Hydropower, being a mature technology with respect to other renewable energy sources, is often regraded as a field that does not require more research effort and investment by governmental agencies. However, even in countries that have pioneered its development there are active research programmes. I am looking for documents that compile the proposed current subjects of research, considering technological aspects, but also the integration of small, medium and large hydropower in challenging economic, social and environmental conditions.
Research & Development
Unlocking the vast hydropower potential of our rivers, oceans, tides and conduits requires funding the research and development initiatives that make innovative ideas a reality. The Department of Energy’s Water Power Program is an important source of support for the researchers, scientists and developers working to grow hydropower’s contribution to our country’s clean energy resources.
Continued investment in this program is crucial to ensuring that innovative new technologies come to market and are able to generate the clean electricity America needs.
Innovation in the hydropower industry also goes beyond creating new technologies. The DOE program plays an important role in gathering baseline industry data, developing updated resource assessments and new growth analyses, studying project operations for maximization of both energy and environmental values, as well as studying new issues that may affect the industry — from potential effects of climate change on plant operations to addressing the energy storage needs to maintain a secure and functioning electric grid.
Marine and hydrokinetic technologies also offer great promise for expanding our nation’s hydroelectric capacity. Working closely with the DOE’s national laboratories and the hydropower industry, the Water Power Program has established testing centers, supports modeling and component design, and maintains a publicly available database of technologies, companies and projects in the marine and hydrokinetics sector.
And the hydropower industry itself is doing its part to support investment in new technologies and project improvements. Among the hundreds of millions of dollars invested each year in environmental enhancements at hydro facilities, companies are developing a new generation of turbines that improve fish passage, generate more power, utilize water more efficiently, and improve the oxygen content of the water released downstream of a facility, among many other inventive projects.
http://www.hydro.org/tech-and-policy/policy-priorities/researcg-development/
http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/eu/index_en.cfm?pg=research-hydropower
http://www.hydrofoundation.org/uploads/3/7/6/1/37618667/topicsareasinteresthydroresearchawards2015.pdf
Dear Mahamad Nabab Alam,
Thank you so much for your very useful references. Let me take this opportunity to ask you about the recent or current topics of research on Hydropower at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, AHEC.
Best regards
Sir, I am not working in AHEC but I regularly have chat with the AHEC research scholars. In AHEC, Asia's largest turbine testing lab has been installed last year which is in working condition right now. Few students of mechanical engineering background are siting in that Lab for research. I mostly have good contacts with electrical engineering background research scholars. These scholars are mostly working on renewable energy planning like site sizing of DG, MPPT algorithms, development of integrated renewable energy systems etc.
I wish to know how are you knowing AHEC? Do you anyone from there?
Dear Mahamad Nabab Alam,
I have no direct contact with AHEC, but I have talked to colleagues from other countries who know of it and I have browsed its website. I understand that AHEC is one of the main reference centres regarding Hydropower technology. I would like to establish links with them.
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