Publications related to Hydropeaking mitigation measures in the Swiss Upper-Rhône basin

Related publications (19)

Improving hydropower flexibility by synergizing independently managed utilities

Giovanni De Cesare, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Sabine Chamoun

Increasing the flexibility of hydropower allows operators to produce at optimal time ranges, not only dependent on the demand flow but also on the price trends. However, the possibility to improve hydropower flexibility can be hindered when assets are mana ...

Hydropower&Dams, Aqua Media International2019

Potential increase in energy storage capacity in the Swiss Alps to support the massive development of renewables: Case study of the Grande Dixence hydropower scheme

Anton Schleiss, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Jérôme François Sylvain Dujardin

Only 42 % of the mean annual production of large hydropower plants in the Swiss Alps is stored in their reservoirs. Once the reservoirs are full at the end of the summer semester, plants are operated as run-on-the-river in order to avoid spilling. A signif ...

2019

Application of an Ensemble Kalman filter to a semi-distributed hydrological flood forecasting system in alpine catchments

Giovanni De Cesare, Javier García Hernández, Alain Tommy Foehn

One of the key success factor for hydrological forecasts is the establishment of initial conditions that represent well the conditions of the simulated basin at the beginning of the forecast. Real-time Data Assimilation (DA) has been shown to allow improvi ...

2019

Introducing flexibility in alpine small hydropower plants using smart storage

Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Jessica Zordan

Small hydropower plants can improve their proficiency if they are able to become more flexible on power production, answering the need of peak energy demand, following the needs of the energy market and providing ancillary services in the electricity suppl ...

Hydropower&Dams, Aqua Media International2019

Flow measurement for the design optimization of fish pass entries in a run of river hydropower plant

Giovanni De Cesare, Pierre Bourqui, Cédric Bron

The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) has set the objective of guarantying the upstream migration of the salmons up to Basel, Switzerland, at horizon 2020. One of the last dams to be equipped is the one of Rhinau, in France. T ...

2018

Model testing beyond the scope of International Standards: an outlook

François Avellan, Loïc Andolfatto

The roles of hydropower plants within the energy system has been evolving during the last two decades. The potential to provide ancillary services to the grid is often harnessed, leading to a major change in hydropower plants operations. Ancillary services ...

2018

Pumps running as turbines for energy recovery in water supply systems

João Nuno Gomes Borga Delgado

Pressurised water supply systems are infrastructures that offer a potential for energy recovery in locations where these systems operate with an excessive pressure. The integration of micro hydropower plants for energy recovery is a challenge, as these sys ...

EPFL2018

Hydropower Design under Uncertainties

Felix Oberrauch

The design of hydropower is determined by estimates and long-term forecasts. These forecasts and estimates are highly uncertain and make performance evaluation and design choices challenging. Performance evaluation of hydropower projects is affected by a n ...

EPFL2017

Experimental assessment of head losses through elliptical and sharp-edged orifices

Anton Schleiss, Giovanni De Cesare, Nicolas Jean François Pascal Ghislain Adam

Due to the European electricity market liberalization and the appearance of other renewable electricity producers, an increase of installed peak power capacity is relevant to provide larger amount of electricity in a shorter turbine duration. When the disc ...

2016

The Use of Passive Samplers to Reveal Industrial and Agricultural Pollution Trends in Swiss Rivers

Luiz Felippe De Alencastro, Julien Omlin, Nicolas Estoppey, Adrien Schopfer

This study shows the efficiency of passive sampling to reveal industrial and agricultural pollution trends. Two practical applications for nonpolar and polar contaminants are presented. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) samplers were deployed for one year in ...

Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft2014

Flow restoration in Alpine streams affected by hydropower operations—a case study for a compensation basin

Anton Schleiss, Martin Peter Bieri, Michael Müller

Hydropeaking, resulting from rapid starting and shut-down of turbines, is one of the major hydrological alterations in Alpine streams. The upper Aare River basin in Switzerland comprises a complex high-head storage hydropower scheme. The significant turbin ...

CRC Press/Balkema2014

Active flood management in Alpine catchment areas equipped with storage hydropower schemes

Anton Schleiss, Frédéric Jordan, Martin Peter Bieri

The simulation of runoff in Alpine catchment areas is essential for the optimal operation of high-head storage hydropower plants (HPP) under normal flow conditions, but also in case of flood events. A semi-distributed conceptual numerical approach has been ...

Crc Press-Taylor & Francis Group2013

Influence of climate change on future operation of a complex storage hydropower scheme in the Swiss Alps

Anton Schleiss, Martin Peter Bieri

For the case study area of the upper Aare River catchment in Switzerland with large mountain glaciers, where a complex storage hydropower scheme is located, the impact of climate change on runoff was simulated. Future runoff was assessed for the ongoing ce ...

2013

Impact of Hydropeaking on Fish and their Habitat

Émilie Person

High-head storage hydropower plants are an important renewable source of energy in alpine areas. Kinetic energy released from water, which is stored in reservoir and diverted through turbines, produces electricity. During daily peaks of energy demand, the ...

EPFL2013

Influence of dam operation on water resources management under different scenarios in the Zambezi River Basin considering environmental objectives and hydropower

Théodora Cohen Liechti

Worldwide, almost 50,000 dams over 15 m height have been built during the last six decades with an aggregated storage capacity of 6,000 km3. The fact that large dams, by increasing irrigation and hydroelectricity production, can sustain development and red ...

EPFL2013

Operation of Complex Hydropower Schemes and its Impact on the Flow Regime in the Downstream River System under Changing Scenarios

Martin Peter Bieri

Hydropower is the world’s most important renewable electricity source. More than 40% of European hydroelectric energy is produced in Alpine countries. High-head storage hydropower plants (HPP) contribute significantly to peak energy production as well as e ...

EPFL2012

The Facilitation of Mini and Small Hydropower in Switzerland : Shaping the Institutional Framework (with a Particular Focus on Storage and Pumped-Storage Schemes)

Nicolas Crettenand

The electricity sector in Switzerland is undergoing important changes following the liberalisation process and the facilitation of renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, the phasing out of nuclear power will increase the demand for new domestic electr ...

EPFL2012

Hydropeaking indicators for characterization of the Upper-Rhone River in Switzerland

Anton Schleiss, Tobias Meile

River channelization and the construction of high-head storage schemes have been the basis of agricultural and socio-economic development in many alpine regions. One example is the Upper-Rhone River in Switzerland. The Upper-Rhone's morphology changed cons ...

2011

Flood Management in a Complex River Basin with a Real-Time Decision Support System Based on Hydrological Forecasts

Javier García Hernández

During the last decades, the Upper Rhone River basin has been hit by several flood events causing significant damages in excess of 500 million Swiss Francs. From this situation, the 3rd Rhône river training project was planned in order to improve the flood ...

EPFL2011