Chairs

Hydro'like Chair

Innovation for the hydraulic machines of tomorrow

DUE TO THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF INTERMITTENT ENERGY SOURCES SUCH AS WIND AND SOLAR, HYDRAULIC MACHINES MUST INCREASE THEIR FLEXIBILITY WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE. THE CHAIR PUTS INNOVATION AT THE SERVICE OF TOMORROW'S HYDRAULIC ENERGY.

A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE USE OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION

Hydraulic power must be able to supply energy rapidly to the electrical network in the event of a drop in intermittent production and to allow for energy storage in periods of overproduction. Today, hydraulic machines must be much more flexible with extremely wide operating ranges. They are thus subjected to significant mechanical stresses that can lead to a significant reduction in their service life.

A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE TO MAINTAIN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF FRENCH PRODUCTS

It is in this context that the Hydro'Like Chair was created to federate the research efforts of several academic laboratories in Grenoble and the General Electric Renewable Energy (GE) technology center in order to remove the many technological barriers.
This center of excellence will enable General Electric Renewable Energy (GE) to strengthen and perpetuate its presence in the Rhône-Alpes region by expanding its activities and R&D collaborations into more upstream areas of research.
This research is necessary to maintain the competitiveness of French products in the face of increasingly strong competition from players in emerging countries.
This development of General Electric Renewable Energy's (GE) R&D activity also has a direct impact on the activity of SMEs involved in control and monitoring solutions, the construction of new laboratories (civil engineering and equipment) and the building of model turbines.
Finally, this cluster of excellence benefits from a strong synergy with the Ternerrdis competitiveness cluster and helps strengthen the international visibility of Grenoble and its region.

The Hydro'like Chair is a tool for building and strengthening links with laboratories in the critical technologies required for hydraulic turbine design and production. The initial results presented are highly significant, laying the foundations for new ways of designing faster, more efficient machines: in particular, the use of artificial intelligence in optimization processes, and the implementation of the most advanced simulation tools in an industrial setting. Thanks to the Chair, GE is accelerating the adoption of these new technologies.

Pierre Leroy

Responsable Equipe Calcul chez GE Hydro France & Président du Copil de la Chaire Hydro'Like

Our missions

The Chair federates the research efforts of several academic laboratories in Grenoble and the General Electric Renewable Energy (GE) technology center. It promotes interdisciplinary research addressing a wide range of scientific and technical fields: hydraulics, structural mechanics, materials, control and monitoring, additive manufacturing... This research combines both high-performance computing and advanced experimentation.

The Chair also aims to promote hydraulics, the leading source of renewable energy, to a wide audience in France and abroad. Training, knowledge dissemination and international exchanges are thus organized. Particular emphasis is placed on helping humanitarian student associations to promote innovative concepts for micro-hydropower in developing countries.