HomeMy WebLinkAboutAssessment of Hydrokinetic Energy Resources Alaska Rivers Tom Ravens UAA 2010Assessment of Hydrokinetic Energy
Resources in Alaska Rivers
Preliminary results from 17 sites on the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers
Tom Ravens, Nyree McDonald, Garrett Yager, Taylor Harper, Erin Eggleston, Aaron Butterer, Jenny Mills, Daniel King, Michael Ulmgren
University of Alaska Anchorage
Funded by Alaska Energy Authority
What is hydrokinetic energy and
hydrokinetic devices?
•Under water windmills
•Water velocity (Kinetic energy) turns turbine
blades and spins a generator producing electricity
•Power/area = (Cp) 0.5 density x velocity3
•Devices can be placed in rivers or tidal inlets
without significantly impacting the water course
•Distinct from conventional hydropower where
damming is required
Photos courtesy of UEK Corporation
Eagle Hydrokinetic Turbine Project
Turbine
UEK®System
Horizontal cross-flow turbine
(Ocean Renewable Power)
Vertical cross-flow turbines
(EnCurrent, New Energy Corporation)
Paddle wheel hydrokinetic device
(Don Eller, Tanana)
Project Goals and Objectives
Step 1: measure discharge, velocity, topography, bathymetry, and water level at each site.
Step 2: Determine discharge as a function of time (using water level data, and hydraulic/hydrologic models).
Step 3: Determine velocity as a function of space and time (using discharge data and models).
Step 4: Assess hydrokinetic energy potential at the 24 sites.
Overall goal: Assess hydrokinetic energy potential
at 24 Alaska sites
Sites for hydrokinetic assessment on
the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers
Pilot Station survey transects
RTK -GPS base station and
hydrographic survey boat
Data collection and navigation on
board
Topographic survey crew surveyed
shallow water and river banks
Velocity measured in Pilot Station
Velocity as a fnc. of depth
Example water level data
from St. Mary’s
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
7/26/2009 8/15/2009 9/4/2009 9/24/2009 10/14/2009 11/3/2009
date
Depth
[m]
How to use data to determine Q(t) or V(t)?
h1.2.h
t
3.Q
h
4.Q
t
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Discharge, m^3/sDate and Time
Yukon Discharge Summary
Moutain Village
St. Mary's
Grayling
Kaltag
Nulato
Koyukuk
Galena
Stevens Village
Galena (upstream)
Stevens Village (USGS, far upstream)
St. Mary’s (downstream)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Discharge, m^3/sDate and Time
Kuskokwim Discharge Summary
Aniak
Chuathbaluk
Napaimiut
HEC -RAS model of water level and
velocity (Pilot Station, July-Aug/2009)
Preliminary power density estimate for
Pilot Station
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
7/6/09 7/26/09 8/15/09 9/4/09 9/24/09 10/14/09 11/3/09 Power per area (W/sq. m)velocity (m/s)date
velocity (m/s)
power per area (W/sq m)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Velocity (m/s)Project Site
Peak Velocity on Yukon River Galena
threshold
Mountain Village
Peak velocity at various sites along the Yukon River
Peak velocity at various sites along the Kuskokwim
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6Velocity (m/s)Project Site
NapaimuteLower Kalskag
River slope on Yukon River
0
0.00001
0.00002
0.00003
0.00004
0.00005
0.00006
0.00007
0.00008
0.00009
0.0001
0 2 4 6 8 10 12River slope (m/m)Project site (Yukon River)
Galena
Mountain Village
River slope on Kuskokwim River
0
0.00005
0.0001
0.00015
0.0002
0.00025
0.0003
0.00035
0.0004
0.00045
0.0005
0 1 2 3 4 5 6River slope (m/m)Project site (Kuskokwim River)
Napaimute
Lower Kalskag
Yukon River water velocity in winter
(from EPRI)
Year round hydrokinetic power density
(from EPRI)
Future work?
2010 Hydro Kinetic
Feasibility Sites
Upper Yukon
Tanana
Stevens Village
Beaver
Fort Yukon
Circle
Tanana
River
Tok
Tanacross
Copper
River
Slana
Chistochina
Chitina
Susitina
River
Talkeetna
Sutton/Chickaloon
Upper
Kuskokwim
Crooked Creek
Red Devil
Sleetmute
Stony River
McGrath
Teller
Hydrokinetic assessment of USA
(DOE-funded with EPRI and UAF)
Hydrokinetic Energy Environmental
Impacts
•On fish
•On marine mammals
•On water level
•On sediment transport
Questions?
Peak and average velocity on Yukon
River
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Velocity (m/s)Project Site
Summary Data