Day 8
Curitiba

Our next visit was at the with Institutos Lactec at the university. We were greeted by Alessandro Zimmer and briefed on the polytechnical center which is more than sixty years old. They are a nonprofit private company, specializing in research and development projects however they also do some consulting. All labs were created within the Federal University of Parana and are equipped with a staff total of 500 persons with the help of students and faculty. Some of the labs are Hydraulics and Hydrology, Environmental, Central, and Mechanics. The Belo Monte development was done there in the Environmental resources department, as was the small scale modeling and analysis for Itaipu. Insitutos Lactec receives contracts to develop products through research and development for Brazilian and other companies.

We were allowed to see the three small-scale hydropower plant models that they currently have contracts on – Belo Monte was the first. We were not allowed to take pictures because of these company contracts – unfortunate because this was very interesting to see. There were five models for different parts of the the plant, including the dam and the 200 meter wide channel. Our guide explained that the model river was calibrated, scaled to the depth and terrain of the actual river, water added, power provided to the dam and a specified amount of flow and time in years was then simulated. As for the channel, it was important to analyze the shear stress created by the curvature in the channel. They would have to be sure that they were using the right type and configuration of rocks to reduce erosion and that the channel was smooth enough to reduce head loss. The channel location was chosen to be where the highest gradient occurs, in order to produce the most power. Some restrictions to their building, ultimately leading to losses in power, had to be observed for environmental reasons.

The structure used in the models are handmade on-site, and we were allowed a glimpse into the machine shop where a silicon tunnel structure was being made for a new project. We wondered why they did not utilize computer modeling instead, but they explained that it would take much longer and cost more money to create a computer simulation. So, the company responsible for the project gathers and gives data from the site to the university to make the model. Our guide explained that all variables involved in the life-size project can be geometrically scaled down by making the Froude number the same. Interesting. Last, we saw the model of the Motto Grosso site (Sinop), which is three year project costing 2.5 million Reais (or 800,000 USD).

The next stop on this tour was to the Energy Sustainability R&D Center, where we heard a lecture by Jose Vargas on the “Microalgae derived sustainable energy and materials”. Microalgae has potential for alternative fuel in biodiesel production. The U.S. imports over sixty percent of its petroleum and two-thirds of that goes to transportation. Microalgae is unicellular algae with great photosynthetic capability and rapid growth due to its simple structure. Algae is primarily responsible for CO2 conversion. As far as biodiesel production, corn, soybean, canola, coconut and palm oil can all be used but palm oil has the most potential. Raceway ponds and photobioreactors are the two means of microalgae cultivation. The latter does not require CO2 fossil fuels and is a better use of space but is more expensive. Only 6 percent of biomass becomes biofuel which begs the question, what to do with all the residual. Potential uses include medical supplies. There has been low investment in the United States but creating more efficient bioreactors, that can utilize their own waste to facilitate their processes, will likely help this. After the lecture we received a tour of the research area, including the algae-growing control room where samples were kept.

First we saw the biodiesel reactors. They use oil from food to power the reactors and use sodium hydroxide as a catalyst, and yield about 85% of diesel. Then we were able to see the photobioreactors up-close. There were about 5 very tall structures with a series of parallel transparent pipes where we could see dark green liquid flowing through. When a certain number of algae cells accumulate they are collected. They have one to test different levels of irrigation and other factors in order to produce and purify the biogas. The whole process in the bioreactors takes about 4 days. Fun fact. Microalgae, like vegetable oil, can be used to make plastics.

Thanks to Dr. Zimmer and his kind co-workers, we were allowed to see the High-Voltage Lab as a last stop after lunch. We stood behind a tall fence and observed various metal structures of immense size. One of the lab employees explained that they simulate lightning impulses of 3.2 MW and test various equipment, like transformers and insulators. It is only the second lab of its kind in Brazil and there are few like it in the world.  One test includes applying a voltage of 600 kV to a transformer to see if it can withstand a surge. There was something else simulating Itaipu’s hydroelectric facilities. Also, the Corona phenomenon was studied here. The building containing the lab acts as a Faraday cage  and filters out any outside noise that would affect their measurements. Their main clients are companies, and they must show that the equipment meets Brazilian and international standards.