The shaft power plant has been developed as a novel hydraulic concept for low-head hydropower sites and is offering several environmental and operational advantages compared to conventional layouts. But the first two projects implementing this concept have shown that construction costs and associated project risks as well as operational efforts are comparatively high. Therefore, further optimization targeting the reduction of construction cost, risk and time is required to increase economic attractiveness and to enable a broader market uptake of this concept.

1. Identification of Optimization Potential

• Focus on the technical-economic aspects of the Shaft Power Plant concept (construction & operation).

2. Testing and Validation

• Utilize a 3D hydraulic numerical application.

• Analyze various geometries for shaft power plant intakes that seem more favorable in economic terms (lower constructional and operational efforts)

3. Application of Validated 3D-HN Methodology

• Implement the validated 3D hydraulic application.

• Conduct analysis on at least one specific case study: At-Bashy Hydropower Plant (HPP).

4. Evaluation of Optimized Setup

• Assess the outcomes and performance of the optimized setup based on the findings from the At-Bashy HPP case study.

But often only non-cohesive materials are considered in 2D models which neglect the mechanisms of stratified riverbanks, like slump block failures or seepage and their impact on the bank.

Therefore, finding a way to represent these mechanisms in a 2D model would help to predict the impact of implementing this strategy.

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What is it about:

*Evaluate dynamic and spatial patterns of stream temperature with respect to hydro morphological river characteristics

*Modelling not only stream temperature dynamics but also thermal heterogeneity of river streams identified through thermal infrared imagery (TIR) within a 2D modelling approach.

*Integrating drivers of thermal heterogeneity such as groundwater sources that influence habitat availability and quality on a reach scale.

*Evaluate the importance of stream temperature considerations in habitat modelling - how does habitat quantity and quality change when additionally integrating it?

*How can we integrate stream temperature within habitat modelling frameworks such as Casimir and MesoHABSIM?

*How does integrating stream temperature affect planning environmental flow concepts considering projections of climate change?

*How effective can coldwater tributary reconnections be in improving thermal habitat conditions of river streams?

This is just a brainstorm.

Sediment transport processes in rivers are highly relevant for water management problems and infrastructure planning and changes due to water uses such as water abstraction and diversion and artificial channelization and damming of rivers artificial alters these processes.

But quantification of sediment transport processes is difficult due to missing data especially in remote region, where the rivers are still in near natural conditions.

Therefore, detailed research is needed in the field of hydromorphological processes using different assessment and modeling tools at different scales focusing on rivers in near natural conditions.

My research introduces an effect created by flow under partially submerged angled vertical baffle walls on bedload transport which can be used to guide the bedload movement in channels and sluices and to protect hydraulic structures from unwanted bedload deposits.