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A New Application of Flow Duration Curve (FDC) in Designing Run-of-River Power Plants

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  • Luisa Liucci
  • Daniela Valigi
  • Stefano Casadei

Abstract

The present study evaluates the effects of river run-off regime and hydrological uncertainty on the hydroelectric production of a run-of-river power plant. The mean annual energy from a plant was modeled as a function of run-off regime and design flow, by means of a procedure developed on the mean annual Flow Duration Curves (FDCs) of 15 sample basins in the Umbria Region (Central Italy). Results show that energy output decreases from constant to torrential regimes, following a potential function, and that, the greater the design flow, the greater the rate of decrease. The treatment and validation of these results provided a useful tool for easy identification of optimal design flow, according to the hydrological features of the basin and the target hydroelectric production at the station. Analyses of FDCs with a 20-year return period also showed that the decrease in energy production in dry years and its increase in wet years, compared with the mean annual value, are linearly linked to the design flow. In the present context of possible climate change, this result is presented as the possibility of partially controlling the effects of positive or negative flow rate trends. The results reported here can be applied to any kind of river and hydraulic technology at the power station. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Luisa Liucci & Daniela Valigi & Stefano Casadei, 2014. "A New Application of Flow Duration Curve (FDC) in Designing Run-of-River Power Plants," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(3), pages 881-895, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:28:y:2014:i:3:p:881-895
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-014-0523-4
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    2. Bragalli, Cristiana & Micocci, Domenico & Naldi, Giovanni, 2023. "On the influence of net head and efficiency fluctuations over the performance of existing run-of-river hydropower plants," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1170-1179.
    3. Tianxu Mao & Genxu Wang & Tao Zhang, 2016. "Impacts of Climatic Change on Hydrological Regime in the Three-River Headwaters Region, China, 1960-2009," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(1), pages 115-131, January.
    4. Xinjun Tu & Vijay Singh & Xiaohong Chen & Lu Chen & Qiang Zhang & Yong Zhao, 2015. "Intra-annual Distribution of Streamflow and Individual Impacts of Climate Change and Human Activities in the Dongijang River Basin, China," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(8), pages 2677-2695, June.
    5. Emanuela Sassu & Riccardo Zucca & Giovanni M. Sechi, 2021. "Calibration Procedure of Regional Flow Duration Curves Evaluating Water Resource Withdrawal from Diversion Dams," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(4), pages 1135-1148, March.
    6. Stefano Casadei & Arnaldo Pierleoni & Michele Bellezza, 2018. "Sustainability of Water Withdrawals in the Tiber River Basin (Central Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Vincenzo Sammartano & Lorena Liuzzo & Gabriele Freni, 2019. "Identification of Potential Locations for Run-of-River Hydropower Plants Using a GIS-Based Procedure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-20, September.
    8. Xiaoming Guo & Lukai Xu & Lei Su & Yu Deng & Chaohui Yang, 2021. "Comparing Flow Duration Curves and Discharge Hydrographs to Assess Eco-flows," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(14), pages 4681-4693, November.
    9. Andrej Predin & Matej Fike & Marko Pezdevšek & Gorazd Hren, 2021. "Lost Energy of Water Spilled over Hydropower Dams," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    10. Ourania Tzoraki, 2020. "Operating Small Hydropower Plants in Greece under Intermittent Flow Uncertainty: The Case of Tsiknias River (Lesvos)," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-15, August.
    11. A. Palla & I. Gnecco & P. Barbera & M. Ivaldi & D. Caviglia, 2016. "An Integrated GIS Approach to Assess the Mini Hydropower Potential," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(9), pages 2979-2996, July.

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