Hydroelectric Power Station Design

In Hydroelectric Power Station Design, you'll learn ...

• Critical design decisions and due diligence that determine a successful financing
• How to determine the optimal hydroelectric turbine generator configuration and identify revenue options
• Integrating the development work in conjunction with environmental compliance
• The steps to complete performance testing and achieve a successful commissioning to satisfy lenders
• The various critical capital equipment components integrated in a run of river hydroelectric generating facility
• Permitting regulatory, financial, environmental, operational and construction decisions to build a successful project
• Basic understanding of equipment components in each plant functional area
• Feasibility work, such as available energy resource data reporting, required to design a hydroelectric power station
• Considerations for covenants and contract language in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) contract
• Liquidated Damages calculations for cavitation and deficient energy production

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 6 PDH

Length: 71 pages

The North American electricity market has been transitioning in the last 3 decades since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued their orders 888 and 889 that focus on increasing competition in the electric power generating sector.

First deregulation caused some upheaval as the market transitioned towards competitive merchant power plant type generating assets. Then the current strong market demand for sustainable power generation has focused resources on renewable energy and power storage.

Industry construction and operational transitions are by necessity requiring greater design engineering insight as to trends regarding asset retirements, asset locational value, regulatory compliance, heat rate, ramp-time, and reliability. Future power stations will need to be well situated for responsiveness and reliability as well as providing ancillary services. These infrastructure assets must also operate efficiently, safely, in compliance with permits, and in an environmentally friendly manner with little to no greenhouse gas emissions.

This Course

This is not a theoretical course. The course is intended to discuss actual design problems and how these problems were resolved in a facility that has already been successfully designed, constructed and commissioned using horizontal bulb turbines and is in strict compliance with permits, regulations and the power off-take sales contract. Several examples are given of typical equipment specifications such as pumps, seals and recommended instrumentation for proper system control. Hydroelectric power generation essentially captures the energy created in the hydrological cycle in which solar radiation is the source, as it is for all forms of energy, by creating water vapor. The sun’s energy is absorbed by water vapor in a kinetic manner that allows the vapor to rise against the forces of gravity and form cloud structures. Depending on the local meteorological conditions this energy is essentially realized in the form of precipitation. Hydroelectric generating assets capture the potential energy at the surface of the earth from the potential energy derived from the net effective head differential between two levels of water according to this formula:

Gross Kilowatts = [(lbs. water/ cubic foot) * (cubic feet/second)*(H1 feet – H2 feet)]/ (737.6 ft-lbs/second per kW)

H1 minus H2 is the potential energy difference between the headwater upstream of the hydroelectric turbines and the tailwater level downstream. Note that mathematically both a drought and a flood situation are not good for maximizing energy production levels as H1-H2 = zero. Despite the simplicity of this energy production formula the balance of plant design and equipment selection is important to achieve the following objectives:

• Safe and reliable operations with minimal forced outages
• Compliance with permitting and license requirements as established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”)
• Maximum electricity production and capture of all site energy potential
• Return capital investments to lenders and equity investors
• Achieve best engineering design selection without cost overruns
• Properly manage environmental impacts on fisheries and local habitat
• Harvest physical asset options into additional revenue streams (low flow units, black start, etc.)

Material covered is intended to be highly practical in the application of optimal plant design by Mechanical and Industrial engineers, as well as Civil and Electrical engineering disciplines.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• Understand basic field data required to size and commence the design work and eventual site construction work
• Key criteria to negotiate in an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract
• Detailed steps to properly commission and test the facility operations reliability and efficiency
• Environmental topics the design must address
• Optimal turbine selection and options
• Types and selection of charge controllers
• Performance testing specifications to satisfy investors with liquidated damages consequences
• Review an actual case study with equipment selections
• Cavitation and water hammer issues
• Applicable design codes to be followed
• Understand equipment selection and industry terminology
• General good industry practices for executing civil, electrical and mechanical construction work
• Project construction at a lock and dam structure using a cofferdam for the powerhouse erection

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 36 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.