Framework development for the evaluation of conduit hydropower within water distribution systems: A South African case study

Bekker, A.; Dijk, Marco Van; Niebuhr, Chantel Monica; Hansen, Christel

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125326

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In this way, the technical and economic feasibility of any hydropower system is calculated. Based on that, several authors recently studied the potential of small hydropower for improving the sustainability of urban water systems in general [46][47][48][49][50][51] and wastewater systems in particular [20,[52][53][54][55].…”

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confidence: 99%

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

2021

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In upcoming years, water demand is expected to boost worldwide, and with that, wastewater generation and the required energy for treatment. Provided that efficiency measures should be implemented at first instance, developments of renewable energy technologies are needed to improve sustainability at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Based on theoretical analyses of literature data, this article presents a novel perspective of the role that hydropower could play in that energy framework. This research applied a new approach compared to previous studies, considering the introduction of sustainability aspects in the decision-making process, other than economic feasibility. With that aim, a broad search of real case studies was conducted, and suitable Key Performance Indicators based on the energy self-sufficiency concept were selected and applied to the identified cases. The findings suggest that there is not a rule of thumb to determine feasibility for hydropower installation and this technology might deserve more attention. This new perspective can help to raise awareness among policy makers, decision managers, or plant operators, of the possibilities hydropower could offer to the wastewater industry in the pathway towards more sustainable systems.

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confidence: 99%

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

2021

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“…Reduction of leaks, decreasing the pressure in water supply systems and increasing the efficiency [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Proposal to use adapted machines (PATs and tubular propeller) in water supply systems to reduce the pressure [21][22][23][24] Description and operation of a PAT with a review of available technologies [25][26][27][28][29][30] Performance and modeling of a PAT [26,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Installation of energy recovery systems or devices in water supply networks [1,4,9,11,15,17,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Implementation of simulations to determine the theoretical recovered energy in water supply and irrigation systems…”

Section: Researched Topic Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Conduit Hydropower Potential by Determining Pareto-Optimal Trade-Off Curve

et al. 2022

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In numerous locations of bulk water supply/distribution systems, energy is dissipated by pressure-reducing devices, whereas it could be recovered by means of turbines or pumps as turbines. These pipe systems, owned and operated by municipalities, water utilities, large water-consuming industries, and mines, could be used as a source of renewable sustainable energy. However, the exploitation of these systems presents several issues related to the complexity of the operational optimization of the hydropower generation facilities and to the potential negative impact on the reliability of the system itself. We have developed a novel procedure to optimize the energy generation in such a conduit system by assessing the interrelationship of storage volumes, demand patterns, operating cycles, and electricity tariff structures. The procedure is a multi-objective genetic algorithm designed to provide a solution to maximize electricity generation and thus revenue and to minimize the risk involved in supplying the demand. A Pareto-optimal trade-off curve is set up, indicating the potential benefit (revenue) versus the reliability index (supply security). The results indicate that a Pareto-optimal trade-off curve was generated from which a solution could be selected which would improve the weekly revenue by up to 7.5%, while still providing a reliable water supply system.

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“…Hydropower is a well-known technology for renewable energy generation for electricity supply and more recently has started to be studied at a small-scale as a possible solution for energy recovery at existing water systems [50][51][52], including WWTPs [53,54]. There is no consensus about the classification of hydropower systems according to their size or capacity.…”

Section: Hydropower Technology For Energy Generation In Wastewater Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydropower Technology for Sustainable Energy Generation in Wastewater Systems: Learning from the Experience

Llácer-Iglesias

Jiménez

Sánchez

2021

Water

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Hydropower is a well-known technology, applied worldwide for electricity generation from renewable sources. Within the current framework, some studies have started to consider its application to existing urban water systems, to harness an excess of energy that otherwise would be wasted. This research sought to determine a methodology to assess the potential of hydropower application to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), regarding different aspects of sustainability. Firstly, previously developed methodologies for potential assessment in this sector at a country level were analyzed. Secondly, data from existing real case studies were gathered from publicly available documents and a theoretical analysis of their actual performance was conducted to validate assumptions made in the previous methodologies. As a result, the proposed new approach suggests adapting methodologies for potential assessment at a lower level, considering possible driving factors, other than economic feasibility. To define the study area, the management model scope should be considered. The power to determine the cut-off point for a WWTP to be considered as a potential site, is proposed to be lowered according to technical feasibility. Additionally, bearing in mind the sustainability concept, social or environmental factors should also be introduced in the methodology, tailored to the region being assessed. This novel perspective could provide a closer approach to the most likely decision-making level for these kinds of strategies in the wastewater industry.

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Framework development for the evaluation of conduit hydropower within water distribution systems: A South African case study

Cited by 14 publications

References 45 publications

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

Optimizing Conduit Hydropower Potential by Determining Pareto-Optimal Trade-Off Curve

Hydropower Technology for Sustainable Energy Generation in Wastewater Systems: Learning from the Experience

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