GENETIC ALGORITHM CALIBRATION OF THE TRANSIENT FLOW MODEL FOR THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OF A HYDROPOWER PLANT

The aim of this paper is to highlight the simplicity of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based method to calibrate a transient flow model. To do this, numerical tests were conducted in a hypothetical hydraulic system at small scale, consisting of the same main parts as the water supply system of a hydropower plant. The test system consists of a reservoir joined to a throttled surge-tank by a pipe ("headrace tunnel"), and then this tank is connected to a downstream valve by another pipe ("penstock"). The valve upstream power plant's turbine is the dynamic element that initiates transient events. Theoretical results were validated using in situ measurements at the water supply system of Raul-Mare Retezat hydropower plant.