A new manufacturing program led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is set to revitalize American manufacturing by creating large metal components for clean energy applications, particularly hydropower. This initiative, called *Rapid Research on Universal Near Net Shape Fabrication Strategies for Expedited Runner Systems* (Rapid RUNNERS), focuses on producing large hydropower turbine runners through additive manufacturing (AM) and traditional tools. The project, which has received $15 million in funding from the Department of Energy (DOE), aims to reduce the long wait times for critical hydropower components and stimulate economic growth in the energy sector.
Hydropower runners are rotating components that convert the pressure and flow of water into electricity. The Rapid RUNNERS program will use robotic welders to deposit metal layer by layer, producing near-net-shape runners. These components, close to their final dimensions, will require fewer finishing steps compared to traditional methods, which can take up to 18 months to produce one runner. ORNL’s Adam Stevens, technical lead for the project, explained that the goal is to drastically reduce the time needed to manufacture these components, helping address gaps in the domestic industrial base for energy.
Near-Net-Shape Manufacturing for Hydropower
The near-net-shape approach allows components to be produced as close as possible to their final shape, reducing waste and cutting down on labor-intensive finishing processes. Currently, the production of large metal components like runners takes place mostly overseas, which leads to long delays when turbines are down. Hydropower turbines, which are complex and require months of manual welding and finishing, will benefit from this streamlined process. By combining additive manufacturing with traditional machining techniques, ORNL and its partners aim to boost productivity and increase efficiency in clean energy production.
Brian Post, leader of ORNL’s Disruptive Manufacturing Systems Development group, and Jay Tiley, head of ORNL’s Materials Structures and Processing Section, are leading the project. The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL, supported by the DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, is serving as the hub for collaboration. The MDF is part of a national consortium working to drive innovation in U.S. manufacturing.
Expanding Domestic Capabilities for Energy Infrastructure
The program plans to produce three Francis-style runners, including a prototype for testing and two runners for potential installation in Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams. The runners will vary in size, with one intended for the Ocoee Dam in Parksville, Tennessee, and another, measuring 15 feet in diameter, for TVA’s Wilson Dam, which produces 653 megawatts of electricity. TVA is the largest public power provider in the U.S., with 113 generators across 29 dams.
Joe Hoagland, TVA’s vice president of innovation and research, expressed the significance of the initiative, noting that the project aligns with TVA’s mission to enhance energy reliability, improve renewable energy output, and boost economic development by creating jobs in the U.S. The system will use robots for tasks like wire arc welding, grinding, and metrology, allowing automated, large-scale production of these vital components.
TVA’s Curt Jawdy, head of research and development, highlighted the challenges with current runner production, which often faces backlogs of up to two years. He emphasized that additive manufacturing can create designs and shapes not possible through traditional methods, offering advantages such as the application of cavitation-resistant coatings to prolong the life of the runners.
Partnering for Innovation in Manufacturing
ORNL is working with multiple partners to bring this manufacturing platform to life. These include Huntington Ingalls-Newport News Shipbuilding, where the largest runner will be 3D-printed, and the Electric Power Research Institute, which is contributing technoeconomic analyses. Additional partners include Open Mind Technologies, ARC Specialties, and Voith Group-Hydropower, all of whom are assisting with manufacturing strategy development and robotic hardware integration.
The three-year project will ultimately create a new hybrid-manufacturing platform that can produce infrastructure-scale components domestically, benefiting industries like energy, defense, shipbuilding, and municipal water supply. ORNL’s Stevens noted that the program will enhance worker productivity and bolster the U.S. industrial base, providing a much-needed boost to domestic manufacturing.
DOE awarded $13 million to the project through the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, with an additional $2 million from the Water Power Technologies Office. The initiative is managed by UT-Battelle for DOE’s Office of Science, which supports a wide range of basic research efforts aimed at addressing critical challenges in the physical sciences.
Source: ornl.gov
