Real Time Optimal Scheduling of Cascade Hydropower Stations for Rapid Response to Net Load Deviation

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  • 1. China Southern Power Grid Power Dispatching Control Center, Guangzhou 510000, China;

    2. Dalian University of Technology, Institute of Hydropower & Hydroinformatics, Dalian 116024, Liaoning, China

Online published: 2025-11-14

Abstract

With the continuous increase in renewable energy penetration, the combined fluctuations from intermittent sources such as wind and solar power, along with load forecasting errors, have significantly heightened the uncertainty of grid net load. Traditional scheduling methods struggle to meet real-time balancing requirements under these conditions. To address this challenge, a real-time hydropower scheduling model for rapid response to net load deviations is proposed. The model features a two-layer objective function: the first layer minimizes the number of participating hydropower plants to streamline command transmission and execution, thereby reducing communication delays and coordination time and enhancing response speed; the second layer minimizes total water consumption by optimizing power output allocation among plants. A deviation consistency constraint is introduced to ensure hydropower output adjustments align with the net load deviation, preventing ineffective adjustments. The model is solved using mixed-integer linear programming. A case study in a southwestern basin demonstrates that the model reduces deviation balancing time by approximately 55%, decreases output adjustment frequency by about 24%, and lowers water consumption by nearly 23%, significantly enhancing the efficiency and economic performance of grid regulation.

Cite this article

LI Shushan1, WU Huijun1, CHENG Xianliang1, XIONG Jiang2, ZHAO Zhipeng2, CHENG Chuntian2 . Real Time Optimal Scheduling of Cascade Hydropower Stations for Rapid Response to Net Load Deviation[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 0 : 1 . DOI: 10.16183/j.cnki.jsjtu.2025.133

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