Summer is here! Dŵr Uisce newsletter

Future might seem to be a bit of uncertain to you, lately. We look into future with you in our Summer Edition Newsletter. Check our newsletter here to learn what we have been doing.

Stay at home! (but conserve water and energy where you can)

by John Gallagher

Over the past several weeks, we have all been adjusting to working from home and limiting our movements to occasional outings for grocery shopping or medical appointments. This has been a challenge for everyone, but collectively the positive impact has helped manage this pandemic and the spread of COVID-19.

For many, the focus of daily activities have been within the four walls of our homes, and if we are lucky extending that to the garden and out for short walks (obeying guidelines at all times). So has this change in lifestyle impacted on our consumption of water and energy in our homes? And should we pay more attention to using these resources wisely at this time. 

More time at home means more use of water and energy, and early figures suggest that domestic energy and water consumption have increased since the 'stay-at-home' measures have been implemented. We are using water and energy at a rate that is reflective of our typical weekend consumption. 

Increased water and energy consumption at home translated higher bills for us as consumers. Therefore, ways to save and conserve is in our control more so than ever (and it impacts on our pocket). At Dwr Uisce, we aim to share ways we feel that can support water savings, and in doing so you have win-wins through saving energy too! We wish to share those tips with you all - in English, as Gaeilge - these are simple ideas in which we can all do our part. 

SaveWater - Eco-code poster in Gaelic

As we enter the summer months, and following a rather dry period in Spring, our water resources are depleting and by taking note of our suggested tips, we can be responsible with our water and do our part for conserving and saving. 

Stay safe, stay well, and use water and energy wisely whilst staying at home!

Simple ways you can take climate action at home

By Aisha Bello-Dambatta

Climate change is happening, and many of us have already directly felt some of its impacts. It has increased the likelihood, frequency, and intensity of extreme events like we have, for example, observed in recent extreme temperatures in the UK and deadly heatwaves, floods, and fires in the Amazon rainforest and Australian bushfires last year.

This is just the beginning. Although the causes of climate change are well understood and climate model projections are continuing to match our observations, the UN reports that global GHG emissions continue to rise despite ambitious global commitments and actions to reduce emissions (e.g. Paris Agreement, UN Sustainable Development Goals, several climate and ecological emergency declarations). Global CO2 emissions have risen by 4% since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the latest WMO report on the state of the global climate confirms December 2019 to be the second warmest year on record, 2015-2019 to be the warmest five years on record, and 2010-2019 to be the warmest decade on record.

However, even if we were to meet all global emissions targets today, we will still experience some level of climate change because of the warming that has already happened. We therefore need a way to, at minimum, reduce the impacts of this inevitable climate change. This can be done in two ways: mitigation to reduce the amount of emissions and the drivers of climate change; and learnig to adapt to the change that is already in the system to minimise impacts.

One way to reduce emissions is through water use efficiency – in our homes, at work, and at leisure. The water industry is energy intensive and on average between 2 – 3% of the world’s energy use is used to treat water to potable quality, deliver it to consumers, and to process and dispose of wastewater. In the UK, for example, around 2% of total energy use is used by water companies. However, this represents only around 11% of actual water-related energy use, with around 89% of water-related energy use attributed to water demand, particularly for hot water use and space heating. This constitutes around 95% of household water-related energy use. Hot water heating alone accounts for around 20% of the average household energy bill. Given this obvious link between water use and energy use, reducing the water for demand, especially in hot water use, can significantly reduce water-related energy use and associated emissions and costs.

So, what can we do to help mitigate the impacts of climate change? There are many simple actions (examples, below) we can take in our homes to reduce our emissions and carbon footprint. Many of these interventions are easy to implement and have zero or very low-cost with short paybacks.

SaveWater eco-code poster

Think of your energy supply and use

You can reduce your overall environmental footprint by switching to a renewable energy supplier or installing renewable or low-carbon technology like solar PV, biomass boiler, or even the Micro-Hydro Power (MHP) and Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) pilot installations in the Dŵr Uisce project, depending on your personal needs. Most renewables no longer have a price premium, and even the most expensive have much improved payback periods. Depending on where you live, energy grants and rebates may be available to help cover costs, and you could get money for generating electricity.

Install a water meter

Metering is a prerequisite for understanding your water consumption. It provides a means of measuring and monitoring your consumption over time and has the potential to generate significant reductions in water use and cost savings. Smart water meters that take hourly readings for more detailed consumption information are also available. In the UK, most water companies will install a water meter for free for their household customers and some even have online water usage calculators to help you model and understand how much you can save by having a meter installed.

Fix leaks immediately  

You may have a leak if your water bill or meter reading is unusually high. Leaks can develop along your supply pipework or in internal pipework or fittings. You are responsible for not only internal leakage, but also all leakage along the supply pipe (from property boundary to your water meter) and any underground pipes. Some water companies may fix external leakage for free, so check with your water supplier first if you notice any external leakage.

Also check that your water fittings like loos, taps, and showers are not leaking. A leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day! A dripping hot tap with one drip per second wastes four litres of water per day, and the worse it gets, the more water and energy is wasted.

Think about your bath and shower water use

Even as average per capita water use has fallen, some households, even efficient ones use more hot water for bathing that we previously have. This is largely because our bathing habits and lifestyles have changed. Although we are having fewer baths, recent trends in power showers and mains pressure systems mean some showers can use as much or even more water than a bath. Water saver showers that typically work at flow rates of between 4 – 9 litres per minute can give the effect of a power shower at a lower flow rate. Some showers can be made efficient by retrofitting them with simple aerators or flow restrictors. Many water companies provide households with free retrofits for water using fittings to help reduce water and energy use. Check on your water company’s website for more information about what is available and how you can apply for free retrofit devices.   

Remember to not leave taps running

The best of us sometimes forget to leave the tap running whilst brushing our teeth, washing our hands, cleaning dishes, or washing vegetables. A hot running tap uses at least 6 litres of water per minute and wastes energy. Remember to switch the tap off when not needed and to use bowls where necessary, for example, for dishwashing or washing vegetables. Some of this water, for example, water used for washing vegetables can be reused to water gardens and indoor plants.  

Use water and energy efficient white goods efficiently

Consider water and energy efficient washing machines and dishwashers when it is time to replace old ones. The water and energy performance of white goods have improved considerably in the past decades and efficient appliances no longer have a price premium. Dishwashers are not as resource intensive as people think and can actually be more efficient than handwashing. Washing a 12-place setting crockery by hand can use about 40 litres of hot water, for example. It is important to note however, that even the most efficient appliance is only as efficient as how it is used. So appliances need to be run at full loads and on the most efficient setting. Check to see if there are rebates for efficient white goods before you shop!

Updates from Blackstairs GWS micro-hydropower demonstration site

The status of the Irish hydro pilot installation in Blackstairs Group Water Scheme is being constantly monitored. Since its startup in October 2019 and until the end of April 2020 the scheme has generated over 12,293 kWh which is equivalent to the yearly consumption of 2.5 average Irish households.

In April, the power output was stable and close to 3 kW during most of the month. It then gradually dropped to 2 kW as a likely consequence of the prolonged dry spell witnessed during mid-April but eventually rose back to 3 kW by the end of the month after some consistent rainfall.

Power output at Blackstairs GWS during April

Water flow rate at Blackstairs GWS during April

Measuring and monitoring water use: tips for business

By Aisha Bello-Dambatta

Measuring water use is a first step and a key component of good practice water management. It is the key to understanding and assessing if your water use is reasonable and appropriate for your business. Regular monitoring of your water use will provide accurate and reliable information to help inform you of any needed intervention or investment.

In order to understand your water consumption, it is important that water use data is collected regularly to help identify any changes in water use, leakage, unauthorised water use, or other wastage. This information is available on your water bills (in m3) and on water meters.

Water meters should be read regularly, at least monthly or quarterly, to allow for a detailed understanding of water use, monitoring of water use, and for ensuring the accuracy of your billing. It will sometimes be necessary to focus on a shorter period of consumption (e.g. a week) if you suspect a problem like leakage (from internal pipes and fittings, for example) or water use inefficiency. Metering data can also be used to encourage and incentivise water efficiency and has the potential to generate large and cost-effective reductions in water, water-related energy use, associated emissions, and costs by providing information of consumption over time.

Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and smart meters provide more regular readings and can be used to record water use throughout the day. This information can be used to better understand your water consumption profile, including peaks and baseline flows.

Building Management Systems (BMS) can be used to automate the monitoring and/or control your water use. Water meters with pulsed outputs can easily be connected to BMS which can be used to measure, monitor, and control water use in real-time, even remotely.

A key step in reducing water use is to monitor consumption over time. The aim of this is to help understand how much water is used in your business and can be used to develop a water demand profile which is a useful measure of consumption over time and can highlight changes in water use that may not otherwise be obvious. You can develop a water demand profile by identifying the total volume of water use (m3) using water bills or meter readings. You will need at least a whole year of data, and ideally, a minimum of three years data should be used for this. You can calculate your average daily consumption by dividing the number of your annual (or quarterly) business opening days by your annual (or quarterly) consumption.

A water balance model can be used to better understand the water use, sewerage discharge, and trade effluent of your business. This is a numerical accounting of how water enters your business, how it is used, and how it is disposed of. This is done by mapping water flows through your business using information available on water bills, sewerage and trade effluent discharge, meter readings, and business audits to ensure all water using fittings and appliances are accounted for.

Monitoring data can also be used to benchmark your water use against industry standards can help you to assess your performance. You can benchmark your water use either per floor area (m2) or per occupancy, depending on the size of your business and the occupancy of your buildings. You will need at least a full year consumption data (m3/year) to benchmark accurately. Where a full year’s data is not available, you can use quarterly data to benchmark your water use in litres per day (L/day).

A water efficiency action plan can be used to improve the water and energy performance of your business. This should be based on business-specific and on a case-by-case basis and contain your water management goals and targets and the actions/indicators that can help you achieve them. This can include, for example, including water efficiency in your energy management plan and having a target to reduce your carbon footprint by a set percentage through water efficiency within a set time period.

Green innovation: Bringing value to society

By Szu-Hsin Wu

Green innovation can be found in various forms, such as renewable energy, electronic vehicles, shower timer. Green product innovation focuses on modifying product design by using nontoxic or biodegradable materials in order to reduce the disposal impact on the environment. In other words, green product innovation is intended to improve the durability and recyclability of products. Green process innovation aims to improve energy and resource efficiency during the production process or create the process which converts waste into valuable resources for other production. In particular, green process innovation is also featured in reducing air or water emissions and switching from fossils fuels to green energy. Dŵr Uisce is working on developing innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of water distribution networks in Ireland and Wales. Developing a viable and environmentally sustainable response to customers’ demands has been a critical challenge. We actively collaborate with key stakeholders and consider the commercial potential and the environmental and ecological impact while addressing the challenge.

The applicability of micro-hydropower systems in water networks to recover energy has been recognised for years. In response, the Dŵr Uisce project stakeholders co-developed a system based upon a pump-as-turbine (PAT). Pumps are adapted in reverse to produce rather than consume energy. Pumps are mass-produced and available off-the-shelf in different sizes and types. Using PAT as an essential component of the energy recovery system, the costs are up to 15 times less expensive than conventional hydropower turbines. To date, Dŵr Uisce has implemented micro-hydropower energy recovery system developed from conceptualisation and laboratory tests to full-scale installations at two demonstration sites: Blackstairs Group Water Scheme (Wexford, Ireland) and Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant (Wales, United Kingdom). With the implementation of these systems, the environmental impact is assessed in terms of the potential CO2 emissions saving, assessment of negative ecological impacts, impacts on affordability of water supply.

The implementation at Blackstairs Group Water Scheme is a gravity-fed system supplied by the main reservoir located on the east face of Blackstairs Mountain, Co. Wexford. The reservoir provides drinking water to 1037 local households with an overall average demand of 1500 m3/day. The distribution system has an approximate total length of 117 km of pipework with diameters ranging from 50 to 150 mm. The water treatment works are operated by an external water service company.

The initial purpose of the project for Blackstairs Group Water Scheme was practical and focussed on efficiency. The resulting micro-hydropower energy recovery system now generates electricity, reducing the energy consumption of the treatment works by 20-25% and promising a return on investment of 4-6 years, depending on water consumption rates and rainfall. The CO2eq emission savings of this installation are equal to 16.2 tonnes per year. The economic savings from this project, rather than being distributed among the members, was donated to a water project in Uganda, Wells of Life Ireland.

Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant is a historical site in North Wales, owned and managed by National Trust Wales. The site features a 16th century historical farmhouse and a rare collection of Bibles. It was also the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan who is the first translator of the Bible into Welsh. This culturally important book and over 200 other bibles in different languages are on show at the property but susceptible to moisture in the air. Further, climate change with increasingly heavy and persistent rainfall, flooding and damp have put the collection at risk. At Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, the Dŵr Uisce project stakeholders co-designed and installed a prototype micro-hydropower energy recovery system to generate electricity from a nearby stream, technically similar to the system at BGWS. It differs functionally, providing heat and light to the adjacent historical building which is now “off-grid”. The CO2eq emission savings of this installation are equal to 5.3 tonnes per year. The system at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant was to be used to dehumidify the historic property and to protect the collection of rare books.

Figure 2 Micro-hydropower energy recovery system at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant

Blackstairs Group Water Scheme could have distributed the cost-saving to the local community. Instead, the saving was donated to a water charity drilling wells – Wells of Life Ireland, in Uganda. Similarly, Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant used the electricity generated to control humidity levels in the building. However, they evaluated the impact in terms of protecting national heritage, including a priceless collection of Bibles curated in the building. These social missions were not evident at the outset of the innovation initiatives. The implementation of green process innovation at both sites is transformed into social impacts to the global society. These social impacts are unexpected but have led to truly sustainable water innovation.

Modelling of Sewer Wastewater temperature Dynamics

By Himanshu Nagpal

Introduction

Wastewater in sewer systems is a promising alternative energy source for heating/cooling of buildings.  It is estimated that 6000 GWh of thermal energy is lost per year in sewers of Switzerland [1]. This accounts for 7% of total heating demand of Switzerland. According to a study, the sewer wastewater in Germany contains energy to heat 2 million homes [2]. The temperature of wastewater in sewer can range from C to C throughout the year depending upon external conditions [1].  The wastewater flow in sewer system is relatively large depending upon the number of inhabitants in the catchment. This significant amount of heat from the sewer system can be recovered and used to preheat cold water supply for hot water demands and space heating. The content of available energy in wastewater is calculates as

$$\dot{Q}= \dot{m}c_{p}\Delta T\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,(1)$$

where $\dot{Q}$  is the recovered thermal power from wastewater, $m$ and $c_{p}$ are the mass flow rate and specific heat capacity of wastewater, and  is the temperature drop of wastewater due to heat recovery. A schematic diagram of wastewater heat recovery from sewer is shown in Figure 1. A heat exchanger is installed in sewer system which extract the heat from wastewater and a heat pump system is used to convert that low temperature heat to usable heating energy.

Figure 1 Heat recovery from wastewater in sewer [1]

Sewer wastewater temperature dynamics

As can be seen in equation (1) that the recovered heat content depends upon the temperature and flow rate of wastewater. The wastewater temperature in sewer system does not remain constant and changes across the longitudinal profile of sewer line because of heat losses and addition of lateral flows. So, it becomes vital to investigate the temperature dynamics of wastewater in sewer line in order to find the optimal location for installation of heat recovery system. One more important reason for this investigation is to analyse the impact of wastewater heat recovery on influent temperature of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).  Since the reduction in wastewater influent temperature can cause reduced nitrification capacity of WWTP.  Modelling the thermal dynamics of wastewater can help the planners and engineers to determine the design of wastewater heat recovery system which complies with WWTP regulations.

Existing models

There are two main approaches to model the wastewater temperature dynamics,

1. Determining temperature change at certain point using limited measured data

2. Modelling the temperature dynamics along longitudinal profile of the sewer

Alligation alternate

Alligation alternate is a relatively simple method for modelling the wastewater temperature dynamics [3]. In this method, the temperature  of two fluid flows with discharge and temperature values of  and  is given by the following equation

$$(Q_1 + Q_2)\times T^* = Q_1\times T_1 + Q_2\times T_2\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, (2)$$

This method does not consider the heat exchange processes with in-sewer air, surrounding soil and sewer pipe which is the main reason for the low-accuracy of the model.

TEMPEST-

TEMPEST is a computer simulation program, developed by Dürrenmatt and Wanner [4] at Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Switzerland, which simulates dynamics of wastewater temperature in sewers. The program is based upon heat balance, mass conservation and momentum conservation equations in sewers and can calculate the dynamics and spatial longitudinal profile of wastewater temperature. This is the most detailed model available in the literature for wastewater temperature dynamics modelling; it considers many heat-transfer processes which can affect the wastewater temperature including interaction with surrounding soil of sewer and in-sewer air (Figure 2).

Model by Abdel aal et al.

The temperature evolution in this model is given by the equation (3). This model is simpler than the TEMPEST model and does not include all heat transfer processes [5].  

Table 1 - Description of parameters in equation (3)

$$T_{j+1} =T_j - \Big(\frac{\frac{1}{R_{wa}}\times (T_w-T_a) + \frac{1}{R_{ws}}\times (T_w-T_s)}{\dot{M}\times c_p}\Big)\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,(3)$$

where

$$R_{wa} = \frac{1}{h_{wa}\times b\times n\times \nabla L}$$

$$R_{ws} = \frac{wt}{k_p\times wet.p\times n\times \nabla L} + \frac{d_s}{k_s\times wet.p\times n\times \nabla L}$$

Equation (3) is used sequentially to find the wastewater temperature at nodes $(T_{(j+1)},T_{(j+2)}…T_{(j+n)})$ along the sewer line starting from the upstream temperature . The parameters used in the equation (3) are presented in the Table 1

Opportunities and Future work

In the context of Dwr-Uisce, future work will be to perform a case study for wastewater temperature dynamics modelling in a sewer system. The test location has not been decided yet. The study will focus on measurements of temperature and flow in the sewer system of the test location. The finding will be verified against the TEMPEST model and model by Abdel aal et al. The best location will be identified based upon the models. The study will also present the design methodology for heat recovery system (heat exchanger and heat pump) based upon the measurements and estimate the energy savings and emissions reduction.  

References

[1] Schmid, Felix. "Sewage water: interesting heat source for heat pumps and chillers." In 9th International IEA Heat Pump Conference, Switzerland. Paper, no. 5.22, pp. 1-12. 2008.
[2] Mueller, E. A. "Heating and cooling with wastewater; Heizen und Kuehlen mit Abwasser." (2005).
[3] Leaflet, DWAM "114: Energy from wastewater - heat and location energy." (2009): 1

The place of DWHR in the future heating landscape – a Dŵr Uisce perspective

By Jan Spriet

The research, and pilot studies, performed by the Dŵr Uisce project, show that heat recovery from drain and wastewater can find its place in the future energy landscape in three different ways, under three different operating conditions:

1. As an energy efficiency measure.

2. As an efficiency boost for individual heat pump systems.

3. As a heat source for heating network

1. An energy efficiency measure

This form represents the use of direct DWHR, to preheat the incoming wastewater, resulting in a reduced heat and fuel consumption of traditional heating systems. This form is particularly suited for locations with high temperatures, but with the sporadic or small flow. It is characterised by a low investment cost, but also by relatively small amounts of recovered energy. This makes it particularly suitable for new installations (e.g. in new buildings or commercial kitchens), where it can be installed at a minimal added cost, but less so for retrofitting, as these marginal gains may be deemed unworthy of the trouble.

Figure 1. DWHR as an energy efficiency measure.

Figure 2. DWHR as an efficiency boost for individual heat pump systems

2. An efficiency boost for individual heat pump systems

This second form, represents the recovery of heat for individual residences, and could be particularly beneficial for systems in remote areas with low population density. It consists of using the wastewater as an additional heat source for a traditional (air--source or ground--source) heat pump system. As the wastewater has a higher temperature than these traditional sources during most of the heating season, but (for an individual residence), does not contain sufficient energy to meet all heating demand in this building, it could be used as a booster for the temperature of the heat carrier (often brine in ground source heat pumping systems). This boost in temperature would induce a boost in COP of the heat pump.

3. A heat source for a district heating network

This last form requires the availability of large volumes of wastewater, usually in centralized locations, such as large sewer collectors or wastewater treatment plants. It uses an indirect heat recovery system to provide heat to a network using heat pumps. For this form to be profitable, large quantities of wastewater are necessary to provide economies of scale. However, the centralized locations where these quantities are available are often located at a distance from consumers. Heating networks are thus required for the distribution of the heat to consumers. This can be under the form of district heating, but also the heating network in a factory or industrial plant.

In addition to this, a wastewater source heat pump could provide for a highly efficient interface  between the electric and the heating network. This provides the option for increased flexibility of both networks, required with the growing importance of intermittent renewable source, such as  PV and wind, but also solar-thermal heat.

Figure 3. DWHR as a heat source for heating networks.

Future Maintenance of Pumps as Turbines

By Calvin Stephen

The world challenges of global warming and climate change have led to the need for cleaner ways of generating energy. Hydroelectric technology has been a beacon of light in minimizing carbon footprint in both power generation and water supply - the water-energy nexus they call it. In particular, pumped-storage hydro makes use of Pumps-as-Turbines (PATs) to meet power supply needs during peak hours and pumps water to a higher altitude for later use during off-peak hours. PATs are critical in this type of a system, and any failures can lead to undesirable consequences.

With the advent of the industrial internet of things (IoT), information on PATs failure status can be obtained well in advance and can facilitate important decisions on when to carry out maintenance. Machines have produced data for ages. With the decreased cost of sensors, now is the opportune time to make use of these data to ensure machines operate efficiently and effectively. This data availability also applies to PATs. The use of predictive maintenance helps to avoid issues and surprise shutdowns that can have detrimental effects on both the machine and the end-user. Predictive maintenance involves the use of smart sensors and actuators to enhance maintenance. Data from these sensors can help operators to make decisions on the optimal time to carry out maintenance activities before the machine failure damages the machine itself. As a result, the end-user does not have to experience power outages during peak hours as the machine is available to cover the excess demand. The other advantage associated with predictive maintenance is that operators have all of the data in one place, to help deal with repetitive maintenance problems. So, there is an opportunity to design out the problem and to improve machine uptime. PATs, like any other hydro-turbo machines, are prone to mechanical, electrical and hydraulic failures. Mechanical failures include unbalance of rotating components, misalignment at couplings, defective bearings, looseness, mechanical shock, soft foot, impact or fretting. Electrical failures include failures in the generator, such as air gap eccentricity, broken rotor bars, unequal distribution of air-gap flux, inter-turn faults, shorted or open stator and rotor windings, unequal phase currents, magnetostriction and oscillations of torque. Finally, hydraulic failures are associated with fluid flow conditions that lead to cavitation, aeration, over pressurisation and excessive heat. Numerous methods can be used in predicting the machine’s condition in order to decide on whether or not to carry out maintenance activities. Vibration monitoring is a widely used technique to detect most machinery failure conditions. Vibration analysis is well suited as the data being collected from the vibration signature of the machine can provide both maintenance information and insights into operating conditions. Other techniques include acoustic emissions, lubricant analysis, ultrasonic analysis, motor current analysis and thermography. PATs require the utmost care to prevent its failures in operation. PATs are critical components of micro-hydropower systems and their failure in operation can yield unwanted results: for example, no power supply during peak demand power phase. Failure also means that micro hydropower systems cannot deliver on its intended purpose. Hence, there is a critical need to ensure there is in a healthy state of operation always. PATs have been lauded in literature for being associated with fast return on investments, but failures can hinder the achievement of this. As such, the application of predictive maintenance is intended to ensure a fast return of investment and optimize its operation. The application of digitization to hydropower will be a game-changer, and will lead to a technological leap even on PAT-based micro hydropower systems.

Figure 1 information flow & exchange in a digital avatar of hydropower turbines

Figure 2 Research plan

Kougias et al [1] make use of the phrase “digital avatar” (shown in figure 1) to refer to the digital model of the unit made from gathering the corresponding information into a comprehensive set of data and using it to support the flexible unit operation. The digitisation of hydropower will allow gathering of actual realtime data from PATs operation to enhance decision making on its design, development, operation and maintenance. The use of advanced tools in data analysis, advanced modelling, lifetime prediction, predictive maintenance and condition monitoring will dictate the achievement of better overall equipment effectiveness, safety and reliability hence increasing energy production.

The initial stage of my research involves developing digital models of the PATs operation. These models will aid in simulating operation failures to create an in-depth understanding of how PATs respond under different failure conditions, as shown in figure 2. I will also carry out experiments to validate the digital models and to provide confidence in the outputs. This validation is an initial step in creating a PAT digital avatar that will be integrated into both predictive maintenance and condition monitoring. At the final stage, the research aims to create the same digital avatars for our demonstration sites incorporating IoT principles.

References

[1] I. Kougias, G. Aggidis, F. Avellan, S. Deniz, U. Lundin, A. Moro, S. Muntean, D. Novara, J. I. Perez-Diaz, E. Quaranta, P. Schild and N. Theodossiou, "Analysis of Emerging Technologies in the Hydropower Sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 113, p. 109257, 2019.

Moving forward: PhD completion and micro-hydropower system operation

By Daniele Novara

Achieving a PhD degree is always wonderful, even more so if it comes after three years spent working side-by-side with fabulous colleagues on a project as interesting and eco-conscious as Dwr Uisce. After defending my thesis in mid-January, I have eventually submitted the final hardbound copy of the PhD thesis and applied for graduation later this year. The subject of the dissertation was the development of design guidelines for Pumps-as-Turbines in water conduits developed via desk studies and lab experiments, which culminated in the construction of the two two demonstration sites of Micro-hydropower Energy Recovery Systems.

In the meantime, I have started a part-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, which will allow me to continue the lab work on hydropower and to disseminate the results from the two operational demo sites.

As an example of this, the status of the Irish hydro pilot installation in Blackstairs Group Water Scheme is being constantly monitored. Since its startup in October 2019 and until the end of March 2020 the scheme has generated over 10,300 kWh since its startup which is equivalent to the yearly consumption of 2.5 average Irish households.

Power output at Blackstairs GWS in March

Monthly energy generation at Blackstairs GWS

The monthly energy production has been very constant with an average of 1,715 kWh/month, and in March 2020 this has ramped up to over 2,000 kWh/month thanks to the adoption of an improved operational strategy.