News from regional departments

01.07.2014
All-Russian scientific practical conference for young researchers, professionals, postgraduates and students “Hydroelectric power stations in 20th century” organized by Siberian Federal University, Sayano–Shushensk branch of Siberian Federal University, RusHydro JSC, Association for Engineering Education of Russia and Russian Electrotechnical Science Academy held in Sayanogorsk on May 22-23, 2014

All-Russian scientific practical conference for young researchers, professionals, postgraduates and students “Hydroelectric power stations in 20th century” has been organized by Siberian Federal University, Sayano–Shushensk branch of Siberian Federal University, RusHydro JSC, Association for Engineering Education of Russia and Russian Electrotechnical Science Academy.

Results of the conference

• Overview of developments in the field of HPP equipment improvement, monitoring facilities, diagnostics and operation;
• Professional education quality improvement in hydropower engineering;
• Bridge-building and collaboration development between universities, RusHydro JSC and its branches, Russian Academy of Sciences institutes, and professional community.

• HPP equipment modernization. Work-mode control and integrity monitoring of basic and supporting facilities;
• Operative conditions monitoring systems for hydrotechnical HPP constructions;
• Intelligent HPPs and electric power systems. Simulation and information technology in hydropower engineering.

A guided tour to Sayano–Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station (a branch of RusHydro JSC) took place during the conference.

Participants’ key-note comments on the conference issue:

1. Russia has a high hydropower potential therefore has an opportunity for hydropower engineering development. HPPs provide considerable part (around 20%) of the country’s energy demand.
2. One of the main trends common for leading countries is the Smart Grid exploitation and development; which represents integration of energy sources with electric power systems forming active and adaptive qualities of power distribution networks (i.e. self-diagnosis and self-regeneration). The current technological and organizational structure of Russian hydropower engineering to a large extent does not correspond with the requirements for the intelligent power systems implementation.
3. Sustainable and effective hydropower engineering operation requires development of new data acquisition and processing systems, methods and algorithms of adaptive control, principles of integrated management control system generation.
4. Russian hydropower engineering industry is currently undergoing processes of HPP modernization, implementation of innovative technologies for construction, repowering and reconstruction of operating capacities.
5. Long-term development of hydropower generation depends on effectiveness of sustainability and ecological problem-solving.
6. The absence of integrated knowledge management system for the industry becomes a consequential deterrent for resolving the assets state management issues. Integrated knowledge management system would have depicted possible and necessary trends of technical and technological development, and would have given an impartial evaluation for technical decisions’ excellence.
7. One of the main obstacles is a mass use of foreign equipment on Russian HPPs, which could lead to the lack of energy security of the country.
8. HPP modernization requires advanced improvement of research and development system. Effective methods and mechanisms of engineering design development and implementation, scientific research stimulation are of high necessity.

Recommendations from conference participants:

1. Organizing committee should present all conference materials and results:

• to the “Hydropower engineering” work group of Technological platform “Advanced Technologies of Renewable Energy” for selecting and supporting the most up-to-interest ideas and projects;
• to Scientific Technological Board of RusHydro JSC for screening the conference papers, shortlisting the projects that correspond to RusHydro JSC interests and can get the company’s support;

2. Organizations and universities, whose practice embraces the issues of HPP subsequent development, its performance efficiency increase, sustainability and energy security, should look into the possibility of including the following papers in their future research activity:

• Establishment of integrated knowledge management system for the industry based on systems thinking approach that would give an opportunity to select the routes of technical and technological development;
• Knowledge database creation for HPPs, equipment, structures, personnel and processes (i.e. management, control, diagnostic testing, operation, maintenance, renovation, repowering, staff development, staff turnover) in hydropower engineering field;
• Enhancement of multidimensional simulation technology for hydropower engineering; creation of an Integrated Information System of HPPs that would enable designers, operation department employees and managers to have centralized access to various information services for HPP management on all stages of its life cycle, starting with project planning leading to the process of decommissioning (the technology is also essential for students);
• Research tools development for residual operation time analysis and operation modes optimization for HPP and its facilities;
• Automation enhancement for small and micro HPPs.

3. The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and RusHydro JSC should support the Siberian Federal University initiative for High-Head Hydro Lab reconstruction on the premises of Krasnoyarsk HPP Dam - a unique world-class scientific unit. Lab reconstruction is to become a cutting-edge point for high-tech cluster developing that would facilitate hydro technological construction and safety operation improvement of hydro facilities in Russia. Interest group includes RusHydro JSC, Siberian Federal University, Special Design-Engineering Bureau “Science” (Krasnoyarsk Scientific Centre Siberian Department Russian Academy of Sciences), Krasnoyarsk HPP, Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics Siberian Department Russian Academy of Sciences, Power Machines OJSC, the B.E. Vedeneev All Russia Institute of Hydraulic Engineering (Saint Petersburg), etc.

4. Organizing committee and plenary session moderators should decide on and award students’ and postgraduates’ best reports.

5. Universities that are involved in hydropower engineering education should use the research results for updating their educational programs and organizing students’ research activity.

6. Next All-Russian scientific practical conference for young researchers, professionals, postgraduates and students should be organized in May 2015. The upcoming conference should include a new section “Continuous education system for talent pool in hydropower engineering”.

Address of Yury P. Pokholkov,
AEER President

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