Optimal Operation of a Run-of-River Small Hydropower Plant with Two Hydro-Turbines

The operation of a small hydroelectric power plant (HPS) with two hydro turbines of different types and power is usually done following a hierarchical rule, which is not necessarily the most efficient. Alternatively, other synergetic rules have been proposed that improve the delivered energy. In this paper, the operation of the two turbines is systematized by examining all possible operation combinations of the turbines, depending on the incoming water flow, its distribution (in the case of operation of both hydro turbines, at the optimal power mode) and the formation of a suitable lookup table for the optimal operation of an HPS. The implementation of the method is easily achieved using a quadratic equation efficiency-flow curve. In this way, the total efficiency of the two-turbine system is optimized.