Pumped Hydro System Designer
Design pumped hydro systems with rapid hydraulic modeling and equipment selection
What You Can Do
You can rapidly prototype pumped hydro storage systems by performing gross head calculations from topographic data, optimizing reservoir dimensions for target storage durations, and selecting appropriately sized pump-turbine units. Claude guides you through penstock diameter optimization, validates operating points against IEC and IEEE standards, and generates preliminary civil works estimates and equipment specifications ready for stakeholder review or financing submissions.
Features
Example Output
Example 1: Reservoir Sizing for 8-Hour Storage Duration
- Upper reservoir volume: 12.5 million m³
- Lower reservoir volume: 8.2 million m³
- Gross head: 385 m (from DEM analysis)
- Estimated embankment volume: 2.8 million m³
- Storage capacity: 1,250 MWh
Example 2: Pump-Turbine Selection Output
- Selected unit: 200 MW variable-speed pump-turbine
- Turbine operating range: 70–110% nominal head
- Pump operating range: 90–105% nominal head
- Efficiency at rated point: 93.2% (combined round-trip)
- Penstock diameter: 3.2 m (friction loss: 2.1 m at rated flow)
Example 3: Design Comparison Matrix
| Configuration | Upper Vol. | Embankment Cost | Round-Trip Eff. | CAPEX Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Case | 12.5M m³ | $180M | 93.2% | 1.0 |
| Compact | 10.2M m³ | $145M | 91.8% | 0.85 |
| Extended Storage | 15.8M m³ | $220M | 93.5% | 1.15 |
What's Included
- SKILL.md instruction file: core prompting logic for hydraulic calculations and design workflows
- Hydraulic modeling framework: gross head, net head, and efficiency calculation templates
- Reservoir dimensioning checklist: step-by-step guide for volume, embankment, and spillway sizing
- Pump-turbine selection matrix: equipment comparison tool with duty point verification
- Design scenario template: structured format for 2-3 alternative configurations with trade-off analysis
Who It's For
- Pumped hydro engineers conducting feasibility and pre-FEED studies
- Renewable energy project managers preparing business cases and financing submissions
- Civil engineers designing reservoir embankments and penstock networks
- Utilities and energy storage developers evaluating site potential and technology options
- Engineering consultants supporting greenfield and retrofit energy storage projects
Best For
- Feasibility studies for greenfield pumped hydro projects (pre-FEED phase)
- Design alternative analysis and sensitivity testing across 2-3 configurations
- Rapid preliminary dimensioning for stakeholder and board presentations
- Hydraulic validation and compliance checking against IEC/IEEE standards
- Equipment specification generation for vendor RFQs and procurement
You might also like
You can design robust geothermal wellbores that withstand extreme thermal gradients, high-temperature steam zones, and corrosive geothermal fluids over multi-decade production lifecycles. This skill guides you through modeling accurate temperature profiles, selecting thermally-stable casing programs, choosing drilling fluids for elevated temperatures, and calculating pressure regimes that account for hydrostatic, lithostatic, and thermal stresses. The result is engineered wellbore designs that maximize resource contact while maintaining long-term integrity and regulatory compliance.
by devsoul2026
This skill streamlines the complete solar system design workflow by organizing site data into structured formats and running simultaneous engineering analyses that typically require multiple specialized tools. You can generate precise load calculations, determine optimal array configurations based on site constraints and energy goals, size all balance-of-system components, model financial projections with realistic degradation factors, and validate designs against NEC compliance requirements—compressing 8-12 hours of calculation-heavy work into minutes while supporting data-driven client decision-making.
by devsoul2026
You can systematically diagnose electrolyzer stack performance issues by analyzing voltage, current, gas purity, and thermal data against known degradation patterns. This skill helps you distinguish between anode/cathode fouling, membrane degradation, electrolyte contamination, thermal imbalance, and electrical inefficiencies—enabling you to schedule preventive maintenance before emergency downtime occurs and maintain hydrogen production economics.
by devsoul2026
You can rapidly generate optimized PV system designs that synthesize site characteristics, equipment specifications, electrical standards, and performance requirements into actionable array layouts and electrical configurations. This skill accelerates design iteration by systematically evaluating competing constraints—energy capture maximization, electrical loss minimization, grid code compliance, thermal management, and cost optimization—without replacing professional engineering judgment, ensuring designs align with industry best practices.
by devsoul2026
You can systematically analyze pumped hydro facility performance data to pinpoint efficiency losses, calculate head losses and mechanical degradation impacts, and generate prioritized maintenance and optimization recommendations. This skill synthesizes operational metrics, equipment specifications, and hydraulic calculations to quantify the financial impact of performance degradation and justify capital expenditures for modernization or intervention.
by devsoul2026
You can input solar system parameters, load profiles, and climate conditions, then receive validated battery sizing recommendations that account for depth-of-discharge limits, efficiency losses, thermal derating, and NEC/UL compliance thresholds. The skill systematizes complex interdependencies across voltage, capacity, chemistry selection, and backup power requirements into repeatable engineering workflows that produce defensible designs suitable for permitting and client presentations.
by devsoul2026
You can assess whether your compensation packages are competitive in the current market by comparing base salary, bonus targets, equity grants, and total benefits against peer company data. The skill identifies pay band drift, flags retention risks, and generates specific adjustment recommendations to improve offer acceptance rates and reduce turnover exposure for roles from individual contributors to senior leadership.
by devsoul2026
You can organize complex multi-load scenarios—gravitational, aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, inertial, and thermal—into verified load cases that comply with IEC 61400-1 standards. Claude helps you map design situations into quantified load combinations, create traceable load case documentation, and identify missing or contradictory inputs before FEA submission, reducing rework cycles during detailed design phases.
by devsoul2026