The operation strategy and its benefit assessment of the distributed pumped storage system

The difference between peak-time and valley-time of the power load is increasing, and it is a critical problem that the power system is facing. The pumped storage is an effective means to solve this problem. While building large pumped storage stations, existing equipment can be utilized, according to different situations, to construct the distributed pumped storage system. For this reason, this paper makes a research on the distributed pumped storage system consisting of several small hydropower stations, electric pumping stations and small pumped storage stations, especially on the construction and the operation strategy. First, the existing small hydropower stations, electric pumping stations and small pumped storage stations should be utilized to construct proper associations separately, and the distributed pumped storage system is composed of such associations. Then, sound operation strategies should be made separately according to different associations. On the basis of meeting the constraints of the system, the economic benefits of each association should be made maximum. Results show that the methodology in this paper is effective and reasonable.