Expert Details
Hydroelectrics
ID: 733126
Illinois, USA
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Engineering management
• Project planning configuration and formulation studies
• Demolition, removal and restoration
• Civil and mechanical engineering
• Power equipment and systems
• Project cost estimates and schedules
• Quality control/assurance
• Permitting and community support
• Client liaison
• Reservoirs
• Powerhouses, pump stations and substations
• Hydraulic structures, dams, and spillways
Relevant Experience:
• Mud Lake Replacement Dam Project, Bently Agrodynamics, NV, USA – As design manager, responsible for project engineering management and project development of an 85-foot-high concrete protected geomembrane faced rock-fill irrigation dam and water delivery pipeline. The previous dam was partially removed and modified to allow construction of a new dam, reservoir and irrigation & water supply pipeline. The project scope was design-build under a Kiewit/Stone & Webster Joint Venture.
• Hydroelectric Rehabilitation and Redevelopment, Ontario Hydro, Ontario, Canada – As Manager of Engineering, supervised and directed a joint venture team of engineers, scientists and other professional staff. This team provided engineering, procurement, and construction management services to study, upgrade, demolish, repair, renovate and redevelop over 30 existing hydroelectric stations, over 60 pipelines and penstocks and 130 dams throughout the Province of Ontario. Kiewit Canada was contractor on several of these projects.
• Elk Creek Dam Demolition and Channel Restoration Project, Corps of Engineers-As Design Manager, responsible for the project engineering management and project development of the partial demolition of an existing partially completed roller compacted concrete dam and restoration of a river channel to allow unimpeded movement of salmon and other aquatic species through the dam site. The project is design build by Kiewit/Stone & Webster Joint Venture.
• Multiple Representative World Dam Projects, Multiple Clients-As Design Manager or Manager of Engineering
o Second Powerhouse-Rock Island Hydroelectric Project, Chelan County PUD
o Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project, Alaska Power Authority
o Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Project, Montana Power
o Karanukjar Hydroelectric Project-Landsvirkjun, Iceland
o Three Gorges Dam Project, Three Gorges Corporation, China
o Boundary Hydroelectric Project Rehabilitation Project, WA, USA
o Garrison Dam and Hydro Major Rehabilitation, Omaha, USA
o Ilaguen B Hydro Project – Kiewit-Stone & Webster JV
SPECIALIZATIONS
• Hydro and Water Project Expert
• Team Building & Leadership
• Concept and Feasibility
• Design
• Site Engineering
• Engineering Management
• Permitting & Licensing
• Value Engineering
• Alternative Engineering
• Early Problem Resolution
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
El Vado Unit Rehabilitation – Los Alamos County, New Mexico
As Project Manager/Technical Expert has led a Knight Piésold engineering team to access and evaluate the existing 8 MW El Vado Kaplan Unit. A plan of rehabilitation was developed with Los Alamos County and implemented. Technical and contract specifications were developed. The work includes complete disassembly of the unit (generator, turbine and wicket gates, and operating systems, and evaluation of every unit component. The stator and rotor were completely cleaned and tested. The rotor was found to be within acceptable testing parameters after cleaning and reassembly. The stator was not found to be within acceptable parameters after cleaning and was rewound. The Kaplan turbine was completely dismantled and each component evaluated and rehabilitated. Bearings were evaluated and rehabitted. The unit has been reassembled and is in the process of recommissioning.
AMJET ATS-63 New Turbine-Generator Technology Unit –Unit 6- Brainerd Hydroelectric Project-Brainerd Public Utilities, Minnesota
As Project Manager/Technical Expert has led a Knight Piésold engineering team providing engineering, environmental and permitting services to AMJET and Brainerd Public Utilities for the installation of the first ATS-63 turbine generator unit. This is a fiberglass composite 600 kW unit with integral permanent magnet generator. We assist both AMJET and BPU in site engineering and unit integration. The technology is a revolutionary solution to low head small hydro applications. The unit installation is scheduled for operation in fall 2016. We will serve AMJET is a QA/QC role during the installation.
Confidential Project Acquisition Due Diligence-Mulitple Clients
As Project Engineer/Technical specialist led a Knight Piésold engineering team to conduct over 5,000 MWs of turbine-generator, pumped-turbine and motor-generator, and balance of plant equipment assessment and condition assessment of the civil features. These assessments are then used in acquisition proformas, life assessments, capital project and task estimates, O&M budgets, outage estimates, outage planning etc.
Amahoro Energy Feasibility Study, Rwanda
As Project Engineer/Technical specialist led a Knight Piésold engineering team to conduct a USTDA sponsored feasibility study for two run-of-river hydroelectric projects. Each project involves a diversion weir, power canal, headworks (intake), penstock, powerhouse and substation. The project names are Nyundo and Musarara Expansion. Nyundo work included design and obtaining proposals for penstocks. Material types included steel and fiberglass. Also water-to-wire equipment proposals were obtained for Francis and Crossflow turbines. The Nyundo project will have two crossflow unit with a combined capacity over 5 MWs. Transmission and distribution is a significant consideration. The Musarara Expansion consists of a new diversion dam with Coanda screens and a new desander. The existing hydraulic features of the project will be expanded and increased by about 2.1 in capacity, with a new Francis unit addition proposed and upgrades to electrical equipment, substation and transmission line. The Project has financially closed and is nearing groundbreaking.
Ilopango HPP Feasibility Study, El Salvador
As Project Engineer/Technical specialist lad a Knight Piésold engineering team to conduct a USTDA sponsored feasibility study for a 20 MW two Pelton unit high head project. The project involves regulation of large volcanic crater lake near San Salvador. The project includes an intake, power tunnel, steel penstock with wye and an above ground powerhouse with substation. A short transmission line is required to connect to the San Salvador transmission grid. The study is complete and the project is awaiting financial closure.
More information available upon request.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1984 | Degree: MBA | Subject: Business Administration- Construction Management | Institution: University of Denver, CO |
| Year: 1983 | Degree: N/A | Subject: Cold Regions Engineering | Institution: University of Alaska/ University of Washington |
| Year: 1996 | Degree: N/A | Subject: Structural Engineering | Institution: California State University Long Beach |
| Year: 1976 | Degree: N/A | Subject: Stone & Webster Engineering Trainging Program | Institution: N/A |
| Year: 1974 | Degree: B.Sc. | Subject: Civil Engineering | Institution: University of Vermont |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2018 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Technical Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:As Technical Consultant, expert has provided technical and project information, expert knowledge and technology expertise, and cost information to the ORNL team conducting the National Hydropower Asset Assessment Program (NHAAP). In addition he reviews resulting work products for technical content and clarity. ORNL is conducting very comprehensive assessments in an integrated energy, water and ecosystem research effort for sustainable hydroelectric generation and water management. ORNL has gathered, organized and validated the stream flow network, facility configuration data, historic generation, and water availability data necessary to trend the U.S. Hydropower for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Program. The data has been gathered from a variety of sources from the federal chartered database and include Bureau of Reclamation, USACE HydroAmp, FERC eLibrary and DAMS Database, EIA Forms 860/923 Powerplant and Generation Database, USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID), USGS/EPA National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), USHCN Temperature and Precipitation, and USGS National Water Information Service (NWIS). NHAAP through its design integrates these data at various scales and provides a tool for strategic planning and decision making to assess the current value of the United States hydroelectric infrastructure, quantifies the amounts of energy which can be feasibly extracted, and provides an environmental attribution resource for the USDOE Water Power Program. ORNL is constructing a comprehensive interactive website which will allow users to drill down to specific geographical and political regions and specific existing or potential project sites. The web site and program reports are based on developed comprehensive and detailed hydropower resource maps, which include information on the national electrical systems. Dynamic plots have been prepared to observe water availability and hydropower generation, which are used to improve the accuracy of the resulting predictions. Consulted on all aspects of plant and equipment. Comprehensive Reports that have resulted, include National Resource Assessment of Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH), an Assessment of Energy Potential at Non-Powered Dams in the U.S., and an Assessment of Hydropower in the U.S. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2009 to 2012 | Employer: Southeast Regional Coal Fired Power Plant & Auxiliary Works | Title: Engineering Subcontractor | Department: |
Responsibilities:• 1000 MW (4 X 350 MW Units) coal-fired power plant in Southeast Nigeria (plant and equipment)• Water source development, small dam and cooling water reservoir, water treatment and other facilities for power plants • Maintenance and warehouse facilities • Heavy rail railroad connecting coal mines in Northern Enugu State and Kogi State and the coal-fired power plant; complete with switching rail sidings • Railroad maintenance facilities near Enugu • Passenger and Cargo Stations • Enugu (Enugu State) with possible extension to the airport • Coal Mines (rail sidings only and worker platform) • Coal Fields in Kogi State (rail sidings only and worker platform) • Mozum (Kogi State) (site for major refinery/petrochemical plant) • Lokoja (Kogi State) - connection to the Warri-Ajaokuta-Lokoja rail line • Onitsha (Anambra State) - connection to Onitsha Port • Nnewi (Anambra State) • Owerri (Imo State) with possible extension to the airport • Buried fiber optic communication lines • Coal storage area and rail car loading facility near coal mines • Coal car unloading facilities and storage areas adjacent to the coal fired power plant • Technical Training Center (Apprentice Training) • Worker village, medical clinics, elementary and secondary schools, post-secondary school, and civic buildings located near the coal fired power plant • Powerhouses, loading and unloading facility and other facility substations • Transmission lines to interconnect to the state and national grid (330 kV) • 11 kV Distribution network for the constructed facilities • Access roads at power plants, loading and unloading facilities, and maintenance and warehouse facilities • Communication facilities for the constructed facilities • Computer control facilities; computers and software • On-site warehoused spare parts and maintenance materials This is a complex thermal project with limited infrastructure in place since coal mining was abandoned with the discovery of Nigeria oil and gas about 30 years ago, which requires many project facets from mining to infrastructure to the thermal power plant and interconnection to the National Grid, including development of the support facilities needed for the long term operation and maintenance of the thermal facility. Work has progressed through the project concept, and demonstration of technical feasibility. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2012 | Employer: Freeport McMoRan El Paso Works Energy Efficiency Audit | Title: Project Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:As Knight Piésold and Co. Project Sponsor and Project Manager, expert oversees all aspects of the comprehensive Audit. FMI El Paso facility goal is to cut out energy waste, improve overall energy efficiency and develop a comprehensive site energy use plan. This is a major FMI copper refinery, rod mill and on-site gas fired co-generation facility. The audit not only identifies each element of energy use at the equipment and device level, but also the energy use of electricity, natural gas and production steam, and capital projects and long term equipment replacement strategies for reducing site energy usage and improved asset management. The site processes are quite energy intensive and energy efficiency can annually save hundreds of thousand dollars. The audit study included the evaluation of five natural gas co-generation units of various capacities, steam generators, and off-site electrical energy supply and natural gas supply. Detailed analyses, cost estimates and implementation approaches were prepared. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2009 | Employer: Three Gorges Dam | Title: Project Sponsor | Department: |
Responsibilities:As MWH Project Sponsor, oversees all aspects of the Project. When completed, the Three Gorges Dam will be the largest Hydropower station and dam in the world. The dam will be 600 feet high and 1.2 miles in length. The created reservoir will be 525 feet deep, 370 miles long, and will store 32 million acre-feet of water. As planned, the dam’s capacity of 17 million kilowatts will top that of the largest dam currently operating by 40 percent. Its projected annual power generation of 84 billion kilowatt-hours is equivalent to a coalmine capacity of 40 to 50 million tons per year. MWH has been providing quality assurance and quality control services for the Three Gorges Project since the mid-1980s. MWH’s advisory role has provided the opportunity to work with the supervisory organizations of China’s Federal Government and contractors in various capacities. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2003 to 2008 | Employer: Tekeze Hydropower Project | Title: Project Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:As JV Leader and MWH Project Sponsor, was responsible for overseeing all aspect of the Project and worked with the Project Manager to assign the MWH project team. MWH reviewed the existing design and recommended extensive modifications that were then incorporated into the plan. In addition, MWH updated all tender documents, design details, and managed the tendering process for all construction and supply contracts. MWH provided on-site construction management and quality control services for all aspects of the work, including a 34 km access road, permanent camp, access tunnels, 300 MW (4 X 75 MW Francis units) powerhouse, diversion tunnels, and 188 m high, double curvature arch dam. The project is built in the extremely steep Tekeze gorge, making the construction challenging. Was directly involved in the unit installation planning and procedures working with the Chinese supplier. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2001 to 2008 | Employer: Karanukjar Hydropower Project | Title: Project Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:As the JV representative for Harza/MWH for the Karanukjar Engineering JV, and the MWH Project Executive Sponsor for construction management and quality control assistance to the Owner during construction, led a team of engineers (from multiple companies) who designed the 193 m high by 730 meters long main CFRD dam. This dam is the highest in Europe. From the Hálslón reservoir, the water runs through a tunnel under the Fljótsdalsheiði moor to a junction with another tunnel running from the Ufsarlón pond, and from there is carried north-east through a combined headrace tunnel to an intake at the Valþjófsstaðafjall escarpment. The total length of the headrace tunnels is 53 km, and they vary in average depth from 100-200 meters. Two steel-lined vertical pressure shafts lead the water from the intake to the underground powerhouse. Each shaft is 420 meters high, and the total head of the project is 599 meters. The 690 MW powerhouse houses six Francis turbines, each with a rated output of 115 MW. When water exits the powerhouse, a tailrace tunnel and canal take it to the course of the Jökulsá í Fljótsdal river at a point just east of the farm Valþjófsstaður, which lies at a height of 26 meters above sea level. The total length of the tunnels involved in the Kárahnjúkar project is about 73 km. Landsvirkjun is an energy company owned by the Icelandic State. The company produces electricity from renewable hydro and geothermal sources. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| AFFILIATION • Hydrovision and Waterpower Conference Leader and Advisory Committee Member 1994 – present • Chi Epsilon Honor Civil Engineering Fraternity, Member, 1973 • Canadian Electrical Association, Member, 1990 • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Member, 1971 • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Member • AACE International, Member • ASCE Task Committee Preparing the Manual of Practice for Steel Penstocks Member, 1987 • Canadian Dam Safety Association, Member, 1991 • International Association of Hydraulic Research, Member, 1988 • Tau Beta Pi Honor Engineering Fraternity, Member, 1973 • ASCE Task Committee on Guidelines for Evaluating Aging Hydraulic Gates, Member and Secretary, 1993 • United States Committee on Large Dams (USCOLD), Member, 1979 • ASCE Task Committee on Guidelines for Evaluating Aging Hydraulic Gates, Member and Secretary, 1998 • American Water Resources Association (AWRA), Member, 1980 • ASCE Task Committee on Evaluation of Existing Tunnels Used as Power Conduits, Member and Secretary, 1998 |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| • Professional Engineer Alaska, 1982 • Professional Engineer Colorado, 1978 |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Expert has represented in 60 cases within subject of hydropower by serving as an expert witness and expert advisor. Has had over 15 professional assignments. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| 10 publications and presentations. |