Adding Batteries to Hydropower Facilities Could Increase Dam Lifespan, Potential Revenue
A modeling study shows that adding batteries to a dam could decrease the wear and tear on hydropower turbines and open up new opportunities for dam operators to earn revenue.
Major Eco-Sensitive Rivers Could See Substantial Hydropower Expansion in a Growing and Transitioning Energy System
Hydropower could expand substantially during the 21st century in many regions of the world to meet rising or changing energy demands. However, this expansion might harm river ecosystems.
TRANSFORMER POWER MANAGEMENT CONTROLLERS AND TRANSFORMER POWER MANAGEMENT METHODS
This method to use controllable loads (e.g., PEV charging rates) to determine the distribution transformer loading condition is unique. The process to calculate the distribution transformer load condition is described in the following steps: (1) Identify the transformer's full load core loss value (watts); (2) Identify the transformer's base load (e.g., 25kVA) and secondary voltage (e.g. 240VAC); (3) use the following equation representing the classical relationships between power, current and impedance (e.g., Power = Current2 * Impedance) to calculate the full load transformer impedance; Transformer Power = Impedance * [Nameplate Power (W) ]2 / [Nameplate Secondary Voltage (VAC)]2 (4) use the transformer base current and calculated full load impedance to determine the maximum transformer voltage drop before exceeding the transformer power limit; (5) implement a periodic A.C. line voltage measurement and control capability (e.g., 240VAC) that records the line voltage and minimizes the PEV charging rate during relative high A.C. voltage times to determine a second A.C. line voltage value; (6) the two A.C. voltage and power values are then used to calculate a no-load transformer voltage. This no-load A.C. voltage estimate can be used to verify transformer voltage remains above its minimum voltage and determine the transformer's current loading; (7) these controls take into account variations in no-load line voltage and can be as simple as a short-term (e.g., ~one-hour) history of the highest line voltage as most residential loads cycle within that time period.
PowerDrone: Adaptive Steering of Power Systems for Resilient Operation under Adversarial Conditions
Impacts of Long-Term Temperature Changes on Electricity Investments
Improving the power sector detail in a multisector model shows a 3-22% increase in needed capital investments across the U.S. driven by future peak temperatures.
Energy Storage
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is speeding the development and validation of next-generation energy storage technologies to enable widespread decarbonization of the energy and transportation sectors through innovation and collaboration.
Hydropower Modeling Workshop
Through the US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, PNNL and NREL co-hosted a workshop on hydropower characterization within grid models and the seams between water and energy models.
Emergency Response
As a national laboratory in service to the nation, PNNL is called upon to support grid-related emergency response. PNNL develops tools to help the energy sector better anticipate and protect against emergencies, as well as respond when they do happen.
Modernizing Hydropower with Digital Twins
PNNL is developing the Digital Twins for Hydropower framework to help the industry to affordably modernize the aging hydropower fleet.