Hydroelectric Development to Face Increasing Energy Demand

The electricity world consumption is expected to double within the next 30 years. Hydropower, which is already a major actor in the electricity market with 19% of the world production, will be considerably developed as it features high power density, flexible production, fast time response and has the advantage of not producing greenhouse effect gases. However, this development should be achieved with the highest technical standards to reduce environmental and social impacts.

New Exploitation Strategies: Increase of Hydroelectric Power Plant Solicitation

Modern hydropower has to face new challenges related to completely different exploitation strategies leading to an increase of the solicitation of the entire machine. Due to the deregulated energy market, hydroelectric power plants are increasingly subjecting to off design operation, start-up and shutdown and new control strategies. Consequently, the operation of hydroelectric power plants leads to transients phenomena, risk of resonance or instabilities.

To be competitive on the energy market, the specific power and efficiency of hydro units, which are already high, are constantly increased in order to meet economical issues but lead to higher loading of the structure of the turbines. Consequently, manufacturers, consultants and electric utilities of hydro power plants need integrating new technologies and methodologies for improving dynamic performances, ensuring the safety and increasing the competitiveness of hydroelectric power plants.

The Numerical Simulation Solution

Design, operation and regulation of hydroelectric power plant require the ability to predict the dynamic behavior of the power plants taking into account various aspects of the exploitation of the installation. Numerical simulation of the dynamic behavior of hydroelectric power plant provides a safe way to determine system solicitations.

Power Vision Engineering provides support and expertise for modelling, simulation and analysis of the dynamic behavior of hydroelectric power plant. Power Vision Engineering is using the state of the art software enabling the simulation of an entire power plant for troubleshooting, optimization and transient analysis purposes.

Power Vision Engineering Sarl Downloads

OptiPower Brochure

Power Vision Engineering Leaflet

SIMSEN-Hydro Brochure