Track Records
Examples of Hydroelectric StudiesTop

On this section:

1. Examples of studies conducted by Ion Corbu while in the employment of Ontario Hydro
2. Examples of studies conducted by Ion Corbu while in the employment of Hydro Québec


Examples of studies conducted by Ion Corbu while in the employment of Ontario Hydro (*)

1. River Regulation Model.
The model was developed jointly with Environment Canada and with several provincial agencies from Ontario and Quebec.

2. Considerations Regarding the Modeling of Hydraulic Systems of Reservoirs and Generating Stations.
The report describes the technique of aggregating reservoirs and generating stations for modeling of large river basin systems.

3. Economical Diversion of Flow to DeCew GS.
The report describes a method for calculating the diversion to DeCew GS that would ensure the maximum worth of energy for the entire Niagara-DeCew complex.

4. Trade-Off Analysis between Flood Damage Reduction and Energy Generation in the Ottawa River System.
The report describes a method allowing decision makers to balance flood damage and energy generation interests in the operation of the Ottawa River during the spring freshet.

5. Application of River Regulation Model to the Mattagami River (co-authored).

6. Mathematical Relationships for the Daily Runoff Model–DRM (co-authored).
These are the technical specifications for the development of the DRM model described under item 7.

7. Daily Runoff Model (co-authored).
DRM was used to generate after-the-fact daily natural inflows for the Ottawa River sites.

8. Relationships between the Upper Niagara River Hydraulic Routing Model and other Application Software Projects for NRCC (co-authored).
The report describes the integration of the various computer applications developed or planned for use at the Niagara River Control Center in Niagara Falls.

9. Nipigon River System – Unit Upgrade Study (co-authored).
This report describes the utilization of the River Regulation Model for optimising the operation of the Nipigon River with existing and upgraded generating units, respectively. The incremental energy generated by the upgraded units was evaluated in monetary terms and used to justify the cost of upgrading the units.

10. Cameron Falls GS and Alexander GS – Unit Upgrade Study (co-authored).
This report is similar in nature to the report described under item 9. The River Regulation Model was re-run with new assumptions provided by the client and with new turbine parameters provided by the manufacturer.

(*) Note: Ion Corbu’s personal contribution to the co-authored studies is summarised as follows:
· Choice of water resources, hydrology and statistics methods and/or computer tools most suitable for meeting the objectives of the study.
· Development of the work schedule and assignment of resources.
· Technical advice throughout the development of the studies.
· Review and interpretation of results.
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Examples of studies conducted by Ion Corbu while in the employment of Hydro Québec (**)

1. Productibility of the Beauharnois and Les Cèdres plants.
2. Features of the Carillon and Lower Ottawa River plants.
3. Analysis of the 1974 operation of the reservoir at the Manic 5 plant.
4. Operation of the reservoir (Lake Casse) at the Bersimis I plant before and during the spring freshet.
5. Analysis of the operation of the reservoir at the Manic 5 plant during the autumn freshet.
6. Test on spillways in the Manicouagan Region.
7. Operating practice at the Cabonga and Baskatong reservoirs before and during the spring freshet.
8. Operation of the Carillon plant during freshet (co-authored).
9. Report on possible effects of a pumping generating station on the levels of the Paugan-Ste. Marie reservoir (co-authored).
10. Simulations of forecasts and operations of the Baskatong reservoir during the 1974 spring freshet (co-authored).
11. Capacity increase of the Rapide-des-Quinze reservoir (co-authored).
12. Energy losses due to failing rocks at the Beaumont plant (co-authored).
13. Considerations on gate automation at the Hemming Falls plant (co-authored).
14. Optimization of the operation of a watershed.
15. Regulation of the Paugan reservoir (co-authored).
16. Simulations of the flows at Manic 2 and effects of their limitation (co-authored).
17. Equivalent energy values of natural inflows (co-authored).
18. Analysis of the daily peak flows at the Carillon plant (co-authored).
19. Hydrologic Study – Lake Kipawa (co-authored).

(**) Note: Ion Corbu’s personal contribution to the co-authored studies is summarised as follows:
· Choice of water resources, hydrology and statistics methods most suitable for meeting the objectives of the study.
· Development of the work schedule.
· Technical advice throughout the development of the studies.
· Review and interpretation of results.
· Issue of instructions regarding the operation of reservoirs and plants.
· Help Hydro-Québec’s management in their discussions with government officials on the facts and causes surrounding the serious floods in the mid 1970s.
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IT ProjectsTop

Examples of IT Projects

On this section:

1. Energy and Resources Information System (ERIS)
2. Price Database (PDB)
3. Meter Data Archiving (MDA)
4. Retail Billing System (RBS) Project

Project Name: Energy and Resources Information System (ERIS).
Note: This project was managed by Ion Corbu while in the employment of OPG.
Project Description: ERIS collects and stores historical operation data and transforms it into business information that is made available throughout the enterprise via Intranet. ERIS is a three tier information system based on Microsoft’s NT technology and Oracle’s RDBMS.
Sample S/W used: WinXP clients, WinNT O/S, WLBS, VB, IIS, MTS, ADO, IE, ASP, DHTML, ActiveX controls, VSS, Oracle RDBMS, PL/SQL, SQL Loader, TNG agents, Shareplex.
Sample Infrastructure used: NT batch servers, NT application servers, Sun Fire 4800/Solaris production database server, TIB middleware.
Computing Environment: Development, Q/A, Production, Business Continuity.
Results: On time, within budget and with client satisfaction.
Pictures: Click here for team picture
Click here for testimonials on this project

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Project Name: Price Database (PDB).
Note: This project was managed by Ion Corbu while in the employment of OPG.
Project Description: The PDB project accesses external energy market prices from sources such as Independent System Operators (ISOs), brokers and exchanges. Data is parsed, validated, and loaded into an Oracle database. PDB also accesses and archives data from internal OPG applications. In addition, PDB publishes selected data on the TIB middleware infrastructure and makes it available to other internal applications.
Sample S/W used: WinXP clients, WinNT O/S, VB, Access BD, ODBC, Oracle RDBMS, Oracle client, SQL Loader, PL/SQL, Shareplex, TNG agents, TIB Adapter.
Sample Infrastructure used: Complaq ProLiant NT Batch server, Sun Fire 4800/Solaris production database server, TIB middleware.
Computing Environment: Development, Q/A, Production, Business Continuity.
Results: On time, within budget and with client satisfaction.
Click here for testimonials on this project

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Project Name: Meter Data Archiving ( MDA)
Note: This project was managed by Ion Corbu while in the employment of OPG.
Project Description: MDA collects and stores revenue meter data readings from the OPG generating plants. The meter readings, received via internal and external paths, are loaded into a separate schema of an existing database. The data is then made available to external settlement applications.
Sample S/W used: WinXP clients, WinNT O/S, WLBS, VB, IIS, MTS, ADO, IE, ASP, DHTML, ActiveX controls, XML, VSS, Oracle RDBMS, PL/SQL, SQL Loader, TNG agents, Shareplex.
Sample Infrastructure used: NT batch servers, NT application servers, Sun Fire 4800/Solaris production database server, TIB middleware.
Computing Environment: Development, Q/A, Production, Business Continuity.
Results: On time, within budget and with client satisfaction.
Click here for testimonials on this project

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Project Name: Retail Billing System (RBS) Project
Note: This project was managed by Corbu Consulting under contract with The SPi Group.
Project Description: An existing billing system of a major Ontario Electricity Retailer was enhanced to accommodate new business processes and ensure compliance with new regulatory requirements of the Ontario Energy Board for Electronic Business Transactions.
Sample S/W used: Win 2000 clients, WinNT O/S, Solaris O/S, VB, IIS, ASP, XML, VSS, Oracle RDBMS, PL/SQL.
Sample Infrastructure used: NT application servers, Solaris production database server, TIB middleware.
Computing Environment: Development, Q/A, Production, Business Continuity.
Results: On time and with client satisfaction.
Click here for testimonials on this project

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TestimonialsTop

1. Energy and Resources Information System (ERIS) Project
2. Price Database (PDB) Project
3. Revenue Meter Data Acquisition Project
4. Retail Billing System (RBS) Project
5. Thank-you letter from OPG
6. Thank you letter from IHA


1. Energy and Resources Information System (ERIS) Project

Ion Corbu was the Project Manager of the 5.5 million dollars Energy and Resources Information System (ERIS) which archives over 50 years of historical hydroelectric production data and makes it available via the Intranet to OPG Plant Group staff throughout Ontario. The following testimonials were obtained in 1999 subsequent to the implementation of the system in production:

The former VP of Business Services and executive sponsor of the project stated that “ERIS has set a very high standard for future OPG projects by coming in on budget and ahead of schedule.”

The former Director of IT strategy and policies had this to say about the project: “ERIS is a good example of how information systems should be implemented. This experience will come in handy as the OPG positions itself for open competition through enabling IT to effectively satisfy business information needs.”

The former Vice President, Hydroelectric said: “It is great to have ERIS. For the first time in Hydroelectric, our production and water resources staff are provided with an efficient, user-friendly, intranet-based information system.”

The former Vice President of the Generation and Resources Management Division said: “We cannot competitively operate our generating system without quick and reliable access to historical information. The Energy and Resources Information System is a critical system for us.”

The former Senior Manager of Application Services Department said: “ERIS is part of a new set of integrated information systems that will enable OPG to become commercially successful in the open electricity market.”

The former Manager of the Water Management Services Department said: “ERIS is very beneficial to the operation of Water Management Services. Never before have we been able to review data and information in such detail. Statistical information is available when needed, and ERIS provides one-stop shopping for all water management information and data. The system is very user friendly and requires no operating manual. Daily validation reports and operating limit violations reports provide much-needed quality assurance tools, and problems with gauges can now be identified quickly so that repair teams can be immediately dispatched.”
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was requested to provide an independent assessment of the project. In their report they indicated that upon evaluating ERIS they have determined that “ERIS significantly exceeds North American utility industry standards and practices for information systems.”

KEMA, a US consulting company, has been hired by OPG in 1999 to provide an independent assessment of current and future systems development. ERIS was one of the systems investigated, and here is what KEMA said in their report: “The conclusion is that ERIS provides a good solution for management of historical data for the long-term horizon. The implementation project for ERIS has been very well planned and executed.”

Microsoft Corporation has provided technical lead and consultants for the ERIS project in 1998 and 1999. They have worked hand-in-hand with internal OPG developers and external contractors. At project completion Microsoft has released a Case Study about ERIS. Click here to see the document.

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2. Price Database (PDB) Project

The Price Database System that was placed in production in OPG in December 2001. The Manager of Quantitative Analysis in the Risk Services Group said: “Ion was the Project Manager for the Price Database System and the Metadata Explorer project. My department was the primary customer for both of these. Ion worked efficiently and attentively with all users and stakeholders and motivated his development team to deliver the projects on time, within budget and with a very high level of client satisfaction.”

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3. Revenue Meter Data Acquisition Project.

The Revenue Meter Data Acquisition project was placed in production in OPG in 2002. The Section Head of the Ontario Markets Settlement in Corporate Finance said: “…. the team led by Ion developed special Web displays with proper security features that enable us to view, print and export data in various graphical and table formats. The project was successfully placed in production in May 2002 and is being used since then on a daily basis.”

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4. Retail Billing System (RBS) Project

The Chief Operating Officer of The SPi Group said: “This project was undertaken in a challenging environment, with changing requirements and aggressive timelines. Under Mr. Corbu’s direction, the project was delivered on time with high client satisfaction.”

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5. Thank-you letter from OPG

Corbu Consulting has received a thank-you letter from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in recognition for its advice and help related to adaptation of hydroelectric generation to climate change. To view the OPG letter click here.

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6. Thank you letter from IHA.

Corbu Consulting received a thank you letter from the International Hydropower Associationa (IHA) for comments provided on evaporation from hydroelectric reservoirs. To view the letter from IHA, click here.

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Published PapersTop
Published Papers on Hydroelectric Generation and Reservoir Operation:

1. Forecasting of Natural Runoff and Management of the Gatineau River in Periods of High Water.
Paper presented at the Canadian Hydrology Symposium “77-Floods” held in Edmonton, Alberta, August 29-31, 1977.
Click here for the first page

2. The Ottawa River Regulation Modelling System (ORRMS).
Paper published in the proceedings of the International Symposium on Real Time Operation of Hydrosystems held at the University of Waterloo, June 24-26, 1981. The proceedings were published in book format under the title “Experience in Operation of Hydrosystems” ISBN 0-918334-49-7. Publ. 1982 WRP, Cat. No. EOH. To order the book click on the following link: http://www.wrpllc.com/order.html
Copyright © 1982, Water Resources Publications. All rights reserved.
Click here for the first page

3. ORRMS – A Computer Program with Capabilities for River Basin Planning Studies.
Paper presented at the Canadian Water Resources Association’s 34th Annual Conference held in Banff, Alberta, June 10-12, 1981.
Click here for the first page

4. RRM – A Computer Model with Capabilities of Assessing Recreational and Environmental Constraints.
Paper published in the Canadian Water Resources Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1982, pages 126-146.
Copyright © 1982, Canadian Water Resources Association
Click here for the first page

5. Trade-Off Decisions in Streamflow Forecasting for Multiobjective River Basins – The Ottawa River Case.
Paper published in the Canadian Water Resources Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1984, pages 47-61.
Copyright © 1984, Canadian Water Resources Association
Click here for the first page

6. Implementation of the River Regulation Model (RRM) in Ontario Hydro.
Paper presented at the Canadian Operational Research Society Annual Conference held in Toronto, June 2-4, 1986.
Click here for the first page

7. Utilization of the Ottawa River Regulation Modelling System (MORRO).
Paper published in the Proceedings of the 3rd Water Resources Operations Management Workshop held at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, June 27-30, 1988.
Copyright © 1989, American Society of Civil Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
To purchase the Proceedings that include this paper as well as papers 8 and 9, click on the amazon.com link below: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0872627179/103-8208619-7451808?v=glance
Click here for the first page

8. Optimal Operation of Complex Multireservoir Systems.
Paper published in the Proceedings of the 3rd Water Resources Operations Management Workshop held at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, June 27-30, 1988.
Copyright © 1989, American Society of Civil Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
Click here for the first page

9. Application of DDDP for Optimal Daily Operation of the Niagara Generating System.
Paper published in the Proceedings of the 3rd Water Resources Operations Management Workshop held at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, June 27-30, 1988.
Copyright © 1989, American Society of Civil Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
Click here for the first page

10. Development Work for the Niagara Generating System.
Paper published in the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Water Resources Systems Applications, held in Winnipeg, June 12-15, 1990.
Copyright © 1990, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Click here for the first page

11. Hydraulic Studies for Upgrading Aging Hydraulic Generating Stations.
Paper published in the Proceedings of the American Power Conference held in Chicago, April 28-30, 1991.
Copyright © 1991, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA.
Click here for the first page

12. Niagara River Flow Forecasting System.
Paper presented at the Waterpower’93 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, August 10-13, 1993. The paper was published in the Proceedings of the Conference: ISBN# 0872629244.
Copyright © 1993, American Society of Civil Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
Click here for the first page

13. Seeking User Input in Inflow Forecasting.
Paper presented at the International Conference on Stochastic and Statistical Methods in Hydrology and Environmental Engineering held at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, June 21-23, 1993.
Click here for the first page

14. Uncertainties in Flow Modeling and Forecasting for Niagara River (**)
Paper published in the Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. Vol. 119, No.11, November, 1993.
Copyright © 1993, American Society of Civil Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
To purchase a copy of the paper click on the following link:
http://www.pubs.asce.org/WWWdisplay.cgi?9305711
Click here for the first page

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PresentationsTop
1. Hydropower – A Sustainable Source of Electricity Generation.
Presentation made at the Canadian Water Resources Association Annual Conference, Toronto, June 5-7, 2006
Click here for a summary of the presentation.
Click here for the entire presentation.
Click here for the poster displayed at the Conference in conjunction with the presentation.

2. Inflow Design Flood and Dam Break Analysis for a Small Hydroelectric Project in Ontario.
Presentation made at the CEATI International Workshop “Planning for Extreme Events: A Water Management and Dam Safety Perspective”, Montreal, October 16-17, 2012.
Click here for a summary of the presentation.
Click here for the entire presentation.

3. Case Study: HEC-RAS Model Utilization for Fish Habitat Assessment Studies.
Presentation made at the 2012 Annual Conference of the Ontario Waterpower Association, Ontario-on-the-Lake, October 21-22, 2012.
Click here for a summary of the presentation.
Click here for the entire presentation.

4. Waterpower and Mitigation of Climate Change.
Presentation made at the 2014 Annual Conference of the Canadian Water Resources Association, Hamilton, June 4, 2014.
Click here for a summary of the presentation.
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