HYDROPOWER GENERATION OF KARUN RIVER SYSTEM

摘要

Iran is located in a semiarid to arid region in Middle East with an average annual precipitation of 250 mm. For centuries, the shortage of available water for the different purposes has been a force for controlling and conveyance of water by ancient Iranians. Khuzestan province in south of Iran is one of the largest territories with high surface water potential possessing about third of total surface water potential of the country. Among the rivers in this region the Karun river is biggest in the region and the country. The length of the river is about 675 Km from head - stream in the Char - Mahal province to the city of Ahwaz in the southwest. The range of river elevation in the mountainous area is between about 4200 meter in the upper part of the mountainous area down to 100 in the lower pan of catchment with average yearly discharge between 100 and 400 cubic meter per second. Therefore the river has a good hydropower generation potential which is the best in the country. At this time two hydropower plants are under operation namely Karun Ⅰ storage dam with 1000 MW. Install capacity and Gotvand reregulating dam (downstream Karun Ⅰ) with 70 MW Install capacity. Three other dams (KⅢ and KⅣ storage reservoir and Godarlandar) are under construction and four dams (KⅡ, KHⅠ, KHⅢ and Bazoft) are under study. Since the first purpose of all of the reservoirs are power generation, and they are all located in one water resources system, therefore the size and operation of reservoirs, also the install capacities of power plant will effect on the total output of whole system. The object of the paper is to define the best normal water level for the reservoir under study and appropriate reservoir operation in order to increase the amount of firm energy of the reservoir in the system.