CONTROL MODEL FOR HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY-VALUE OPTIMIZATION

A hydropower scheduling model that aims at minimizing thermal station- operation costs subject to various water- and power-demand constraints is described The cost structure of the thermal power system is repres ented through incremental power-generation cost (or lambda) curves, wh ich can be determined by running load-dispatching models. The model in cludes two control modules: one for the most efficient load allocation among the hydroplant turbines and another for the determination of th e best hourly sequence of hydroplant power loads over the control hori zon. These two modules are able to represent hydropower facilities and reservoir-management features in good detail, and the lambda curves e ffectively incorporate the essential elements of the thermal power sys tem. The model is tested in the Lanier-Allatoona-Carters system in the southeastern United States and is shown to be computationally efficie nt even for very long control horizons.