Accurate design tools for archimedes screw generators

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Archimedes screw generators (ASGs) are an emerging microhydro electricity generation technology. ASGs are**efficient, cost competitive and have low environmental impact. Supportive policy, public support for**environmentally sustainable power generation, and the availability of many potential installation sites all**support continued growth of the North American market for ASGs. This project builds on six years of research**collaboration between the PI and Bluestreak on ASGs, supported by NSERC Engage and CRD programs,**including a current CRD project that ends in Dec. 2018. This work has produced two generations of operational**models that predict Archimedes screw performance which have been incorporated into Bluestreak's operational**design tools, however, there is still potential and need to improve the accuracy of the ASG models. This new**project will improve the accuracy of practical ASG design tools, reducing uncertainty by increasing our**detailed knowledge of loss mechanisms in an ASG. This research will also determine methods to accurately**scale measurements from laboratory scale ASGs to full-size grid connected units, which has emerged as a key**issue. In practice, it is common to need to design installations with multiple ASGs at a single site. New models**will be extended to include systems of multiple screws, including the reservoir, dam, supply channels and**receiving basin. This research will continue to utilize laboratory and theoretical studies, and will make**extensive use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate phenomena that cannot be directly**measured. Detailed field studies of four to six full scale ASGs are an integral part of this project. There is no**information currently available from full-scale ASGs that can be practically used for detailed validation of**models and CFD. This research will provide the basis for an accurate site-specific design process that can**provide site-optimized ASG systems. Improved understanding of ASG technology, potentially positioning**Bluestreak and Canada as global leaders in ASG technology while helping provide needed HQP with deep**expertise in sustainable energy technologies.