Analysis of Flow Estimation Methods for Small Hydropower Schemes in Bua River

Abstract

Any hydropower project requires an ample availability of stream flow data. Unfortunately, most of the hydropower projects especially small hydropower projects are conducted on ungauged river and consequently hydrologists have for a longtime used stream flow estimation methods using the mean annual flows to gauge rivers. Unfortunately flow estimation methods which include the runoff data method, area ratio method and the correlation flow methods employ a lot of assumptions which affect their uncertainty. This study was conducted on Bua River in Malawi to unveil the uncertainties of these flow estimation methods. The study was done on a well gauged catchment in order to highlight the variations between the observed, true stream flows and the estimated stream flows for uncertainty analysis. After regionalizing the homogenous sites, catchments using L-moments, an uncertainty analysis was done which showed that the area method is better followed by the correlating flow method and lastly the runoff data method in terms of bias, accuracy and uncertainty.

Small Hydropower Development Potential in Chechen Republic

“…However, even if there is a water storage basin, hydroelectric power generation will still have limitations by its size, the rated electric capacity of the hydroelectric power plant, as well as recreational activities or environmental protection. The production of hydroelectric power in peak mode can lead, if there is a water discharge directly into the river, to rapid fluctuations in the river flow, the area covered by water, the depth and speed of the current (Kasamba, 2015).…”

Selection of a Suitable Material by a Multi-Criteria Decision Aid Method (Mcdm) for the Manufacture of the Buckets of a Micro Pelton Turbine

“…The magnitude of its potential in micro hydro power plant has led several researchers to carry out studies on the feasibility, design and installation of micro hydro power stations ((Elie Bertrand Kengne Sign BB, 2019), , (Elie Bertrand Kengne Signe OH, 2017), (Fanyep Nana Antoine, 2020)), in order to propose this technology as a possible solution for increased rural electrification in Cameroon (Kenfack J, 2014)and attract decision makers to turn to the latter for electricity supply and development of remote areas. Thus, several solutions have been proposed in the context of the development of technologies and the establishment of micro hydro power plants in the literature ((Chisomo Kasamba, 2015),(I. Loots, 2015), (Moradeyo K. Odunfa, 2019)), yet in the Cameroonian context the development of micro hydropower technology has taken a hit (TEKOUNEGNING, 2009) and slow to develop.…”

Non-Linear Analysis of River System Dynamics Using Recurrence Quantification Analysis

“…Especially during recent years, the dynamic evolution of river flows has become a very interesting area since it is influenced by many changes in the climate system. Significant research has been devoted to this purpose, including methods such as the generation of stochastic precipitation models under current and changed climate conditions [1], parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis [2], hydrological models that simulate the impact of climate change on the sub-surface of a river [3] and statistical methods [4][5][6]. Moreover, there are methods developed by solving stochastic differential equations describing the river dynamics in state space form [7], studies based on fractal geometry detecting correlations [8] or using Fourier spectral analysis of daily inflows, outflows and water levels in river dam reservoirs [9].…”