Application of Artificial Intelligence for the Optimization of Hydropower Energy Generation

Abstract

Hydropower is one of the most promising sources of renewable energy. However, a substantial initial investment requires for the construction of large civil structures. Feasibility study, detailed project report preparation, construction planning, and timely execution of work are the important activities of a hydropower plant. Energy generation in hydropower plants are mainly depends on discharge and head. Therefore, an accurate estimation of discharge and head is important to decide the plant capacity. Erosion, cavitation, and operation & maintenance are the key challenges in hydropower energy generation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become popular, which can be utilized for site selection, parameters assessment, and operation & maintenance optimization. In this paper, a literature review on applications of AI in hydropower has been presented, and an attempt has also been made to identify the future potential areas of hydropower plants.