Object oriented modelling and simulation of hydropower plants with run-of-river scheme: A new simulation tool

This paper presents the design of a component library for modelling hydropower plants, and describes the development of a new simulation tool for small hydropower plants with a run-of-river scheme. After reviewing the desirable features of simulation, an approach based on an object oriented modelling language, like EcosimPro, is presented. A general model of hydropower plant with run-of-river scheme is created with this component library. It provides the possibility of choosing a specific number of turbines and spillway gates. In this way, several hydropower stations of similar operating characteristics can be simulated using this same general model. It is expected to obtain interesting information in simulation like the reservoir level, water flows, turbine efficiencies, and so on. In addition, a graphical user interface has been designed in order to operate this general model more easily, to configure plant parameters and to simulate the plant behaviour under different conditions. Three real stations have been used as real examples for validating the model and testing the simulator: hydropower stations of Villafranca and El Carpio (Córdoba, Spain) and Marmolejo (Jaén, Spain).