The Hydroflex project aims at designing a turbine specially suited for flexible hydropower operation. Flexible operation in rivers can induce a number of negative impacts for the downstream ecosystem, and mitigation measures will be necessary. This project will aim at investigating mitigation measures and testing the effect on mitigation on the downstream river system using hydraulic modelling and current knowledge on the effect of fluctuating flow. Of particular interest is to evaluate the ACUR system developed by Pål Tore Storli at the hydropower laboratory. We will also compare this to other possible mitigation measures through comparing costs, environmental impacts of constructing the mitigation and operational issues. Main tasks:
- Review of mitigation measures and current practices of mitigating hydropeaking. A brief review of impacts and key indicators.
- Testing of the ACUR mitigation measure at the study site in Nidelva. Evaluation of mitigation potential given different sizes of the ACUR system and the operational schedule developed by Hydrflex partners.
- Evaluation of other potential measures and a discussion of what is feasible, costs of implementation and how well the measure reduces effects downstream. An interesting option could be to evaluate the recently published battery option to more traditional operations.