Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage
CIVIL-469 / 4 credits
Teacher(s): De Almeida Manso Pedro Filipe, De Cesare Giovanni
Language: English
Summary
The course deals with the conception and design of hydraulic structures used for production and/or storage of electric energy, including those of pumped storage. We present and discuss their technical, socio-economical and environmental feasability in the Swiss/European/Global energy transition.
Content
- Assess the hydropower potential of a river reach
- Distinguish the typology of hydropower schemes
- Conceive low-head, mid-head and high-head schemes with/without storage
- Assess the value of energy storage by pumping
- Conceive hydropower batteries (pumped-storage), general layout and equipment.
- Conceive pressurized hydraulic tunnels and shafts
- Conceive measures against waterhammer, design of surge tanks.
- Conceive water intakes in rivers, reservoirs and natural lakes
- Define construction strategies to manage flood risks during construction
- Adopt value-engineering measures to mitigate hydropower footprint on natural systems
The conception and design of hydraulic structures for hydropower implies using multiple skills to handle fluid-structure interactions, rock mechanics, design optimisation considering environmental, technical and socio-economic factors.
Keywords
Hydropower plants and batteries; hydropower potential, renewable energy, hydraulic tunnels & shafts, surge tanks, river diversion during construction, water intakes.
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
Fluid Mechanics
Hydrology
Hydraulics Works & Schemes
Strength of Materials
Recommended courses
Rock Mechanics
Concrete Structures & Steel Structures
Important concepts to start the course
Basic fluid mechanics such as hydrostatics, free surface flows and pressurized flows
Basic principles of hydrology such as rainfall-runoff processes
Basic principles of hydraulics such as weir design, hydraulic jump, energy losses
Basic strength of materials such as stresses, displacements, stiffness
Economic optimisation principles such as cost and revenue estimate and analysis
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Assess / Evaluate different types of hydropower schemes
- Assess / Evaluate the hydropower potential in a given territory with and without storage
- Design the main components of hydropower schemes
- Optimize the layout and design of the main components of hydropower schemes
Transversal skills
- Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
- Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/ his actions and decisions.
- Respect relevant legal guidelines and ethical codes for the profession.
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Write a scientific or technical report.
Teaching methods
Ex cathedra, exercices, case studies.
Expected student activities
Handover of min 4 exercices, active contributions to ex-cathedra courses
Assessment methods
Continuous assessment during the semester.
Handover of min. 4 exercices : 50 %
Mid-term test and final written test during exam session : 25% + 25%.
Supervision
| Office hours | Yes |
| Assistants | Yes |
| Forum | Yes |
| Others | To be confirmed during first week of semester (e.g. field visit) |
Resources
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
Yes
Bibliography
TGC 15 "Constructions Hydrauliques" de W. Hager et A. Schleiss, PPUR, 2009
Ressources en bibliothèque
Notes/Handbook
Hydropower plants and pumped-storage, Dr. G. De Cesare & Dr. P. Manso [In English, forthcoming]
Aménagements hydroélectriques, Dr. G. De Cesare & Dr. P. Manso, 2020 [In French]
Prerequisite for
Master thesis in Hydraulic Structures, Renewable Energies, Tunnel Engineering, Dam Engineering
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks