Archived Abstracts
The Theory of Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity: An Analysis of Leesville Lake
Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Open Access
Entry Number
80
Start Date
4-8-2020 4:15 PM
End Date
4-8-2020 4:30 PM
Department
Physics
Abstract
Hydroelectricity makes about one-sixth of the world's total electricity, which makes systems that can generate this electricity an important topic to study. One disadvantage that comes with building and utilizing these systems is that the water quality of the bodies of water involved is at risk of deteriorating. The hydroelectric pump-storage system that links Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake causes Leesville Lake's thermal stratification to vary since lake is constantly having large inflows and outflows of water. The amount of disruption in Leesville Lake depends on how much electricity American Electric Power wants to generate. The goal of this project is to model Leesville Lake and the three layers of stratification so that we can vary the amount of water that is brought in and taken out of the lake. This will allow us to see how much the thermal stratification is affected by the flows. As expected, the greater the flow of water results in greater mixing between the layers of thermal stratification. The model that was created predicts temperatures within three percent of their measured values.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Thomas Shahady Dr. Kevin Peterson Dr. Crystal Moorman
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The Theory of Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity: An Analysis of Leesville Lake
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Hydroelectricity makes about one-sixth of the world's total electricity, which makes systems that can generate this electricity an important topic to study. One disadvantage that comes with building and utilizing these systems is that the water quality of the bodies of water involved is at risk of deteriorating. The hydroelectric pump-storage system that links Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake causes Leesville Lake's thermal stratification to vary since lake is constantly having large inflows and outflows of water. The amount of disruption in Leesville Lake depends on how much electricity American Electric Power wants to generate. The goal of this project is to model Leesville Lake and the three layers of stratification so that we can vary the amount of water that is brought in and taken out of the lake. This will allow us to see how much the thermal stratification is affected by the flows. As expected, the greater the flow of water results in greater mixing between the layers of thermal stratification. The model that was created predicts temperatures within three percent of their measured values.