Lower St. Anthony Falls HYDROMATRIX A Success Story for Low Impact Hydropower at Existing U.S.

Dams
Alexander Bihlmayer and Douglas Spaulding
Abstract Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam on the upper Mississippi River is a new example of an existing navigation dam in the United States licensed for hydropower generation using the HYDROMATRIX concept. The development and construction of this run-of-river hydropower facility is a collaboration between SAF Hydroelectric LLC, the US Army Corps of Engineers and VA TECH HYDRO. The construction project is anticipated to start in April of 2007 and is currently in its final development phase. Introduction For the past 5 years, VA TECH HYDRO has worked on the development of hydropower projects at existing navigation dams, retired lock structures, and other existing dam and gate structures around the World using the HYDROMATRIX concept. The realization of four projects within this time period is a testament to the technical and economical viability of this innovative renewable resource technology. The HYDROMATRIX Concept The HYDROMATRIX concept is a patented technology utilizing an array of small propeller type turbine-generator units (TG-Units). These TG-Units are arranged in a matrix-type configuration to utilize the existing civil structure and to fit into an existing water passage. The TG-Units are mounted onto a steel structure, also called a Module. The Module design is integrated into the existing civil structure, requiring only minor modifications, if any, to the existing structure and allowing continued operation of the Locks and Dam. In one of the various possible configurations, the Module contains only the TG-Units (see Figures 1 and 2).

Fig. 1 Modules at Jebel Aulia Dam housing 2 TG-Units in horizontal configuration. Modules shown in raised position from upstream side, yellow gantry crane to lift Modules, 40 Modules, total plant output 30 MW.

Fig.2 Turbine Generator Unit at Jebel Aulia Dam

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In another application, the module may also house the complete electrical and auxiliary equipment for the power plant itself (see Figures 3 and 4).

Fig 3 Cross Section of a Module housing 34 TG-Units and complete electric switchgear equipment

Fig. 4 Module (seen from upstream side)

Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam Lower St. Anthony Falls (LSAF) Lock and Dam is located on the Mississippi River on the right bank of the river in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The project is bordered by Hennepin County on all sides and is virtually in the center of the metropolis (See Fig.4). LSAF forms part of the Inland Waterway Navigation System and was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) between 1950 and 1956. It consists of a main lock, an uncompleted auxiliary lock, a dam section equipped with radial gates, a non-overflow concrete dam, and a non-overflow earthen dam (See Figures 5 and 6).

Fig.5: Aerial view of Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls, Minneapolis

Fig. 6: Aerial view of Lower St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dam

While the main lock is fully functional for navigation, the auxiliary lock consists of only an upstream gate bay. The upper gates in both locks are submersible radial gates, which can be
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used to discharge high flows in case of flooding. The pool level upstream of LSAF is maintained at 750 feet A.S.L. and the tailrace level ranges between 722 and 735 ft. A.S.L. depending on the river flow. The dam section equipped with radial gates extends from the auxiliary lock to the non-overflow closure dam located on the left bank of the main river channel (Fig. 5) and consists of three 56 foot wide radial gates. The gates are submersible up to 6 feet below nominal upper pool level to help in passing ice or debris. The concrete non-overflow dam is approximately 230 feet in length with a top elevation of 755.0 feet. Xcel Energy operated a hydropower plant adjacent to the non-overflow concrete portion of the dam from 1897 until the powerhouse collapsed in November 1987 and was replaced with a non-overflow earthen dam with an elevation of 757.0 feet. (Fig 5). Xcel Energy determined that replacement was not feasible and removed the project from their FERC license for the Upper St. Anthony Falls project. Development and Licensing process of Lower St. Anthony Falls The development of the new Lower St. Anthony Falls Project began in 2001 when SAF Hydroelectric LLC filed a preliminary permit at the project site. Subsequently SAF filed a license application in January 2004 and received a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February 2006. The project also applied for and was selected for a Renewable Energy Grant from Xcel Energy. This $2,000,000 grant was awarded from the Renewable Energy Development Fund which was mandated by the Minnesota State Legislature. Project development has required extensive coordination with the Corps of Engineers regarding the use of the auxiliary lock structure and operational and construction activities at the Corps facility. The Lower St. Anthony Falls Hydroelectric Project The latest example of VA TECH Hydros HYDROMATRIX technology can soon be found at the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. The 10 MW plant has been developed by a private development group and will be installed in the existing auxiliary lock owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Start of site construction is scheduled to begin in late spring of 2007 with completion of the project in summer of 2008. The LSAF Hydroelectric Project will consist of the following main facilities: Eight removable steel modules, each module containing two (2) horizontal 4.16 kilovolt (kV) turbine-generator units (TG-Units) positioned in the module, one above the other in a vertical arrangement An Obermeyer spillway gate located at the top of the retaining wall An overhead traveling gantry crane to raise and lower the TG-Units spanning across the two locks. An outdoor switchyard housing the main transformer and switchgear A 13.8 kV underground primary transmission line A control building to house the control system and part of the station service system

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Figure 7 shows a sectional view of the auxiliary lock with the newly constructed retaining wall. The draft tubes form an integral part of the wall. Above the draft tubes is an underground equipment gallery, which houses the generator switchgear and Hydraulic Power Unit for operation of the draft tube gates. Pneumatically operated spillway gates are installed on top of the retaining wall and are used to spill small ice and debris that may collect in these areas. (See Figure 8) The eight (8) Modules with the sixteen (16) TG-Units are installed in eight (8) guide slots located on the upstream side of a newly constructed retaining wall inside the existing auxiliary lock structure (See Figure 8) On the top level of the auxiliary lock, steel platforms will be mounted across the lock to allow installation of cable reels. When the TG-Units are lifted out of the water by the overhead traveling gantry crane (OHTC) during maintenance or in the event of flooding, the power and control cables are automatically reeled up on the cable reels. c Retaining Wall d TG-Units e Draft Tubes f Drafttube Gate g Cable reel h Switchgear i Spillway Gates j OHTC k Radial Gate

g i h k d c e f

Fig. 7: Cross Section of Lower St. Anthony Falls Hydroelectric Project

The electrical power is transmitted from the TG-Units through the transmission cables of the cable reels to the generator switchgear located inside the underground gallery. A cable bus system mounted to the runway support structure of the OHTC will transfer the electric power to the main transformer and a 13.8 kV outdoor switchyard located on the right embankment on the upstream side of the dam (Fig.9). From the 13.8 kV switchgear an underground transmission line will transfer the electrical power to the grid interconnection point located adjacent to the Corps dam superstructure on the Minneapolis shore.

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The LSAF hydropower plant will be fully automated using a PLC type control system. Monitoring of the hydro plant operations will be performed from a newly constructed plant control building situated along the upstream dam access road adjacent to the plant switchyard (Fig. 9).

Fig.8: Down stream view of auxiliary lock showing architectural rendering of retaining wall with draft tube gates and Obermeyer spillway gates

Fig. 9: Upstream view of LSAF Locks and Dam with architectural rendering of operating building and switchyard located on the right embankment

Turbine Generator Units The design of the TG-Units is derived form VA TECH HYDROs classic concepts for small compact hydro turbines. With the ongoing developments and the specific needs for each application, VA TECH HYDRO has created three types of TG-Units, all using an unregulated propeller type runner with fixed stay vanes: The asynchronous type (using a low or medium voltage asynchronous generator), the synchronous type using the same design as the asynchronous but with a synchronous generator featuring a rotor with permanent magnets and the StrafloMatrix type. StrafloMatrix TG-Unit The unique feature of this innovative system is the generator rotor, which is integrated into the turbine runner design, where the outer edge of the turbine blade supports the generator rotor with both turbine and generator rotor spinning under flow as a single unit.

Fig.10: StrafloMatrix TG-Unit

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This configuration allows to significantly reduce the length of the unit in the direction of flow, thus enabling applications where such space is limited. The StrafloMatrix operates synchronously with the power distribution grid, which is advantageous for applications where induction generators may not be acceptable. Considering the interconnection requirements and site conditions, the StrafloMatrix design was chosen for the Lower St. Anthony Falls project. Project Execution The project is executed by VA TECH HYDRO under a turn-key engineering procurement construction (EPC-) contract with the Customer being responsible for civil engineering services and construction of the plant operation building. After completion of the design and engineering work in the fall of 2006, site construction is scheduled to begin in spring of 2007. Site construction will encompass the following major work: Installation of the overhead traveling crane which will also serve as a construction crane Construction of a temporary sheet pile wall on the downstream end of the auxiliary lock to enable dewatering of the Construction Area Concrete wire cutting of the lock walls to create equipment and personnel access hatches into the new equipment gallery Construction of the permanent retaining wall Installation of all electromechanical equipment The Project is scheduled to be fully operational by summer of 2008.

References: Water Control Manual Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dam, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, May 2004 Paper: HYDROMATRIX Experiences with implemented plants (Rudolf Hammelmueller, Markus Schneeberger, Harald Schmid Villach/Austria, 2005) Authors: Douglas Spaulding is an Independent Consultant specializing in dam safety, regulatory and development activities related to hydroelectric projects. He holds a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and serves as Manager of SAF Hydroelectric LLC, the developer of the Lower St. Anthony Falls Project. Alexander Bihlmayer is a sales and project manager at VA TECH HYDRO USA Corp. He holds a master degree in mechanical engineering and business administration and is responsible for the proposal engineering and project management aspects of HYDROMATRIX projects in the United States.
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