Sistema fotovoltaico flutuante integrado ao manejo de macrófitas aquáticas para produção de biogás em reservatórios de usinas hidrelétricas

Abstract

Macrophytes play an important role in the ecosystems in which they occur, such as reservoirs and natural lakes and river. They are responsible for maintaining the natural balance, such as oxygenation, filtration, and removal of nutrients from the water, protection against erosive action of water on the banks, and acting as a food source and refuge for fish, birds and other organisms. Those plants are so relevant to the aquatic environments that their preservation is fundamental for the maintenance of biodiversity in these environments. However, in hydroelectric dams, the excessive presence of macrophytes in the reservoirs interferes to the multiple use of water and especially in the process of generating electricity. The proposal presented in this work consists of an innovative solution to the traditional techniques of removal and disposal of macrophytes present in hydroelectric reservoirs. One of the relevant innovations, in addition to the removal and transport method, is the use the biomass to generate biogas, which in turn will be converted into electricity, then promoting a more efficient destination for the aquatic plants, since they are currently treated as waste by most companies that operate hydroelectric plants. The proposal also includes a floating photovoltaic system, which will supply electricity to the macrophytes management system, and provide additional electricity to the energy generated from biogas, thus creating a hybrid system of renewable electricity generation. The hybrid system will have a surplus, meaning that it will be designed to generate more electricity than the system demand, which raises the need for storage or allocation of excess generation. After analyzing the available options, it was concluded that the connection of this hybrid system to the autotransformer of the hydroelectric plant's substation would be the best solution for the problem. This solution, however, requires a series of cautions and specificities for its implementation, which will be demonstrated throughout this work. The results of this work are conclusive. They are based on the results achieved from the project of implementation of macrophyte management system and the hybrid generation proposed.