Optimal Hydropower System Configuration Based on Operational Analysis

Abstract

The problem of optimal multiunit hydropower system configuration is analyzed considering long‐term operational aspects. The spatial distribution of individual system elements such as reservoirs and the vertical configurations representing heights of various dams, full supply levels, and minimum operating levels of the reservoirs are selected for optimum energy generation potential. The objective of maximizing the monthly firm energy has been successfully achieved first by applying the Incremental Dynamic Programming (IDP) technique, and then by the Stochastic Dynamic Programming (SDP) method which incorporates the streamflow stochasticity into the system. SDP maximizes the expected total annual energy generation subject to a prespecified monthly firm power output. Transitional probabilities are derived from the available historical streamflow records. The results obtained could be used in planning a reservoir system and in deriving a long‐term operational policy. In this study, they are used in deciding the optimum system configuration in a river basin development problem in Nepal.