Abstract
A useful tool is proposed in this paper to assist dam managers in comparing and selecting suitable operating rules. This procedure is based on well-known multiobjective and probabilistic methodologies, which were jointly applied here to assess and compare flood control strategies in hydropower reservoirs. The procedure consisted of evaluating the operating rules’ performance using a simulation fed by a representative and sufficiently large flood event series. These flood events were obtained from a synthetic rainfall series stochastically generated by using the RainSimV3 model coupled with a deterministic hydrological model. The performance of the assessed strategies was characterized using probabilistic variables. Finally, evaluation and comparison were conducted by analyzing objective functions which synthesize different aspects of the rules’ performance. These objectives were probabilistically defined in terms of risk and expected values. To assess the applicability and flexibility of the tool, it was implemented in a hydropower dam located in Galicia (Northern Spain). This procedure allowed alternative operating rule to be derived which provided a reasonable trade-off between dam safety, flood control, operability and energy production.
Highlights
The operation of multipurpose reservoirs is a challenging task due to the conflicting objectives and uncertainties involved [1,2,3]
Due to the characteristics of the case studied, the maximum flood volume series was chosen as the ensemble of annual maximum flood hydrographs [37]
The synthetic events provide an accurate reproduction of the peak flow and volume of the recorded floods in order to compare strategies under the same hydrological forcing
Summary
The operation of multipurpose reservoirs is a challenging task due to the conflicting objectives and uncertainties involved [1,2,3]. There are many techniques which may help dam operators to address this task, including simulation of predefined rules, optimization programming, and combined approaches [1,4]. Simulation models are usually more flexible than optimization programming and allow for what-if analyses. When subjected to forced stochastic inflows, such models, which facilitate risk analysis, may be useful in assisting dam managers in the decision-making process. It should be noted, that they require predefined operating rules [1,4,5]
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