Water management is being continuously extended beyond irrigation, water and hydroelectric projects to other areas and specific applications, such as pumped storage, aquaculture, waste and sewage management and other technical and industrial projects, that require hydrodynamic machines (pumps and hydraulic turbines) of special design. The company DRAKOS-POLEMIS FLUIDUSTRIA has been activated the last years in the field of special-purpose pumps, with significant presence on international markets and high percentage of exports in its turnover. It employs very qualified technical and scientific staff and continuously researches for new applications.
This research has been Co‐financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE - INNOVATE (project code:Τ1EDK-01334)
For the implementation of the project the Company collaborates with the Laboratory of Hydraulic Turbomachines (LHT) of the NTUA, one of the largest in Europe, with significant experience and know-how in the analysis of operation and optimal design of hydrodynamic machines, as well as the required potential of high skilled researchers, and advanced engineering infrastructure and equipment.
The Project will have a duration of 3 years and includes the following main stages: Initially, the Company will select two design areas for reversible pump/turbines, which are of considerable commercial interest and applicability prospects. In these areas two corresponding reversible machines will be parametrically designed and optimized by the LHT, using advanced computational fluid dynamics and numerical optimization tools.
The design optimization procedure will be carried out for two concurrent goals: Maximize efficiency and minimize impact on passing fish fauna in both directions.
Then, the Company will select one particular machine from each family of optimal solutions (Pareto fronts) and will construct two corresponding complete models. The models will be installed in specially configured test rigs of the partners in order to measure in detail their operating behavior within a load range, and to validate the reliability and accuracy of the design methodology.
At the same time, important innovative tools will be developed to support this new product and to enhance the know-how of the two Institutions: Development and application of a cavitation diagnosis system and of a telemetry system for on-line monitoring of machine operation. In addition, development of an innovative computational tool that simulates the fish passage through a hydrodynamic machine and correlates with biological data, aiming at creating a general index of assessment of the fish-friendly performance of a machine, depending on its design and the fish species of a specific site.
The benefits from the implementation of the proposed Project and from the wide-spread dissemination of its results will be very significant for the Company, since the Company will create and introduce an innovative and competitive product in the international market, and will acquire valuable know-how on modern machine design tools for Its research department. The benefits to the LHT will also be significant, as its team will perform cutting-edge research in collaboration with a dynamic and outward-looking manufacturing industry. Τhe project will make a remarkable contribution to boosting domestic added value in the renewable energy sector, as also to the Environment, with a new, more eco-friendly product.
For more details please visit the developed website of the project at HYDROVIO.