"Specialized Power-Electronic Apparatus for Harnessing Electrical Power from Kinetic Hydropower Plants"
Farid Mosallat (Ph.D. student)
Supervisor: Dr. Aniruddha Gole
Aim of Project
Investigating different design and control aspects for power interfaces used in kinetic hydro applications.
Description of Project
In a kinetic hydro plant, a submerged turbine is employed to drive a generator to convert the mechanical energy of the flow into electricity. The turbine-generator set is installed on a floating or submersible platform and moored to an anchoring structure. The output of the generator is transmitted to the shore over a cable link and applied to the load system through power interfacing apparatus. The generator, the transmission system and the power interface constitute the electric power delivery train of a kinetic hydro platform.
An industrial-scale kinetic turbine was designed for installation on the Winnipeg River at Pointe du Bois, Manitoba, Canada. This research unit is rated at 60 kVA and is intended for supplying local electrical loads or integration with the utility network. The platform helps assess the potential energy capture of kinetic turbines in rivers. The turbine speed and the generator output change with flow velocity fluctuations. The power interface supplies the load with regulated voltage and frequency, despite such variations.
The test kinetic hydropower unit is composed of a turbine, a generator and an electronic power delivery train. It has been designed to produce 60kW of electric power
The turbine is moored at a location where water flows at relatively high velocities. It is desirable that the number of mechanical and electrical equipment deployed in the water are minimal, in order to reduce the need for maintenance during normal operation. In addition, the size and weight of the apparatus installed on the turbine platform are restricted by its capacity. In this research setup, the electronic power delivery train and controls are located on land. The electrical power produced by the generator is transferred to the shore via a cable link.
Accepted/Published Papers
F. Mosallat, A. M. Gole, R. W. Wachal, E. Dirks, E. L. Bibeau, J. Woods, T. S. Molinski, "Harnessing Kinetic Energy of Canadian Rivers: Opportunities and Challenges", CIGRÉ Canada Conference on Power Systems, Calgary, 27-28 August 2007.