Author(s): M.B. Bishwakarma; H. Støle

Linked Author(s): meg bishwakarma, Haakon Stole

Keywords: Hydropower; instrumentation; online monitoring; optimization; power plant; sediment measurement; suspended sediment

Abstract: Sediments have posed great challenges in the operation of Run-of-River (RoR) hydropower plants mainly built on sediment-laden rivers. The relationship between characteristics of sediments and the features of a power plant is not well known. The knowledge and experience gained so far is not enough to deal with the challenges that exist in the operation of hydropower plants with respect to sediment handling. Therefore, the need for real-time sediment monitoring in RoR hydropower plants can hardly be exaggerated. In connection with the Optimum Sediment Handling research programme, the authors were involved in sediment measurement in two of the power plants in Nepal and one in India. The real-time sediment monitoring system that was developed at NTNU and the manual water sampling techniques were employed to monitor the sediment concentration just upstream of the turbine. The sediment monitoring system was calibrated up to the level of observed concentration during the measurement period. In this paper, the authors present the procedures, instrument setup and obtained results from the real-time sediment monitoring system that was employed in these power plants.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2008.9521862

Year: 2008