Modeling Reservoir-River Networks in Support of Optimizing Seasonal-Scale Reservoir Operations
Abstract
HydroSCOPE (Hydropower Seasonal Concurrent Optimization of Power and the Environment) is a seasonal time-scale tool for scenario analysis and optimization of reservoir-river networks. Developed in MATLAB, HydroSCOPE is an object-oriented model that simulates basin-scale dynamics with an objective of optimizing reservoir operations to maximize revenue from power generation, reliability in the water supply, environmental performance, and flood control. HydroSCOPE is part of a larger toolset that is being developed through a Department of Energy multi-laboratory project. This project's goal is to provide conventional hydropower decision makers with better information to execute their day-ahead and seasonal operations and planning activities by integrating water balance and operational dynamics across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This presentation details the modeling approach and functionality of HydroSCOPE. HydroSCOPE consists of a river-reservoir network model and an optimization routine. The river-reservoir network model simulates the heat and water balance of river-reservoir networks for time-scales up to one year. The optimization routine software, DAKOTA (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications - dakota.sandia.gov), is seamlessly linked to the network model and is used to optimize daily volumetric releases from the reservoirs to best meet a set of user-defined constraints, such as maximizing revenue while minimizing environmental violations. The network model uses 1-D approximations for both the reservoirs and river reaches and is able to account for surface and sediment heat exchange as well as ice dynamics for both models. The reservoir model also accounts for inflow, density, and withdrawal zone mixing, and diffusive heat exchange. Routing for the river reaches is accomplished using a modified Muskingum-Cunge approach that automatically calculates the internal timestep and sub-reach lengths to match the conditions of each timestep and minimize computational overhead. Power generation for each reservoir is estimated using a 2-dimensional regression that accounts for both the available head and turbine efficiency. The object-oriented architecture makes run configuration easy to update. The dynamic model inputs include inflow and meteorological forecasts while static inputs include bathymetry data, reservoir and power generation characteristics, and topological descriptors. Ensemble forecasts of hydrological and meteorological conditions are supplied in real-time by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and are used as a proxy for uncertainty, which is carried through the simulation and optimization process to produce output that describes the probability that different operational scenario's will be optimal. The full toolset, which includes HydroSCOPE, is currently being tested on the Feather River system in Northern California and the Upper Colorado Storage Project.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFM.H53C1436V
- Keywords:
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- 1805 HYDROLOGY / Computational hydrology;
- 1816 HYDROLOGY / Estimation and forecasting;
- 1880 HYDROLOGY / Water management