Large Format Composite Additive Manufacturing for Low-Head Hydropower

Alex Roschli; Brian Post; Randal Mueller; Vito Gervasi; Phillip Chesser; Jesse Heineman; Rebecca Brink

doi:10.1016/j.addlet.2023.100170

Large Format Composite Additive Manufacturing for Low-Head Hydropower

Alex Roschli, Brian Post, Randal Mueller, Vito Gervasi, Phillip Chesser, Jesse Heineman, Rebecca Brink

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hydropower with a small elevation change from inlet to outlet, known as “low-head” hydropower, is a relatively untapped resource for reliable green power generation. One major barrier to entry is the cost of the components needed to generate the power. Each installation site is unique, with various head levels, flow rates, and other unique site characteristics that drive up the cost of development and installation. As a result, custom-made components are necessary because the sites are intrinsically inefficient. However, customized parts are generally more expensive to manufacture than ready-made parts. Often times, the cost of custom-made components is so high that the low-head hydropower installation becomes non-viable. Additive manufacturing offers the ability to make custom components, ideal for one-off applications, at low costs that are well suited for the needs of low-head hydropower. Indirect additive manufacturing, such as making tools or dies rather than end use components, can also be used to make low-cost composite tooling as needed for these custom applications. This paper explores the use of additive manufacturing, both directly and indirectly, to produce the components of a turbine system for a low-head hydropower site. The parts were designed to form a unique modular system, which saves time for future designs and iterations. The system has operated for more than three years without failure at a test site in Wisconsin, USA. This work serves as a basis for future application of AM to low-head systems, in which the modular components can be customized for each unique hydropower installation.

Original language	English
Article number	100170
Journal	Additive Manufacturing Letters
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addlet.2023.100170
State	Published - Dec 2023

Funding

Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). The authors acknowledge the gracious contributions of Adam Witt, Kevin Stewart, Miles Mobley, Bruno Lequesne, G. Frank Ransley and Katherine Gaul for their contributions on critical aspects of this project. A special thanks to the Midwest Energy Research Consortium for use of their facility for post-processing and dry-staging of the large LFAM components. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Funders	Funder number
DOE Public Access Plan
U.S. Department of Energy

Keywords

3d printed dam
3d printed renewable energy
electric power generation
flow conveyance
hydropower composite tooling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.addlet.2023.100170

Cite this

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title = "Large Format Composite Additive Manufacturing for Low-Head Hydropower",

abstract = "Hydropower with a small elevation change from inlet to outlet, known as “low-head” hydropower, is a relatively untapped resource for reliable green power generation. One major barrier to entry is the cost of the components needed to generate the power. Each installation site is unique, with various head levels, flow rates, and other unique site characteristics that drive up the cost of development and installation. As a result, custom-made components are necessary because the sites are intrinsically inefficient. However, customized parts are generally more expensive to manufacture than ready-made parts. Often times, the cost of custom-made components is so high that the low-head hydropower installation becomes non-viable. Additive manufacturing offers the ability to make custom components, ideal for one-off applications, at low costs that are well suited for the needs of low-head hydropower. Indirect additive manufacturing, such as making tools or dies rather than end use components, can also be used to make low-cost composite tooling as needed for these custom applications. This paper explores the use of additive manufacturing, both directly and indirectly, to produce the components of a turbine system for a low-head hydropower site. The parts were designed to form a unique modular system, which saves time for future designs and iterations. The system has operated for more than three years without failure at a test site in Wisconsin, USA. This work serves as a basis for future application of AM to low-head systems, in which the modular components can be customized for each unique hydropower installation.",

keywords = "3d printed dam, 3d printed renewable energy, electric power generation, flow conveyance, hydropower composite tooling",

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Large Format Composite Additive Manufacturing for Low-Head Hydropower

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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