Method for management and optimization of hydropower generation and consumption

A method for optimization and management of a serial dam hydro generation system, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining a respective water volume of project water reservoir corresponding with each of multiple discrete dams comprising the serial dam hydro generation system, each dam associated with at least one hydroelectric generator in a series of hydroelectric generators comprising a multi-dam hydropower generation system and each volume is based upon a shape of a respective portion of river basin associated with each dam;
• providing to a computer-based optimizer engine a set of input data related to optimizing power generation of a multi-dam hydropower generation system, the set of input data comprising:
• (a) the determined respective volume at the multiple dams comprising the multi-dam hydropower generation system combined with volume, inflow, discharge, spill and turbine flow for each respective dam comprising the hydropower generation system;
• (b) time dependent generation targets for specifying an amount of power generation requested on a time dependent basis by a consumer of power generated by the hydropower generation system;
• and
• (c) market and physical data representing forecasted power and capacity prices, load forecast, and non-load obligations for the user;
• converting the set of input data (a) through (c), using the computer-based optimizer engine, from real-world metrics into a uniform metric such that the uniform metric is characterized in consistent units;
• providing to the computer-based optimizer engine at least a first user adjustable penalty parameter, wherein the first user adjustable penalty parameter prioritizes a metric related to an environmental use of at least a portion of the serial dam hydro generation system;
• compiling, using the computer-based optimizer engine, a mixed integer linear programming model based on the uniform metric;
• modeling Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) environmental constraints within the computer-based optimizer engine, including constraints on discharge, turbine flow, slack variables and associated penalties;
• modeling operator constraints within the computer-based optimizer engine including a dollar penalty for violating a given constraint;
• modeling a daily generation target;
• producing a power generation schedule including an amount of energy in megawatts that may be generated by each specific dam for the series of hydroelectric generators comprising serial dam hydro generation system, based upon the input data(a) through (c) and the mixed integer linear programming model;
• generating feasibility regions based upon volume ramp environmental constraints;
• allocating the daily generation target based upon a change in inflows, an effect of the user adjustable penalty parameter, and one or both of the BPA constraints and modeled operator constraints;
• and
• controlling hydro parameters at each dam including an amount of water that flows through turbines associated with each respective dam included in the serial dam hydro generation system, based upon the power generation schedule and feasibility regions.

A method for optimization and management of a serial dam hydro generation system, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining a respective water forebay, tailwater and volume of project water reservoir corresponding with each of multiple discrete dams comprising the serial dam hydro generation system, each dam associated with at least one hydroelectric generator in a series of hydroelectric generators comprising a multi-dam hydropower generation system and each volume is based upon a shape of a respective portion of river basin associated with each dam;
• providing to a computer-based optimizer engine a set of input data related to optimizing power generation of a multi-dam hydropower generation system, the set of input data comprising:
• (a) the determined respective water forebay, volume and tailwater at the multiple dams comprising the multi-dam hydropower generation system combined with volume, inflow, discharge, spill and turbine flow for each respective dam comprising the hydropower generation system;
• (b) time dependent generation targets for specifying an amount of power generation requested on a time dependent basis by a consumer of power generated by the hydropower generation system;
• and
• (c) market and physical data representing forecasted power and capacity prices, load forecast, and non-load obligations for the user;
• converting the set of input data (a) through (c), using the computer-based optimizer engine, from real-world metrics into a uniform metric such that the uniform metric is characterized in consistent units;
• providing to the computer-based optimizer engine at least a first user adjustable penalty parameter, wherein the first user adjustable penalty parameter prioritizes a metric related to a power generation use of at least a portion of the serial dam hydro generation system;
• compiling, using the computer-based optimizer engine, a mixed integer linear programming model based on the uniform metric;
• modeling Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) environmental constraints within the computer-based optimizer engine, including constraints on discharge, turbine flow, slack variables and associated penalties;
• modeling operator constraints within the computer-based optimizer engine including a dollar penalty for violating a given constraint;
• modeling a daily generation target;
• producing a power generation schedule including an amount of energy in megawatts that may be generated by each specific dam for the series of hydroelectric generators comprising serial dam hydro generation system, based upon the input data(a) through (c) and the mixed integer linear programming model;
• generating feasibility regions based upon volume ramp environmental constraints;
• allocating the daily generation target based upon a change in inflows, an effect of the user adjustable penalty parameter, and one or both of the BPA constraints and modeled operator constraints;
• and
• controlling hydro parameters at each dam including an amount of water that flows through turbines associated with each respective dam included in the serial dam hydro generation system, based upon the power generation schedule and feasibility regions.