A system for generating power from a flow of liquid having at most fifty feet of head and a flow rate of at most 300 cubic feet per second, includes: an axial-flow turbine, a penstock, an intake, a generator, and a control circuit. Each blade of the turbine runner is releasably coupled to the hub and each blade: 1) is configured to extract energy from liquid flowing through the runner by rotating the hub when the flow of liquid contacts the blade, and 2) has a pitch that is adjustable. The length of the penstock is adjustable. The generator is operable to generate electric power from rotation of the turbine. The control circuit to determines changes in the flow of liquid and in response modifies at least one of the following: 1) the speed of the axial-flow turbine's hub, and 2) the flow of liquid that the runner receives.

The invention relates to a system for energy storage and recovery, comprising: at least one compressed-air tank, at least one pressurized-water tank in communication with the compressed-air tank, at least one turbine in effective communication with the at least one pressurized-water tank, a generator for generating electrical energy, a high-pressure pump for pumping water from a water reservoir into the pressurized-water tank. According to one aspect of the invention, the turbine in effective communication with the at least one pressurized-water tank is a reaction turbine, which is connected in series with a constant pressure turbine in such a manner that a drive shaft of the reaction turbine is connected to a drive shaft of the constant pressure turbine and a drive shaft of the generator, and the constant pressure turbine is arranged between the reaction turbine and the generator, wherein the generator includes an interface for connection to a public power grid.

The invention relates to a system for energy storage and recovery, comprising: at least one compressed-air tank, at least one pressurized-water tank in communication with the compressed-air tank, at least one turbine in effective communication with the at least one pressurized-water tank, a generator for generating electrical energy, a high-pressure pump for pumping water from a water reservoir into the pressurized-water tank. According to one aspect of the invention, the turbine in effective communication with the at least one pressurized-water tank is a reaction turbine, which is connected in series with a constant pressure turbine in such a manner that a drive shaft of the reaction turbine is connected to a drive shaft of the constant pressure turbine and a drive shaft of the generator, and the constant pressure turbine is arranged between the reaction turbine and the generator, wherein the generator includes an interface for connection to a public power grid.

Hydroelectric power generation systems and methods of using such systems are provided. A power generation system includes a reservoir that is at least partially defined by a plurality of precast segments. At least a subset of the precast segments are interconnected via complementary coupling elements. The reservoir is elevated with respect to a fluid supply. The system further includes a flow path providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the fluid supply, a power generation module configured to pump fluid from the fluid supply and into the reservoir via the flow path, and a power conversion module configured to convert kinetic energy of fluid released from the reservoir and travelling through the flow path into electric energy.

Hydroelectric power generation systems and methods of using such systems are provided. A power generation system includes a reservoir that is at least partially defined by a plurality of precast segments. At least a subset of the precast segments are interconnected via complementary coupling elements. The reservoir is elevated with respect to a fluid supply. The system further includes a flow path providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the fluid supply, a power generation module configured to pump fluid from the fluid supply and into the reservoir via the flow path, and a power conversion module configured to convert kinetic energy of fluid released from the reservoir and travelling through the flow path into electric energy.

Disclosed herein is a novel method for operating a hydropower reservoir which is an improvement over the existing single-parameter (the current month) USACE Rule Curve approach, the improvement comprising the consideration of a second parameter, namely the water level of the reservoir at the beginning of the month, in the decision-making process for operation of the reservoir.

Disclosed herein is a novel method for operating a hydropower reservoir which is an improvement over the existing single-parameter (the current month) USACE Rule Curve approach, the improvement comprising the consideration of a second parameter, namely the water level of the reservoir at the beginning of the month, in the decision-making process for operation of the reservoir.

Disclosed herein is a novel method for operating a hydropower reservoir which is an improvement over the existing single-parameter (the current month) USACE Rule Curve approach, the improvement comprising the consideration of a second parameter, namely the water level of the reservoir at the beginning of the month, in the decision-making process for operation of the reservoir.

Disclosed herein is a novel method for operating a hydropower reservoir which is an improvement over the existing single-parameter (the current month) USACE Rule Curve approach, the improvement comprising the consideration of a second parameter, namely the water level of the reservoir at the beginning of the month, in the decision-making process for operation of the reservoir.

A system for controlling the flow of turbined water from a plurality of hydroelectric plants arranged in series along a watercourse with an open channel flow, defining upstream of each plant, a plurality of head races subject respectively to hydraulic flow and level constraints. The flow of water turbined by each of the plants is controlled by a flow setpoint. The system includes regulation of a global electrical production power set-point for the plurality of hydroelectric plants by a flow regulation setpoint taking into account the flow setpoint of each of the plants. The flow regulation setpoint determined by the regulation is weighted for each of the plants by weighting coefficients as a function of the respective hydraulic characteristics of the head plurality of races.