title: Stability analysis of a run-of-river diversion hydropower plant with surge tank and spillway in the head pond.
abstract: Run-of-river hydropower plants usually lack significant storage capacity; therefore, the more adequate control strategy would consist of keeping a constant water level at the intake pond in order to harness the maximum amount of energy from the river flow or to reduce the surface flooded in the head pond. In this paper, a standard PI control system of a run-of-river diversion hydropower plant with surge tank and a spillway in the head pond that evacuates part of the river flow plant is studied. A stability analysis based on the Routh-Hurwitz criterion is carried out and a practical criterion for tuning the gains of the PI controller is proposed. Conclusions about the head pond and surge tank areas are drawn from the stability analysis. Finally, this criterion is applied to a real hydropower plant in design state; the importance of considering the spillway dimensions and turbine characteristic curves for adequate tuning of the controller gains is highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sarasúa
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Paz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elías
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3993-6223
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez-Lucas
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Ignacio
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0657-8527
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Pérez-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Román
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wilhelmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Ángel
authors.initials: JÁ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D001108:Architecture; D004560:Electricity; D015233:Models, Statistical; D061005:Ponds; D011210:Power Plants / Q000295:instrumentation*; D045483:Rivers