Publications de Samuel Luke Vorlet

Fluid-structure interactions of hyperelastic geomembranes in pressure flow

In the context of energy transition, hydropower is poised to have a major importance in the coming decades. It therefore requires the development of reliable, innovative solutions for maintenance and rehabilitation. Geomembrane systems are a promising tech ...

EPFL2025

A comprehensive review on geomembrane systems application in hydropower

Giovanni De Cesare, Samuel Luke Vorlet

Geomembrane systems have been used at hydropower plants as rehabilitation and mitigation technology for several decades and are now used worldwide. In the context of planning an energy transition that promotes the sustainable use of water resources for ene ...

2024

Characterization of the hydrodynamic behavior of surge shaft's orifices in SNOWY 2.0 power plant

Giovanni De Cesare, Azin Amini, Samuel Luke Vorlet

The Snowy 2.0 project is a large-scale pumped storage facility located in the Snowy Mountains in the SouthEastern part of New South Wales (Australia). It is an extension of the existing Snowy scheme, linking Tantangara (upper) and Talbingo (lower) reservoi ...

ETH2024

L’application des systèmes de géomembrane pour la réhabilitation des voies d’eau sous pression

Giovanni De Cesare, Samuel Luke Vorlet

Les systèmes de géomembrane sont utilisés dans les aménagements hydroélectriques comme technologie de réhabilitation depuis plusieurs décennies. Dans un contexte de transition énergétique qui favorise l’utilisation durable des ressources en eau pour la pro ...

2024

L’importance des Jeunes Professionnels dans l’ingénierie des barrages en Suisse

Valentina Favero, Samuel Luke Vorlet

En Suisse, l’hydroélectricité est la principale source d’énergie et contribue à environ 58% de la production totale. La stratégie énergétique 2050 vise à augmenter cette part au cours des prochaines décennies. Cette augmentation représente un défi pour les ...

2023

Contribution of the Hydraulic Laboratories of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology to Dam Safety

Giovanni De Cesare, Azin Amini, Samuel Luke Vorlet

Bien que la construction de barrages en général et l’hydraulique des barrages en particulier soient des domaines techniques très développés, le potentiel de risque associé aux barrages justifie dans la plupart des cas la vérification et l’optimisation de l ...

2023

The importance of young professionals for dam engineering in Switzerland

Valentina Favero, Samuel Luke Vorlet

In Switzerland, hydropower is the main energy source and contributes to about 58.3% of the total production. The 2050 energy strategy aims to increase this share in the coming decades. This increase is a challenge for hydropower plants. The maintenance and ...

CRC Press/Balkema2023

Exploring the efficacy of reservoir fine sediment management measures through numerical simulations

Giovanni De Cesare, Azin Amini, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Montana Marshall

Reservoir sedimentation is one of the main challenges in the sustainable operation of large reservoirs because it causes volume loss, affecting hydropower production capacity, dam safety, and flood management. To ensure the sustainability of deep reservoir ...

CRC Press/Balkema2023

Dynamic behavior of exposed geomembrane systems in pressure waterways

Giovanni De Cesare, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Roberto Proença Seixas

Geomembrane systems have been used in dams and reservoirs as rehabilitation technology since several decades and are now used worldwide. They act as impervious layer to prevent and mitigate water leakage and damage to structures. They meet the needs of man ...

CRC Press/Balkema2023

Underground flow section modification below the new m3 Flon metro station in Lausanne

Azin Amini, Pierre Bourqui, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Mona Seyfeddine

Rapid urbanization is increasing the demand for public transport in Switzerland’s major cities. The new m3 metro line in Lausanne is planned to circulate by 2030. Its construction will require a modification of the underground flow section of the Flon Rive ...

Springer2022

Hybrid modeling of the Massongex-Bex-Rhône hydropower plant on the Rhone river in Switzerland

Giovanni De Cesare, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Pedram Sahraei

Hydropower currently ensures two-thirds of Switzerland's domestic energy production and aims to gain more importance in the medium and long term due to nuclear abandon. In this respect, the Massongex-Bex-Rhone (MBR) run-of-river hydropower plant project on ...

Springer2021

Seismic Behavior of Pine Flat Concrete Gravity Dam Using Microplane Damage-Plasticity Model

Giovanni De Cesare, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Samuel Luke Vorlet

The response of concrete gravity dams under seismic loads is a major concern of dam safety assessment in earthquake-prone areas. This study focuses on the seismic analysis of the tallest non-overflow monolith of Pine Flat Dam. The paper presents results of ...

Springer, Cham2020

Holistic Design Approach of a Throttled Surge Tank: The Case of Refurbishment of Gondo High-Head Power Plant in Switzerland

Giovanni De Cesare, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Nicolas Jean François Pascal Ghislain Adam, Mona Seyfeddine

In order to increase the installed capacity, the refurbishment of Gondo high-head power plant required a modification of the existing surge tank by installing a throttle at its entrance. In a previous study, the geometry of this throttle was optimized by p ...

2020

The sediment challenge of Swiss river corridors interrupted by man-made reservoirs

Giovanni De Cesare, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Christian Mörtl

Depending on their characteristics and management, man-made reservoirs can have a significant impact on the natural sediment continuity of rivers. We classify different reservoir types and describe potential risks for the dam and downstream river reach. Ou ...

CRC Press2020

Hybrid modeling and design review of throttled surge tanks

Giovanni De Cesare, Bernard Valluy, Samuel Luke Vorlet, Nicolas Jean François Pascal Ghislain Adam, Mona Seyfeddine

The 2050 Swiss Energy Strategy aims to increase the annual production of hydroelectricity by 4% while 90% of the technically feasible potential is already used. The flexibility of high-head storage power plants (HPP), the main pillar of Swiss peak electric ...

2020

Evolution of reservoir flushing and emptying practices in a cascade of large reservoirs across several decades

Giovanni De Cesare, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Sebastián Guillén Ludeña, Samuel Luke Vorlet

Reservoir sedimentation is, at present, one of the main concerns in the operational management of dams in the Alps. For larger seasonal storage reservoirs, the main operational concern is the blockage of bottom outlets and turbine abrasion. In case of infr ...

2018

Parametric study on the influence of jet-like inflows and outflows on fine sediment settling

Anton Schleiss, Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso, Samuel Luke Vorlet

This paper focuses on the dynamics of fine sediments in reservoirs exposed to hydropower cascade or pumped-storage operations. The aim is at analysing the influence of parameters such as the flow inlet and flow outlet relative position, the jet hydrodynami ...

Armanini2018