Research on Optimal Operation of Kuban HPP Cascade During the Flood Period

Detailed forecasting of the flood flow discharge makes it possible to avoid the destruction of the reservoir, as well as to reduce the downstream damages. When single reservoir cannot provide enough storage capacity for flood control, the joint operation plan of all cascade reservoirs should be prepared. The paper deals with the possibility of emergency operation of hydroelectric power plant (HPP) cascade during the flood period. The simulation model for HPP cascade optimal operation planning was proposed and developed in the Matlab Simulink software package. The model considers the technical parameters of electric power plants, the control floodgate efficiency, the water flow discharge capacity for each object, as well as the wave time-lag between objects. The Kuban HPP cascade was selected as a case study. Evaluation of the reliability of the flood discharge by HPPs allows minimizing social and environmental risks. The developed simulation model allows to determine the boundaries of pool level fluctuations within the cascade operation dispatch control. As a result, the requirements of water management complex and the power generation schedule are provided. The developed HPP cascade model allows simulating various repair, emergency and post-accident operating modes, which causing the water flow discharge capacity decreasing. An analysis of emergency modes makes it possible to improve the dispatch schedule during a flood period, to determine the normal operation recovery time for cascade under various disturbances, to define the boundary conditions for HPP cascade normal operation, etc.