Sizing hydropower plants via evolutionary optimization techniques

Author(s)

Donato da Silva Filho

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2003-12-18

Examining board members

Adriano Alber de Franca Mendes Carneiro; Jean Cesare Negri; Marcelo Prais; Dorel Soares Ramos; Secundino Soares Filho

• Advisor: Adriano Alber de Franca Mendes Carneiro

Abstract

The methods normally applied to optimally size a hydropower plant, including the ones used by the Brazilian Power Industry, are based on cost/benefit analysis. The costs are due to direct expenses with the hydropower plant construction and the benefits correspond to incomes from selling energy. The benefits are evaluated throughout computing simulations of the hydropower plant operation, followed by the assignment of an economical value to the energy produced by it. The need for computing simulations turns out a non-analytical objective function for the sizing problem, what makes the use of traditional optimization tools very hard. The objective of this work is just to develop and implement a sizing method that automatically performs the search for the optimal sizes of a hydropower plant. The proposed method combines an evolutionary optimization technique and a simulation model for the operation of hydropower systems. Additionally, the proposed model is also flexible in the sense that the operation rules for the hydroelectric system simulation, the set of water inflows, the way the energy is valued and some other factors that may influence the results are treated as parameters. The results show that, from the computing point of view, the proposed method is automatic, flexible and efficient. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses performed validate the method consistency and establish relationships among the different parameters and the way they affect the optimal features of the new hydropower plant. Based on the results of such analyses, some regulation and planning measures are suggested in order to avoid sizing hydropower plants with mistaken parameters that can substantially change its optimal features. (AU)