Design and Validation of a Siphonic Hydropower Systems Tool
Loading...
Date
2021-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Small hydropower (less than 30 MW) provides a path to adding power to the current
energy infrastructure in a clean, renewable way. Further, since the available resource is
consistent, it can supplement other forms of more intermittent green energy, such as wind and
solar power. A large reason it is not implemented more broadly is its high initial costs, especially
due to civil works during construction and installation. To mitigate this, small hydropower can
be supplemented using siphonic hydropower with non-powered dams. Non-powered dams are
structures already built over a waterway, primarily used for river control. By constructing a large
siphon overtop of these dams and placing a reaction turbine in the middle of the piping, one can
quickly, cost-effectively, and efficiently construct further hydropower schemes without the need
for extensive civil works. Rickly Hydropower is a company building siphonic hydropower
systems, however, they are in need of a tool to be used in the design phase for initial
calculations. In this work, the construction and validation of a siphonic hydropower design tool
in Microsoft Excel is explored. The tool uses certain inputs such as characteristics of the site,
dimensions of the dam, material of the piping, and the flow rate through the turbine. In turn, the
tool calculates various outputs, such as sizing (including length and diameter) of the piping to be
used, pressure and cavitation concerns at several points, and the flow rate responses of the
system. The developed tool was then validated through the construction of a scale model dam
and siphon system within a flume on campus. Pressure values at two points of the siphon were
found using manometers and compared to the predicted values initially produced by the tool.
Results from this experiment will further confirm the efficacy of the tool, which will, in turn, aid
in the design of these systems.