Hydropower Flexibility: Theory, Optimization, and Applications

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid growth of variable renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, has increased the demand for flexibility in modern power systems. Hydropower, particularly reservoir-based and pumped storage facilities, offers fast response, multi-time-scale regulation, and large-scale energy storage, making it a key resource for supporting renewable energy integration and system reliability.

This Topic aims to collect high-quality original research articles and review papers that address recent advances in the theory, modeling, optimization, and practical application of hydropower flexibility. Contributions that improve the understanding of hydropower’s role in sustainable, low-carbon, and high-renewable energy systems are especially encouraged.

Topics of Interest Include (but Not Limited to):

• Concepts, metrics, and theoretical foundations of hydropower flexibility;
• Hydropower scheduling and multi-time-scale optimization;
• Data-driven optimization methods;
• Coordination of hydropower with wind, solar, and energy storage;
• Pumped storage hydropower operation and market participation;
• Economic valuation and environmental impacts of flexible hydropower operation;
• Real-world applications, case studies, and policy implications.

Prof. Dr. Zhengwei Wang
Dr. Xingxing Huang
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
AI ai	6.5	7.3	2020	20.4 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Applied Sciences applsci	2.9	6.1	2011	15 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering jmse	3.2	5.6	2013	15 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Processes processes	3.4	5.7	2013	14.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Sensors sensors	4.0	9.4	2001	17.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	4.1	8.9	2009	16.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Water water	3.5	6.7	2009	17.7 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All JMSE Processes Sustainability Water Applied Sciences Sensors AI

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

19 pages, 6282 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Flow and Structural Characteristics of Y-Shaped Bifurcated Pipe with Crescent Rib Under Hydraulic Short-Circuit Mode

by Ming Xia, Shang Zhu, Wanqin Ding, Zhe Kang, Jing Yang and Zhengwei Wang

Water 2026, 18(11), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18111304 - 28 May 2026

Viewed by 279

Abstract

Hydraulic short-circuit (HSC) has gained widespread attention as a novel approach to enhancing the flexibility of pumped-storage power plants (PSPPs). This paper investigates the flow and structural characteristics of bifurcated pipes in PSPPs, conducting numerical simulations under multiple operating conditions under pumping, generating, [...] Read more.

Hydraulic short-circuit (HSC) has gained widespread attention as a novel approach to enhancing the flexibility of pumped-storage power plants (PSPPs). This paper investigates the flow and structural characteristics of bifurcated pipes in PSPPs, conducting numerical simulations under multiple operating conditions under pumping, generating, and HSC modes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations indicate that the flow pattern deteriorates significantly under the HSC mode, with energy loss increasing notably as the flow split ratio (FSR) rises, though peaking at only 1.2% of total energy. Driven by secondary flow, a pair of counter-rotating Dean vortices develops from the upstream main pipe to the generating branch as the FSR increases. The entropy production rate reveals the energy dissipation mechanisms in the main flow region, namely, the shear interaction between high-velocity outflow and low-velocity vortex flow, along with the viscous dissipation within the Dean vortices. Furthermore, fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulation results confirm that the structural reliability of the bifurcated pipe is ensured under the HSC mode, as the dominant load stems from the high static pressure of the upstream reservoir, with fluid impact loads playing a relatively insignificant role. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the practical operation of hydraulic short-circuit with respect to the performance and safety of a bifurcated pipe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Hydropower Flexibility: Theory, Optimization, and Applications)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-1