The US Department of Energy in its April 2009 Funding Opportunity Announcement declared new research areas eligible for receipt of grants from the $40 million appropriated by Congress to investigate advanced water power energy generation technologies. DOE is seeking an industry-led partnership with government agencies and universities to model the interactions of conventional and pumped storage hydropower projects. The total possible grant for this study is $3m over two years.

Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices fulfill R&D of the new equipment for hydro-accumulation and electric energy production that allow enlarging the horizons of hydro-power industry. As we think the prospects of development of hydro-electric power engineering are related to the rational use of present hydro-technical resources and, accordingly, implementation of the following measures: building of the river hydroelectric dam-less power stations with the semi-submerged and submerged hydro-turbines; building of additional combined power facilities with the semi-submerged and submerged hydro-turbines on existing hydro-technical building for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production; building of additional combined wind-turbines for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production. The future prospects of development of hydropower engineering are related with molecular technologies and equipment for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production that use internal energy of  molecules, atoms of liquids and the energy of intermolecular forces to receive electric current.

Semi-submerged and submerged hydro-turbines for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production. When working in parallel chart with operating hydro-technical building (hydro-electrical power stations and hydro-accumulation power-stations) such hydraulic systems can be used as for the direct generation of electric current with the use of remained kinetic energy of stream of the «exhausted» water so for hydro-accumulation of electric energy, by pumping of water from a lower level on a top level, in other words returning her in a storage pool for the repeated use for production of energy with the help of HPS hydro-turbines. Such method allows to multiply the operating condition of hydro-turbines and to raise the energetic effectiveness of all hydro-energy installation.

The new hydro-energetic equipment when working in the mode of hydro-accumulation is used for putting into motion the mechanical pumps for returning of water into a top level storage pool, in other words is used locally. It considerably diminishes the stability requirements demands to the rotation parameters of hydro-turbines.

Combined wind-turbines for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production. In this case such wind systems can be used both for direct generation of electric current with the use of energy of wind and to carry out a mechanical work in the hydrotechnical systems, especially, in the hydro-accumulation systems by pumping of water from a lower level on a top level, in other words, returning «exhausted» water into a storage pool for a repeated use for production of energy with the help of regular hydro-HPS turbines. Such method allows raising the effectiveness of hydro-turbines and of all hydro-power system.

When working in the mode of electric energy generation the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and electrical generator rotor, which is hardly connected with turbine rotor. An electrodynamics system converts kinetic energy of rotors into electric energy which is transformed by means of adapters in an electric current. Parameters and characteristics of an electric current correspond to the standards of an electrical network.

When working in the mode of water transporting the kinetic energy of air motion is transformed into a kinetic energy of wind turbine rotor and rotor of (electro) mechanical pump that is hardly connected with him and can be made in accordance with one of the known charts. The pump system provides water lifting from a lower level onto an upper one. The requirements of motion stability of a wind turbine working in the mode of water pumping are not such critical as in the mode of electric power production. Power efficiency of combined WPP is considerably higher in comparison with WPP that works exceptionally in the mode of electric power production.

Molecular hydrodynamic technologies for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production. Another perfect technology we are researching – molecular hydrodynamics methods and equipment for hydro-accumulation and electrical power production. This technology utilizes of internal energy of molecules of water, force of surface tension for creation of the hydrodynamic systems. The work which is done by molecular forces is measured by significant value. Calculations and conducted researches show the possibility of creation of the artificial molecular hydropower systems with the use of energy of surface tension.

The R&D that are conducted by Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices interlace closely with the DOE seeking partnership with enterprises to model the interactions of conventional and pumped storage hydropower projects. This research would increase the hydropower’s integration into variable renewable energy sources.

By Vasil Sidorov on February 2, 2009 in Queltanews.com

E-mail: sidorovvasil@gmail.com