Assessment of the resource formation of truck tires in mountainous conditions during the construction of the Rogun hydro power plants

In the harsh mountainous conditions of the operation of trucks during the construction of hydraulic structures, the car tire is the most vulnerable element that determines the efficiency of the transport process and the cost of transportation. Due to a significant decrease in the resource of truck tires in the harsh mountain conditions, the cost of operating a vehicle increases significantly. The purpose of the study is related to the assessment, adjustment and regulation of the resource, as well as planning the costs of purchasing and the entire life cycle of truck tires operated in mountainous conditions. The work is devoted to the assessment of the formation of the resource of truck tires in the mountainous conditions of the construction of the Rogun HPP, taking into account the influence of the most significant factors. To assess the formation of the resource of truck tires in the mountainous conditions of the construction of the Rogun HPP, an integrated scientific approach was used, taking into account the most significant factors. The assessment of the influence of fluctuations of external influences on the object of research, depending on the conditions and nature of the process of formation of the tire resource was carried out by the probabilistic-statistical method, and the empirical characteristics of the distribution of the above factors were calculated by the method of V.I. Romanovsky. The simplified mathematical model presented in the article can be recommended when adjusting the tire resources of trucks in mountainous conditions during the construction of hydraulic structures (for example, the construction of the Rogun HPP). The practical significance of the work is associated with the selection and planning of the need for automobile tires, operated in mountain conditions. The research results can be recommended for assessing the resource of tires of various standard sizes and designs mounted on trucks of various modifications, operated in various road and climatic conditions during the construction of hydraulic structures.

The Potential of Hydro Renewable Energy Technology to Electricity Remote Villages in Papua and Maluku Islands, Indonesia

The islands of Papua and Maluku are eastern Indonesia which consists of remote islands and villages. The Papua Islands consist of 3,749 islands divided into two provinces, namely Papua and West Papua, while the Maluku Islands are 1,735 islands into two provinces of Maluku and North Maluku, the number of inhabited islands in Papua and Maluku around 230 islands and around 100 newly electrified islands. The electrification ratio for Papua is 47.69%, West Papua is 89.94%, Maluku is 87.02% and North Maluku is 88.68%. The electrification ratio is still below the national average. Maluku Islands and Papua Indonesia has abundant renewable energy natural resources, namely hydro potential. The total hydro energy potential of Papua and Maluku is 808 MW. To overcome this shortage of electricity, it is necessary to develop a renewable energy generation system according to the potential of the area, namely hydro power. Energy generation technology that is environmentally friendly, efficient, effective, and reliable can be a solution for electrification in Papua and Maluku. Hydro power plants using vortex turbines, picohydro turbines and axial turbines for permanent magnet generators can be a solution to electrify areas or villages remote in Papua and Maluku.

Rotating Disc Apparatus and its application to estimate sediment erosion in Hydro turbines

The removal of surface material due to repeated impacts of sediment is known as sediment erosion. This prominent phenomenon is found to exist on a run of the river types of hydro projects where the hydro turbines are exposed to sediment particles. It has drawn the attention of researchers, academic institutions, and hydropower developers to conduct research on this issue. Investigation of the problem at the site may require sophisticated equipment and sensors- set up for quantitative measurements. This process is time consuming and difficult as it is difficult to access the erosion location. Laboratory setup can be a solution to study and investigate erosion behaviour in well-controlled laboratory conditions. Among several erosion testing apparatuses, Rotating Disc Apparatus (RDA) has been used for the investigation of erosion as well as cavitation of hydro components, and to study the erosion resistivity of different materials. This device mainly consists of a rotating disc and an electric motor, which is used to rotate a disc-holding specimen. This paper evaluates the RDA for its applicability in simulating the flow on the surfaces of the components of the hydro turbines as that occurs in actual hydro power plants. The outcomes from the present study indicated that RDA produces promising erosion results and can simulate the wear conditions.

Assessing the Sustainable Development of Micro-Hydro Power Plants in an Isolated Traditional Village West Java, Indonesia

The sustainable development of micro-hydropower (MHP) plants is a challenge for rural electrification in developing countries, especially in Indonesia, which has diverse ethnic groups, cultures, and traditions in several isolated locations due to its complex terrain. The uniqueness of a social situation in a location can affect the sustainable electrification development. This study aimed to assess the sustainable development of MHP plants in the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, which has unique traditions and cultural characteristics. The assessment was conducted using the sustainable development indicator (SDI) method, the Ilskog method, which can include social, economic, environmental, technical, and institutional dimensions. Data were collected through field investigations and qualitative dialogs to understand the culture and ways of thinking. The results of the Ilskog method analysis revealed that the environmental dimensions had the highest scores, whereas economic dimensions had the lowest scores, indicating that the cultural background of the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar impacted the SDI scores. This was attributable to the decision of Kasepuhan’s traditional leader, which strengthened the community commitment to renewable energy use. However, the cultural background adversely impacted monetary income to sustain MHP plants. This study proposed that community innovation and microcredit availability could improve productive activities, resulting in better economic conditions to sustain MHP plants.

Run-of-the-River Hydro-PV Battery Hybrid System as an Energy Supplier for Local Loads

Hybrid hydro energy systems are usually analysed with pumped hydro storage systems, which can facilitate energy accumulation from other sources. Despite the lack of water storage, run-of-the-river hydropower plants are also attractive for hybrid systems owing to their low investment cost, short construction time, and small environmental impact. In this study, a hybrid system that contains run-of-the-river small hydro power plants (SHPs), PV systems, and batteries to serve local loads is examined. Low-power and low-head schemes that use variable-speed operation are considered. The novelty of this study is the proposal of a dedicated steady-state model of the run-of-the-river hydropower plant that is suitable for energy production analysis under different hydrological conditions. The presented calculations based on a real SHP of 150 kW capacity have shown that a simplified method can result in a 43% overestimation of the produced energy. Moreover, a one-year analysis of a hybrid system operation using real river flow data showed that the flow averaging period has a significant influence on the energy balance results. The system energy deficiency and surplus can be underestimated by approximately 25% by increasing the averaging time from day to month.