Hydropower schemes and pumped-storage

Summary

The course deals with the conception and design of hydraulic structures used for production and/or storage of electric energy, including pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). We also discuss their technical/social/economical/environmental feasibility in the Swiss/European/Global energy transition.

Content

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Keywords

• Hydropower plants and batteries
• Hydropower potential
• Renewable energy
• Hydraulic tunnels & shafts, surge tanks
• Water intakes in rivers, lakes and reservoirs
• River diversion during construction

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

Fluid Mechanics
Hydrology
Hydraulics Works & Schemes (bachelor course)
Strength of Materials

 

Recommended courses

Rock Mechanics
Concrete Structures & Steel Structures

 

Important concepts to start the course

Basic fluid mechanics such as hydrostatics, free surface flows and pressurized flows
Basic principles of hydrology such as rainfall-runoff processes
Basic principles of hydraulics such as weir design, hydraulic jump, energy losses
Basic strength of materials such as stresses, displacements, stiffness
Economic optimisation principles such as cost and revenue estimate and analysis

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Assess / Evaluate different types of hydropower schemes
• Assess / Evaluate the hydropower potential in a given territory with and without storage
• Design the main components of hydropower schemes
• Optimize the layout and design of the main components of hydropower schemes

Transversal skills

• Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
• Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/ his actions and decisions.
• Respect relevant legal guidelines and ethical codes for the profession.
• Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
• Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
• Write a scientific or technical report.

Teaching methods

Ex cathedra, exercices, case studies.

 

 

Expected student activities

Handover of min 4 exercices, active contributions to ex-cathedra courses

Assessment methods

Continuous assessment during the semester.

Handover of min. 4 exercices : 50 %

Final written test during exam session : 50%.

 

Supervision

Office hours	Yes
Assistants	Yes
Forum	Yes
Others	To be confirmed during first week of semester (e.g. field visit)

Resources

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

Yes

Bibliography

TGC 15 "Constructions Hydrauliques" de W. Hager et A. Schleiss, PPUR, 2009

• Constructions hydrauliques / Hager et Schleiss (TGC 15)

 

Ressources en bibliothèque

• Constructions hydrauliques / Hager et Schleiss (TGC 15)

Notes/Handbook

• Hydropower plants and pumped-storage, Dr. G. De Cesare & Dr. P. Manso [In English, 2024, two volumes: Vol 1 - Lecture Notes, Vol II - Solved Exercices]

• Aménagements hydroélectriques, Dr. G. De Cesare & Dr. P. Manso, 2020 [In French]

 

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/CIVIL-469

Prerequisite for

Master thesis in Hydraulic Structures, Renewable Energies, Tunnel Engineering, Dam Engineering