Characterization of Hydraulic Power in Free-Stream Installations

Abstract

The performance of open-channel hydropower devices can be optimized by maximizing the product of their load, hydraulic, and generator efficiencies. The maximum hydraulic power theoretically available must be defined according to the operational scenario retained for the device of interest. In the case of a device operating within a wide, unobstructed channel, the existence of a maximum hydraulic power and the operating speed required to reach it are first predicted using a one-dimensional flow model. This model is then extended to account for the effect of device ducting. As a result, given the available surface level drop and a single duct characteristic parameter, the model predicts the optimum device operating speed, whether the duct can improve performance, and the relative duct size which maximizes the installation’s power density, all at a very low computational cost.