Procedures, algorithms, and software applications are developed for automated design of complex waterpower projects. Purposes and Methods of Geometric Modeling in Design of Structures at Pumped-Storage Power Plants (PSPP).In the planning and feasibility assessments of various types of water-power projects, the following modern computer techniques are currently in widespread use: threedimensional solid-body simulation of comparable projects, automated plotting of sections, plans, and profiles of the structures under consideration, and determination of the volumes of work associated with their installation [1,2]. Use of new design techniques makes it possible to automate the work of the designer, for example, to obtain any isometric and perspective projections, sections, cross sections, and profiles of the equipment and structures; to develop photo-realistic representations of the project under design; and, to determine the linear dimensions, perimeters, areas, volumes, and mass-information characteristics of the structural designs and equipment components [3,4]. Developing geometric models of structures under design, and corresponding applied software, it is possible to automatically satisfy any graphical and computational design procedures. Elimination of manual labor with the exception of the Kuhlman drafting unit guarantees high-quality drawings, and fulfillment of requirements of regulatory documents (GOSTs, Departmental Instructions, etc.) as a supplement to user experience and qualification.There currently exists a large selection of graphics packages that can be used in design practice. Such software products as "Mechanical Desktop 2004" -a universal package for parametric solid-body simulation of three-dimensional bodies and surfaces in machine building, "Autodesk Inventor" -a systems package for the spatial design and simulation of machinery and mechanisms, "Autodesk Architectural Desktop" -a graphics system for the design of projects related to industrial and civil construction, and "MapInfo Professional" -a geoinformational system intended for informational support of adoption of design solutions, are successfully used in design organizations of appropriate profile. These graphics systems are specialized, and do not fully correspond to the many-faceted water-power problems encountered by profile design institutes.A design system in the "AutoCAD" medium [5, 6] -the popular universal basic graphics package, which can be used throughout the entire world by many design organizations in different fields, has come into the most widespread use in water-power engineering. It is considered the most flexible graphics system for different branches of design. The data format (dwg) developed by the Autodesk Co. is the generally accepted world standard for exchange of graphical information. The package contains basic resources for two-and three-dimensional design, and possesses developed potential for programming and adaptation. The "AutoCAD" interface can be changed in accordance with user demands. Some built-in pro...

Automating the design of hydropower and water-management facilities is one of the scientific lines of activity of the Department of Renewable Energy Sources and Hydropower Engineering of the St. Petersburg State Technical University (SbGTU). Works in this field have been being carried out for 30 years. At present problems of automating computational design procedures have been solved. Numerical methods and algorithms have been developed and program libraries have been created [3, 4]. The general concept of computer-aided design of hydropower facilities (CAD HPF) has been formulated [1, 2]. Next in turn is the integration of mathematical support and software produced and checked in design practice into unified design production lines (DPLs) of hydropower structures and equipment. The software of the integrated CAD HPF can be represented in the form of five subsystems (Fig. 1).Computational Design Procedures Automation Subsystem. It, as all other subsystems, includes general and applied software (SW). The latter is developed, as a rule, at design and research organizations solving power-engineering problems. These are software packages and program systems for making engineering-technical calculations (ETCs) and technical-economic calculations (TECs), mathematical models of the facilities, equipment, and processes, as well as the programs realizing the design decision-making algorithms. This subsystem includes also the database management system of the general database.Drawing-Graphic Design Procedures Automation Subsystem. Included here are the basic SW of the graphics kernel, its extension, and object applications of the graphics system developed specially for the CAD HPF. Also here is the graphics database containing drawings and geometric models of unified structural members and standard, batch-produced equipment of facilities designed earlier and the results of current designing as well as images of facilities and equipment stored in raster formats.Design Production Lines. This is a special group of programs, the results of the operation of which are the finished design document (financial estimates, schedule, drawings of the hydroelectric station powerhouse, explanatory list, etc.). The DPL ties the programs of all aforementioned subsystems needed for creating the design document into a unified sequence and organizes a dialog with the designer, activating his participation at certain design stages.Design Documents Issuance Subsystem. This is a set of programs for final editing of text and graphic design documents and their transfer to an external medium. The subsystem should operate both with vector and raster images and should convert the images from one format to the other.Graphical User Interface. This is a program system for controlling the CAD HPF and carrying on a dialog with users in simple object-oriented languages.It can be considered that the degree of integration of CAD is determined by the relationship of the volumes of information being transmitted over channels 2 and 1. Thus, the graphics system ...