Browsing by Author "Kachroo, R.K."

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Failure of the Mtera-Kidatu reservoir system in the Early 1990s
(SUA, 2003) Yawson, D.K.; Kachroo, R.K.; Kashaigili, J.J.
Four possible causes for the failure of the Mtera-Kidatu Reservoir System within the Rufiji River Basin in Tanzania in the early 1990s were investigated. These were sudden decrease in inflows, sudden increase in losses, sudden increase in hydropower generation, and unnecessary spills; or a combination of these, and it was found out that unaccounted for and unnecessary spillage was the main cause. This paper proposes that consideration of the flows that are generated within the intervening catchment (i.e. catchment between Mtera and Kidatu) and the operational policy that maximum power is produced at Kidatu most of the time must be the core in the management of the reservoir system. If this was the case in the past then the Mtera Reservoir should not have gone dry in the 1991-1994 period. The validity of this assertion was tested with the TALSIM 2.0 model and an efficiency of 95% was achieved, indicating a very good correlation with the investigative techniques employed in this study.
Modelling the Mtera-Kidatu reservoir system to improve integrated water resources management
(Hydro Africa, 2003) Yawsona, D.K.; Kashaigili, J.J.; Kachroo, R.K.; Mtalo, F.W.
Failure of the Mtera-Kidatu Reservoir System within the Rufiji River Basin in Tanzania in the early 1990s is investigated by considering four possible causes (i.e. sudden decrease in inflows, sudden increase in losses, sudden increase in hydropower generation or unnecessary spills; or a combination of these) and it was found out that unaccounted spillage seems to be the main cause. Consequently, the system’s simulation model has been proposed in this paper that takes into consideration the flows that are generated in the intervening catchment (i.e. catchment between Mtera and Kidatu) with the operational policy that maximum power is produced at Kidatu most of the time because Kidatu has higher head for greater power generation than at Mtera. The paper shows that if this proposed model had been in place then the Mtera Reservoir should not have gone dry in the 1991-1994 period. The validity of the proposed model is tested with the TALSIM 2.0 Model and the regression analysis of the water levels at Mtera Reservoir produced by the models had an efficiency of 95%, indicating a very good correlation. The proposed model operates the reservoir system in an integrated manner by considering the flows into the Mtera Reservoir as well as accounting for the flows generated by the intervening catchment.