A Cost-Disruptive, Low Impact, Modular Form Factor Low-Head Hydropower system Award Number: DE-EE0007243 CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6 Wind and Water Power Technologies Office Date: 12/17/2015 Location(s): MA Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
December 17, 2015
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A Cost-Disruptive, Low Impact, Modular Form Factor Low-Head Hydropower
Award Number: DE-EE0007243
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6
Wind and Water Power Technologies Office
Date: 12/17/2015
Location(s): MA
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to Litoral Power Systems, Inc. to re-purpose standard shipping containers and connectors to create dams using modular, prefabricated units that can be swapped out for repair and maintenance.
Proposed project activities would include economic analysis, engineering analysis & design, computational modeling, and assembly and testing of the prototype dam. Economic and engineering analyses and design would occur at the Littoral office in New Bedford, MA, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO and the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, MA. Computational modeling, assembly and testing of the prototype dam would occur at Alden Research Laboratory in Holden, MA. The prototype dam would be constructed from two shipping containers stacked on top of one another. The shipping containers would be placed in an existing, indoor, 100 foot by 10 foot by 20 foot test tank at the Alden Labs facility. The tank would then be sealed off and water would be added to test seepage between adjoining modules. Approximately 26,000 gallons of water would be used for tank testing. Standard practice at Alden is to re-use as much water as possible when testing. The assembly and dis-assembly of the dam would be closely reviewed and monitored to evaluate ability and ease of installation and removal. Testing would involve qualitative investigations with dye to find sources of any leakage in the dam. Remedies for sources of leakage would be evaluated.