In this study, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method-based assessment was conducted to determine the most suitable synchronous generator type for electricity generation in hydroelectric power plants. Today, criteria such as efficiency, cost, power density, and sustainability are becoming increasingly important in energy production systems; this situation renders approaches based on a single performance indicator insufficient in generator selection. In this context, the study considers three alternative generator topologies with different physical and electromagnetic characteristics: copper-conductor electrically excited synchronous generator, aluminium-conductor electrically excited synchronous generator, and permanent magnet synchronous generator.

Five fundamental criteria were considered in the selection process: efficiency, stator and rotor cost, nominal load torque, economic operating torque, and power density. The relative importance weights of the criteria were determined using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, and the alternatives were ranked using the VIKOR method. The AHP results showed that the cost and efficiency criteria had the highest weight in the decision-making process. According to the VIKOR analysis results, the aluminium excitation winding synchronous generator was determined to be the most suitable alternative due to its low cost and high power density advantages. The copper excitation winding generator ranked second, while the permanent magnet synchronous generator ranked last due to its high magnet cost.