Network Flow Modeling of Oroville Complex

Abstract

Network flow programming (NFP) is used to simulate the operation of the Oroville reservoir system of the California State Water Project (SWP). The simulation uses three integrated NFP models developed and calibrated to simulate the hydraulic operation, hydropower generation, and contractual obligations of the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) to deliver energy to Southern California Edison (SCE): (1) The Oroville Hydraulic Network (ORONET) is designed to meet SWP demands downstream of the Oroville reservoir system and target storage in the complex; (2) the Oroville Periodic Hydraulic Network (OROPRD) determines the hydraulic feasibility of a desired electrical generation pattern at the Oroville complex given the boundary conditions provided by ORONET; and (3) the Thermalito Afterbay Network (THANET) simulates the periodic operation of the Oroville complex to determine energy entitlement SCE. The simulation is performed on weekly and daily levels, with up‐to‐hourly detail. This paper demonstrates a real‐world application of NFP to water resources and an application of a traditional optimization technique to screen and simulate reservoir operations.