Hydropower research outlook
Event details
| Date | 24.06.2013 |
| Hour | 13:15 › 14:15 |
| Speaker |
Dr. Ing. Jiri Koutnik Bio: Dr.-Ing. Jiri Koutnik is the Head of Advanced R&D and Numerical Development at Voith Corporate headquarters since 2004. He graduated as mechanical engineer in 1993 at the University of Brno, (Czech Republic), and he gained his Brno university’ doctoral degree in 1998. From1993 to 2003 he worked for CKD Blansko, Czech Republic on the dynamics of hydraulic systems and turbines, with special focus on reversible pump-turbines. From 1998 to 2003 he was lecturer at Kaplan Institute for hydraulic machines at the Brno University. In 2003 he joined Voith Hydro in Germany to develop the corporate engineering tool for simulation of complete power plants’ dynamics. In 2012, his co- authored paper entitled “A Comparison of Advanced Pumped Storage Equipment Drivers in the US and Europe” was awarded the best Hydrovision technical paper for 2012. |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract: Hydropower is playing an important role in the energy transition process in Europe as well as significantly contributing to cover the increasing demand on electrical energy above all in Asia and Latin America.
The continuously growing requirements on the flexibility and fast response on one side and its ability to cope with environmental and sustainability aspects pushes the industry to engineer advanced technical solutions. Such steps cannot be done without extensive fundamental research, having in mind all the environmental, social and economic aspects as well.
Currently, there is app. 1´000 GW already installed hydropower worldwide, with another 1’000 GW being foreseen to be installed by 2050. Out of this there are 2 main challenges coming in the near future:
a) Rehabilitation of existing units, where the installed power will be increased in many cases by upgrading some components (like runner) while keeping the original embedded components (like draft tune or spiral cases). This requires a complete understanding of dynamic phenomena to avoid major problems and even structural failures of components like turbine runner or wicket gates.
b) Engineering, manufacturing and installation of new units with capacities as high as 1’000 MW for a Francis turbines or Kaplan and Bulb turbines with runner diameters above 10 m, in combination with high head values, large head variation and wide regulating range.
Higher utilization of the existing units after their uprating as well as coming to push the technological limits for the new units leads to higher dynamic loading of the turbine components (increased specific power), which makes them more prone to structural integrity alteration.
The seminar will present cases of scientific approaches to follow for solving technical challenges raised during either existing unit modernization or turbine development for new hydropower project. An example of such case study is shown below. The dynamic loading experienced by a 250 MW,
D = 4,5 m Francis turbine during transient operating conditions is presented as the root cause for unexpected runner blade mechanical failure in less than 1 year of operation only.
The continuously growing requirements on the flexibility and fast response on one side and its ability to cope with environmental and sustainability aspects pushes the industry to engineer advanced technical solutions. Such steps cannot be done without extensive fundamental research, having in mind all the environmental, social and economic aspects as well.
Currently, there is app. 1´000 GW already installed hydropower worldwide, with another 1’000 GW being foreseen to be installed by 2050. Out of this there are 2 main challenges coming in the near future:
a) Rehabilitation of existing units, where the installed power will be increased in many cases by upgrading some components (like runner) while keeping the original embedded components (like draft tune or spiral cases). This requires a complete understanding of dynamic phenomena to avoid major problems and even structural failures of components like turbine runner or wicket gates.
b) Engineering, manufacturing and installation of new units with capacities as high as 1’000 MW for a Francis turbines or Kaplan and Bulb turbines with runner diameters above 10 m, in combination with high head values, large head variation and wide regulating range.
Higher utilization of the existing units after their uprating as well as coming to push the technological limits for the new units leads to higher dynamic loading of the turbine components (increased specific power), which makes them more prone to structural integrity alteration.
The seminar will present cases of scientific approaches to follow for solving technical challenges raised during either existing unit modernization or turbine development for new hydropower project. An example of such case study is shown below. The dynamic loading experienced by a 250 MW,
D = 4,5 m Francis turbine during transient operating conditions is presented as the root cause for unexpected runner blade mechanical failure in less than 1 year of operation only.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- IGM-GE
Contact
- Géraldine Palaj