New research challenges and aging equipment in the laboratories has lead the Norwegian Research Council to grant HydroCen labs 55 million NOK to upgrade, refurbish and expand laboratories for hydropower research.

– This will be a national revival of research-infrastructure that will contribute to position Norwegian scientists at the forefront of the international hydropower research, says project leader Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug.

The research infrastructure at the Waterpower Laboratory (established 1917) and the Hydraulic Laboratory (established 1958) at NTNU have played a major role in making Norway a world leading nation of hydropower technology. Today they are in dire need of upgrading.

Without sufficient research facilities and the multidisciplinary research groups at the Norwegian Research Centre for Hydropower Technology  – HydroCen - the Norwegian hydropower industry cannot meet their future challenges of adapting an aging sector to future energy markets.

Long term plan for massive upgrades

First, the goal is to upgrade the Waterpower Laboratory and Hydraulic Laboratory so researchers can find new solutions for flexible hydropower in a renewable energy system.

– Secondly, we wish to link these two laboratories with research infrastructure on smart grids, generators, geology and fish behaviour, says Dahlhaug.

In the application HydroCen showed the need for 199 million NOK over the next 8 years . The project is divided in 3 phases to achieve this. The first phase has s been granted 55 million NOK. The work for the first phase begins in 2020 and most of the new or refurbished infrastructure will be operational by 2023.

– New infrastructure in HydroCen laboratories will position Norwegian scientists at the forefront of the international hydropower research, says Dahlhaug.

The Waterpower-, Smart Grid- and Material Testing laboratories Procurement, refurbishment and installation of new equipment to make the laboratories suitable for high quality research on hydropower technologies.

Among other things, low-, and high pressure systems, generator multi-stress rig and virtual mechanical connection between the Waterpower laboratory and Smart Grid facility. The Hydrolic laboratory and Geology facility

The upgrades will ensure a hydraulic laboratory with an infrastructure and instrumentation suited for the hydropower industry, to investigate and solve future societal water related challenges.

New flumes, equipment for hydraulic measurement and model construction, new water circulation system and experimental equipment for testing rock stability are some of the measures that are planned. In the next phase, investments for equipment to study fish behavior will be initiated.