Operations – Classroom Presentations
CLEAN CURRENTS 2026
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Day: 9/23/2026
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Details about each presentation and the speakers are below:
In this session:
Efficiency Isn't a Guarantee: Turning As-Installed Turbine Performance into Dispatch, O&M, and ROI Gains
Digitalizing Hydropower Operations: Tools, Mindset & Change Management
Stator Expansion Issue at Boundary Dam Unit 51 Revealed and Corrected with a Condition Monitoring System
Efficiency Isn't a Guarantee: Turning As-Installed Turbine Performance into Dispatch, O&M, and ROI Gains (KGS Group)
Presented by Albert Mikhail, KGS Group
Hydro operators and consultants often dispatch units, justify upgrades, and plan water management using the turbine manufacturer's expected efficiency curve, assuming the refurbished or new unit will perform exactly as predicted. Field experience from 600+ prototype efficiency tests shows that peak efficiency, best wicket gate setting, hill chart shape, and maximum output commonly deviate from expectations by about 2% to 9%. Over time, those gaps compound into avoidable revenue loss, inefficient water use, and decision making based on incorrect setpoints and economics.
This presentation explores three real world case studies where measured as-installed performance testing can materially change operational and commercial outcomes. We then outline a practical workflow to establish defensible performance measurement baselines for flow, head, and efficiency, with emphasis on uncertainty management, repeatability, and decision-ready reporting using methods aligned with IEC 60041. The case studies demonstrate how baseline data can be used to: (1) optimize dispatch and operating setpoints by identifying the true best efficiency region; (2) trend performance drift to trigger predictive maintenance and targeted inspections; (3) quantify realistic refurbishment/redevelopment benefits and avoid over- or under-estimating ROI; and (4) support warranty/acceptance discussions by negotiating uncertainty bands and acceptance criteria.
A key theme is right-sizing performance monitoring for asset monitoring and management. The presentation will compare high accuracy absolute methods suited to acceptance testing and overview how monitoring can be tailored to specific client constraints and requirements. We also touch on how operating closer to the true best efficiency condition can support fish survivability objectives and licensing constraints, and how sustained operation away from that region can increase risk.
Key takeaways:
Why OEM curves miss in practice (scale/step-up effects, surface finish, CFD/model limitations, site hydraulics, undocumented changes).
How to select a testing approach based on required uncertainty and the decision at stake.
How to translate a 2% to 9% performance gap into defensible annual and lifecycle ROI.
A repeatable roadmap for integrating performance monitoring baselines into dispatch rules, O&M planning, and refurbishment economics.
Digitalizing Hydropower Operations: Tools, Mindset & Change Management (Great River Hydro – Hydro Quebec)
Presented by Jason Canaday, Great River Hydro - Hydro Quebec
As hydropower operators face increasing operational complexity, evolving market structures, and the pressure to optimize every available drop of water, the role of digitalization has become central to building resilient, future-ready operations. In this presentation, Jason Canaday, Head of Operations at Great River Hydro (Hydro Quebec IPP), will share insights from GRH's digitalization journey across their multi-plant operations on the Connecticut River system, demonstrating how a structured, collaborative approach can strengthen both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic capabilities.
Stator Expansion Issue at Boundary Dam Unit 51 Revealed and Corrected with a Condition Monitoring System (VibroSystM / Seattle City Light)
Presented by Enzo Cloutier, VibroSystM Inc. Co-written with Patrick Doyle (Seattle City Light) and David Elwood, P.E. (GE Vernova).
A refurbishment program by GE Vernova has been going on at 3 units at Seattle City Light's Boundary Dam in Washington State. 180-MW Unit 51 was refurbished between 2020 and 2021, which included the following work: a new stator core and winding as well as a new rotor spider which used the old rim as well as new pole bodies. SCL also included a condition monitoring system from VibroSystM. Shortly after returning to service, a series of behavioral tests were conducted in June 2021. Analysis of data by VibroSystM revealed an irregular thermal expansion of the stator and issues with the stator core-to-frame interface at three soleplate locations (108, 150, and 288 degrees), which could affect the integrity of the stator structure and its long-term reliability. SCL and GE Vernova performed a thorough inspection of the stator soleplate and core-to-frame interface. They found the dowels at the problematic sole plates to be stuck, preventing proper radial expansion. Corrective work on the dowels was seamlessly integrated into a broader mechanical maintenance overhaul between 2021 and 2024, which included pulling and re-stacking the rotor, implementing an updated thrust bearing assembly with PEEK pads, an oil-lift modernization, and complete machine re-centering. Interventions to the problematic soleplates included minimal material removal from the dowels to provide .001" of clearance. Dowels were able to be installed with hand pressure and locked in place. A new heat run was recorded in December 2024 and analyzed by VibroSystM to verify the effectiveness of the interventions. This paper will present the inspection findings and corrective works by SCL and GE Vernova, as well as the data analysis process by VibroSystM that revealed the problem and confirmed the success of the corrective intervention.
