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Pulg U, Lennox RJ, Enqvist M, Stranzl SF, Espedal EO, Schwarz M, Lorke A, Flödl P, Hauer C, Schletterer M, Halleraker JH, Velle G. Assessing the potential for gas supersaturation downstream of hydropower plants in Norway, Austria and Germany. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174645. [PMID: 38986702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Hydroelectric power facilities can generate episodic total dissolved gas supersaturation (TDGS), which is harmful to aquatic life. We developed a decision tree-based risk assessment to identify the potential for TDGS at hydropower plants and conducted validation measurements at selected facilities. Applying the risk model to Norway's hydropower plants (n = 1696) identified 473 (28 %) high-risk plants characterized by secondary intakes and Francis or Kaplan turbines, which are prone to generating TDGS when air is entrained. More than half of them discharge directly to rivers (283, 17 % of total). Measurements at 11 high-risk plants showed that 8 of them exhibited biologically relevant TDGS (120 % to 229 %). In Austria and Germany, the analysis of hydropower plants was limited due to significant data constraints. Out of 153 hydropower plants in Austria, 80 % were categorized at moderate risk for TDGS. Two Austrian plants were monitored, revealing instances of TDGS in both (up to 125 %). In Germany, out of 403 hydropower plants, 265 (66 %) fell into the moderate risk, with none in the high-risk category. At a dam in the Rhine River, TDGS up to 118 % were observed. Given the uncertainty due to limited data access and the prevalence of run-of-river plants in Austria and Germany, there remains an unclarified risk of TDGS generation in these countries, especially at spillways of dams and below aerated turbines. The results indicate a previously overlooked potential for the generation of biologically harmful TDGS at hydropower installations. It is recommended to systematically screen for TDGS at hydropower installations through risk assessment, monitoring, and, where needed, the implementation of mitigation measures. This is increasingly critical considering the expanding global initiatives in hydropower and efforts to maintain the ecological status of freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Pulg
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Robert J Lennox
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin Enqvist
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Sebastian Franz Stranzl
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Espen Olsen Espedal
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Michael Schwarz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Andreas Lorke
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Peter Flödl
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sediment Research and Management, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research, Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Am Brigittenauer Sporn 3, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Hauer
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sediment Research and Management, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research, Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Am Brigittenauer Sporn 3, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Schletterer
- TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft AG, Eduard-Wallnöfer-Platz 2, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jo Halvard Halleraker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), S.P. Andersens veg 5, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Gaute Velle
- Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (LFI) at NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Nygårdsporten 112, 5008 Bergen, Norway; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Postboks 7803, N-5020, Norway
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Wang H, Wang Y, Li K, Liang R, Zhao W. Tolerance threshold of a pelagic species in China to total dissolved gas supersaturation: from the perspective of survival characteristics and swimming ability. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae023. [PMID: 38765883 PMCID: PMC11099944 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Total dissolved gas (TDG) supersaturation downstream of dams can occur in the Yangtze River basin and is known to cause stress and even death in fish. Consequently, it is important to establish tolerance thresholds of endemic fish to protect local aquatic resources. We conducted experiments to assess survival characteristics and swimming ability of bighead carp, an important commercial fish dwelling in the Yangtze River, to evaluate its tolerance threshold to TDG supersaturation. The typical external symptoms of gas bubble trauma (GBT) were observed and the time when the fish lost equilibrium and died were recorded. The results showed that the mortality occurred when TDG level exceeded 125%, with obvious symptoms such as exophthalmos and bubbles on the head. The interval between loss of equilibrium and mortality decreased with an increase in TDG level. Neither exposure time nor TDG level significantly affected the critical swimming speed (Ucrit) of fish exposed to non-lethal exposure (110%, 120% and 125% TDG) over a 7 day period. Significant reductions in Ucrit were found under 130% and 135% TDG conditions when the exposure lasted 52.0 h and 42.9 h, respectively. The Ucrit also significantly decreased after exposure of 1.6 h under 140% TDG condition. Moreover, after exposure to 140% TDG for 39.2 h, 135% TDG for 56.5 h and 130% TDG for 95.9 h, bighead carp were transferred into air saturated water to recover for 24 h or 48 h; however, swimming performance remained impaired. The results of this study indicate that 125% TDG was the highest TDG level where limited mortality was observed and the swimming ability was not impaired, showing that 125% TDG can be set as the tolerance threshold of this species to guide the operation of dams in the Yangtze River Basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yuanming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Kefeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Ruifeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Weiyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610207, China
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Cheng X, Zhu DZ, Li R, Feng J, Wang H, Yang Q, Li K, Li P. TDG prediction model improvement by analysis and validation of experiments on a dam model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:34324-34339. [PMID: 38700768 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33543-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The combination of aerated flows and a high-pressure environment in a stilling basin can result in the supersaturation of total dissolved gas (TDG) downstream of hydraulic projects, posing an ecological risk to aquatic populations by inducing gas bubble disease (GBD) or other negative effects. There is limited literature reporting TDG mass transfer experiments on a complete physical dam model; most existing research is based on measurements in prototype tailwaters. In this study, TDG mass transfer experiments were conducted on a physical model of an under-constructed dam, with TDG-supersaturated water as the inflow, and TDG concentrations were meticulously monitored within the stilling basin. The measurements indicate that the TDG saturation at the outlet of the stilling basin decreased by 13.7% and 10.6% compared to the inlet for the two cases, respectively. Subsequently, an improved TDG prediction model was developed by incorporating a sub-grid air entrainment model and a phase-constrained scalar model. The numerical simulation results were compared with experimental data, indicating a maximum error in TDG saturation at all measured points of less than ± 3%. Moreover, the TDG saturation showed an error of only ± 0.3% at the outlet of the stilling basin. This model has broad applicability to various flow types for obtaining TDG mass transfer results and evaluating mitigation measures of TDG supersaturation to reduce the harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - David Z Zhu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ningbo University, Zhejiang, 315211, China
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Ran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Jingjie Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Hang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Kefeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
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Cheng X, Li R, Feng J, Zhu DZ, Li K. TDG generation in a ski-jump spillway with a fully or partial-flip bucket. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 353:120123. [PMID: 38306854 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Ski-jump spillways are frequently used as discharge structures for high dams during floods with high energy heads. The selection of bucket types at the end of spillways has a pronounced effect on the hydraulics of jet characteristics, such as trajectories and entrained air features. However, there is no literature reporting how changes in the bucket types influence TDG generation. This study compares the hydraulic characteristics and TDG mass transfer properties of a hydraulic project under construction using both the traditional fully-flip bucket and the partial-flip bucket configurations. The results indicate that, the use of the partial-flip bucket at the end of the spillway significantly disperses the water flow and yields better energy dissipation effects. At low flow rates (lower than 400 m3/s for the dam in this study), there is little difference in the downstream TDG saturation between the traditional fully-flip bucket and the partial-flip bucket, the average difference is 1.6 % in three cases with a low flow rate. However, at high flow rates (higher than 400 m3/s), the partial-flip bucket generates more TDG compared to the traditional fully-flip bucket, reaching up to 6.2 % at the maximum flow rate. This phenomenon stems from significant changes in the hydrodynamics of the stilling basin at high flow rates due to variations in the flip bucket type. When strict control of TDG generation is necessary downstream of dams, the use of the partial-flip bucket should be carefully considered. This is because, at high flow rates, the partial-flip bucket might result in higher TDG saturation than the fully-flip bucket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Ran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Jingjie Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - David Z Zhu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ningbo University, Zhejiang, 315211, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Kefeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
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