Salt River Project has invested more than $2.6 million in 36 projects at the state’s universities, including two at Arizona State focused on preserving the value of hydropower assets on SRP’s watershed, officials at the Tempe-based utility said.

A student research team at ASU’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment is using technology to assess the wear and tear on the hydropower turbines at Horse Mesa and Mormon Flat dams.

Some of the turbines have been on SRP’s system since the 1970’s and weigh upward of 40 tons, according to a release.

“ASU researchers are using high-definition images to better assess life cycle of these assets and develop timelines for when maintenance will be required and when ultimate replacement of the asset is needed,” the release state. 

Another team is using digital twin technology to conduct detailed modeling of SRP’s hydropower assets with a goal of “potentially setting a new standard for proactive maintenance and modernization across SRP’s hydropower fleet,” according to SRP.

The projects are under the supervision of Assistant Professor Thomas Czerniawski.

“SRP is proud to invest in projects with our state universities to not only encourage innovation but also find ways to improve our day-to-day operations,” Chico Hunter, SRP’s manager of innovation and development, said.

“The advantage of working with university students on real-world issues and solutions is these talented individuals could be a part of our future workforce.” 

SRP is working on 24 projects with ASU, seven with Northern Arizona University and five with the University of Arizona. They range from forest thinning and wildfire detection to electric vehicle charging and energy demand prediction and response, according to the release.