1. Initial problem formulation 2. Iterative approach building for one reservoir 3. Testing for two cascaded reservoirs 4. Testing for four cascaded reservoirs 5. Further work

A wind tunnel study of speed-up effects above the very crest of a sharp-edged escarpment and a hill peak in a simulated atmospheric boundary layer has been carried out. It was desired to do a part-deep simulation of an atmospheric boundary that could be found above sea or coastal area exposed to the open sea. Because of the limited work section length was it used a modified roughness, barrier and mixing-device developed by Counihan to accelerate the boundary layer growth. The mean velocity, integral length scales, power spectrum and turbulence intensity in the simulated boundary layer were compared with full scale empirical data. It showed good agreement except for the turbulence intensity which was too low. Speed-up effects for the mean horizontal velocity and the longitudinal turbulence intensity above the very crest of an escarpment and a hill peak were investigated in the simulated atmospheric boundary layer. From the results it was observed that the speed-up effect gave a decrease in the turbulence intensity and a more uniform profile with height. A considerably increase of the horizontal mean velocity in the lowest part of the flow was also observed. Scaled-up data from the wind tunnel experiment were compared with estimations from the Norwegian standard and potential flow with varying degree of agreement.

This report is the results of the work on a master thesis concerning intelligent monitoring of hydro power stations. In the report two different types of computer software is investigated to find out whether they are suitable to make out a monitoring system capable of giving the user information about faults and unwanted operating conditions at an early stage. It is also investigated whether the software has proven the capability to detect faults and unwanted operating conditions. The different advantages and disadvantages of the two software products are commented and the two software products are compared. This report shows that the two software products are quite different. The software from Volve is software meant to construct an expert system capable of recognising faults from previous cases of faults. The software from SKF is software that gives intelligent machine diagnostics from analysis of vibration measurements in addition to measuring and trending of other variables. It also gives the user tools for analysing the root cause of faults influencing the bearing system of different industry machinery. This means that the software from SKF demands some involvement from the user to produce the best and most precise results. The expert system developed from the Volve software on the other hand is meant to present only results and advice to the user. The results from tests and simulations of the expert system developed by the Volve software are very limited. It is not possible to conclude which of the two software products is better before more tests of the Volve system is performed. In addition to the investigation of these two monitoring software products two different types of sensors are investigated. The sensors that are investigated are smoke sensors and sensors for detection of ultrasonic sound. Both types are commonly used in monitoring of industry processes similar to those in hydro power stations. These two sensors are capable of giving additional information to the monitoring system making it possible to detect faults that it is difficult to detect today. This is because the two sensor types perform measurements that the normal measuring equipment of today is incapable of. This will increase the information flow to the monitoring systems of hydro power stations making it possible to perform better and more precise monitoring.

Lowering the cost of wave energy conversion is an essential task for it to succeed as a future energy resource. In this work a converter, assumed cheaper than the regular back to back converter setting, have been investigated for a electric direct drive point absorber. Both experimental work and simulations are used in the analysis. In the experimental work, a permanent magnet generator with a 6-pulse diode rectifier, a DC-link and a DC/DC converter equivalent, was used. Steady state, dynamic and transient measurements were preformed and a simulation model was compared to the measurements. Good results were obtained and deviations were in general small, mostly +-3% for voltage and current measurements and +-8% for torque measurements. Based on transient measurements and simulations a general linearization of the system was made in order to obtain useful information about the system. A step up converter was used in the simulation and it demonstrated stable passive loading control. By using the information obtained by the linearization, the performance of the simulation model was improved by decreasing the DC-link capacitance. The modified simulation model had significant less torque ripple than the initial. The linearization model also can been used to identify time delay represented by the power take off unit in a wave energy converter. This will be done for a commercial size wave energy converter summer 2009.

In this master thesis the wake of a hydrofoil have been investigated using PIV. The main goal of this work have been to investigate how vortex generators can create mixing and smoothing of the velocity deficit in hydrofoil wakes. This study is motivated by the rotor stator interactions in Francis turbines with the idea that smoother wakes from the stator can reduce the forces on the rotor and hence increase the life span of Francis turbines. A literature survey of foil theory and wake flows have been carried out. This survey motivated the use of a normalization of the velocity in the wake. Experimental work was carried out at the water tunnel facility at Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. Tests were performed on a NACA0015 hydrofoil with four different vortex generator configurations, for a range of different angles of attack and velocities. Lift and drag forces on the hydrofoil was measured using a force balance. Because the drag measurement had poor accuracy, it could not be used to compare the different vortex generator configurations in terms of drag. As a result the drag was investigated using the velocity deficit in the wakes. The quality of this analysis have been discussed with the use of CFD. CFD is also used to gain insight into how pressure and velocity is distributed in the water tunnel. The PIV images from the tests have been processed into vector fields with the commercial PIV software DaVis7. For analyzing the PIV data further, different post-processing schemes in DaVis7 was investigated together with programs developed in Matlab. In order to compare the wakes resulting from the use of different vortex generators with measurable quantities, the use of a standard wake profile has been investigated. The standard wake profile is symmetrical and could hence only describe wake measurements done at an angle of attack close to $0^{circ}$. Furthermore it turned out that most vortex generators resulted in a wake that could not be described with the standard wake profile. The vortex generator configurations that gave the best smoothing of the hydrofoil wake for the investigated operation points turned out to be a $1unit{mm}$ V-shaped vortex generator. This vortex generator also caused less drag than than the other vortex generators tested. However, the use of vortex generators resulted in increased drag compared to the plain hydrofoil for the analyzed operating points. The velocity deficit in the wake is shown to get so well smoothed out for some tested cases that it is considered worth while to continue the investigation on vortex generators capability to increase the lifespan of Francis turbines.

Compression and purification processes are considered for CO2 coming from the three different capture methods. By using the simulation tool Pro/II these processes are further optimized.

This Master thesis analyzes the optimal use of the hydro resources in Albania. Albania is a country totally dependent on hydro power. More than 90% of the electricity today comes from hydro power, mainly from the Drin river system. There are three hydro power plants located in the Drin river system: Fierze (500 MW), Koman (600 MW) and Vau Dejes (250 MW). Only one third of Albania’s hydro power potential is today exploited, and Albania is a net importer of energy. The main objective with this study is to analyze the utilization of the hydro resources in Albania and look at potential improvements in the short term (next years) and the long term (after Albania joins the regional market). Two scenarios were worked out. The first scenario focuses on the present market situation in Albania. Investigations are done through simulations with the EOPS model. The results were analyzed and compared with historical data to discover potential upgrades of the utilization of water in Fierze, Koman and Vau Dejes. In the simulations the production in Drin river system is increased with 1.3 TWh in an average year. Fierze power plant has the highest potential with 25% more production in the simulation than what is shown through historical data. Under the process towards a liberalized market, the optimizing problem regarding the production planning will change. Today the main task is cost minimization given an expected demand. In a free market it will be profit maximizing given a price expectation. A second scenario dealing with the potential market situation in Albania in 2020 was worked out. In addition to the new market situation four new power plants were included in the EOPS model. With new plants in the Drin and a functioning market it is possible to achieve 1 TWh more production during an average year compared with the simulation for the present market situation in Albania. If the implementation of the market, new power plants and transmission lines are accomplished, the supply situation in Albania will improve substantially through more secure power delivery. However a participation in a regional market forces the production company to plan each day like the participants in the Nordic market, both in the long and short the term, to be able to exploit the technical and financial opportunities and develop their country.

Wet gas compression technology is of great value to the oil and gas industry for boosting of unprocessed well stream and to reduce investment costs related to equipment and personnel. The growing interest in wet gas compression leads to a general request for accurate performance calculation procedures and proper measurement techniques for multiphase flow metering in compressors. An impeller rig for examination of single-phase and multiphase performance and aerodynamic stability is under construction at the test facility at NTNU. The construction of the compressor rig is behind time due to late deliveries of the compressor components and instrumentation. The performance calculations are therefore based upon one compressor test conducted with dry gas at part-load. The thermodynamic equation of state for ambient air is verified to be consistent with the ideal gas law in the compressor pressure and temperature range. The calculated polytropic performance is calculated with ideal gas assumptions and compared to values estimated by PRO/II. By analyzing the results the sensitivity of the calculation procedures is identified and the suitability for the ideal polytropic performance calculations is validated for the actual compressor test and operating range. A sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to determine the effect of measurement uncertainties on performance calculations. Due to the low pressures involved for the compressor test, the performance calculation procedures are highly sensitive to uncertainties in the pressure measurements. Uncertainties in the temperature measurements will only slightly influence the polytropic head, but have great influence on the polytropic efficiency. The efficiency and operating range of a compressor are constrained by aerodynamic instabilities. This thesis describes the different flow phenomena associated with compressor instability and presents recommendations for suitable instrumentation and measuring techniques. Various visualization techniques are in addition evaluated to determine the suitability for multiphase compressors. Dynamic pressure transducers installed in the inlet and discharge piping are recommended for detection of pressure pulsation throughout the compressor system. Unsteady internal pressure measurements can be obtained from circumferentially distributed pressure transducers at various locations within the compressor components. Vibration probes installed at each end of the rotor are recommended for the vibration measurements. By analyzing the frequency spectrum for the pressure fluctuation and radial vibrations one can identify the type of instability phenomenon that occur. Laser measurement techniques are recommended for the flow visualization in order to obtain information on the main features of the multiphase flow field.

Gas turbines in offshore power systems contribute to about 23% of Norway’s total emissions of CO2. One method for reducing these emissions could be the addition of wind turbines to the offshore utility grids. Power from shore is another alternative, but has been proven costly due to long cables and expensive HVDC converter stations. In this thesis work, the behaviours of different wind turbine technologies during transient fluctuations in an offshore utility grid have been studied. For this purpose, a dynamic model for an offshore oil platform was developed. Models of squirrel cage and doubly fed induction generator based turbines were developed as well. None of the modelled generators experienced problems with the disturbances caused by the electromechanical transient fluctuations. Based on the behaviour of the DFIG’s grid side converter, it is believed that the result would be the same for a wind turbine with full frequency conversion. Variable speed wind turbines are expected to remain controllable throughout electromechanical transient fluctuations such as for the simulated case. However, the controllers, converters and equipment have to be designed while bearing these fluctuations in mind. The controllability of the variable speed wind turbines could be used to contribute to voltage control by production and consumption of reactive power. A controller scheme with the purpose of stabilising the voltage at the gas turbine generators’ terminal was developed, but had low impacts on the power system behaviour. A stator flux feed forward term for the speed controller was developed. The term stabilised the power output of the doubly fed induction generator. However, the impact on the power system’s frequency response was minimal, and there is probably no material value of such an addition to the control loop.

The cross-flow turbine is unique due to the generation of power during two stages. The water flows through the rectangular cross-section nozzle and enters the runner, where the first stage power is generated. The water then flows diametrically through the center of the runner, before it hits the blades on the way out, generating the second stage power. This type of turbine is often used in small hydropower plants located in less-developed countries. The turbine has a simple design, which is economical and easy to manufacture. A cross-flow turbine manufactured by Remote HydroLight in Afghanistan was installed in The Waterpower Laboratory at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology in September 2008. During the fall of 2008, efficiency measurements were performed on the turbine. A maximum efficiency of 78.6% was obtained at 5 meter head. However, although the efficiency is high for a turbine with such a simple design, there is a desire to improve it for better utilization of the resources. An open question is if the flow through the runner behaves like the manufacturers of this turbine type claim. It is therefore of interest to investigate the flow pattern through the runner and the distribution of torque transferred during the two stages. This is the objective of this thesis. Two experiments are performed in this thesis. The objective of the first experiment was to visualize the flow through the runner with use of a high-speed camera. This required an extensive remodeling of the turbine in order to obtain a clear view of the flow. However, the high--speed camera had to be replaced by a single-lens reflex camera and stroboscopes, due to low quality pictures. The second experiment measured the torque transfer to the runner by the use of strain gages. The strain gages could not be calibrated within the time frame of this thesis, but a relative measure of the distribution of torque was obtained. During both experiments the efficiency was measured, but the main objective was to determine the flow pattern and torque transfer through the runner. The results show that the turbine works well for large nozzle openings. The water enters the runner close to the nozzle outlet, leading to a cross flow entering the inside of the runner at a short distance from the nozzle. This gives good conditions for the flow, as the direction of the absolute velocity when entering the second stage corresponds well with the blade inlet angle. At best efficiency point the second stage contributes to 53.7% of the total amount of torque transferred. With decreasing nozzle opening, the cross flow enters the inside of the runner further away from the nozzle. This give a direction of the cross flow which corresponds poorly with the inlet angle of the blades at the second stage, which increases the incidence losses and gives a lower efficiency.