U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC)
Team Name: Cal Poly Cutthroat
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
What is your team hoping to get out of your Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC) experience this year?
Our team aims to gain valuable insights about how to design and optimize a turbine-generator system. We also hope to increase awareness and knowledge about the advantages of the hydropower industry to foster education and understanding.
Why should people care about hydropower?
Hydropower is crucial for sustainable energy. It's clean, renewable, and reduces reliance on fossil fuels, which can mitigate climate change. Additionally, it enhances energy security and supports economic development by providing reliable electricity.
Describe your project, objectives, and game plan.
Our team is drafting a design plan to convert the Hebgen Dam into a hydroelectric facility while considering the potential ecological, social, and economic impacts of the retrofit. Our goal is to design an efficient hydroelectric plant that positively impacts the surrounding community and environment.
What steps are your team taking to ensure a diverse and inclusive team?
Our team initially began with just mechanical engineering students. We felt a diversity of experience would be necessary for this competition, so we expanded our team to include electrical engineers and a business student. We also started the Waterpower Club, which we hope will help our team gain even more members from a variety of majors.
Who has your team connected with in the hydropower industry? What lessons have you learned from them, and how can your team apply those lessons to the competition?
Our team has engaged with the Hebgen Dam owners and a variety of hydropower experts, who offered invaluable advice and insights we had not considered. For example, in our meeting with consultant Sean Ellenson, he suggested we base our power generation estimates on a percentage value known as the capacity factor. These lessons have already helped us progress significantly in the competition.
How did your team get involved in HCC?
Our team joined HCC after a successful second place finish in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition last year. Enthusiastic about the experience, we wanted to expand our participation and applied for the HCC.
What inspired your team’s name?
The Madison River flows into Hebgen Lake, which houses the Hebgen Dam. One local trout species living in this area is the cutthroat, a beautiful fish that shares the same genus as the rainbow trout. The Hebgen Dam is designed specifically to support and conserve cutthroat trout, and we heavily considered this role in our design for the site. We felt the cutthroat would be a great mascot for our team because it symbolizes environmental- and animal-friendly practices.
Where can we follow your team on social media accounts/websites?
We have created an Instagram account to educate students about our progress on this project and expose them to the benefits of hydropower. Follow Cal Poly Cutthroat on Instagram.
The Cal Poly Cutthroat team members include (from left to right): James Savella, Paul DeLaCruz, Neel Bhargava, Connor Stoll, Cameron Brosnahan, Toby Coughlan, Chris Acevedo, and Justin Siegel. Photo from Kurt Lippmann, California Polytechnic State University (Alt: Several people standing with arms around each other’s shoulders in a road.)
Team members include:
- Cameron Brosnahan, cbrosnah@calpoly.edu
- Connor Stoll, cjstoll@calpoly.edu
- Neel Bhargava, nebharga@calpoly.edu
- Tobias Coughlan, coughlan@calpoly.edu
- Paul De La Cruz, padelacr@calpoly.edu
- James Savella, savella@calpoly.edu
- Justin Siegel, jusiegel@calpoly.edu.
