Transient Simulation of Underground Pumped Storage Hydropower Plants Operating in Pumping Mode

Javier Menéndez, Jesús M. Fernández-Oro, Mónica Galdo and Jorge Loredo
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Javier Menéndez: Hunaser Energy, Avda. Galicia 44, 33005 Oviedo, Spain
Jesús M. Fernández-Oro: Energy Department, University of Oviedo, 33271 Gijón, Spain
Mónica Galdo: Energy Department, University of Oviedo, 33271 Gijón, Spain
Jorge Loredo: Mining Exploitation Department, University of Oviedo, 33004 Oviedo, Spain

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: The increasing penetration of variable renewable energies (VRE) in the European electricity mix requires flexible energy storage systems (ESS), such as pumped storage hydropower (PSH). Disused mining voids from deep closed mines may be used as subsurface reservoirs of underground pumped-storage hydropower (UPSH) plants. Unlike conventional PSH plants, the air pressure in UPSH plants is variable and it differs from the atmospheric conditions. In this paper, the hydraulic transient process of an UPSH plant operating in pumping mode was investigated and a preliminary thermodynamic analysis of the closed surge tank was carried out. Analytical and CFD three-dimensional numerical simulations based on the volume of fluid (VOF) model with two-phase flow have been performed for analyzing the transient process. In the transient simulation, air and water are considered as ideal gas and compressible liquid, respectively. Different guide vanes closing schemes have been simulated. The obtained results show that the dimensioning of underground reservoir, surge tank, and air ducts is essential for ensuring the hydraulic performance and optimizing the operation of UPSH plants. The static pressure in the air duct, surge tank and lower reservoir reaches −1.6, 112.8 and −4 kPa, respectively, while a heat flux of −80 W was obtained through the surge tank walls.

Keywords: energy storage; underground pumped-storage; hydropower; variable renewable energies; transient process; numerical modelling; analytical model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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