Wasted Water Pressure and Potential Energy Generation. A Feasibility Study of the Hydroelectric Potential in Part of the Domestic Water System of Boulder, Colorado. Draft Final

摘要

Colorado Project/Tip's study of the feasibility of using the City of Boulder's domestic water system for the generation of electricity was funded by an Appropriate Technology Grant from the Department of Energy, Region VIII. It has looked at how the extreme pressure being generated in this gravity water system can be used for a beneficial use rather than the current practice of simply venting or releasing it to the atmosphere. Turbines or pumps are studied as the means of converting the wasted pressure into energy. A review of the water system showed that five potential sites exist for installations of turbines or pumps: Silver Lake, Kossler, Sunshine, Orodell and 6th and Canyon. Data on water flows, elevation differences, pressures and operating procedures were integrated into an optimized flow control strategy for operating the water system while gaining maximum potential for the generation of electricity. Water from the mountain watersheds would continue to flow into the Betasso Water Treatment Plant as now. However, flows from the Silver Lake Line would be made constant as possible on a daily basis with the Kossler Line supplying additional needs. Flows of treated water from the Betasso Plant would be split 85/15 into the Sunshine/Orodell Lines rather than the current 60/40 split. Using the optimized flow control strategy, the power available for each site can be calculated from the pressures experienced, or elevation differences. Turbines can then be selected which would be appropriate for each site. Finally, the cost of the installed turbine plus auxiliary equipment to connect it to a load can be calculated and related to the minimum price which would be necessary to allow the project to break even. (ERA citation 10:048335)