Hydroelectric Operation Optimization and Unexpected Spillage Indications

Ramon Abritta, Frederico Panoeiro, Leonardo Honório, Ivo Silva Junior, André Marcato and Anapaula Guimarães
Additional contact information
Ramon Abritta: Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Frederico Panoeiro: Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Leonardo Honório: Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Ivo Silva Junior: Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
André Marcato: Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Anapaula Guimarães: Electrical Engineering Department, Center of Superior Education of Juiz de Fora, 36021-630 Juiz de Fora, Brazil

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-20

Abstract: It is widely known that hydroelectric power plants benefit from optimized operation schedules, since the latter prevent water and, therefore, monetary wastes, contributing to significant environmental and economic gains. The level of detail on the representation of such systems is related to how far ahead the planning horizon is extended. Aiming at the very short-term optimization of hydroelectric power plants, which usually requires the most detailed models, this paper addresses an undesired effect that, despite being already mentioned in the literature, has not been properly explored and explained yet. This effect is given by the indication of spillage by the optimizer, even when the reservoir does not reach its maximum capacity. Simulations implemented in Julia language using real power plant data expose this phenomenon. Possible ways to circumvent it are presented. Results showed that, in specific cases, spillage allows the achieving of more efficient operating points by reducing the gross head and increasing the amount of water that flows through turbines. Furthermore, it was verified that applying water outflow-based objective functions prevents undesired spillage indications, despite causing machines to operate at lower efficiency levels, compared with the utilization of power losses-based objective functions.

Keywords: hydroelectric power plants; spillage; short-term scheduling; optimization; Julia language (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/20/5368/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/20/5368/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:20:p:5368-:d:428324

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().