Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of British Columbia
$120,000.00
Decision support system for optimizing the operation of a hydroelectric system
EF 2012-13
Résumé
In this proposal, we are requesting a Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) grant of $120,000 per year from NSERC to supplement a Grant-in-Aid agreement between BC Hydro and the University of British Columbia. The grant is to support an ongoing phase in a long-range research program sponsored by BC Hydro and follow on from a previous CRD grant. The overall objective is to develop a way of optimizing the operation of a hydro system. It is not possible to use a single technique to optimize the operation of the whole system as it is much too complex and there are too many planning and operational complexities and uncertainties. Instead, our approach is to develop a number of ""modules"" that address parts of the overall ""problem"", which are useful in their own right to provide decision support to BC Hydro system planners and operators in the immediate term. Feedback from BC Hydro planning and operations engineers indicated that the CRD program has improved the way in which the system is operated and have resulted in significant productivity and efficiency gains. Other objectives of the BC Hydro Grant-in-Aid have been to enhance the Civil Engineering program at UBC and strengthen collaboration between the Department and BC Hydro. We propose to continue these ""bridge-building"" activities and strengthen the CRD program through this application. The research component will focus on the development of useful ""modules"", that will help the system planners and operators to operate the system at or near their maximum potential, and, in addition, to build towards a comprehensive modeling framework for the whole system, which is not available elsewhere, but which is critical to planning and operating large-scale hydro systems. We plan to expand our research program to address policy changes in the electricity sector in Canada and the US to integrate more renewable, clean and green energy sources into existing power systems and we plan to investigate how a hydroelectric system could optimally integrate a portfolio of these new sources of energy while maintaining a high degree of reliability, flexibility as well as technical and economic efficiency.
Programme
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
British Columbia, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
385615-2009
Name nom
Shawwash, Ziad
Department département
Civil Engineering
Organization id
2
Institution établissement
University of British Columbia
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2012
Competition year année de concours
2009
Award amount
120000
Program id
CRDPJ
Program name en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
304
Area of application group en
Energy resources
Area of application group fr
Ressources d'énergie
Area of application en
Electrical energy
Area of application fr
Énergie électrique
Research subject code
1007
Research subject group en
Civil engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie civil
Research subject en
Water resources and supply
Research subject fr
Ressources et approvisionnement en eau
Partie
3
Nb partie
3
Application title
Decision support system for optimizing the operation of a hydroelectric system
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
In this proposal, we are requesting a Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) grant of $120,000 per year from NSERC to supplement a Grant-in-Aid agreement between BC Hydro and the University of British Columbia. The grant is to support an ongoing phase in a long-range research program sponsored by BC Hydro and follow on from a previous CRD grant. The overall objective is to develop a way of optimizing the operation of a hydro system. It is not possible to use a single technique to optimize the operation of the whole system as it is much too complex and there are too many planning and operational complexities and uncertainties. Instead, our approach is to develop a number of ""modules"" that address parts of the overall ""problem"", which are useful in their own right to provide decision support to BC Hydro system planners and operators in the immediate term. Feedback from BC Hydro planning and operations engineers indicated that the CRD program has improved the way in which the system is operated and have resulted in significant productivity and efficiency gains. Other objectives of the BC Hydro Grant-in-Aid have been to enhance the Civil Engineering program at UBC and strengthen collaboration between the Department and BC Hydro. We propose to continue these ""bridge-building"" activities and strengthen the CRD program through this application. The research component will focus on the development of useful ""modules"", that will help the system planners and operators to operate the system at or near their maximum potential, and, in addition, to build towards a comprehensive modeling framework for the whole system, which is not available elsewhere, but which is critical to planning and operating large-scale hydro systems. We plan to expand our research program to address policy changes in the electricity sector in Canada and the US to integrate more renewable, clean and green energy sources into existing power systems and we plan to investigate how a hydroelectric system could optimally integrate a portfolio of these new sources of energy while maintaining a high degree of reliability, flexibility as well as technical and economic efficiency.
