It is my pleasure to introduce the second Newsletter of the ALPHEUS research project to you. With the so-called “Green Deal” the EU adopted quite ambitious targets of climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 and a reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. ALPHEUS Newsletter 2022Download […]
Power Take-Off for a Shaft-Driven Countra-Rotating Reversible Pump-Turbine
In WP3, the Power Take-Off (PTO) and Machine-Side Control (MSC) are studied and designed. One outcome of task 3.4 was the virtual design of the PTO for the 10 MW shaft-driven contra-rotating RPT. For this dual drivetrain PTO, where both runners are coupled to separate Axial-Flux PMSMs, many different configurations are possible and are discussed […]
The ALPHEUS Team Analyzed Stakeholders Concerns Regarding the Low-Head PHS Technology
Within the WP5, ALPHEUS will propose adequate locations for the construction of low-head pumped hydro storage (PHS) stations in the North Sea. Current methods for location selection of large civil structures consider technical and environmental aspects. However, the implementation of large civil structures can face opposition from the public, which in turn, can deal to […]
Dry Emulation Test-Setup at Ghent University
In WP3, the Power Take-Off and Machine-Side Control (MSC) are studied and designed. An important asset to validate the Machine-Side Control is the dry emulation test-setup, developed at Ghent University. In the ALPHEUS project, three dual drivetrain Reversible Pump-Turbines (RPT) are developed. Each RPT runner is coupled to a separate Axial-Flux PMSM. The Machine-Side Control […]
Update on ALPHEUS Work Package 3
In WP3, the Power Take-Off (PTO) and machine-side control are studied and designed. One part of this work package deals with rotor fatigue. One of the overarching aims of the ALPHEUS project is to show the viability of using low head pumped hydro to improve the stability of the grid. One of the means to […]
ALPHEUS will present two papers at the IAHR 31st Sympsosium
We have the pleasure to present two papers from the ALPHEUS Project (Chalmers University of Technology) at the AHR 31st Symposium on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems. The 31st symposium provides unique opportunity to the academic and industrial research teams to exchange the stat-of-the-art knowledge and ideas that will help to develop the next-generation of hydropower […]
Challenges Combining Mechanical and Eletrical Components
To shift the operating range of PSH into the low-head region, ALPHEUS proposes a novel system comprised of several newly developed components. Each of these components is aiming to push the technology into the next development stage, improving its capability to provide bulk energy storage and ancillary services while being economically viable. The development is […]
New Publication: Low-Head Pumped Hydro Storage – A Review on Civil Structure Designs, Legal and Environmental Aspects to Make its Realization Feasible in Seawater
The energy transition requires large-scale storage to provide long-term supply and short-term grid stability. Though pumped hydro storage is widely used for this purpose, regions without natural topography do not have the potential for traditional high-head pumped hydro storage. To address this, multiple projects for low-head and seawater pumped hydro storage have been proposed, though few have […]
CFD Validation Tests for the Reversible Pump Turbine
Today’s Reversible Pump Turbines (RPT) are not efficient for low-head applications like the ones present in the low-head Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) stations. Furthermore, the pump-turbines installed in low-head PHS stations will have to deal with significantly variable head differences. That is why the ALPHEUS project is researching on the design of RPTs efficient for […]
Challenges to Face in Building the ALPHEUS Pump / Turbine Model
One of the biggest challenges during the mechanical design of the pump / turbine was to combine the wishes and goals of the consortium with the manufacturing and mechanical limitations. At the largest operating points of the design, very large torques are generated compared to the size of the design. The transmission of the torque […]