ITC & DCG Papers
2023
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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:
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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
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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
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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.
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Report can be found here.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.