Technical article for Wasserkraft & Energie

Customised runner designs for climate-related operational adjustments

We are delighted to announce the publication of a technical article by Jaberg & Partner in the 125th anniversary edition of Wasserkraft & Energie – the international magazine for renewable energies.

Customised runner designs for climate-related operational adjustments

Our technical article highlights the increasing impact of climate change on the operation of hydropower plants.

While decades ago, hydropower plants of all types were often designed for relatively steady flow, today, due to extreme weather events, they must be operated more frequently under partial load and full load conditions. At the same time, operation in the medium load range is becoming increasingly rare.

One way to adapt existing hydropower plants to changes in operational management is to customise the original runners. Particularly with Francis turbines it is possible to shift the point of maximum efficiency and the entire efficiency curve to a changed flow rate by adapting the runner design to a reduced or increased flow rate and/or a changed head.

Using reference projects in the single- to double-digit megawatt range as examples, our technical article shows how customised runners can be developed to improve performance and operating conditions with reduced flow rates and/or head due to climatic conditions.

You can easily request our technical article (in German) to read here.

☛ Request technical article