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LEE + RO to Design Two In-Line Turbine Generators for Rancho California Water District

Apr 30, 2023 9:14:00 AM

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IMG_2009The Rancho California Water District (Client) wants to generate hydropower to offset the high inflationary power purchase rates from Southern California Edison (SCE) and expand its clean energy portfolio. They have identified two sites for the installation of in-line turbine generators:

  1. The Upper Valle De Los Caballos (UVDC) facility – the in-line turbine will be connected to an existing 48-inch diameter raw water main that takes deliveries from Metropolitan Water District (MWD) via Turnout EM-21, some 2.8 miles from the UVDC site.
  2. The Santa Rosa Water Reclamation Facility (SRWRF) – the in-line turbine inlet will connect to either the 12-inch diameter piping near the pressure-reducing valve or downstream on the 16-inch diameter pipeline.

Scope of Work

Design Services

  1. Project Management and Administration
  2. Utility Research and Verification
  3. Grant Funding Support
  4. Preliminary Design Report
  5. 60% Plans, Specs, and Estimates
  6. 90% Plans, Specs, and Estimates
  7. Final Bid Set Plans, Specs, and Estimates

Bid & Construction Support

  1. Bid Phase Support Services
  2. Engineering Support During Construction

LEE + RO’s services include:

Available Technologies Review
Provide a synopsis of feasible technologies based on LEE + ROs conceptual analysis of the UVDC site and Washington Ave sites. LEE + RO will coordinate with different turbine manufacturers to optimize and size the turbine generators for the most efficient and trouble-free operation and present these options to the Client.

Grid Interconnect
Work closely with the manufacturers and Client to apply all the correct tariffs, incentives, and programs to make an economic case for this project. Assist the Client with the SCE’s Rule 21 application submission upon the Client’s decision to proceed with the interconnection.

Flow-Duration Curves
The historical flow duration curves are critical to determine the design flow and power output. LEE + RO will analyze the SCADA records for pressure and flow rates for the EM-21 turnout (UVDC site) and the Client’s connection to EMWD (Washington Ave site).

Site Design Considerations

  1. Site Access and Security
    For the UVDC site, LEE + RO will design the grading near the road embankment to accommodate the proposed turbine generator. No separate access improvements are required as the site is within an access-restricted and District-owned parcel.
    The Washington Ave site is within the secure SRWRF, so no separate access or security improvements are needed. 
  1. Noise
    UVDC site is located in a rural residential neighborhood, and the noise from the turbine generator operation can carry some distance, especially at night. LEE + RO will specify an enclosure for noise mitigation.
    The Washington Ave site is located next to the Santa Margarita River amongst primarily industrial neighborhoods, so noise control may not be necessary but will be evaluated during preliminary design.
  1. Heat
    For the UVDC site, a prefabricated sound-attenuated enclosure will be designed to house the turbine generator, which is noisy and loses about 5% of the output power due to heat losses and the hot summer climate.

Grant Funding Support
LEE + RO will assist the Client in identifying and applying for all relevant grants.

CEQA
LEE + RO will incorporate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements into the Specifications.

Survey & Geotechnical
LEE + RO will request and obtain the survey data for both sites from the Client.

Murthy Kadiyala, PE

Written by Murthy Kadiyala, PE