Hydropower plants

lgciv2052  2024-2025  Louvain-la-Neuve

Hydropower plants
3.00 credits
20.0 h
Q2
Teacher(s)
Language
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of fluid mechanics as taught in LGCIV1051 or LMECA1321
Main themes
  • Hydropower in the global context of energy
  • Identification of exploitable sites
  • Principles of hydraulic machinery and pre-design of turbines
  • Hydraulic transients and surge tanks
  • Local production and use of hydropower in developing countries
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 Contribution to the acquisition and evaluation of the following learning outcomes of the programme in civil engineering: AA1.2, AA1.3, AA2.1, AA2.2, AA4.1
More specifically, at the end of the course, the student will be able to:
  • Identify and characterize exploitable sites
  • Design a multipurpose installation
  • Design penstocks and surge tanks
  • Understand the choice of the turbines and their consequences
Transversal learning outcomes: discuss the question of energy, and in particular renewable energy,  in the world
 
Content
The course addresses technical issues related to the design of hydroelectric production units while discussing the various impacts related to the SDGs, in particular Goal 7 "Affordable and clean energy".
1. Hydropower in the world : past, present and future
  • Advantages and disandvantages of hydropower, environmental impacts
  • Selection criteria for exploitable sites
  • Definiton of the potential of a given site
  • Geological and hydrogeological context
2. Hydraulics and and hydropower :
  • Fundamental notions : energy, efficiency, momentum
  • Headlosses in the hydraulic circuit
  • Water hammer and penstocks
  • Surge tanks
3. Hydraulic turbines :
  • Classification and general design
  • Similitude and specific turbine
  • General design of a hydropower plant
4. Alternator and power regulation
5. Micro-hydropower, hydropower in developing countries
6. Economical aspects
Teaching methods
Ex-cathedra teaching with examples of practical cases
Evaluation methods
Oral examination based on a list of question provided on Moodle
Online resources
Available on Moodle
Faculty or entity


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Civil Engineering

Master [120] in Architecture and Engineering

Master [120] in Energy Engineering