Performance Evaluation of Ocean Small Hydropower Plant by Analyzing Water Level and Flow Rate of Circulating Water

The Samcheonpo ocean small hydropower plant (SHP) has a special feature of using marginal hydraulic head of circulating water system of fossil fuel power plant as a power source and having the characteristics of general hydropower generation and tidal power generation as well. Also, it contributes to reducing green house gases and developing clean energy source by recycling circulating water energy otherwise dissipated into the ocean. The efficiency of small hydropower plant is directly affected by effective head and flow rate of discharged water. Therefore, the efficiency characteristics of ocean hydropower plant are analyzed with the variation of water level and flow rate of discharged water, which is based on the accumulated operation data of the Samcheonpo hydropower plant. After the start of small hydropower plant operation, definite rise of water level was observed. As a result of flow pattern change from free flow to submerged flow, the instability of water surface in overall open channel is increased but it doesn't reach the extent of overflowing channel or having an effect on circulation system. Performance evaluation result shows that the generating power and efficiency of small hydropower exceeds design requirements in all conditions. Analysis results of CWP's water flow rate verify that the amount of flowing water is measured less and the highest efficiency of small hydropower plant is achieved when the effective head has its maximum value. In conclusion, efficiency curve derived from water flow rate considering tidal level shows the best fitting result with design criteria curve and it is verified that overall efficiency of hydropower system is satisfactory.