Hydropower

Concepts
How Does Hydropower Affect
Reservoir Simulation?

Hydrologic Engineering Center

Topic Objective:
To know the basic hydropower concepts and

how they affect reservoir system analysis.

Power Definitions
Power Demand
Types of Hydropower projects
Computing power release
Reservoir hydropower simulation

Definitions
Work = Force Distance (ft-lbs. or N-m)
Power = Rate of doing work
Referred to as Capacity (to do work)
Electric Capacity given in Kilowatts or
Megawatts (KW or MW)
1 Kilowatt = 1,000 N-m/sec = 737.56 ft-lbs./sec
Energy = Work = Power * Time
Electric Energy given in Kilowatt-hours or
Megawatt-hours (KWH or MWH)
Work accomplished, but not how fast!

Nature of Power Demand

Demand for Power must be exactly met
Supply == Demand at all times
Surplus supply must have a use. You cant store
power on the grid.
Shortages have severe consequences!
Supply based on Maximum (Peak) Demand
Demand varies:
During day
Days of week
Seasonally

Load Curve
Load: demand for

power
Load Curve: Graph of
load changing with
time
Typical Weekly Load:

Sunday low
Nights low
Mid-day peak or
Morning/Evening peak
varies seasonally

Load Duration
Demand vs. % of time

(Same weekly demand)

Shows usage of power
resources
Shows % time required

Base = 100%
Peak < 5%

Value depends on

alternative resources

Load Characterization
Base Load - the minimum load in a period of

time.
Base Load Plant a power plant that runs at

a constant capacity to carry base load

Peak Load - the maximum load in a period of

time.
Peaking Plant - operates to provide power

during maximum load periods

Plant Factor
Plant Factor - the fraction of the day during which

the plant ran at capacity

Plant Factor = 6 hrs of generation at 100% capacity

= 6/24 x 100/100 = .25 or 25%

Plant Factor - the fraction of capacity the plant ran

at to meet load ( Avg. Load / Capacity )

Plant Capacity = 60,000 kW

Avg. Load
= 8,750 kW
Plant Factor = 8,750 / 60,000 = 15%
If the Plant ran at Capacity to meet this load, it would
operate 15% of the time

Dependable Capacity
Load carrying ability of a hydropower plant

during the Critical Period

Critical Period (for hydropower) - when the
limitations of hydroelectric power supply
due to water conditions are most critical
with respect to system load requirements
Drought period (or low water availability)
coincident with..
High demand

Dependable (Firm) Energy

Energy associated with Dependable Capacity
Electric energy which is intended to have

assured availability to the customer to meet

all or any agreed upon portion of his load
requirements
Assured availability usually means that no

shortages will be tolerated

Value of Energy and Capacity

Separate benefits for energy & capacity
Energy power generated
Capacity ability to generate
Primary Power benefits for dependable

capacity and firm energy

Energy based on kW-Hrs on demand
Capacity based on availability at critical period

Secondary Power benefits for energy

produced during high flow periods

Secondary value usually much lower

Storage Reservoirs
All or part of the reservoir pool is allocated

to power
For generation a power pool
To maintain head buffer or operating inactive

Releases made to meet Energy demand

Power storage used when flow is low
Headwater varies with pool
Tailwater dependent on flow
Primary and Secondary energy are outputs

Run-of-River Reservoirs
Headwater essentially constant
Tailwater dependent on flow
Energy is a function of flow (in & out)
Energy is Secondary with lower value
Often downstream from storage reservoir

Storage Peaking Reservoirs

Peaking Power operates for short interval
High releases during generation
Minimum Releases during non-power

periods
Releases impact downstream system

Storage Power Guide Curve

Power demand function of pool level
Firm energy from minimum power pool to

power rule curve

Higher energy produced when above power

rule curve
Provides more energy when water supply is

high

Firm Energy Computations

Computed for the Critical Period.

Energy produced during the period of

maximum drawdown is determined

Annual Firm Energy is based on the sum of

minimum energy produced in each time
period of the calendar year.

Dependable Capacity is the capacity associated

with Firm Energy.

Power Equation
Power = weight of a discharge falling a

distance
Power (kW) = [Q * w * h * e] / 737.56
Q = discharge in cfs
w = weight of water in lbs./ft3
h = net head in feet (Total h - Hydraulic losses)
e = efficiency of generator & turbine units
737.56 ft-lbs./sec = 1 Kilowatt

Calculation of Power Release

Q = 737.56 (kW) / (w * h * e)
if, e = constant 0.86
w = 62.4 lbs./ft3

Q = 13.74 ( kW / h )
h = Headwater - Tailwater - Losses
Headwater, Tailwater, & Loss depend on Q
Iterative solution is required

Power Release Determination:

Instantaneous
Assume net Head
Initial estimate based on end of previous period or
iteration
Compute Q, based on capacity (kW)
Determine Tailwater for Q
Calculate net Head, based on headwater,

tailwater and losses

Compute new discharge using net Head
Repeat until net Head remains the same

Power Release Determination:

Period Average
Compute Average Q for period
Compute ending Storage
Outflow = Qpower + Losses + Evaporation
Determine ending Elevation
Calculate avg. Headwater for period
Repeat until average Q remains the same

Water Lost to Hydropower

Leakage & Seepage
Evaporation - dependent on release
Fish Ladders
Navigation Locks
Water Supply withdrawals
Station use: cooling, power,
Minimum releases during non-generation

periods

Hydropower Limits
Penstock Flow Capacity cant release more

than penstock can carry

Turbine Capacity cant release more than the
turbine can discharge
Generator Overload Capacity cant generate
more than maximum capacity
Variable efficiency maximum efficiency exists
in a narrow range of head and discharge

References
Estimate of National Hydroelectric Power Potential

at Existing Dams, USACE, July 1977

Hydroelectric Power Evaluation, Federal Power

Commission, FPC P-35, March 1968

Hydropower, EM 1110-2-1701, 31 Dec 1985
Potential for Increasing the Output of Existing

Hydroelectric Plants, USACE, HEC July 1981

Hydropower Simulation

HEC-ResSim

Hydrologic Engineering Center

Objectives
To know how to:
Add a Power Plant to a reservoir and define Power
Plant Data
Add Hydropower Rules to the system
Control Release Allocation to outlets
Review the hydropower output options

Hydropower Data
Physical Data
Add Power Plant
Define Power Plant Data

Outlet Capacity
Power Capacity
Efficiency
Losses
Station Use
Hyd. losses

Add Tailwater Elevation

Add a Power Plant

Add Power Plant

a)
b)

Use component-specific menu

Use right-click shortcut menu

Power Plant Data-Outlet

Capacity
Physical Powerhouse

Capacity

Elevation vs Flow

Limits Flow for power

generation
Considerations:

Best Gate
Full Gate

Power Plant Data-Power

Capacity
Select Capacity tab in Power Plant dialog
Enter the Installed Capacity (MW).
Select the Variable Capacity option
Installed Capacity with Overload factor

Enter the Overload Factor

Function of Reservoir Elevation

Function of Reservoir Storage
Function of Release
Function of Operating Head

Power Plant Data-Plant

Efficiency
Select Efficiency tab in Power Plant dialog
Select the Efficiency Method option

Constant
Function of Reservoir Elevation
Function of Release
Function of Operating Head

Power Plant Data-Station Use

Select Station Use tab in Power Plant dialog
Select the Station Use Method option

Constant
Function of Release

Station use is not available for power generation

Power Plant Data-Hydraulic

Losses
Select Hyd. Losses tab in Power Plant dialog
Select the Hydraulic Losses Method option

Constant (feet/meter)
Function of Release (Release vs. loss)

Hydraulic Loss is subtracted from Gross Head in power

computations.

Add Tailwater Elevation

Add Tailwater
Use component-specific menu
b) Use right-click shortcut menu
Tailwater
Tailwater appears in tree below the
selected component
a)

Define Tailwater Elevation

Select Tailwater
Enter data
Constant Elevation
Downstream Control
Rating Curve
If multiple data,

higher controls

Hydropower Operation Rules

Hydropower - Power Guide Curve
Hydropower - Schedule
Hydropower - System Schedule
Hydropower - Time-series Requirement

Hydropower-Power Guide
Curve
Create the rule
Select the top and bottom zones

of the power pool

Power Guide Curve

Complete the

table to define
the rule
% Storage vs.
% Plant Factor
Power Generation
Pattern

Power Generation Pattern

Pattern applies all year

Weekly Pattern

Seasonal Variation

Specify weekly Pattern for:

All Week

Weekdays & Weekends

Each Day

Power Generation Pattern

Seasonal Variation

Hydropower-Schedule
Create the rule
Requirement varies

Monthly
Seasonally
Specified as:
Plant Factor
Daily MWH
Weekly MWH
Monthly MWH
Starting day of week
Week belongsday
Period to satisfy the
requirement

Hydropower Schedule

Hydropower-System Schedule

Hydropower-Time Series

Release Allocation-What?
What is Release Allocation?

Which outlets should release first, next, and so on

Balanced approach
Evenly weighted (e.g., 50:50 split (default))
Unevenly weighted (e.g. 60:40 split)
Sequential approach

Hydropower reservoirs often direct any release to the

power plant first

Other outlets release water when the power plant
reaches capacity
Release Allocation is an operations option

Define the priority (or order) to the available outlets

Release Allocation How?

Operations Tab in Reservoir Editor
Use Specified Release Allocation
Specify Allocation Type

Balanced
Specify the component weighting

Sequential
Specify the component order

Power Output Options

Reports
Power Summary
Plots Options
Plot
Plot Power
User Plots

Power Summary Report

Power Plot

User Designed Plot Example

Bring up the
default plot

Open the Select

Plot Variables
menu

User Designed Plot Example

Save Custom Plots for reuse

Summary
In the Reservoir Editor, Physical Tab
Add Power Plant
Define Power Plant Parameters
Add Tailwater
In the Reservoir Editor, Operations Tab
Add Hydropower Rule to an Operating Zone
Specify Hydropower Requirements
Specify Release Allocation Type
Analyze results with plots and reports

Questions?