Collaboration in the field of hydraulic efficiency measurement

Worldwide, small hydropower has a huge potential to explore, which could make a significant
contribution to satisfy the growing energy demands. In Asia (especially China and India) energy
needs and the available potential will govern a fast hydropower progression. Europe has the best
state-of-the-art small hydro technology to offer and there are good opportunities for both European
manufactures and Universities for technology transfer. Manufacturers will profit from export and for
universities could contribute to strengthen small hydro power (SHP), thus supporting this
environment-friendly production of electricity and thereby addressing the worldwide concern of
global warming (Kyoto protocol).

Measurement of hydraulic efficiency is prerequisite for product quality assurance of hydraulic machinery.
However, since the costs of such measurements are high and productions losses are feared, operating
companies often abstain from it. In India the state declared efficiency tests mandatory for SHP plants as
condition of subsidy payment.

In this context a collaboration of the AHEC (Alternated Hydro Energy Centre, Indian Institute of
Technology, Roorkee) with the IPE (Institute of Product Development, University of Applied Sciences of
Central Switzerland) was initiated with the support of SwissContact (Swiss Foundation for Technical
Cooperation).

First contacts of the AHEC and the IPE took place in Lucerne during the international conference on
innovation in hydraulic efficiency measurement IGHEM2004, in Lucerne July 2004. Project outlines were
discussed and the Indian delegation with Prof. H. Verma and Dr. A. Kumar, head of the AHEC, had a
chance to visit a series of hydro laboratories and plants in Switzerland.

A visit of Prof. T. Staubli at the AHEC in September 2004 was the beginning of a very fruitful
collaboration. Highlights were: Visits to Khara, Belka, Chila, and Babail hydropower stations; Travel to
Nandprayag performing measurements at Rajwakti SHP plant; Visit of several institutes of the IIT
Roorkee and meeting director Prof. Prem Vrat; Meeting Mr. Sunil Khatri, Joint Secretary and Dr. P.
Saxena, director at the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, MNES, in Delhi; Visit to BHEL
model testing laboratory, Mr. R.K. Kapoor; Visit to Dehradun to meet Mr. S.P. Singh, Director at
Uttaranchal Hydropower Corporation.

During a three days workshop on performance testing about forty delegates involved in SHP joined from
all over India. Thomas Staubli was presenting on the following 4 subjects: Acoustic methods for flow
measurement – application in SHP; The acoustic traveltime method for discharge measurement; Draft
IEC62006: Hydraulic machines – acceptance tests of SHP installations; Discharge measurement in SHP -
Case Studies.

A second exchange took place in April 2005. A memorandum of understanding for future collaboration
exchange of students and faculty elaborated, agreed upon and is ready to be signed by the directors of
HTA Lucerne and IIT Roorkee.

A research project on the influence of silt content in the water on the acoustic transit time flow
measurement in collaboration with a company from the private sector could be drafted. Again, Thomas
Staubli had the opportunity for several site visits. In the Chakbasi power plant, Punjab, on-site training in
acoustic discharge measurement has been carried out. An important issue of the future collaboration is
also the joint elaboration best practice of best practice guidelines for testing SHP.


At the IIT Roorkee, Mechanical Engineering Department, Thomas Staubli was invited to present his work
on “Fluid Structure Interaction in Turbomachinery” in a well attended colloquium.

In May 2005 a revised Asia-Link project proposal with the title “Knowledge Sharing for Performance
Evaluation and Refurbishment of Small Hydro Power Plants” was finalized and submitted to the EU.
Additional partners in this project are the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Tribhuvan University,
Nepal, the University of Stuttgart, Germany, the Vienna University of Technology, Austria, and the
Polytechnical University of Catalonia, Spain.

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