Minimizing the detrimental effects of hydro-peaking on riverbank instability: The lower Osage River case

"The fluctuation of water level downstream from dams due to hydropower flow releases negatively affects the riverbank stability. Therefore, this research aims to examine the feasibility of using an optimization technique to mitigate the riverbank instability resulting from the outflow variation of hydropower plants. The effects of the water releases from the Bagnell Dam were investigated by computing a series of safety factors for 78 cross sections along the 81-mile stretch of the lower Osage River in relation to outflow events by using the integrated BSTEM model incorporated into the HEC-RAS model. The 1-D sediment transport and unsteady flow in the HEC-RAS model were accurately calibrated and validated using the USGS data. An optimization technique using the modified interval algorithm was applied to find an optimal outflow scenario. This algorithm seeks the maximum safety factor as an objective function that was constrained to the electrical demand, ecological flow, and flood stage. Moreover, the optimization technique was applied to the historical outflow data from this dam from the last two decades. Statistical analysis was then performed to inspect the amplitude and frequency of flow fluctuation in both the original and optimal outflow scenario. The results showed that the frequencies of these fluctuations were reduced in the optimal hydrograph. Additionally, the frequencies of the high rapid drop in outflow have decreased compared to the original hydrograph, which potentially could reduce the instability of the riverbanks. This technique will allow hydropower plants' operators to have a practical and reliable tool to increase the riverbank stability and reduce the need to protect extended reaches of riverbanks that have been technically unstable"--Abstract, page iii.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D. in Civil Engineering

Grantor

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Author dc:creator

• Mohammed-Ali, Wesam Sameer

• Hydro-peaking
• Modeling hec-ras
• Optimal hydrograph
• Osage river
• Riverbank stability
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Water Resource Management

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/2872

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsmine.mst.edu:doctoral_dissertations-3877