Optimal operation of grid-connected hydropower plants through voltage control methods

The ongoing decarbonization, and the rapid increase in renewable penetration electric grid, will demand enhanced flexible operational schemes of conventional hydropower plants. This paper explores a grid-connected plant’s best-efficiency operating conditions when meeting energy transition. Power loss models combined with various voltage control methods are investigated for achieving optimal operation. simulation study is carried out on static F13Single Machine Infinite Bus (SMIB) environment to perform comparisons. Simulations show that plant grid power can be utilized an controller setting accumulated average efficiency (AAE). However, controllers had slow prediction times, therefore Reinforcement Learning (RL) method, A2C, has been trained learn policy maximizes system efficiency. RL agent supersedes techniques up 40 times faster times.