NuTECH - Controller

CAM curves delivered by manufacturers are typically based either on scaled model tests; simulations, such as those based on computation fluid dynamics; or results from both types of modeling. These outdated methods can produce suboptimal results because of scaling effects, modeling uncertainty, and other factors. Index testing aims to improve manufacturer CAM curves by characterizing the turbine in operation. However, we’ve seen that this testing typically requires expensive consultants and downtime for the unit under test and optimizes for only one value of head.

The innovative design concept of the NuTECH controller makes CAM curves and index testing a thing of the past by optimizing for each operating point. This approach eliminates any inefficiencies that would have arisen when operating under conditions different from those the CAM curve was generated under.

As it modernizes, the hydro industry is evaluating new approaches to recapture energy lost through inefficiency, squeezing out every last bit of available generation. What the NuTECH controller offers is a boost to the performance of existing systems, from retrofits to greenfield sites, and it can integrate seamlessly into existing systems. We’re offering efficiency improvements for all turbines, from the smallest to the largest.

The controller is offered as an optimization upgrade to existing control systems and can be applied to current site infrastructure, providing for a better return on investment for site owners while also making hydropower a leader in our energy transition to a carbon-free grid.

PROVEN EFFICIENCY GAINS
Our efficiency-enhancing control algorithm optimizes your hydroturbines performance with any change in conditions. We established the value of the controller through simulation and empirical testing, both of which demonstrated significant improvements over existing methods. We found that, when operating with the NuTECH controller, the turbine achieved efficiency gains throughout the operating range, with the most statistically significant improvements at low flows.

FAST INSTALLATION
The hydro industry is moving toward modernization and is considering the effect that digitization and remote control may have on its goals. Many turbine owners and operators have installed PLCs and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, so they are already optimizing their systems in some manner. Our NuTECH controller can work with what is there to optimize it with our fundamentally new approach.

NuSTREEM provides expert support to site operators and engineers, making the setup and integration of the controller a low-risk undertaking. The system is designed to reduce installation effort by minimizing the extent of modifications to the facility PLC. Our approach is to provide additional performance while also addressing and prioritizing the site owners’ concerns.

REAL TIME OPTIMIZATION
With the NuTECH™ Controller, hiring expensive consultants to create CAM curves is a thing of the past. The NuTECH™ Controller offers cost-effective intelligence and measures for optimal hydropower system output continuously regardless of any potential variable, such as: water level changes, impurities, wear on the turbine, blockages, flow variability, and more.