Dr. Jürgen Skripalle
Managing Director Center of Competence AFM
Digitalization opens new possibilities for the efficient operation of hydropower plants. With proven flow measurement systems and our experience in planning, design, and turnkey installation, we increase the efficiency and safety of your hydropower infrastructure.
In light of increasing water scarcity, we carefully monitor water consumption in hydropower plants. Our flow measurement in penstocks ensures efficient and reliable operation, maximizes energy production, and protects the infrastructure. This is particularly crucial for pumped storage power plants, which store renewable energy and provide it during peak demand, ensuring a sustainable and high-performance energy supply.
We plan and implement the engineering of measuring points for hydropower production, thereby creating the foundation for efficient and compliant plant operation. Based on the hydraulic and operational parameters, we optimally design measuring methods, sensors, and data communication, and seamlessly integrate the measuring point into existing control systems. This enables precise performance and efficiency analyses, increases operational reliability, and supports the sustainable use of water resources.
We implement measuring points for hydropower production and handle the complete commissioning of all measurement and communication components. We precisely execute the planned design, professionally install sensors, measuring devices, and data transmission systems, and reliably integrate the measuring point into existing control systems. Through structured tests, calibrations, and functional checks, we ensure high measurement accuracy, operational reliability, and compliance with standards. This enables robust performance and efficiency analyses, as well as transparent and sustainable monitoring of plant operations.
We handle the operation and servicing of our flow meters in hydropower production, ensuring reliable and precise data acquisition. Our services include continuous monitoring of the meters, regular calibrations, and rapid troubleshooting. This guarantees consistently high measurement accuracy, compliance with legal requirements, and seamless integration into higher-level control systems. Our service creates transparency in plant operations, supports efficiency monitoring, and contributes to the sustainable use of water resources.
We offer hydropower operators customized solutions for flow measurement, level measurement, and turbidity measurement. Our systems precisely record all relevant parameters, process the data reliably, and integrate it seamlessly into higher-level control systems. This enables reliable performance and efficiency analyses, increases operational reliability, and supports the sustainable use of water resources. With our experience in hydropower, we deliver solutions precisely tailored to the requirements of turbines, penstocks, and plant operations.
We are experts in data acquisition, communication, and processing for hydropower, as well as process control. Our customers benefit from a broad portfolio of technologies and products, along with dedicated contacts for all aspects of system integration in hydropower plants. As a solutions provider, we offer our hydropower customers comprehensive support – from selecting suitable measuring devices and professional installation to successful commissioning. This ensures seamless, secure, and future-proof measurement and communication solutions for hydropower plants from a single source.
Flow measurement fulfills four key functions for us: it enables the precise determination of efficiency, continuous monitoring of performance, and the early detection of pipe breaks and leaks. As a reliable partner of leading manufacturers, we stand for expert consultation and the implementation of turnkey flow measurement systems. Thanks to our global experience, we realize precise, site-specific solutions that are exactly tailored to the respective requirements for measurement accuracy, operational reliability, and plant availability.
Ultrasonic flow measurement methods vary significantly in their accuracy depending on the measurement principle. However, for field acceptance tests, only a few methods achieve the required measurement accuracy of less than ±1.5%. Measurement methods based on transit-time difference in combination with acoustic multipath measurement meet these high requirements. With the Ductus system, we at GWF rely precisely on this proven measurement principle, thus ensuring precise and reliable performance evaluations under real-world operating conditions.
Monitoring turbine and plant efficiency requires the precise acquisition of various measurement data, including reservoir levels, pressure values before and after the turbine, and electrical power output. Our GWFsystems continuously collect this data, automatically calculate the relevant key performance indicators (KPIs), and reliably transmit them to higher-level control systems. While the investment costs may be higher depending on the application, this ensures compliance with legal requirements, creates complete transparency in plant operations, and supports the sustainable use of water resources. Given the increasing regulatory pressure, our solutions make a crucial contribution to operational safety, efficiency, and compliance.
Where permanent measuring systems are not feasible, we rely on the Winter-Kennedy method as a proven alternative. This method enables the determination of relative flow rate based on pressure measurements at two defined measuring points. To ensure high measurement accuracy, we calibrate the necessary proportionality factors directly on-site using temporary, non-contact measuring systems. With the Ductus system, we at GWF provide a mobile measuring solution that enables precise calibration as well as reliable and standards-compliant monitoring of plant operation.
A rupture in the pressure line leads to an abrupt increase in flow velocity or volume, exceeding clearly defined limits. Such events, caused by damage to pipelines, valves, or gates, can result in flooding and significant property damage. Our continuous flow monitoring allows us to detect sudden pipe ruptures early and immediately trigger safety measures, such as automatically shutting down the system. This increases operational reliability, minimizes risks, and provides sustainable protection for infrastructure and the environment.
Leaks often develop gradually and can cause significant long-term damage, especially in geologically sensitive areas. Our GWFsolution continuously compares the flow rates at the beginning and end of a pipeline to detect even minor deviations early on. If a predefined threshold is exceeded, we automatically trigger alerts to the higher-level control system or via SMS. This enables timely intervention before damage spreads and makes a crucial contribution to operational safety and the long-term protection of infrastructure.
Are you interested in our services or another customer segment? We look forward to hearing from you.