Evaporation Losses in the Brazilian Hydropower System

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Abstract
The Brazilian interconnected hydropower system consists of a linked network of 151 medium and large reservoirs, and is complemented by a large set of small hydropower, thermal, and wind power plants, with a total installed capacity of 162 GW. Energy, flood control, public water supply, irrigation, animal raising, wastewater disposal, navigation, and environment protection are among the multiple water uses of the system. In Brazil, hydropower is the predominant source of energy supply, representing from 71% to 93% of total energy consumption in the country during the last 17 years. The reservoir storage in the multi-reservoir system varies from 286,174 mm³ to 573,600 mm³, and the forebay area varies from 22,715 km² to 37,894 km². Installed energy production and storage capacities, and hydrological conditions vary significantly among different regions in the country. Evaporation losses from the storage reservoir are significant and must be accurately estimated. In this paper we use the HIDROTERM, a nonlinear programming optimization model previously developed for planning the operation of the Brazilian hydrothermal system, to estimate the loss of energy production in the system due to evaporation loss. We use different hydrological scenarios and different initial conditions to study the impact of energy loss among different reservoirs and regions in the country. The study is important for planning purposes, especially when the system is undergoing severe droughts.

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