Novel long-term electricity storage technologies for flexible hydropower
The overarching aim of STORE2HYDRO is to introduce a new mindset for storage of electricity in connection with existing hydropower. Relatively small adjustments to existing hydropower facilities by retrofitting reversible pump turbine technology would allow the European electricity storage capacity to increase by 22TWh/y or more. The aim will be achieved by: i) Validated innovative mechanical solutions to TRL4-5 for larger-scale pumped, longer-duration storage of electricity in existing high head Reservoir-to-Reservoir (RtR) and low head Run-of-River (RoR) hydropower facilities. ii) Mapping untapped hydropower sources for long term electricity storage in Europe increasing the availability, robustness and safety of energy storage solutions. The novel technologies will enable the operators to run hydropower stations in a more efficient, cost effective and flexible manner than today also adapting to the energy system. This is without changing the regulating heights or volume of the reservoir/river reaches following the European Green Deal priorities. Also, turbine manufacturers can introduce new components for cost-effective retrofitting of pumped storage. The technology will be validated with detailed LCA and by consideration of CAPEX and OPEX of potential future plant. The 1st innovation is based on unique design solutions for a retrofittable reversible pump turbine technology enabling a cost-effective solution free of cavitation, enhanced flexibility, and reduced losses. The 2nd innovation is enabled by digital twins including hydraulic and sediment dynamics for pumped-storage. These tools give detailed information about the status of the current storage increasing the availability and robustness of the mechanical storage of electricity in existing RoR and RtR systems adapting to, for example, predictions of generation of intermittent electricity from wind and solar. Practically this will imply new storage of electricity in existing reservoirs and river stretches.
Project overview
Project: Novel long-term electricity storage technologies for flexible hydropower
Type: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Call: HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-01-13
Finance: European Commission
TRL: 3 - 5
Duration: 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
Project ID: 101136176
Project cost: 4.3 Million Euro
Coordinator: Staffan Lundström, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
Total partners: 11
Work packages: 08
Website: www.store2hydro.com
Email: info@store2hydro.com
Project partners
| # | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luleå University of Technology (LTU) | Sweden |
| 2 | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) | Norway |
| 3 | Stiftelsen Norsk Institutt for Naturforskning (NINA) | Norway |
| 4 | Aarhus Universitet (AU) | Denmark |
| 5 | Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita Di Bologna (UNIBO) | Italy |
| 6 | Technische Universitaet Wien (TUW) | Austria |
| 7 | Uppsala Universitet (UU) | Sweden |
| 8 | University Of Strathclyde (UOS) | United Kingdom |
| 9 | Aker Solutions AS (AKER) | Norway |
| 10 | Vattenfall AB (VFALL) | Sweden |
| 11 | WRG Europe Ltd (WRG) | United Kingdom |
Progress
Welcome Shubham Sharma to our laboratory a Postdoctoral Fellow! Shubham will join our large team of store2hydro research project, financed by European Commission. Shubham will contribute to design and development of thruster for the reversible pump-turbine. Shubham has research experience in fluid mechanics and turbomachinery, centrifugal slurry Pump and Francis turbine, specializing Field measurement, experimental testing and CFD modelling.
The first public deliverable (D2.1) is finally delivered to European Commission project portal. We carried out model tests on the pump-turbine and full three-dimensional simulations in both turbine and pump mode operations. The numerical model was created using a hybrid meshing strategy and solved using a scale-adaptive SST turbulence model in a transient setup. The simulation results were validated against experimental measurements for head, torque, and efficiency at key operating points including full load, part load, deep part load, and best efficiency point (BEP) in both turbine and pump modes. The numerical predictions showed good agreement with experimental results, especially near BEP, with deviations increasing under off-design conditions as expected due to more complex flow structures.
Approved reports are avaialbe on the official website: Public reports
Weekly project meeting in the research group, students working in store2hydro project. Students presented their weekly progress on on-going experiments in the Waterpower laboratory, numerical simulations of the reversible pump-turbine, and design of the thruster.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The project marked one year and the progress is presented at the General Assembly meeting TU Wien. Two milestones successfully achieved and discussed upcoming large scale measurements on reversible pump-turbine rig and thruster design.
The test rig is being prepared for the phase 2 measurements of the reversible pump-turbine according to IEC standard. This measurements will also focus on cavitation characteristics. This data will provide valuable input for deciding the operational range of the thruster. The project teams aims to integrate additional pressure sensors in the draft tube for detailed data on pressure loading and cavitation. The turbine will also operated at extreme load conditions. The phase 2 measurements will focus on steady state operation of the turbine whereas transient and other measurements (phase 3) will be carried out soon after completing this measurements.
Second round of calibration for the critical instruments is initiated. Pressure sensors, flow meter, torque sensors will be calibrated prior to the phase 2 measurements. Johannes Djupesland along with Kerlef Valen Kerlefson lead the calibration campaign in the laboratory. Aim is keep random uncertainty below the prescribed limit in IEC60193 for these instruments.
We welcome new members in the project team. Gustav Oskar Ludvig Ambj̈ornsson will write master thesis during spring 2025. Ole Martin Fjuk will write project work during spring 2025 and master thesis during autumn 2025. Both students will work on design and optimization of the rim type thruster for the reversible pump-turbine.
MILESTONE 5
Initial validation of the numerical results have been carried out at selected steady state operating points of the reversible pump-turbine. The validation results looks good and provides confidence on selection of boundary conditions, computational domain, mesh and other physics. This completes the Milestone 5 (Experiments and numerical simulations of RPT are completed) in the project. Extensive verification and validation will be carried out during 2025 with phase 2 of the experiments and simulations.
Numerical modeling of the pump-turbine is initiated in August. Thee-dimensional geometry of the pump-turbine has been created by Mathias Eikebø. Later meshing was completed along with verification of the results to determine the discretization error. The simulation of the complete turbine was completed in November. The required boundary conditions for the simulations was considered from the experimental data from the phase 1 experiments.
Experiments are conducted at steady state operating conditions and hill diagram is prepared. The overall efficiency is around 90% (nED = 0.225 and QED = 0.132), which is near to the expected values while comparing the standard model performance at the level of 2012. This provides confidence that the rig performs within the expected range. Around 150 operating points measured for the efficiency. The test rig is also operated at the pump mode operation to check performance. However, in order to perform optimally, the control system requires small adjustment that allows generator to make transition from turbine mode to the pump mode. This will also benefit to carry out the s-curve measurements.
We welcome new members in the project team. Kerlef Valen Kerlefson and Mathias Eikebø will write the project and master thesis during 2024 - 2025 in this project. Kerlef Valen Kerlefson will work in the laboratory to carry out the experiments whereas Mathias Eikebø will carry out computational fluid dynamic simulations.
MILESTONE 4
Calibration of all major equipment is concluded. Overall uncertainty appears good, within ±0.2%. The major uncertainty is related to the flow measurement and torque measurement at extreme conditions. The second round of calibration will be performed during phase 2 measurements of the turbine efficiency. The test rig is ready for the phase 1 measurements. This marks the completing of Milestone 4.
Test rig for reversible pump-turbine is being prepared for the preliminary measurements and essential instruments are being integrated into the test rig. Flow meter, pressure transducers, torque sensors will be calibrated in coming days. Pump-turbine runner will be mounted (replacing the Francis-99 runner) into the existing rig. After integrating the runner, trial run of the rig will be initiated before summer vacation to verify the operating range and other parameters. The data will be checked available data and measurements (Characteristics of reversible-pump turbines, 2012).
Johannes Djupesland joined the project team as a PhD candidate in the Waterpower laboratory. Johannes will work full time in this project for three years. We sincerely welcome Johannes in the project team and the Waterpower laboratory.
Detailed project plan is prepared and ready to start the activities.