#hydro powerplant

[anoonimthepoorchad]

We're having electricity blackouts in my city, due to all the damage russia has done to our power plants by constant missile attacks. Just tonight they damaged hydro-powerplants, so it's no wonder there are power outages all over Ukraine. They're better than last year's winter ones but I'm still not sure what to do with no internet or light, so if anyone has good ideas, please tell me! It's pretty early to go to sleep for me, as I would either study for exams or watch One Piece at this time. The mobile connection sucks too tbh, plus it's limited and pricey.

[only-embers-remain]

So I want to start this with the sentiment in the above post is generally on point. But it still in many ways falls into the same basic trap that “just recycle, it’s good for the enviroment” advertisements/programs did and still do. Which is placing blame for the climate issues at the feet of consumers when really it is almost entirely the fault of corporations. Secondly I find several of these points to be well, not quite where they need to be all things considered. so yeah, gonna get my “Um Actually” on here. Point one misses the most important most green and most sustainable energy source we currently have, and that is Nuclear.  Hands down it is the safest and most enviromentally friendly at the moment. Solar, Wind, tidal, and geothermal all have issues that keep them from being there. and I can rather quickly break them all down, but to start with Nuclear the big benifit there is that it is solved already. It is ready to go, as it stands now. there are not any lingering doubts or questions or tech yet to be developed for Nuclear power (with the exception I suppose of fusion but that is really an entierly different beast).

The others on the other hand very much so do have questions left  Now for the others there are some really big stumbling blocks on all four of them to be actually the solutions we want them to be. Let’s start with Hydro power. Dams are just in general horrible things for the local enviroment. It screws fish over so very badly, utterly and radically changes the flow and foot print of a river and can not be built everywhere without some rather drastic and damaging impacts. Further as anyone whose been paying attention to the water crisis in the South West of the USA will tell you they are not nearly as relyable as they appear. and that when it stops raining they could easily become useless. which is a problem under current climate projections. Wind seems nice until you start to look at some of the stumbling blocks on it. It can’t be built everywhere, it requires large open swaths of land, and most importantly we don’t really have the right materials yet to make them work well. The blades need regular replacements in many areas as the weather degrads them and the problem is they still need to be strong and light which means plastics and metals that are not so good for digging up, or are in increasingly short supply. In particular offshore wind turbines are proving to be difficult to keep stocked with blades with out adding to the issues of microplastics in the ocean, and offshore wind is basically the most accessible for the vast majority of places that could use wind.

Solar has the issue of materials as well, along with relatively short lifespans of the pannels themselves and the fact that they are really hard to recycle. All fixable and probably will be soon enough but we are talking five to ten years still before these kinks get worked out and that’s just the pannels themselves. Solar to be functional needs batteries, and let me tell you batteries are very very bad for the enviroment as it stands now. Lithium mines are absolutely horrid, and we don’t have any real good alternatives. Solar is just not where it would need to be to be a real solution to our engery needs.

Geothermal is arguably the least in need of ruther development but is also the most limited solution to the energy crisis, it just can’t be built in most of the world, and there are still potential issues with drilling holes in volcanically active locations to put in a power plant. but for where it does work it is pretty rad. it just well doesn’t tend to work well outside of Greenland.

Or you know we could use the power source that is already solved and could be built anywhere in the world, and could (baring funding) be used to replace every single combustion based powerplant on the planet today if we wanted. Nuclear is the solution we have right now and could use. and We should. But you know while we do that we should also be still developing those other sources, and fusion while we are at it. On to point two: This is where you get into the consumer blaming and pushing the fault off the real perpetrators a bit. It is all good and fine to say things would be better if we stopped eating so much meat but let’s be fair here, there is really only two industries in the meat/animal product that need drastic change if not out right stopping and that is the Cow and fishing industries. the enviromental impact of chickens, pigs and other lesser eaten animals is effectively nothing compared to the prior two I mentioned, and well frankly some of us can’t really do a vegan or vegetarian diet. And I mean that medically. Plant based proteins are not the same and there are medical conditions that require outside of standard amounts of particular protein types that make such diets even harder to sustain. But by all means reduce or otherwise find an alternate solution to cows, and find better and more sustainable ways to farm fish. But that is primarily in the hands of the industry and not the people eating said animals. Point three is a small one for me but important one. the word travel isn’t really the right one. commute is the problem. Not travel in of itself. And with better tech travel for vactions and what not would be mostly negllible all things considered it is really the high end travel options and well flying that is a problem. but compared to the problem created by daily commutes even the luxary stuff is a drop in the swimming pool on enviromental impact. reduce commute times and that would solve most of the negative impact. and while I’ve already mentioned it above, Electric cars have the same enviromental concerns as solar power does, which is that the way we currently make batteries is really really bad for the enviroment (at the very least locally tot he mines) and is not quite the solution we want it to be because of this. More densely packed cities and much improved public transit would alleviate this for the most part but let’s be fair this here is a complaint almost entirely levvied at the USA. Seven feels like the worst of the blaming the indiviual and not the actual culprets aka the corporations. making our own cloths is just not feasible for most people, especially since the closest way it would be, which is buying fabric and sewing it yourself would effectively be meaningless in the impact enviromentally. and there is no way even a small percentage of the population could put asside time to make their own cloth. Making cloth is really really time intensive. The problem with clothes is not who makes them (well outside of the humanitarian issues of how the people who do are paid and treated) but that they are built to be disposable when they really shouldn’t be. Fast Fashion is the problem not the act of buying clothes. Clothes can be made to last even by big factories and what not. It is just not profitable for them to be so, and hence again this is a problem that can not be solved by the indiviual but by dismantling the corporations that currently exist and mandating better practices. and you know proper pay and safe environments for their workers. So TL’DR uh yeah but like let’s point the fingers at the real problem and that is capitalism and you are right radical change is going to have to happen, and it will require the collective comunities to make sure when it does happen that the oligarchs of the world don’t just shift the way things are done while keeping themselves in power. Because things hae to and will change in the near future. Capitalism is in its deaththroes, and as long as ti doesn’t take us down with it, change willl happen. but we need to be aware and present to make sure we don’t trade one yolk for a different one.

It’s solar and wind and tidal and geothermal and hydropower.

It’s plant-based diets and regenerative livestock farming and insect protein and lab-grown meat.

It’s electric cars and reliable public transit and decreasing how far and how often we travel.

It’s growing your own vegetables and community gardens and vertical farms and supporting local producers.

It’s rewilding the countryside and greening cities.

It’s getting people active and improving disabled access.

It’s making your own clothes and buying or swapping sustainable stuff with your neighbours.

It’s the right to repair and reducing consumption in the first place.

It’s greater land rights for the commons and indigenous peoples and creating protected areas.

It’s radical, drastic change and community consensus.

It’s labour rights and less work.

It’s science and arts.

It’s theoretical academic thought and concrete practical action.

It’s signing petitions and campaigning and protesting and civil disobedience.

It’s sailboats and zeppelins.

It’s the speculative and the possible.

It’s raising living standards and curbing consumerism.

It’s global and local.

It’s me and you.

Climate solutions look different for everyone, and we all have something to offer.

[texas-electricity-ratings]

Renewables Save the Texas Grid

Renewables Save the Texas Grid

How Green Energy Bailed Out Texas

Renewables bailed out Texas when thermal powerplants fainted from the heat. Though fossil fuel plants are still important now, find out how more green energy may cut future electric prices.

It’s great when the underdogs end up saving the day. And in Texas electricity news, the underdogs have been wind and solar energy lately. But renewables saved the Texas grid during the last week of June when demand soared to a record high. Hopefully, this taught leaders a good lesson on the reliability of green energy vs. fossil fuels. Here's what happened last week and how it may help to get you cheap electricity.

A Record-Breaking Heatwave

It’s so hot in Texas right now you could fry an egg on your driveway. To make matters worse, a climate change-exasperated heat dome looms over Mexico and South Texas. This causes extreme heat and humidity in the state.

And on June 27, the demand for electricity was at an all-time high. The 80,828 MW needed to power the air conditioning of 26 million Texans tested ERCOT’s reliability to its limits.

Putting All Faith in Fossil Fuels

When the electricity grid’s pushed near the limit, catastrophe can happen. In February 2021, a winter storm caused blackouts that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Texans.

Since then, ERCOT and lawmakers made considerable steps to prevent blackouts like that. But, some may have bet on the wrong horse. 

So far, reliability has been maintained by dispatchable power sources. These are the natural gas, coal, and nuclear power plants the state has at its disposal that have been weatherized. ERCOT can turn these on and off when needed. And there's a major political push to invest more into these dispatchable sources, purely run on fossil fuel. However, these failed during the last week of June amid record-breaking demand.

Due to unplanned outages, 8,000 MW of natural gas capacity went offline. And the unexpected loss of 2,300 MW from coal power made the situation even worse.

Renewables to the Rescue

But thanks to wind, solar, and utility-scale batteries, the Texas energy supply went on as normal. The 31,000 MW generated by green sources powered 3.6 million Texan homes. Solar, in particular, rose to a challenge. On June 27th, solar power was generating at 62% of its installed capacity. Surprisingly, the very rays that make Texans turn the AC on are the same that saved the grid.

Green renewables help beat the heat with lower Electricity Prices.

Renewables Are The Future

The energy created from green sources isn’t just environmentally friendly. It’s also a lot cheap to make and gives customers low electricity prices. 

The Texas power grid will need to prepare for more high-demand days this summer. The estimated peak demand is currently at 82,739 MW. But, with the rising Texan population and global warming, this is just the start.

Luckily, there are plans to invest in more renewable dispatchable power in Texas too. Apart from wind and solar, these plans involve geothermal, hydro, and biomass. However, the roll-out of these is very slow without proper political support.

Shop a Green Plan in Texas

Historically, the price of electricity is always the highest when the demand is high. So, buying in the summer isn't ideal. But, having a fixed-rate plan is often still better than going month to month.

The best way you can support renewable energy is by getting a 100% green plan. They’re often cheaper too. Visit www.texaselectricityratings.com to find the best green deals for your home.

[finallycavedin]

#powerplant #hydro #industrial #tampa #travel #florida (at Manatee Viewing Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtygJfDAAhp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18jziwelffu24

[tifoti]

Abandoned hydro powerplant left in the woods 

Source

[auto-pomoc-dzik]

Dzik i hydro elektrownia w Żydowie #HDS #mypalfinger #dźwig #pomocdrogowa #transportmaszn #holowanie #truck #towing #towtruck #elektrownia #powerplant #hydro #eko #ekologia #Koszalin #Kołobrzeg #Sławno #Karlino #Białogard #Volvo #Volvolove #autopomoc #Dzik #DzikKoszalin #Polska #Poland (w: Elektrownia Wodna Żydowo) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZOC9cnDI-/?igshid=g3ppr5wckqpm

[benbehu]

That’s not even the problem.

The problem is, that even when solar electricity prices turn negative, customers will still have to pay a lot of money that will be given to unused backup powerplants (hydro, gas turbine usually), and it’s going to be impossible to explain to people currently how the fact the electricity price on the market is negative and them having to pay huge fees to fossile fule power plants can be true at the same time.

And it’s going to become worse: as these back-up power plants are needed less and less, their stand-by prices are going to increase by a huge amount. The reason for that, is that as long as there are even short amounts of time when they operate, and burn fuel, they make tons of profit, that they can use to finance their idle time. In a way, a balance between operational and idle days is built into their business plan. But as we really will start to only need them as backups, and not use them for generating electricity at all, keeping them up is going to become really expensive. And at that point solar and wind power is going to peak at so great a capacity, that actual market energy prices are going to be negative or near-zero quite a lot of time. And no-one will want to pay for the backups, but if we neglect them, we make it sure we go back to the stone-age quicker than after a nuclear strike.

#LateStageCapitalism

[gwo]

Here are some additional pictures from the botanical garden in Mbombela, South Africa. I had originally regarded this city as a base to get to Kruger Nat’l Park, the natural area where I finally encountered wild brown headed parrots (I saw about six of em while I was there, they clattered like bells!) I will eventually get around to posting about Kruger, but Mbombela left an impression and I’ve been meaning to document more of I saw here. 

There was an inconspicuous gate in the back of the place where I was staying which lead to a very long trail of nothing in particular; It was a secret entrance to the ‘botanical garden’ — which I put in quotations because that title underplays how strange and spectacular this place is.

As I passed through the official entrance, it dawned on me that I had been walking along the edge of an enormous gorge with cascading waterfalls (see the first two photos). The garden was essentially built on top of the Crocodile River, and there are rather charming signs all over which warn you of the dangers associated with visiting the botanical garden (for there are crocodiles, hippos, and water pathogens! Lest we forget, there is also that condemned and dilapidated hydro-electro powerplant.)

The pathway turns into an elevated walkway and winds through an artificial rainforest. The surroundings then switch into what one may expect out of a botanical garden, although it surpassed all which I have visited. Some of my favorites were natives such as the sickly yellow ‘fever tree’ and all the different varieties of baobab, and the specimens in the rather extensive medicinal garden. There was a very special sound garden as well, featuring plants which are harvested by the local birds. I’m guessing the undecipherable bird sign had something to do with that.

One path went down to the river’s edge, but there were signs posted which said that one should notify the garden management in order to continue. So I did and consequently discovered my favorite place in the garden — the grave of the hydro-electro powerplant. This area was minimally groomed and full of small creatures and bleeding trees (whose wood turned red when cut)… also, pretty stone passageways!

[adomainname]

Bike Heaven in Empty Slovenian Hydro Pum

Bike Heaven in Empty Slovenian Hydro Pum

Bike Heaven in Empty Slovenian Hydro Pumped Storage Power Plant #bike #heaven #slovenian #hydro #powerplant ~ http://ow.ly/PKMu30mpgfx

[knoxxcarbon]

Wattson Hydro Dean - 21 - Powerplant Worker

Bio - I’d say let’s hang out... but I work all of the time.

(Task 002 Swipe Right) 

[rkdf-university-bhopal]

Two days Industrial visit to NHDC (Hydro Power Plant) Omkareshwar.

Please visit-https://www.rkdf.ac.in/ #rkdfuniversity  #visit #Industrial #powerplant  #college #university #students #faculty #education #Bhopal #MadhyaPradesh

[not-very-kawaii-of-you]

Nuclear by itself cannot be the 100% source of energy, nuclear powerplants cannot be shut down or lower their yields during the night when the demand is lower. They are constantly dealing with the chainsaw of the nuclear disintegration and so they are constantly giving the same ammount of energy.

We need another power source that can be turned on and off easily in a matter of hours or couple of minutes. Hydro and fuel sources will still be needed in a world that is friendly towards nuclear.

But wind and solar are pratically useless for large scale. Throw them away, back into the R&D and we will improve as a society

I’m as confused as he is

[s3mag]

Broader Perspective

As I was talking with Matt Grimes & the crew from CCOR, we stumbled into a conversation about how the best all-around builds usually ended up being a healthy mix of aftermarket parts ENHANCED with clever custom application.

See it’s all about a broader perspective.

Someone with skills, tools, and creativity can piecemeal together anything, from a hotrod to a Honda. They can raid junkyards, backyards, and Craigslist… & custom fabricate brackets, mounting points, brakes, flares, etc. You get the idea; they can create something cool. Something that gets attention, and deserves attention. We’re not knocking it.

But the reality is: There’s a fine line between ‘attention’ and actual bonafide ‘performance capability’.

No Ceiling

There’s also a fine line between a hobby, versus an industry. A hobbyist builds something in the garage for his own needs. Meanwhile the aftermarket industry creates innovative & improved products… and then SELLS those products to a hungry customer base, giving the enthusiast wider & better range of options.

Any chassis with strong aftermarket support, will be solidified as a strong chassis.

I mention this here, because Jeep has the strongest aftermarket of any vehicle on the planet. And as such, there is literally no ceiling as to where you can take one.

Matt Grimes from CCOR

This jeep came to us as a vehicle that had been built a couple of different times, and wheeled hard. After looking her over, it was clear that we had a good, solid platform at the core, but most-all of it had to go. We reused what we could.. and upgraded the rest.

The goal was to keep a low center of gravity, so we designed a low-profile cage, and stretched the suspension. We also used high-clearance fenders & corners to allow an even amount of up/down travel, and ensure an excellent ride quality both ON the trail… and TO/FROM the trail.

It’s a well thought out machine.

And while there is a ton of custom fabrication wrapped up in the build… the strategy was to buy as much store-bought aftermarket stuff as possible… and then COMBINE it with our knowledge of off-road performance & custom fab. Basically to use what is tried, true, and tested… and then make it even better for this particular application.

And even with something that came out looking this good, if asked of it, it would qualify & be highly competitive within its class. Next on the list is an LS engine and 480 transmission!

2004 Jeep TJ – 2.4L 4-cylinder engine w/ 5-speed transmission

SUSPENSION / AXLE

Rock Krawler 5in X Factor long arm lift kit – with 5in rear stretch

Currie Dana 44 front axle

Currie Dana 60 RockJock rear axle (both axles with ARB lockers)

Currie 1-ton steering upgrade

Currie front Antilock sway bar kit

Custom front & rear driveshafts upgraded to 1350 u-joints by Carolina Driveline

West Texas Off Road hydro assist for the steering and box

Advance Adapters Atlas II 5.0:1 transfer case

FOX 2.0 adjustable reservoir shocks on all 4 corners

ARMOR / BODY

GenRight corner guard blanks (custom modified to incorporate original rock sliders and MetalCloak rear rub rails)

MetalCloak Overline front tube fenders

Incorporated the rock sliders and corner guards and added rub rail to the rock sliders

-Tied all into frame

Incorporated a rollover hoop & brush guard hoop to existing front bumper

Full 9-point tie-in custom roll cage with integrated seat mounts & shock mounts, making it a fully encapsulated cage (safety first, then fun!)

Corbeau JP front seats in black vinyl and 5-point latch and link harnesses

PRP Premier lite rear seat (for the little ones – can be used for youth)

Rugged Ridge grab handles front & rear

Aluminum roof

Removable & adjustable high-clearance swing down tire carrier that can accommodate 35” up to a 40” custom fabricated by CCOR (triple bronze powdercoat)

Custom fabricated side mirror by CCOR

Custom fabricated Yeti cooler mount & tie-down fabricated by CCOR

Triple bronze powdercoating by Classic Powdercoating and Ceramics in Winterville, GA

Custom pinstriping by David Piatek of Athens, GA

Warn Powerplant winch & TrailGear 3×30 strap for recovery

WHEELS / TIRES

Raceline TR232 Monster beadlocks with custom triple bronze rings painted by CCOR

Interco SuperSwamper 36×13.50-17LT Irok tires

LIGHTING

(2) 20” Rough Country single-row light bars

Rough Country rear flush-mount reverse lights

Rough Country rock lights

Poison Spyder LED taillights

Poison Spyder A-Pillars for the custom cage

Poison Spyder hood louver for venting

ENGINE

RCI aluminum fuel cell & custom fuel cell mount – fabricated by CCOR

-Custom fuel system. Incorporated OE sending unit and retrofit with RCI system, so all dash gauges could be utilized.

-Routed all lines and used AN fitting

-Plumbed the fuel system with 2 fuel filters. One late-80s Corvette filter after the fuel pump, and one out of a 1988 K5 blazer before the pump. The Corvette filter has a high pressure return diaphragm, allowing us to use an aftermarket fuel cell & not inhibit fuel delivery (to and from).

-Incorporated original fuel lines with OE disconnect lines for ease of maintenance

Custom exhaust by Stephen Epps of Lord’s Exhaust in Commerce, GA

Text by Wooley & Matt Grimes   Photos by Wooley

Built AND Bought: The best all-around builds are usually a healthy mix of aftermarket parts ENHANCED with clever custom application. That's what this Jeep TJ build crushes. Broader Perspective As I was talking with Matt Grimes & the crew from CCOR, we stumbled into a conversation about how the best all-around builds usually ended up being a healthy mix of aftermarket parts ENHANCED with clever custom application.

[the-breakfast-chub]

Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology

Natel Energy has developed a new small hydropower turbine technology that offers an environmentally friendly and compact, modular hydro generation system. This article discusses the technology and its potential future applications. By Lise Houston

Natel Energy in Alameda, Calif., is dedicated to advancing hydropower technology to make it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as well as flexible enough to be a go-to source of power for operators in rivers of all sizes throughout the U.S. and around the world. With a name appropriately coined from the phrase “natural electric,” Natel is focused on enabling a distributed or decentralized hydropower model featuring systems of smaller projects-– that maintain river connectivity –– networked together as “virtual power plants” or VPPs, as opposed to the current approach of large centralized dams, which can be damaging to wildlife and the adjacent ecosystem.

Founded by Gia Schneider and Abe Schneider, siblings who gained a deep appreciation for the power of rivers and the beauty of their ecosystems during family camping and fishing trips as children, Natel is advancing its vision of “Restoration Hydro,” combining low environmental impact with high economic value. This can be a boon to organizations looking to decarbonize their operations further and transition to a low- or zero-carbon grid.

“More than half of U.S. waterways are degraded, as are countless watersheds, rivers and wetland ecosystems around the world,” noted Gia Schneider, Natel chief executive officer. “With the right technology and attractive business case, the restoration of these critical ecosystems is not only possible but economically justifiable, with a sustainable, distributed hydropower backbone supporting a renewable, decarbonized electrical grid — without the need for large dams.”

Fish-safe technology

Natel understood that a huge economic barrier to the practical deployment of renewable hydropower lies in the danger to fish represented by spinning turbine blades. Ecosystem damage can be costly, as is initiating incumbent screening and other mitigation procedures, and permitting can be a challenging process.

Natel’s technical team, led by President and Chief Technology Officer Abe Schneider, rethought and redesigned the conventional axial-flow propeller turbine, creating a new design that features blades with thick and forward-swept leading edges.

“The design creates a pressure zone around the blades’ leading edges that acts like an ‘airbag’ for passing fish, minimizing impacts and allowing them to safely pass through the area,” he explained. The same phenomena also makes the turbine blades more resistant to damage or performance deterioration from entrained debris.”

This design enables fish safety and high efficiency, while also allowing high turbine rotational speeds. At any given head, the Restoration Hydro turbine is similar in diameter, speed and power output to a conventionally designed propeller turbine. However, unlike a conventionally designed propeller turbine, it is safe for fish passage. For example, a 1-MW Restoration Hydro turbine for use at 6 m of head would have a diameter of about 1.9 m and would rotate at about 200 rpm.

This new design would make the turbine nearly universally applicable. Sized suitably, it would allow even small utilities to effectively supplement their power generation mix with clean, reliable hydropower. Further, to make the technology even more practical for prospective power generators, Natel sought to create a turnkey system featuring the new turbine, along with all machinery and equipment needed, that could be offered en masse in scalable sizes to its customers. A search for complementary technical partners began.

Selecting a collaborator

“To do what we wanted to do was not like ordering parts from the hardware store,” noted Abe. “There was a lot of custom engineering work that needed to be done. And we needed a partner willing and able to work with us.”

Abe explained that a key component of Natel’s strategy for a systems approach started with a regenerative variable frequency drive (VFD), which enables the turbine-generator to supply electricity to the grid continuously.

“Not all drives can do this. Many variable frequency drives can’t withstand continuous reverse operation. We found that Danfoss is one of the few industrial-scale VFD manufacturers that is capable of making a regenerative drive that is proven and reliable,” explained Abe. “Their VACON® drive systems are designed, tested, certified and supported to run even up to 100% of the time in regenerative mode.”

Additionally, what made Danfoss stand out even further from the other VFD suppliers Natel spoke with was the company’s willingness to go beyond existing products and put together the system that would help bring the Natel vision of Restoration Hydro fully to life.

“We spoke with a number of quality companies but chose Danfoss due to a mix of their technical expertise and the fact that their team was so proactive and cooperative, willing to collaborate with us,” he said. “Danfoss shared our vision for the future — to create a flexible hydropower system that could be scaled as needed for different customers. They weren’t just looking for a one-off product sale.”

Ultimately, Abe notes, Danfoss brought together technologies that could both handle the speed of the generator and the regeneration of the electricity in one “comprehensive box” — a “packaging” that is a convenience for Natel and for future customers and will help drive commercialization and acceptance.

Installing the new system

In September 2020, the team installed the first system, with a capacity of 300 kW, on an irrigation canal near Madras, Ore., generating power with water from the Deschutes River. This powerplant is owned by Natel, and the power is being sold to PacificCorp under a power purchase agreement.

During the commissioning process, Natel’s engineers were able to rely on technical support from the Danfoss team. “We would do different things and see how the drive responded, looking at all the data. The Danfoss engineers knew their equipment very well and were able to help fine-tune drive parameters over the phone and get it to perform just right. We were very impressed,” Abe said.

“How is it performing? The team got the go-ahead approval from the utility to export power to them and within a day we were at the maximum rated capacity of the plant — 300 kW. And it’s been operating reliably since then.”

Scalability for future systems

Danfoss is able to offer scalability for future systems of various power sizes. VACON NXP inverters and converters are available up to 5 MW in power that use the same software and control interface regardless of power size. Therefore, interfacing, communicating and application programming remains consistent from a small power system to a large power system.  

Natel is pursuing nearly 100 turbine deployment opportunities in the U.S., Europe and southeast Asia. In fact, several projects are already contracted or in the negotiation stages, and numerous others are in the pipeline.

“We expect several projects to be under way in 2021, with many more in 2022 and beyond. In fact, our goal is to ramp up to hundreds and then thousands of turbine systems per year,” said Gia. “And with Danfoss supporting us on the drive end, we are confident in meeting — or exceeding — all the goals that we have set.”

Lise Houston is regional manager with Danfoss.

More data on the Danfoss VACON drive

The application discussed in this article uses Danfoss’ NXP family of inverters and converters in a common DC bus arrangement, which enables the NX modules to take energy from the turbine at different speeds and loads. So, as flow naturally changes, energy is generated at variable frequencies, resulting in maximized power and efficiency regardless of whether or not they are at a fixed 60 Hz. This capability is enabled by an NXA grid converter module that can take the fixed DC power created by the NXI inverter module and deliver it back to the grid in a controlled manner. The system also includes an NXB brake chopper module to handle any excess energy anomalies that can occur during operation. All components were easily integrated into the DC common bus system.

The post Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology appeared first on Renewable Energy World.

from https://ift.tt/3d2zaVc

[solarliving]

Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology

Natel Energy has developed a new small hydropower turbine technology that offers an environmentally friendly and compact, modular hydro generation system. This article discusses the technology and its potential future applications. By Lise Houston

Natel Energy in Alameda, Calif., is dedicated to advancing hydropower technology to make it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as well as flexible enough to be a go-to source of power for operators in rivers of all sizes throughout the U.S. and around the world. With a name appropriately coined from the phrase “natural electric,” Natel is focused on enabling a distributed or decentralized hydropower model featuring systems of smaller projects-– that maintain river connectivity –– networked together as “virtual power plants” or VPPs, as opposed to the current approach of large centralized dams, which can be damaging to wildlife and the adjacent ecosystem.

Founded by Gia Schneider and Abe Schneider, siblings who gained a deep appreciation for the power of rivers and the beauty of their ecosystems during family camping and fishing trips as children, Natel is advancing its vision of “Restoration Hydro,” combining low environmental impact with high economic value. This can be a boon to organizations looking to decarbonize their operations further and transition to a low- or zero-carbon grid.

“More than half of U.S. waterways are degraded, as are countless watersheds, rivers and wetland ecosystems around the world,” noted Gia Schneider, Natel chief executive officer. “With the right technology and attractive business case, the restoration of these critical ecosystems is not only possible but economically justifiable, with a sustainable, distributed hydropower backbone supporting a renewable, decarbonized electrical grid — without the need for large dams.”

Fish-safe technology

Natel understood that a huge economic barrier to the practical deployment of renewable hydropower lies in the danger to fish represented by spinning turbine blades. Ecosystem damage can be costly, as is initiating incumbent screening and other mitigation procedures, and permitting can be a challenging process.

Natel’s technical team, led by President and Chief Technology Officer Abe Schneider, rethought and redesigned the conventional axial-flow propeller turbine, creating a new design that features blades with thick and forward-swept leading edges.

“The design creates a pressure zone around the blades’ leading edges that acts like an ‘airbag’ for passing fish, minimizing impacts and allowing them to safely pass through the area,” he explained. The same phenomena also makes the turbine blades more resistant to damage or performance deterioration from entrained debris.”

This design enables fish safety and high efficiency, while also allowing high turbine rotational speeds. At any given head, the Restoration Hydro turbine is similar in diameter, speed and power output to a conventionally designed propeller turbine. However, unlike a conventionally designed propeller turbine, it is safe for fish passage. For example, a 1-MW Restoration Hydro turbine for use at 6 m of head would have a diameter of about 1.9 m and would rotate at about 200 rpm.

This new design would make the turbine nearly universally applicable. Sized suitably, it would allow even small utilities to effectively supplement their power generation mix with clean, reliable hydropower. Further, to make the technology even more practical for prospective power generators, Natel sought to create a turnkey system featuring the new turbine, along with all machinery and equipment needed, that could be offered en masse in scalable sizes to its customers. A search for complementary technical partners began.

Selecting a collaborator

“To do what we wanted to do was not like ordering parts from the hardware store,” noted Abe. “There was a lot of custom engineering work that needed to be done. And we needed a partner willing and able to work with us.”

Abe explained that a key component of Natel’s strategy for a systems approach started with a regenerative variable frequency drive (VFD), which enables the turbine-generator to supply electricity to the grid continuously.

“Not all drives can do this. Many variable frequency drives can’t withstand continuous reverse operation. We found that Danfoss is one of the few industrial-scale VFD manufacturers that is capable of making a regenerative drive that is proven and reliable,” explained Abe. “Their VACON® drive systems are designed, tested, certified and supported to run even up to 100% of the time in regenerative mode.”

Additionally, what made Danfoss stand out even further from the other VFD suppliers Natel spoke with was the company’s willingness to go beyond existing products and put together the system that would help bring the Natel vision of Restoration Hydro fully to life.

“We spoke with a number of quality companies but chose Danfoss due to a mix of their technical expertise and the fact that their team was so proactive and cooperative, willing to collaborate with us,” he said. “Danfoss shared our vision for the future — to create a flexible hydropower system that could be scaled as needed for different customers. They weren’t just looking for a one-off product sale.”

Ultimately, Abe notes, Danfoss brought together technologies that could both handle the speed of the generator and the regeneration of the electricity in one “comprehensive box” — a “packaging” that is a convenience for Natel and for future customers and will help drive commercialization and acceptance.

Installing the new system

In September 2020, the team installed the first system, with a capacity of 300 kW, on an irrigation canal near Madras, Ore., generating power with water from the Deschutes River. This powerplant is owned by Natel, and the power is being sold to PacificCorp under a power purchase agreement.

During the commissioning process, Natel’s engineers were able to rely on technical support from the Danfoss team. “We would do different things and see how the drive responded, looking at all the data. The Danfoss engineers knew their equipment very well and were able to help fine-tune drive parameters over the phone and get it to perform just right. We were very impressed,” Abe said.

“How is it performing? The team got the go-ahead approval from the utility to export power to them and within a day we were at the maximum rated capacity of the plant — 300 kW. And it’s been operating reliably since then.”

Scalability for future systems

Danfoss is able to offer scalability for future systems of various power sizes. VACON NXP inverters and converters are available up to 5 MW in power that use the same software and control interface regardless of power size. Therefore, interfacing, communicating and application programming remains consistent from a small power system to a large power system.  

Natel is pursuing nearly 100 turbine deployment opportunities in the U.S., Europe and southeast Asia. In fact, several projects are already contracted or in the negotiation stages, and numerous others are in the pipeline.

“We expect several projects to be under way in 2021, with many more in 2022 and beyond. In fact, our goal is to ramp up to hundreds and then thousands of turbine systems per year,” said Gia. “And with Danfoss supporting us on the drive end, we are confident in meeting — or exceeding — all the goals that we have set.”

Lise Houston is regional manager with Danfoss.

More data on the Danfoss VACON drive

The application discussed in this article uses Danfoss’ NXP family of inverters and converters in a common DC bus arrangement, which enables the NX modules to take energy from the turbine at different speeds and loads. So, as flow naturally changes, energy is generated at variable frequencies, resulting in maximized power and efficiency regardless of whether or not they are at a fixed 60 Hz. This capability is enabled by an NXA grid converter module that can take the fixed DC power created by the NXI inverter module and deliver it back to the grid in a controlled manner. The system also includes an NXB brake chopper module to handle any excess energy anomalies that can occur during operation. All components were easily integrated into the DC common bus system.

The post Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology appeared first on Renewable Energy World.

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Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology

Natel Energy has developed a new small hydropower turbine technology that offers an environmentally friendly and compact, modular hydro generation system. This article discusses the technology and its potential future applications. By Lise Houston

Natel Energy in Alameda, Calif., is dedicated to advancing hydropower technology to make it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as well as flexible enough to be a go-to source of power for operators in rivers of all sizes throughout the U.S. and around the world. With a name appropriately coined from the phrase “natural electric,” Natel is focused on enabling a distributed or decentralized hydropower model featuring systems of smaller projects-– that maintain river connectivity –– networked together as “virtual power plants” or VPPs, as opposed to the current approach of large centralized dams, which can be damaging to wildlife and the adjacent ecosystem.

Founded by Gia Schneider and Abe Schneider, siblings who gained a deep appreciation for the power of rivers and the beauty of their ecosystems during family camping and fishing trips as children, Natel is advancing its vision of “Restoration Hydro,” combining low environmental impact with high economic value. This can be a boon to organizations looking to decarbonize their operations further and transition to a low- or zero-carbon grid.

“More than half of U.S. waterways are degraded, as are countless watersheds, rivers and wetland ecosystems around the world,” noted Gia Schneider, Natel chief executive officer. “With the right technology and attractive business case, the restoration of these critical ecosystems is not only possible but economically justifiable, with a sustainable, distributed hydropower backbone supporting a renewable, decarbonized electrical grid — without the need for large dams.”

Fish-safe technology

Natel understood that a huge economic barrier to the practical deployment of renewable hydropower lies in the danger to fish represented by spinning turbine blades. Ecosystem damage can be costly, as is initiating incumbent screening and other mitigation procedures, and permitting can be a challenging process.

Natel’s technical team, led by President and Chief Technology Officer Abe Schneider, rethought and redesigned the conventional axial-flow propeller turbine, creating a new design that features blades with thick and forward-swept leading edges.

“The design creates a pressure zone around the blades’ leading edges that acts like an ‘airbag’ for passing fish, minimizing impacts and allowing them to safely pass through the area,” he explained. The same phenomena also makes the turbine blades more resistant to damage or performance deterioration from entrained debris.”

This design enables fish safety and high efficiency, while also allowing high turbine rotational speeds. At any given head, the Restoration Hydro turbine is similar in diameter, speed and power output to a conventionally designed propeller turbine. However, unlike a conventionally designed propeller turbine, it is safe for fish passage. For example, a 1-MW Restoration Hydro turbine for use at 6 m of head would have a diameter of about 1.9 m and would rotate at about 200 rpm.

This new design would make the turbine nearly universally applicable. Sized suitably, it would allow even small utilities to effectively supplement their power generation mix with clean, reliable hydropower. Further, to make the technology even more practical for prospective power generators, Natel sought to create a turnkey system featuring the new turbine, along with all machinery and equipment needed, that could be offered en masse in scalable sizes to its customers. A search for complementary technical partners began.

Selecting a collaborator

“To do what we wanted to do was not like ordering parts from the hardware store,” noted Abe. “There was a lot of custom engineering work that needed to be done. And we needed a partner willing and able to work with us.”

Abe explained that a key component of Natel’s strategy for a systems approach started with a regenerative variable frequency drive (VFD), which enables the turbine-generator to supply electricity to the grid continuously.

“Not all drives can do this. Many variable frequency drives can’t withstand continuous reverse operation. We found that Danfoss is one of the few industrial-scale VFD manufacturers that is capable of making a regenerative drive that is proven and reliable,” explained Abe. “Their VACON® drive systems are designed, tested, certified and supported to run even up to 100% of the time in regenerative mode.”

Additionally, what made Danfoss stand out even further from the other VFD suppliers Natel spoke with was the company’s willingness to go beyond existing products and put together the system that would help bring the Natel vision of Restoration Hydro fully to life.

“We spoke with a number of quality companies but chose Danfoss due to a mix of their technical expertise and the fact that their team was so proactive and cooperative, willing to collaborate with us,” he said. “Danfoss shared our vision for the future — to create a flexible hydropower system that could be scaled as needed for different customers. They weren’t just looking for a one-off product sale.”

Ultimately, Abe notes, Danfoss brought together technologies that could both handle the speed of the generator and the regeneration of the electricity in one “comprehensive box” — a “packaging” that is a convenience for Natel and for future customers and will help drive commercialization and acceptance.

Installing the new system

In September 2020, the team installed the first system, with a capacity of 300 kW, on an irrigation canal near Madras, Ore., generating power with water from the Deschutes River. This powerplant is owned by Natel, and the power is being sold to PacificCorp under a power purchase agreement.

During the commissioning process, Natel’s engineers were able to rely on technical support from the Danfoss team. “We would do different things and see how the drive responded, looking at all the data. The Danfoss engineers knew their equipment very well and were able to help fine-tune drive parameters over the phone and get it to perform just right. We were very impressed,” Abe said.

“How is it performing? The team got the go-ahead approval from the utility to export power to them and within a day we were at the maximum rated capacity of the plant — 300 kW. And it’s been operating reliably since then.”

Scalability for future systems

Danfoss is able to offer scalability for future systems of various power sizes. VACON NXP inverters and converters are available up to 5 MW in power that use the same software and control interface regardless of power size. Therefore, interfacing, communicating and application programming remains consistent from a small power system to a large power system.  

Natel is pursuing nearly 100 turbine deployment opportunities in the U.S., Europe and southeast Asia. In fact, several projects are already contracted or in the negotiation stages, and numerous others are in the pipeline.

“We expect several projects to be under way in 2021, with many more in 2022 and beyond. In fact, our goal is to ramp up to hundreds and then thousands of turbine systems per year,” said Gia. “And with Danfoss supporting us on the drive end, we are confident in meeting — or exceeding — all the goals that we have set.”

Lise Houston is regional manager with Danfoss.

More data on the Danfoss VACON drive

The application discussed in this article uses Danfoss’ NXP family of inverters and converters in a common DC bus arrangement, which enables the NX modules to take energy from the turbine at different speeds and loads. So, as flow naturally changes, energy is generated at variable frequencies, resulting in maximized power and efficiency regardless of whether or not they are at a fixed 60 Hz. This capability is enabled by an NXA grid converter module that can take the fixed DC power created by the NXI inverter module and deliver it back to the grid in a controlled manner. The system also includes an NXB brake chopper module to handle any excess energy anomalies that can occur during operation. All components were easily integrated into the DC common bus system.

The post Hydro Review: Commercializing a New Small Hydropower Technology appeared first on Renewable Energy World.

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