A CONTROL MODEL FOR DEPENDABLE HYDROPOWER CAPACITY OPTIMIZATION

In this article a control model that can be used to determine the depe ndable power capacity of a hydropower system is presented and tested. The model structure consists of a turbine load allocation module and a reservoir control module and allows for a detailed representation of hydroelectric facilities and various aspects of water management. Alth ough this scheme is developed for planning purposes, it can also be us ed operationally with minor modifications. The model is applied to the Lanier-Allatoona-Carters reservoir system on the Chattahoochee and Co osa River Basins, in the southeastern United States. The case studies demonstrate that the more traditional simulation-based approaches ofte n underestimate dependable power capacity. Firm energy optimization wi th or without dependable capacity constraints is taken up in a compani on article [Georgakakos et al., this issue].