Estimation of hydropower potential of small streams in low Sakarya basin using flow curves and artificial neural networks

Flow discharges are the most important parameter to estimate hydropower potential. In this thesis, hydropower potential of the small streams has been estimated by using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in the Low Sakarya Basin (LSB). Hydropower energy has an important position in the energy sector hydropower energy, has been produced in 26 main basins in Turkey. Sakarya Basin is one of these basin and the amount of water sources in Turkey. In the streams, flow discharges and velocity are very important parameters to estimate hydropower energy potential, floods and sediment discharges. Because of too much parameter it is difficult to estimate flow-time series by using old methods. In this thesis, first of all the flow discharges have been estimated in small streams in LSB by using ANN then hydropower energy potential has been estimated in small streams in LSB by using these flow discharges.Keywords: Low Sakarya Basin, Flow Curves, Artificial Neural Networks, Hydropower Potential, Small Hydropower Plant