Three-dimensional optimization of penstock layouts for micro-hydropower plants using genetic algorithms

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.