Novel approach for hydrokinetic turbine applications

• New approach for hydrokinetic turbine application to increase the harnessed power from dams and barrages is presented.
• The proposed approach is tested by the data of 2D spillway physical model of new Assiut barrage in Egypt.
• The expected captured electric power is 14.88 MW compared to 32 MW rated value of the existing hydropower plant.
• The new approach will minimize the destructive effect of the enormous kinetic energy downstream the gates.
• Challenges and potentials of the new proposed approach are fully presented.

By 2017, Egypt is expected to finish its sixth hydropower plant which is associated with the new Assiut barrage. Based on any hydraulic structure's design, there is enormous kinetic energy created downstream of the gates. This super power water jet generated under dams/barrage gates creates a destructive scouring effect downstream of the gates. In this work, a novel approach for hydrokinetic energy application is presented. The new approach proposes installing a farm of hydrokinetic turbines on the stilling basin of the spillways of the barrage's gate. This approach does not only magnify the total electric energy which was untapped in the past but also dissipates the enormous kinetic energy downstream of the gates. The total expected captured electric power from the barrage reaches 14.88 MW compared to 32 MW rated value of the existing hydropower plant.