Optimizing a hydraulic system for power generation from hydropower leads to nonlinearities. Aim of the thesis is to show the limit of applying a linearization (constant water level difference) and to show the methods of "piecewise linear" and "homotopy" to consider nonlinearities. In doing so, various management goals (maximization energy production, specification of power output, level compliance, environmental requirements, hydro-peaking) and various system configurations (single power plant, power plant cascade, run-of-river power station, and storage power plant) shall be considered. Hydraulic modeling (simplifications of the Saint-Venant equations, memory equation, turbine equation) and mathematical optimization with RTC (Real Time Control) tools will be used.
