That is super interesting. Can the upper reservoir also be used to generate electricity later? Do you know of any youtube videos that break this down more? I have been enjoying learning about power storage options like this.
Not alot of good videos, here's one though.
Some systems have 1 generator and 1 pump assembly. MY plant has (4) pump / gen units. To pump, you use compressed air and blow the water out of the unit. Swap ABC to ACB phase rortation, basically swapping 2 phases of th 3 phase power. A smaller 20,000 hp starter motor spins the empty unit at rated speed about 275 rpm. Close the main breaker when your at 60hz on the generator. Fill the unit back with water, then open the inlet valve once the unit is producing enough pressure to pump water up the hill.
Used to be excellent back in the day with these huge fossil and nuclear units. Steam fossil plants take about 6-12 hours to restart if they shut down, so they just run at low load at night. Nuclear units basically run rated load all the time. All the extra megawatts on the grid would be sucked up in these pump storage plants. Then when extra demand is needed during the day, they run.
Most pumped storage plants dam up a river or in my case a creek. That is the lower resevoir. Upper reservoir is abut 1000ft up a mountain. MY plant has (4) units that can make a little over 1100 megawatts. About the same power as a nuclear plant. Pumping can be done in about 10 minutes, To start a unit in gen mode take about 2-3 minutes.
Many large fossil and nuclear plants have trouble making enough power to get themselves started without using the grid. Huge boiler pumps, Fans blowing air in the boiler and out, natural gas compressors for gas turbines, etc..... This place just needs a DC battery to get going. We do have backup diesel generators, but can start generating without them. We can start the grid to get these plants up and running again.
There's a pumped storage plant in california that pumps during the day and generates at night because all of the solar over there. Solar and wind can and have over generated from time to time. Higher than 60hz and higher voltages. Grids, the plants governor and exciter systems, and power line protetion packages are very coordinated to operate together as well s power dispatch control. Basically the system operator telling you to make so much power and when. The system basically need more storage. Battery sotrage, pumped hydro storage, or dispatchable loads, like asking a large electric using plant to use less or more load, like maybe a hydrogen generating plant, chlorine generating plant, or even large foundaries or smelting plants. Thats what the smart grid is more about, telling your load what to do. Shut of water heaters, dish washers, or using electric cars to stop charging, or even having the electric cars pump electricty back into the gird while plugged in. Be great to plug your car in and find out it didn't charge.....
My region has a pumped storage plant 2 run of the river approx 30ft tall dam plants on the mohawk river, and have 3 hydro plants that use NYC water aqueduct system between resevoirs.
I work on the controls and protection systems for the area. Not too bad, good pay, not alot of emails, not too many middle of night problems either. They even payed for my professional engineers license too. And I get to be in the middle of the catskill mountains. My wife's parents are getting well into their 70's, so we live next door. Alot of guys where I work have 50-150 acre playgrounds. Lots of public land to hunt, and the reservoirs allow boating and fishing too.
Blenheim-Gilboa-Pumped-Storage
www.nypa.gov
en.wikipedia.org
