Hydropower
First Trimester - Renewable Energy Science
Renewable Energy Science (30 ECTS)
Second Trimester - Hydropower (30 ECTS)
HYDRO601: Principles of Applied Hydrology
HYDRO602: River System Analysis
HYDRO603: Hydraulic Structures
HYDRO604: Waterways
HYDRO605: Hydropower Production & Marketing
HYDRO606: Water Resources Optimization
HYDRO607: Environmental Impacts & Mitigation
Third Trimester - Master's Thesis
Specialization Prerequisites
Courses in surface hydrology, engineering fluid mechanics, and advanced engineering mathematics (differential equations and Fourier analysis).
Individual Modules
Modules are of 1-3 weeks duration and carry 2-6 ECTS credits; 3 hours of lectures in the morning plus a lab/project session for another 3 hours in the afternoon, five days of the week. Students complete individual or group project assignments for each module, take an exam following the completion of each module, and a final exam at the end of the trimester. Before the completion of the second trimester each student has to complete, submit and have approved a detailed thesis proposal. The thesis proposal needs to be written with the guidance of a faculty advisor and approved by the RES Academic Board.
HYDRO601: Principles of Applied Hydrology
Course Description: Linear systems in physical hydrology; measurements and statistics and series handling of flow; groundwater and base flow; groundwater reservoirs and natural regulation; and numerical simulation of groundwater systems. Catchments hydrology and runoff estimation; channel routing techniques; reservoir routing and design; sediment transport; and sedimentation and sediment bypassing. Flow statistics and frequency; stochastic processes in hydrology; correlation in flow series and series extension; stochastic flow models; and generation of flow series for river systems.
Course Duration: 3 weeks - ECTS Credits: 6
HYDRO602: River System Analysis
Course Description: Fluid statics and dynamics and flow in closed conduits revisited. Head loss, conservation of mass and energy flux, and pressure waves. Open channel flow in rivers/channels; shallow water equations/Saint-Venants flow equations; Froude number and gravity waves; steady uniform flow, and steady non-uniform flow. Potential flow and flow nets.
Course Duration: 1 week - ECTS Credits: 2
HYDRO603: Hydraulic Structures
Course Description: Introduction to the software HEC-RAS. Setup of simple river models. The use of steady and unsteady flow. Modeling and simulation of dambreaks; ice jam modeling in HEC-RAS. Dam engineering (loads and stresses); rock-fill, embankment, concrete gravity, buttress, and arch dams. Fundamentals of soil mechanics, specific to dam design. Soils, properties, stresses – total and effective. Seepage, leakage and flow nets. Fundamental design aspects of dams, concrete and embankment. Foundation considerations. Inner and outer loading on dams. Seismic aspects of dam design. Zoning of embankment dams. Filters and pertinent criteria.
Course Duration: 2 weeks - ECTS Credits: 4
HYDRO604: Waterways
Course Description: Rock mechanics; case study analysis from Iceland and elsewhere, including detail account of the design and hydraulics of the Karahnjukar Power Plant (690MW). Tunnel and cave structures. Main hydraulic components of a hydropower station. Types and hydraulic design and calculations of spillways, bottom outlets and intakes. Main types of waterways and calculations of total head losses. Transients (water hammer and surges) in waterways. Simplified formulas to calculate, locate and design surge facilities.
Course Duration: 3 weeks - ECTS Credits: 6
HYDRO605: Hydropower Production & Marketing
Course Description: Powerhouse equipment and layout. Turbine selection and flow control - hydraulics of impulse and reaction turbines, including Pelton; cross-flow; propeller (i.e. Kaplan); Francis; and kinetic energy (free-flow) turbines; spiral and draft tube hydraulics. Cavitation. Specific speed and turbine sizing and selection. Runner design. Unsteadiness in hydraulic machines. Gearing and power generator design. Automatic control and control systems. Power marketing.
Course Duration: 3 weeks - ECTS Credits: 6
HYDRO606: Water Resources Optimization
Course Description: Principles of optimization and construction of an objective function; local optimization of the tunnels; global optimization of hydropower schemes; solution by genetic algorithms and evolutionary methods; the HYDRA program; and student optimization project.
Course Duration: 2 weeks - ECTS Credits: 4
HYDRO607: Environmental Impacts & Mitigation
Course Description: Principles of nature conservation, legislative measures, and environmental assessments. Downstream effects of dams; mitigation measures and sustainability.
Course Duration: 1 week - ECTS Credits: 2