IIT Roorkee Hosts SPARC Workshop On Futuristic Hydropower

The Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) concluded an international workshop on "Futuristic Hydropower Monitoring: Advanced Sensors and AI Tools." The event, held under the SPARC initiative and funded by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, focused on pioneering health monitoring for hydraulic turbines in the context of climate change.

The workshop commenced with an inauguration ceremony by K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; M.K. Singhal, Head of the Hydro and Renewable Energy Department; Ratish Kumar, former Director, NHPC; Alexandre Presas, Director of CDIF, UPC, Spain; and C.S. Pant, the workshop coordinator. The event also saw the participation of faculty members such as P Arun Kumar and S K Singal.

The workshop featured five comprehensive sessions led by Alexandre Presas, focusing on hydropower health monitoring. Topics covered included sensor-based measurements, advanced signal analysis, condition monitoring and the application of artificial intelligence in wear assessment, strain prediction and instability detection. The sessions provided participants with valuable insights through case studies on fluid-structure interactions, resonances and hydraulic instabilities.

Ratish Kumar lauded the initiative, highlighting the potential to harness approximately 15 GW of hydropower in India, which he noted as "a substantial contribution to establishing a dependable and efficient renewable energy source."

The workshop attracted a diverse group of participants, including representatives from key government agencies like Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKSPDC) and Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL,) industry leaders such as Flovel and Ritmeyer and academics from institutions including IIT Delhi, NIT Warangal, NIT Patna, BITS Pilani, SMVD University, University of Kashmir, Terna Engineering College and IIT Roorkee.

The conclusion of the SPARC Workshop on "Futuristic Hydropower Monitoring" at IIT Roorkee underscores the institute’s pivotal role in advancing India’s renewable energy goals, aligning with the government's initiatives to foster sustainable development and technological innovation. By bringing together leading experts, industry leaders and academic institutions, IIT Roorkee continues to lead the charge in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, particularly in the hydropower sector, while contributing to the nation’s vision of a self-reliant and sustainable future.