Newsletter – June 2011

To benefit from complementary areas of expertise or new technologies, IREQ counts on open innovation—a partnering approach to research and development that shares both the means deployed and the risks involved. To carry out its innovation projects, IREQ is strengthening its involvement with universities, government agencies, and both Québec and out-of-province firms and research centres. In 2010, some 46 new partnerships were developed with public and private players at both the national and international level.

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Hydro-Québec Production (HQP) and IREQ are among the six cofounders of CREFARRE (Consortium de recherche en fabrication et réparation des roues d’eau), whose work on turbine runner manufacturing research and repair got off the ground in 2011. With a $3 million budget over five years, the consortium is striving to meet the new challenges in hydropower that HQP and turbine manufacturer Alstom have to meet.

These two industry players have teamed up with key partners: two universities—École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and École Polytechnique de Montréal—and the National Research Council of Canada’s Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC).

Each partner is actively involved in the projects, which are entrusted to students doing their Master’s or Ph.D. in related fields. Numerical modeling of processes and characterization of materials are carried out at ÉTS, École Polytechnique de Montréal and IREQ. AMTC contributes by putting one of its specialized facilities at the disposal of CREFARRE at a reduced cost, while Alstom and Hydro-Québec provide access to facilities and equipment (workshops, laboratories, instrumentation, etc.) and, jointly with the universities, manage work conducted on their premises.

Modern hydraulic turbines have attained such a high degree of efficiency that the performance improvements still possible are achieved by minute changes, such as additional polishing of parts to improve their surface finish. This means lower friction between water and turbine, hence less energy lost.

With Alstom, IREQ is assessing how effectively the Scompi robot performs in-shop polishing to reduce hydrodynamic friction affecting turbine runner performance. If the results are favorable, it will determine whether industrial development of the process is feasible. The IREQ-developed Scompi welding robot can perform a range of maintenance and repair jobs on turbines and gates. The polishing method may be tested on other turbine parts whose performance is highly sensitive to roughness, such as wicket gates.

In April 2011, the Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) honored three IREQ teams for the technological breakthroughs they achieved to meet the needs of the wind power industry.

Head researchers from each team accepted an Annual Achievement Award on behalf of their colleagues. The three awards earned were for:

• real-time wind farm simulation tools
• a new simulation approach for the assessment of wind integration impacts on power grid operations, and
• work on computerizing specific operating data related to wind power integration.

Founded in 1989, UWIG has a mission to accelerate the development of good engineering and operational practices with a view to supporting the integration of wind-generated electricity into power grids.