Assessment of the Effects of a Pumped Hydropower Storage Station on the reservoir Rur

The project aimed at assessing the effects of operating a pumped hydropower storage station on the reservoir Rur as the lower reservoir. The cumulative assessment addressed 3D flow velocity distribution, stratification, water temperature and oxygen content in the reservoir. By means of a 3D hydrodynamic model, the hydro physics of the reservoir was simulated for different stages of the hydropower plant like drawdown of the water level, construction phase and operational phase. It turned out that the construction phase is most critical. Boundary conditions for the operation of the pumped hydropower plant were determined. The water temperature was of particular interest and was conjunctively modelled for the whole upper and lower reservoir system including the stratification processes.