Run-of-River Hydro » How it works
Performance and monitoring
Pressure sensors at the intakes monitor water levels in both the river and intake chamber (Figure 1) and transmit those readings to the control panel. Once the flow in the river reaches an acceptable level (see also scheme constituents), water flows into the intake chamber and pipeline leading to the powerhouse. When a scheme is generating the control panel adjusts the flow of water entering the turbine in order to keep the water level within the intake chamber at a certain predetermined level, thus ensuring that the pipeline remains full.
Scheme performance is monitored remotely via a telemetry system between the control panel and the user-PC. Many readings are continuously monitored by the control panel, such as river level, chamber level, power output, voltage, current, powerhouse temperature, equipment temperature and oil levels, ensuring smooth scheme operation. A good indication of performance is the instantaneous Power vs. River Level. Each scheme has an ideal characteristic curve from which the instantaneous readings should not deviate significantly. Deviations can occur particularly in the autumn when fallen vegetation has a tendency to block water from entering the intake chamber. Algorithms running within the control program continuously watch out for under-par performance and take immediate corrective measures when necessary.