The Hydropower Testing Network (HyTN) Program, developed in a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office, the Office of Technology Transitions, and ENERGYWERX aims to raise the technology readiness of hydropower innovations. The HyTN Program meets this objective by connecting U.S.-based technology developers to facilities that can provide the testing capabilities needed to increase the technical readiness and commercialization potential of innovative approaches to support the hydropower industry.

Recently the DOE announced the selection of twelve technology developers that will receive support through the HyTN Program to perform tests to advance the readiness of their hydropower technologies. kW River Hydroelectric is one such technology developer selected and matched with Verdantas Flow Labs to conduct proof-of-concept testing to evaluate the performance of a prototype kW River Hydroelectric Crossflow Turbine System, which captures energy from moving water as its blades turn. The prototype Crossflow Turbine System is designed for installation on the downstream base of a low head dam in such a manner as to not inhibit water flow. The design spans the river from edge to edge to allow it to capture all water flowing over the dam. The kW River Hydroelectric technology is unique as it is “aesthetically invisible” due to being completely underwater instead of attached to an above-water portion of a dam. The technology and its placement on the dam should also inherently reduce turbulent backflow on the downstream side of the dam substantially improving dam safety. The proposed testing will establish whether the primary components of the protype Crossflow Turbine System will perform as predicted while under simulated real-world conditions.

Verdantas Flow Labs will work with kW River Hydroelectric to design a laboratory hydraulic performance evaluation to establish whether the primary components of the Crossflow Turbine System prototype will perform in unison as predicted. Testing will be conducted within the Hopper Facility at Verdantas Flow Labs to simulate real-world conditions and determine if the prototype performs as expected. Hydraulic testing is expected to commence in the summer of 2025 with a full report submitted to DOE by year end.

Verdantas Flow Labs is a recognized leader in the hydropower industry and the field of fluid dynamics consulting, research, and development.  From the early days of hydropower in the late-1800’s measuring the torque output of water wheels and hydropower turbines, to the developed of a fish-friendly hydropower turbine in 1990’s, and more recently the evaluation of blade strike fish survival, Verdantas Flow Labs has been on the forefront of hydropower turbine research and development. This long history of expertise has made Verdantas Flow Labs a leader in environmental mitigation, hydraulic modeling for engineering and biological performance, flow measurements and turbine performance testing in support of the hydropower industry.

Do you have an innovative hydropower turbine, ClimateTech, BlueTech, or other flow-related technology requiring testing to advance its commercial readiness? Please connect with Dan Giza, Senior Consultant (dgiza@verdantas.com) to discuss how Verdantas Flow Labs can support your R&D needs and even assist in identifying funding.

Project Features:

• Innovative Hydropower Turbine
• Hydraulic Performance Testing
• Research and Development
• Proof-of-Concept Evaluation
• Data Evaluation and Reporting