Title Three-dimensional optimization of penstock layouts for micro-hydropower plants using genetic algorithms
Authors TAPIA CÓRDOBA, ALEJANDRO, RODRÍGUEZ DEL NOZAL, ÁLVARO, GUTIÉRREZ REINA, DANIEL, MILLÁN GATA, PABLO
External publication No
Means Appl. Energy
Scope Article
Nature Científica
JCR Quartile 1
SJR Quartile 1
JCR Impact 11.44600
SJR Impact 3.06200
Web https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85111998422&doi=10.1016%2fj.apenergy.2021.117499&partnerID=40&md5=893504f4dd707e1bbdfbfcd7f483721d
Publication date 01/01/2021
ISI 000693351800002
Scopus Id 2-s2.0-85111998422
DOI 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117499
Abstract A Micro Hydro-Power Plant is a suitable and effective mean to provide electric power to rural remote communities without harming the environment. However, the lack of resources and technical training in these communities frequently leads to designs based of rules of thumb, compromising both the generation capacity and efficiency. This work makes an attempt to address this problem by developing a new tool to design the layout of the plants. The proposed mechanism relies on a discrete topographic survey of the terrain and utilizes a Genetic Algorithm to optimize the installation layout, making it possible to explicitly incorporate requirements and constraints, such as power supply, cost of the installation, available water flow, and layout feasibility in accordance with the real terrain profile. The algorithm can operate in both single-objective mode (cost minimization) and multi-objective mode (cost minimization and power supply maximization), including in the latter Pareto dominance analyses. The algorithm is applied to a real scenario in a remote community in Honduras, obtaining good results in terms of generation capacity and cost reduction. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords Cost benefit analysis; Cost reduction; Electric power systems; Flow of water; Hydroelectric power; Hydroelectric power plants; Cost minimization; Electric power; Generation capacity; Micro hydropower
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