
- Hydroelectric reservoirs: characteristic levels, water balance, multi-reservoir systems, multi-purpose reservoirs, environmental constraints, operation rules, flood control
- Simulation and optimization of hydroelectric reservoirs: hydrological uncertainty and its impacts to hydropower, reservoir sizing, simulation and optimization techniques, estimation of firm and secondary energy, generation of synthetic inflows
- Technology of small hydroelectric works: layout, components (intake weirs, channels, forebay tanks, penstocks), environmental utilities (sediment stops, fish passages)
- Design of small hydroelectric works: flow duration curves, ecological flows, turbine selection, optimization of mixed turbine systems
- Other renewable energy sources: solar energy, wind energy, biomass
- Hybrid systems: energy storage technologies, pumped-storage systems, reversible turbines
- Energy economics: electric energy management, financial concepts, energy market.
- Water-energy nexus: conjunctive design and management of water and renewable energy systems