A COUPLED MODEL FOR DESIGN AND OPERATION OF HYDROPOWER RESERVOIRS: A CASE STUDY OF PAALAM-KARKHEH SYSTEM

In this paper, a framework for design and operation of hydropower reservoirs is presented. For this purpose, a dynamic programming model is developed to optimize the operation of a dual cascade reservoir system. The model has been applied to the Pa-alam and Karkheh Reservoir system in southwest of Iran. In order to decrease the computational burden of the problem, certain design parameters are selected based on the sensitivity analysis of the long-term simulation results. These Parameters include installed capacity and Plant Factor of the Power Plant and normal and minimum water levels in the reservoir. In order to evaluate the results of simulation based on the variation of these parameters, variations of firm energy, total annual power generation, and reliability of water supply are analyzed. Comparison of the results of the optimization model and the long-term simulation based on the optimal operating policies shows that the selection of design parameters can significantly affect the long-term performance of the system.