Inputs / Outputs - General Workflow#

This section describes all avaliable inputs and outputs and presents a graphic with general workflow computations intended to all HydroGenerate users. The section Methods, functions, classes, and input handling includes detials on input handling, and describes all exisitng funcitons, methods, and classes to inform future contributors.

General Computations Workflow#

Fig. 1 shows the general workflow computations followed in HydroGenerate.

_images/GeneralWorkflow.SVG

Fig. 1 General Computations Workflow#

Inputs#

Table 1. List of HydroGenerate inputs, definition, variable types, option, and units.#

#

Variable Name

Definition

Type

Options

Required

Needed to calculate

Units (US)

Units (SI)

1

flow

Volume of water over time. Flow rate.

Numerical, series, pandas dataframe with DateTime index

-

yes

All calculations

cfs

m3/s

2

head

A measure of liquid pressure, expressed in terms of the height of a column of water. Change in water levels between the intake and the discharge point.

Numerical

-

yes

All calculations

ft

m

3

rated_power

Power output at design flow, nameplace capacity

Numerical

-

no

-

kW

kW

4

Hydropower_type

Type of hydropower calculation

String

Basic, Diversion, Hydrokinetics

yes, has default

All calculations

-

-

5

units

Units system

String

US, IS

yes, has default

All calculations

-

-

6

penstock_headloss_method

Method for allowing users to select a specific method for head loss

String

Darcy-Weisbach (default), Hazen-Williams.

yes, has default

Net head

-

-

7

design_flow

The flow rate for which the hydro turbine is designed

Numerical

-

no

Power calculation

cfs

m3/s

8

system_efficiency_o

Overal efficiency of the system

Percent

1 - 100

-

-

DL

9

generator_efficiency

Efficiency of the hydroelectric generator.

Percent

1 - 100

yes, has default

Power calculation

DL

10

turbine_type

Type of turbine used in the system.

String

Kaplan, Francis, Propellor, Pelton, Turgo, Crossflow

no

Efficiency

-

-

11

head_loss

Energy lost as water flow.

Numerical

-

no

Net head

ft

12

penstock_headloss_calculation

Variable used to indicate when to calculate head loss in the penstock

Boolean

-

yes, has default

Net head

-

-

13

penstock_length

Penstock length

Numerical

-

yes, if calculating head loss in the penstock.

Net head

ft

m

14

penstock_diameter

Penstock diameter

Numerical

-

no

Net head

ft

m

15

penstock_material

Penstock material

String

CastIron, Concrete, GalvanizedIron, Plastic, Steel

no

Net head

-

-

16

penstock_frictionfactor

Penstock friction factor

Numerical

-

no

Net head

DL

17

pctime_runfull

Percent of time a turbine runs full

Numerical / Percent

no

Design flow

-

18

max_headloss_allowed

Maximum head loss allowed in the penstock

Percent

1 - 100

yes, has default

Net head

ft

-

19

turbine_Rm

Turbine manufacture/design coefficient

Numerical

no

Turbine efficiency

-

-

20

pelton_n_jets

Number of jets in a Pelton turbine

Numerical

-

no

Turbine efficiency

-

-

21

flow_column

Name of the column that contains the flow data, if reading from a CSV file

String

-

yes, if reading flow data from a CSV

All calculations

-

-

22

channel_average_velocity

Channel average cross section velocity

Numerical

yes, for hydrokinetics

Hydrokinetics

-

-

23

hk_blade_diameter

Hydrokinetic turbine blade diameter

Numerical

-

no

Hydrokinetics

-

-

24

hk_blade_heigth

Hydrokinetic turbine blade height

Numerical

-

no

Hydrokinetics

-

-

25

hk_blade_type

Hydrokinetic turbine blade type

Numerical

ConventionalRotor, H-DarrieusRotor, DarrieusRotor

no

Hydrokinetics

-

-

26

hk_swept_area

Hydrokinetic turbine blades swept area

Numerical

-

no

Hydrokinetics

-

-

27

annual_caclulation

Method for allowing users to turn off annual parameter’s calculation

Boolean

no

Annual energy generated / Revenue

-

-

28

resource_category

Type of hydroelectryc project category

String

NewStream-reach, Non-PoweredDam, CanalConduit, UnitAddition, GeneratorRewind

yes, has default

Initial capital cost / O&M

-

-

29

electricity_sell_price

Electricity sell price

Numerical

-

yes, has default

Revenue

$/KW

$/KW

30

cost_calculation_method

Method for selecting between cost calculation methods

String

ORNL_HBCM

-

-

31

capacity_factor

Hydropower plant capacity factor

Numeric

0 - 1

-

-

-

-

32

n_operation_days

Number of days a year a hydroelectric plant operates

Numerical

1 - 365

no

Annual energy generated / Revenue

-

-

33

min_flow_check

Method for allowing users to turn on/off minimum flow check

Boolean

-

no

Minimum flow through the turbine

-

-

34

min_turbine_flow

Minimum flow rate passigin through the turbine

Numerical

-

no

Power calculation

cfs

m3/s

35

min_flow_percent

Minimum flow rate passigin through the turbine as a percentage of design flow

-

-

no

Power calculation

-

36

annual_maintenance_flag

Method for allowing users to turn on/off annual maintenance

Boolean

-

no

Power calculation

-

-

36

major_maintenance_flag

Method for allowing users to turn on/off major maintenance

Boolean

-

no

Power calculation

-

-

  • DL: dimensionless.

Outputs#

Table 2. List of HydroGenerate outputs, definition, variable type, and units.#

#

Variable Name

Definition

Type

Options

Units (US)

Units (SI)

1

annual_dataframe_output

Dataframe with annual summary

Pandas dataframe

-

-

-

2

annual_om

Annual operation and maintennance cost

Numeric

Million $

Million $

3

capacity_factor

Hydropower plant capacity factor

Numeric

0 - 1

-

-

4

channel_average_velocity

Average water velocity in a channel.

numeric

-

ft/s

-

5

dataframe_output

Dataframe with power and efficiency for each value of flow

Pandas dataframe

-

-

-

6

design_flow

Flow used for designing the hydropower system

-

cfs

m3/s

7

electricity_sell_price

Electricity sell price

Numerical

-

$/KW

$/KW

8

flow

Volume of water over time. Flow rate.

Numerical, series.

-

cfs

m3/s

9

flow_column

Name of the column that contains the flow data, if reading from a CSV file

String

-

-

-

10

flowduration_curve

Cumulative frequency curve that shows the percent of time specified discharges were equaled or exceeded during a given period

Pandas dataframe

-

cfs

m3/s

11

generator_efficiency

Efficiency of the hydroelectric generator.

Numerical / Percent

1 - 100

DL

12

head

A measure of liquid pressure, expressed in terms of the height of a column of water. Change in water levels between the intake and the discharge point.

Numerical

-

ft

m

13

head_loss

Energy lost as water flow.

Numerical

-

ft

m

14

hk_blade_diameter

Hydrokinetic turbine blade diameter

Numerical

-

ft

m

15

hk_blade_heigth

Hydrokinetic turbine blade height

Numerical

-

ft

m

16

hk_blade_type

Hydrokinetic turbine blade type

Numerical

ConventionalRotor, H-DarrieusRotor, DarrieusRotor

-

-

17

hk_swept_area

Hydrokinetic turbine blades swept area

Numerical

-

ft2

m2

18

hydropower_type

19

icc

Initial capital cost

Numeric

Million $

Million $

20

max_headloss_allowed

Maximum head loss allowed in the penstock

Numerical / Percent

1 - 100

-

-

21

n_operation_days

Number of days a year a hydroelectric plant operates

Numerical

1 - 365

-

-

22

net_head

Net hydraulic head

Numerical

-

ft

m

23

pctime_runfull

Percent of time a turbine runs full

Numerical / Percent

-

-

-

24

pelton_n_jets

Number of jets in a Pelton turbine

Numerical

-

-

-

25

penstock_design_diameter

Diameter of the penstock, calculated for the design flow

Numerical

-

ft

m

26

penstock_design_headloss

Head losses in the penstock at design flow.

Numerical

-

ft

m

27

penstock_diameter

Penstock diameter

Numerical

-

ft

m

28

penstock_frictionfactor

Penstock friction factor

Numerical

-

-

-

29

penstock_headloss_calculation

Indicator of whether head lossess in the penstock were calculated or not.

Boolean

-

-

-

30

penstock_headloss_method

Method for allowing users to select a specific method for head loss

String

Darcy-Weisbach (default), Hazen-Williams.

-

-

31

penstock_length

Penstock length

Numerical

-

ft

m

32

penstock_material_o

Penstock material

String

CastIron, Concrete, GalvanizedIron, Plastic, Steel

-

-

33

power

Power output for different values of flow

Series

KW

KW

34

rated_power

Power output at design flow, nameplace capcity

Numerical

-

kW

kW

35

resource_category

Type of hydroelectryc project category

String

NewStream-reach, Non-PoweredDam, CanalConduit, UnitAddition, GeneratorRewind

-

-

36

runner_diameter

Turbine runner diameter

Numeric

-

ft

m

37

system_efficiency

Total efficiency of the system. Total efficiency = turbine efficieincy * generator efficiency

Numerical / Percent

1 - 100

DL*

38

turbine_efficiency

Efficiency of the turbine for different flow values

Numerical / Percent

1 - 100

DL

39

turbine_flow

Flow that passed through the turbine

Series

-

cfs

m3/s

40

turbine_type_o

Type of turbine used in the system

String

Kaplan, Francis, Propellor, Pelton, Turgo, Crossflow

-

-

41

turbine_type_dict

All turbines suitable for a site, when more than 1

String

Kaplan, Francis, Propellor, Pelton, Turgo, Crossflow

-

-

turbine_type_dict

  • DL: dimensionless.