Capacity Planning Model for a Multipurpose Water Reservoir with Target-Priority Operation

We consider the capacity determination problem of a hydro reservoir. The reservoir is to be used primarily for hydropower generation; however, commitments on release targets for irrigation as well as mitigation of downstream flood hazards are also secondary objectives. This paper is concerned with studying the complex interaction among various system reliabilities (power, flood, irrigation, etc.) and to provide decision makers a planning tool for further investigation. The main tool is an optimization model that recognizes the randomness in streamflow. The model incorporates a special target-priority policy according to given system reliabilities. Optimized values are then used in a simulation model to investigate the system behavior. Detailed computational results are provided.