Hydraulic Computational Advances In TheDesign Of Small Hydropower Plants

In small hydropower plants the hydraulic conveyance system and the turbine discharge control system could be relevant factors in the civil engineering design. The computational advances in hydraulic analysis and in modelling must be transformed in practical tools for engineering design, in particular, when applied to analyse small hydroelectric power plants with long hydraulic circuits. An integrated modelling system was developed by the authors, based on the interaction of different components, that enables to know the dynamic response and the definition of the more adequate methods of control rules. The case of reaction turbines (e.g. Francis) with low specific speed are especially relevant due to the fast transient overpressures caused by overspeed.