Simulation Models Optimize Water Power
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
Fraunhofer Develops Information Technology to Improve Efficiency of Water Power Generation Systems
The Columbia River basin in the Pacific Northwest offers great potential for water power; hydroelectric power stations there generate over 20 000 megawatts already. Now a simulation model will help optimize the operation of the extensive dam system.
The Advanced System Technology (AST) department is creating simulation and optimization models that consolidate external factors such as weather data, water levels and market prices with system infrastructure and generate optimized plans for operational facilities, such as the opening and closing of sluice gates, reservoir water level regulation and hydro turbine operation. This information helps the operator to fine-tune each hydroelectric power station's generating power to meet current energy economics and to sell the generated power for the highest possible return.
22,000 MW in the Columbia River basin
Following projects in Germany and China, and in cooperation with the Dutch-American company Deltares, IOSB researchers are now applying their expertise to one of the world's largest hydropower operators. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in the northwest of the United States runs a complex and extensive dam system in the Columbia River basin that collectively generates around 22,000 megawatts (MW). This is more than five times the output in Germany, which operates some 7500 hydroelectric plants on rivers and lakes and generates 4300 MW. More than 12 million people live in the BPA's catchment area, which covers parts of the U.S. states Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Together with Deltares, researchers on the HyPROM project have developed a functioning simulation and optimization model that ensures the best possible operation of the BPA dam system based on predefined parameters.
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