ITC & DCG Papers
2023
-
Prof. Sebastian Muntean, PhD, participated in the HYDROFORUM 2023 conference held in Wrocław, Poland, from October 25-27, 2023.
This event, celebrating its 50th anniversary, gathered hydropower specialists from several Eastern European countries. Prof. Muntean presented a paper titled "Opportunities offered by PEN@HYDROPOWER COST Action CA21104 for the development of the European hydropower community," highlighting the objectives and benefits of the PEN@HYDROPOWER network. He encouraged attendees, particularly young researchers, to join the network and participate in upcoming training schools and events, emphasising the importance of collaboration in addressing shared challenges in hydropower development.
Links:
-
The study provides an overview of the preliminary results obtained by the working groups of the COST Pen@hydropower action. In particular, it presents a first assessment of the flexibility offered by hydropower today at the European level, focusing on different geographical areas, and confirms the key role of hydropower in future scenarios (30% of the flexibility demand at all time scales met by hydropower). An overview of the digitalization solutions and innovative technologies that support the growth of a new generation of sustainable hydropower and the modernization of existing hydropower plants is also provided.
Conference paper can be found here
Presentation can be found here
-
Energy recovery from water distribution networks becomes more and more desirable to enhance sustainability of water supply systems. For such applications the usage of pump-as turbine is the most convenient way. Nonetheless, there are also specific conditions in which the centrifugal pump of usual specific speed is not suitable to be effectively operated in reverse mode. For such a reason the unique design of hydraulic machines is necessary. The present work deals with conceptual design of two types of the small-scale axial turbines. The hydraulic performance of preliminary design is for both variants validated through CFD simulations. In addition, rotor–stator interaction (RSI) induced pressure fluctuations were analysed to investigate dynamic phenomena of both concepts.
The conference paper can be found hereThe presentation can be found here
-
Sediment deposition in reservoirs is a major problem worldwide. Globally, there are over 100 billion metric tons of sediments deposited in the reservoirs constructed in the last 50 years. In the smaller reservoirs the deposited sediments may alter the flow properties, affect the predicted life span of reservoirs and/or causes large maintenance interventions in the reservoir area. The aim of the study was to provide a permanent technical solution for a local sedimentation issue in the reservoir of a run-of-the-river dam.
Conference paper can be found here.
Presentation can be found here.
-
Report can be found here.
-
In recent years, Montenegro, a small Eastern European country, whose primary source of energy production relied on thermal power plants for a long time, has recognised the beneficial role of using renewable energy sources on its path to a green renewable energy transition. Water resources are among the most valuable natural assets in Montenegro, hence harvesting hydropotential represents an opportunity for economic, social and ecological development of paramount importance. However, the lack of continuously measured water runoff in the majority of watersheds in Montenegro makes the planning of hydropower utilisation challenging. This concept paper aims to provide insight into the possibilities of determining hydropower potential of an ungauged watershed in Montenegro, through the development of a hydrological model of a larger watershed, under the premise of hydrological analogy. The available measured historical field data is used for building the hydrological model in a chosen software, which is, after calibration and validation, used for predictive purposes. The obtained results facilitate further analysis of the selected ungauged watershed, from the hydropotential perspective. Conclusions regarding the prospects of generalising and using the procedure for other ungauged catchments in Montenegro can be drawn, as well as potential uncertainties and obstacles that may arise from the suggested method and approximations made.
Conference paper can be found here.
Presentation can be found here.
-
Conference article is focused on theoretical and practical deepening of knowledge associated with inlet recirculation in centrifugal pumps, especially with higher specific speed pumps. The conditions of instability of the vortex structures and the causes of recirculation are studied theoretically and experimentally. The methodology is based on the analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible fluid depending on the boundary conditions. The result of the theoretical analysis is the design of various types of dampers in the suction part of the pump, to limit the occurrence of recirculation. Their effect is demonstrated experimentally in laboratory conditions. An article presents individual types of the vortex structures depending on the operating parameters of the pump, including its characteristics. The interest of the research is a plastic model of the pump with specific speed nq = 90 rpm which is made by 3D printing technology.
Conference paper can be found here.
Presentation can be found here.
2024
2025
-
Our study on hydropower's role in promoting energy justice in the European Union and Türkiye was presented at the "Revamping Hydropower Research" conference, highlighting hydropower's potential to support equitable energy distribution while addressing social and environmental impacts. Emphasizing relevance to the audience, the presentation linked hydropower’s role to broader energy transition policies, particularly within the EU's REPowerEU initiative aimed at advancing energy system sustainability.
ITC report by Avnihan KIRISIK in the following link
-
The COST action PEN@Hydropower results from the second year were presented. The audience was informed about the benefits that the COST action can offer for individuals and organisations. This included a brief presentation of training schools on sustainable hydropower, ITC conference grants, and meetings within workgroups. The working groups and their activities were in short discussed during the presentation as were the statistical data on the COST action.
The report can be found here.
-
Conference HYDROTURBO, this year held in Slovakia, was traditionally aimed on hydropower. Among the participants were academics, employees of hydropower companies and also representatives of power plants. This brought together people with different expertise in hydropower industry. The diversity of expertise of the participants provided a great opportunity to gain new insights, but also to promote Pen@Hydropower.
ITC Report can be found here.
-
The COST action PEN@Hydropower results from the third year were presented in this conference and in particular the output of the survey conducted on the education in hydropower. The audience was informed about the benefits that the COST action can offer for individuals and organisations. This included a brief presentation of training schools on sustainable hydropower, ITC conference grants, and meetings within workgroups. The working groups and their activities were in short discussed during the presentation as were the statistical data on the COST action.
DCG report can be found here.
-
With the global hydropower fleet aging, the need for plant refurbishment, including modernisation and digitalisation, has become increasingly urgent. Worldwide, approximately 50% of hydropower plants are over 40 years old. In Europe, it is estimated that upgrading and refurbishing aging hydroelectric plants could yield an additional 9.4% in energy generation.
ITC report can be found here.
-
Research has shown that GHG emissions from reservoirs are influenced by multiple factors, including reservoir characteristics, meteorological conditions, and, more recently, water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and nitrate levels (de Sousa Brandão et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2014). Monitoring these parameters is thus valuable not only for understanding GHG emissions but also for early detection of environmental issues and optimizing reservoir management. However, large-scale, consistent water quality monitoring remains a challenge due to sparse in-situ measurements and the limited scalability of single-reservoir models (Germán et al., 2021; Ndou, 2023; Potes et al., 2018; Rodríguez & Peñuela, 2022). To address these gaps, this study explores the integration of in-situ measurements with satellite-based remote sensing, specifically Sentinel-2 imagery, as a pathway toward scalable, multi-reservoir water quality monitoring.
-
The present study investigates the effectiveness of applying a Morphological Acceleration Factor (AF) as a means of reducing simulation time in 2D morphodynamic modelling without compromising model accuracy. The case study focuses on a 3-km braided river reach located between two hydropower dams on the Devoll River in Albania, a system characterised by high sediment loads and complex morphological behaviour. Through a series of model simulations using HEC-RAS 2D, we evaluate how varying acceleration factors affect model outcomes and the reliability of sediment transport predictions.
Download the report here and paper here.
-
This is a presentation on stress-induced crack propagation in Pelton turbines. The insights gained from model testing of stress-induced crack propagation are highly valuable for digitalisation efforts, as they provide experimental data for the calibration and validation of digital twins. The outcomes support operators in making informed decisions that reduce unplanned outages, optimise maintenance intervals, and ultimately enhance the sustainability of hydropower.
-
The flow near the tip of Kaplan runner blades is extremely complex and has a major
influence on turbine performance and cavitation behavior. At full- load operation,
cavitation develops in this region, leading to efficiency losses and possible surface damage. The purpose of this work is to develop a numerical approach that allows a more detailed investigation of the local hydrodynamics near the blade tip and to identify potential design improvements for reducing cavitation in large Kaplan turbines.
-
Our article focused on the Durability Assessment of Francis Turbine Spiral Casings. The presentation was mainly focused to identify, through a case study, the loads induced by different turbine operating modes and accordingly to evaluate the impact on the spiral casing lifetime. The objective the study was to analyze the cyclic loads for different operating scenarios. First, we look at three different operating sequences: (1) load rejection; (2) start/stop sequence; (3) regulation in transient zones. The analytical relationship between cyclic stresses and the durability was studied using the ASME S-N methodology to assess the service life reduction. Second, for three representative operating modes: (1) normal operation; (2) intensive operation; (3) peaking, the overall impact of the generated loads on the durability of the spiral casing was established.
Download report -
Participation in the HydroES 2025 Conference, held in Grenoble from 17 to 19 September 2025, provided an important platform to disseminate the results of my Short-Term Scientific Mission on “Storage needs of the future European energy system and the role of hydropower.” The grantee’s oral presentation was part of the session Energy transition and water resource management, and the research topic was to assess the role of pumped hydropower storage (PHS) as a long-duration energy storage solution. The conference attracted an international, interdisciplinary audience of researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, offering both visibility for my research and the opportunity to establish new collaborations.
-
The case study focuses on a prototype-scale Francis turbine rated at 500 MW and operating at a head of approximately 130 m. The system is decomposed into the 3D turbine domain and the 1D domain, consisting of the upstream pressure waterways. Coupling between the two is implemented using the FMI co-simulation protocol which allows dynamic boundary conditions.
-
Results of our study on the effect of the Stokes number on erosion on Pelton buckets in sediment-laden flows where presented as well as showing the comparison between simulating the sediment-laden flow impacting the buckets with an ideal jet and a uniform particle distribution compared to considering the real hydrodynamics of the flow taking into account the flow through the injector as well as the corresponding size distribution of particles matching on site conditions.
2026
-
Hydropower Plants (HPPs) are well suited to provide the required flexibility in the energy system. However, they are originally designed to operate at steady operating conditions for most of their lifetime. The increasing need for flexible operation results in more frequent start-stop cycles and operation in off-design conditions. These changes can shorten the lifetime of various components in the plant. This paper aims to show the impact of flexible operation on hydraulic machine lifetime by mapping fatigue damage data onto real-world operational data of five different HPPs.
YRI report can be found here.
-
The growing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources is driving demand for flexible large-scale energy storage able to support grid stability and reduce curtailment. Pumped-hydro storage (PHS) remains the most mature and cost-effective solution, but its deployment is constrained by the need for large elevation differences and significant reservoir volumes. High-density fluids (HDFs) have recently been proposed to overcome these limits: by increasing the working-fluid density, the gravitational energy stored per unit volume rises, reducing the required head, flow rate, and infrastructure size for a given capacity. This may enable more compact layouts and the use of sites unsuitable for conventional PHS, such as disused mines or low-relief locations. Despite the growing industrial interest, no studies are currently available assessing the technical and economic feasibility of HDF-based PHS. The aim of this work, presented at the 9th IAHR Europe Congress, is to fill this gap by evaluating the techno-economic potential of a high-density-fluid pumped-storage system based on the proprietary non-Newtonian fluid R-19.
The YRI Grant can be found here.
-
Hydropower plants operating within modern, dynamic energy grids face shifting operational states, placing severe mechanical stress on critical machinery like reversible Francis turbines. To ensure continuous grid stability and prevent catastrophic equipment failures, the industry is increasingly transitioning from corrective to digitalised predictive maintenance systems. A key challenge in executing this transition at real-world facilities is the absolute lack of historical operational data containing explicitly labeled faults, which prevents the effective implementation of standard supervised learning techniques. The primary purpose of this work is to develop and implement an advanced anomaly detection system utilising unsupervised machine learning tailored for real-scale power plant installations. Specifically, this study focuses on deploying a deep learning architecture trained entirely on anomaly-free diagnostic data collected directly from the Štěchovice II pumped-storage power plant in the Czech Republic.
The YRI Grant can be found here.
-
The increasing integration of variable renewable energy sources into the power system
has led to more fluctuations in the electricity grid, which must be balanced by flexible power plants. As a result, hydropower units are increasingly operated under part-load and transient conditions, including more frequent load changes, start-stop cycles, and extended operation away from best efficiency points. These operating conditions result in increased mechanical stresses on turbine components, which can accelerate wear and fatigue development. In this context, improved condition monitoring and a deeper understanding of turbine behaviour across the full operating range are becoming essential for reliable and efficient operation. The presented work addresses these challenges through a data-driven approach to analysing turbine behaviour. It was presented at the 9th IAHR Europe Congress in Luleå, Sweden, within the Special Session SS12 of the Pan-European Network on Sustainable Hydropower (PEN@Hydropower), providing a focused setting for exchange with the hydropower research community and discussion of ongoing activities within the PEN@Hydropower framework.
The ITC Report can be found here.