Impianti idroelettrici su acquedotto

An important sector for the development and application of renewable energy is the installation of hydroelectric turbines along aqueduct and irrigation networks, where it is possible to exploit differentially dissipated heads and flows, exploiting existing infrastructure such as pipelines and canals.

Why on the aqueduct?

The main advantages of this type of installation can therefore be summarised as follows:

Recovery of potential energy that would otherwise be dissipated
Rationalization of water supply networks
Increased revenue from electricity production that would be added to the supply of drinking water
Diversification of the economic activities of the company providing the drinking water distribution service
Possibility of containing costs for lifting and/or purification systems by exploiting self-production of electricity
Mitigation of environmental impact and containment of construction costs in the face of electricity production that exploits existing structures
Raising environmental awareness regarding renewable energy and the exploitation of existing resources with a view to mitigating the environmental impact of electricity production

Production

In addition to producing electricity using potential energy that would otherwise be wasted, the environmental impact is also reduced by exploiting existing infrastructure.

LUMIEI Impianti has chosen to specialize in this sector and, after completing numerous installations on aqueducts, has designed and set up a test laboratory for testing small-scale systems at a facility in Sauris, in order to simulate the future plant and study the turbine's behavior as the plant's operating conditions vary.

The conduct

Drinking water is typically drawn from a high-altitude source and directed to users via a network of pipelines. It is common for the geodetic drop to result in a supply pressure that, for some users, is excessive. In these cases, special devices are used to dissipate the excess pressure. The potential energy associated with this dissipation is lost unless a hydraulic turbine can be installed to harness it. By diverting the water supply from the aqueduct network or by installing a turbine-generator unit directly in place of the dissipator, it is therefore possible to generate electricity.

To ensure a continuous supply of drinking water under all conditions, an automatic bypass is installed in the system (as shown in the figure below). The organoleptic characteristics of the turbined water are preserved because the contact parts are made of materials certified for food use and the mechanical parts are moved exclusively by electric and/or pneumatic actuators, while the rotating parts are lubrication-free. Similar hydroelectric plants can also be installed where it is possible to channel the overflow from the water supply system storage tanks, thus recovering the flow that would otherwise be wasted.