Electric Power Research Trends

ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH TRENDS
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH TRENDS

MICHAEL C. SCHMIDT
EDITOR

Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
New York

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Electric power research trends / Michael C. Schmidt, Editor.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60692-758-8

1. Electric power. I. Schmidt, Michael C.
TK1001.E35 2008
621.31--dc22
2007033923

Published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York

CONTENTS

Preface vii
Chapter 1 Co-firing Solid Bio-fuels or Waste Recovered Fuels
with Coal in the Electricity Generation Sector 1
Panagiotis Grammelis and Emmanuel Kakaras
Chapter 2 Micro-CHP Power Generation for Residential
and Small Commercial Buildings 47
Louay M. Chamra and Pedro J. Mago
Chapter 3 Wind Energy in Electricity Markets
with High Wind Penetration 103
Julio Usaola and Edgardo D. Castronuovo
Chapter 4 Leakage Current on High Voltage Contaminated Insulators 155
P. T. Tsarabaris and C. G. Karagiannopoulos
Chapter 5 Use of Organic Rankine Cycles to Produce
Electric Power from Waste Heat Sources 177
Pedro J. Mago and Louay M. Chamra
Chapter 6 Real Time Congestion Monitoring and
Management of Power Systems 209
Jizhong Zhu
Chapter 7 Power Systems Disturbance Analysis 227
Abhisek Ukil
Chapter 8 Arcing and Fusion Process of Exploding
Wires in Industrial Applications 251
C. S. Psomopoulos and C. G. Karagiannopoulos
Chapter 9 Wide-Area Monitoring of Power System Oscillations in
Thailand Power Network Using Synchronized Phasor
Measurement Units via Demand Side Outlets 269
Issarachai Ngamroo and Yasunori Mitani
Index 295

PREFACE

The world is becoming increasingly electrified. For the foreseeable future, coal will
continue to be the dominant fuel used for electric power production. The low cost and
abundance of coal is one of the primary reasons for this. Electric power transmission, a
process in the delivery of electricity to consumers, is the bulk transfer of electrical power.
Typically, power transmission is between the power plant and a substation near a populated
area. Electricity distribution is the delivery from the substation to the consumers. Due to the
large amount of power involved, transmission normally takes place at high voltage (110 kV
or above). Electricity is usually transmitted over long distance through overhead power
transmission lines. Underground power transmission is used only in densely populated areas
due to its high cost of installation and maintenance, and because the high reactive power gain
produces large charging currents and difficulties in voltage management.
A power transmission system is sometimes referred to colloquially as a "grid"; however,
for reasons of economy, the network is rarely a true grid. Redundant paths and lines are
provided so that power can be routed from any power plant to any load center, through a
variety of routes, based on the economics of the transmission path and the cost of power.
Much analysis is done by transmission companies to determine the maximum reliable
capacity of each line, which, due to system stability considerations, may be less than the
physical or thermal limit of the line. Deregulation of electricity companies in many countries
has led to renewed interest in reliable economic design of transmission networks.
This new book presents leading-edge research on electric power and its generation,
transmission and efficiency.
Chapter 1 - In this chapter, various issues related to the co-firing of secondary fuels
coming from biomass or waste, in existing coal-fired power plants are discussed. The main
objective is to present the current situation of co-firing technology in Europe and its future
developments. Towards that direction, the most applied technological co-firing options in the
power industry are described. Co-firing can be carried out either with the direct or indirect
approach. The general trend in co-firing is to adopt the former approach due to time saving,
i.e. fewer modifications on the existing power plant, shorter shutdown periods etc, and lower
cost-investment compared to the latter option. In order to co-utilize biomass in an existing
coal fired power plant some form of retrofitting is needed. Although no two plants are the
same, the practical considerations for retrofitting and co-firing can be generalized into four
areas of interest, namely fuel availability, plant modification, legislative framework on
environmental issues and financial evaluation. The technical constraints met in a co-firing
Michael C. Schmidt viii
project are such as potential increase in slagging and fouling, ash deposition and utilization of
solid by product, and pollutant formation, whilst the non-technical barriers mainly concern
fuel supply and financial issues. The chapter concludes with a review on co-firing experience
at European level, mainly focusing on the utilization of novel solid bio-fuels, such as Solid
Recovered Fuels. It is summarized that co-firing with limited biomass shares is technically
feasible and has been demonstrated in several European countries. Research efforts are now
focused on the deployment of co-firing applications in even more power plants and the
increase of solid bio-fuels shares in the mixture. For this reason, solid bio-fuel qualities have
to be standardized for their use in the power sector and new fuel markets should be
established.
Chapter 2 - The traditional structure of the electrical utility market, green engineering
issues, and environmental acceptability have resulted in a relatively small number of electric
utilities. However, today's technology permits development of smaller, less expensive power
systems, bringing in new, independent producers. Competitions from these independent
producers along with the re-thinking of existing regulations have affected the conventional
structure of electric utilities. The restructuring of the electric utility industry and the
development of new "onsite and near-site" power generation technologies have opened up
new possibilities for buildings, building complexes, and communities to generate and sell
power. Competitive forces have created new challenges as well as opportunities for
companies that can anticipate technological needs and emerging market trends.
Micro-cooling, heating, and power (micro-CHP) is decentralized electricity generation
coupled with thermally activated components for residential and small commercial
applications. A micro-CHP system consists of a prime mover, such as a reciprocating engine,
which drives a generator, which produces electrical power. The waste heat from the prime
mover is recovered and used to drive thermally activated components and to produce hot
water or warm air through the use of heat exchangers.
Micro-CHP holds some of the answers to the efficiency, pollution, and deregulation
issues that the utility industry currently faces. A review of micro-CHP systems, specific types
of distributed power generation, and thermally-activated technologies are introduced and
discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 3 - The great amount of wind power recently connected to electric power
systems makes necessary new grid analysis tools and control strategies. Some of these tools
are short term wind power prediction programs, which have been recently developed and are
already in use in many System Operators and wind power producers. Prediction programs
also allow the participation of wind energy in the electricity market by keeping the economic
losses due to power imbalances for wind generators within acceptable values, specially if the
uncertainty of the predictions is evaluated and used in the bidding process. Such participation
intends to make the power system operation easier. Distributed control of power system, and
specially optimized control of clusters of wind generators is another measure that is being
taken in order to maintain the levels of power system security and to minimize the
consequences of possible and temporary wind power curtailments, due to grid security
reasons, on the affected wind farms. The contents of this chapter include a detailed
description of short term wind power prediction programs, an evaluation of the economic
losses due to imbalances incurred by wind generators participating in an electricity market,
and an optimization strategy aimed at minimizing the consequences of power curtailments.
Preface ix
Chapter 4 - The present chapter will present a short review of research work regarding
leakage current. In addition, measurement system of the leakage current is introduced using a
high sampling frequency analogue/digital converter. The application of this system in 20 kV
insulators contaminated from a compound of salt and kaolin are described. Using this system
measurement in a time frame of one period (50 Hz) were done and an investigation of the
observed phenomena is attempted with the assistance of i-u characteristic curves plotted for
one cycle of voltage application. The fact that existence of partial discharges on the surface of
the contaminated insulators, beyond threshold field intensity leads to radiation emission, is
also be examined. An estimation of the free electrons energy has been done and the
corresponding emitted radiation which seems to include acoustic waves, radio waves,
microwaves and infrared waves is also examined. The classification of the leakage current
values of a typical porcelain insulator of 20 kV, contaminated by salt and kaolin, is presented.
The classification is based on the collaboration between the above high precision data
acquisition system having high sampling rate and an unsupervised self-organized neural
network. In addition a simulation model for contaminated insulators is presented. The
proposed model will be provided, together with a mathematical function that simulates the
behavior of the dry band resistance as a function of time, even in cases where arcs or partial
discharges occur. The models parameters of a typical porcelain insulator of 20 kV,
contaminated by salt and kaolin, are presented.
Chapter 5 - Several industrial processes have low-temperature waste heat sources that can
not be efficiently recovered. Low grade waste heat has generally been discarded by industry
and has become an environmental concern because of thermal pollution. A solution for this
problem is the use of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) which can make use of low temperature
waste heat to generate electric power. This chapter presents an ORC analysis using different
types of organic fluids and cycle configurations. Some of the working fluids under
investigation are R134a, R113, R245ca, R245fa, R123, Isobutane, and Propane, with boiling
points between -43C and 48C. These organic working fluids were selected to evaluate the
effect of the fluid boiling point temperature on the performance of ORCs. The results are
compared with those of water under similar conditions. In order to improve the cycle
performance, modified ORC are also investigated. Regenerative ORCs are analyzed and
compared with basic ORCs in order to determine the configuration that presents the best
thermal efficiency with minimum irreversibility. The evaluation for both configurations is
performed using a combined first and second law analysis by varying certain system
operating parameters at various reference temperatures and pressures. Some of the results
show that ORC using R113 as working fluid has the best thermal efficiency while those using
Propane show the worse efficiency. Also, it is shown that the organic-fluid boiling point has a
strong influence on the system thermal efficiency and the electric power production. In
addition, results from these analyses show that regenerative ORC produces higher efficiency
compared to basic ORC. Furthermore, regenerative ORC requires less waste heat to produce
the same electric power with a lower irreversibility. ORCs are good candidates to produce
electric power from low temperature heat sources.
Chapter 6 - Power systems operation data could include a large list of variables. The
power system uncertainties as well as restructuring are introducing new class of dynamic
phenomena into the power grid and substantially increasing the data requirements for real
time congestion monitoring and management (RTCMM). Generating units and customer load
respond to market signals that are affected by grid conditions, such as congestion. One of the
Michael C. Schmidt x
most visible impacts is the increased volatility in the system, which results in the increased
volumes of data to manage. The increasingly severe data overwhelm problem results in many
challenges in terms of development of effective analytical and software tools. The
information availability is also an issue. Secure operations under open access require the
widespread availability of real time information about physical, as distinct from financial,
variables. Unfortunately, the competitive environment is not conductive to information
sharing. For example, data for state estimation is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain
because of some uncertain factors or the ability of that data to reveal sensitive financial
information. Consequently, state estimation may be failed or couldnt be solved, which
increases the difficult to analyze the behavior of real time system operations. Another
challenge in real time congestion monitoring and management is to design real time controls
to maintain the security and reliability of the grid under the market condition and the
contingency condition as well as uncertain environment.
The implementations of real time congestion monitoring and management are discussed
in the chapter.
Chapter 7 - The analysis of faults and disturbances has always been a fundamental
foundation for a secure and reliable electrical power supply. The introduction of digital
recording technology opened up a new dimension in the quantity and quality of fault and
disturbance data acquisition, resulting in the availability of a huge amount of new information
to power systems engineers. Information from the analysis of digital records can provide
much-needed insight into the behavior of the power system as well as the performance of
protection equipments. Manual analysis of these records, however, is both time-consuming
and complex. Today the challenge is to automatically convert data into knowledge, which
frees the human resources to implement corrective or preventive action. Therefore, much
focus is laid on automatic disturbance analysis. This also goes towards the direction of black-
out prevention which is a great threat from utility perspective. This chapter will provide the
insight on the recent trends on power systems disturbance and fault analysis. Basics of
disturbance analysis, Fourier transform and wavelet transform-based signal processing
techniques in the power systems disturbance analysis are discussed in details.
Chapter 8 - The fusible wires and electrically exploded conductors are frequently used in
fuses that protect the electrical installations of the low and medium voltage distribution
network and in a wide variety of power applications. They generally operate either under a
minus value of their nominal current or momentarily under excess or sort-circuit currents.
Despite a wide variety of experimental work, there remains much that is not understood about
the electrical explosion of conductors. Furthermore the surrounding medium has a significant
role in the fusion process. Most of the experimental work is focused in air and some in SiO
2

due to use as the most common surrounding material in industrial fuses. Recently the fusion
process in capillaries presented also interest among researchers. The power supplies used in
these experimental works were pulses mostly, produced by typical L-C circuits.
This chapter will investigate the fusion process of exploding wires using common
industrial power supply directly feed from the network of 50Hz. The measured magnitudes
were the voltage drop and the current waveforms during the current interruption process and
the total duration of the fusion. Experiments performed for several diameters and lengths and
different current densities. The resistance and the I=f(V) waveforms during fusion process
were directly calculated from the experimental curves.
Preface xi
In this chapter, measurements better than before through fast digital oscilloscopes
connected with PC are presented and the observed phenomena are investigated.
Measurements of the total time duration of the fusion process are presented and analysed. The
presented measurements are compared with existing ones (taken with the use of A/D
converters) and the differences are evaluated. In the related literature the experiments are
carried out usually with pulse voltages or currents, as it is mentioned above. The
measurements presented here were performed in random position of the supply voltage curve.
These measurements give the possibility to investigate the physicochemical process during
the fusion process further, and especially the arcing behavior.
The obtained experimental results are investigated and evaluated with the use of
analytical and statistical methods, and are compared with other relevant ones in literature. The
analysis of the results is focused on the fusion duration and the arcs formation for a variety of
parameters (current density, geometric characteristics, etc) because of their importance in the
protection of networks during short circuit.
The digital measurements with PCs, can provide a more accurate approximation and
understanding of the phenomena during the fusion of exploding wire. Another parameter that
contributes to the above is the use of common industrial voltage source and random sinus
values in the experiments, because provide a more accurate simulation of the actual
conditions.
Chapter 9 - The longitudinal structure of the tie-line interconnection between central and
southern areas of Thailand power system causes the dynamic stability problem due to the
inter-area oscillation with poor damping. To detect the dominant inter-area oscillation mode,
a sophisticated wide-area dynamic stability monitoring system based on the phasor
measurement units (PMUs) is proposed. The main feature of the presented system is the
convenient installation of PMU at 220 V level. PMUs are located at two universities
representing both areas. The single-phase phasor voltage data measured by PMUs at both
sites are synchronized by global positioning system. The phase voltage difference data are
used to analyze the dynamic characteristic of the inter-area oscillation based on signal
processing techniques. The proposed monitoring system provides vital information of wide-
area dynamic stability.

In: Electric Power Research Trends ISBN: 978-60021-978-8
Editor: Michael C. Schmidt, pp. 1-45 2007 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Chapter 1

CO-FIRING SOLID BIO-FUELS OR
WASTE RECOVERED FUELS WITH COAL
IN THE ELECTRICITY GENERATION SECTOR

Panagiotis Grammelis
*
and Emmanuel Kakaras
Institute for Solid Fuels Technology and Applications /
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Ptolemais, Greece

ABSTRACT

In this chapter, various issues related to the co-firing of secondary fuels coming from
biomass or waste, in existing coal-fired power plants are discussed. The main objective is
to present the current situation of co-firing technology in Europe and its future
developments. Towards that direction, the most applied technological co-firing options in
the power industry are described. Co-firing can be carried out either with the direct or
indirect approach. The general trend in co-firing is to adopt the former approach due to
time saving, i.e. fewer modifications on the existing power plant, shorter shutdown
periods etc, and lower cost-investment compared to the latter option. In order to co-utilize
biomass in an existing coal fired power plant some form of retrofitting is needed.
Although no two plants are the same, the practical considerations for retrofitting and co-
firing can be generalized into four areas of interest, namely fuel availability, plant
modification, legislative framework on environmental issues and financial evaluation.
The technical constraints met in a co-firing project are such as potential increase in
slagging and fouling, ash deposition and utilization of solid by product, and pollutant
formation, whilst the non-technical barriers mainly concern fuel supply and financial
issues. The chapter concludes with a review on co-firing experience at European level,
mainly focusing on the utilization of novel solid bio-fuels, such as Solid Recovered
Fuels. It is summarized that co-firing with limited biomass shares is technically feasible
and has been demonstrated in several European countries. Research efforts are now
focused on the deployment of co-firing applications in even more power plants and the

*
Phone: +30 210 6501 593, Fax: +30 210 6501 598; E-mail: grammelis@certh.gr
Panagiotis Grammelis and Emmanuel Kakaras 2
increase of solid bio-fuels shares in the mixture. For this reason, solid bio-fuel qualities
have to be standardized for their use in the power sector and new fuel markets should be
established.

Keywords: secondary fuels, coal, retrofitting, SRF

1. INTRODUCTION

Coal continues to be used extensively throughout the world to produce electricity and
heat. However, this extensive use poses significant environmental problems. Indeed, the coal-
fired power plants emit substantial quantities of the known greenhouse and other acid gases,
which should be reduced to the levels imposed by a few environmental legislative initiatives.
One way to achieve the previous target is through the energy co-utilization of biomass in
existing coal-fired power plants. Biomass is generally characterized as neutral fuel that
contributes zero CO
2
emissions to the environment throughout its life cycle. Its co-firing with
coal represents a near-term, low-risk, low-cost, sustainable, renewable energy option that
promises reduction in CO
2
, SO
x
and often NO
x
emissions as well as several societal benefits.
Consequently, co-firing biomass with coal in traditional coal-fired boilers represents one
combination of renewable and fossil energy utilization that derives the greatest benefit from
both fuel types [1]. Namely, the environmental and economical benefits offered are [2], [3],
[4], [5]:

Conservation of fossil fuel resources and / or reduction of the dependence on fuel
imports
Smaller capital investment compared to new dedicated-biomass plants
Utilization of agricultural and forest residues and / or recultivation of non-utilized
farming areas
Favorable impacts on emissions from the coal-fired plants and assistance to the
European Community in meeting its Kyoto targets and reducing the CO
2
emissions
The establishment of a market for power and heat produced from co-firing biomass
and waste

In this work, an overview of all the practical and technical considerations encountered
when attempting to retrofit an existing coal-fired power plant to co-utilize biomass is
presented. The biomass materials concerned are agricultural residues (straws, cereals), energy
crops (miscanthus, short rotation coppice), forestry residues (wood chips), agro-industrial
residues (olive and palm kernels) and waste derived fuels (sewage sludge, waste wood, Solid
Recovered Fuel). The main issues under investigation are:

Overview of the current techniques applied when co-firing secondary fuels with coal.
Main practical issues to be taken into account when co-firing biomass with coal in
existing power plants, such as the fuel availability, the power plant modifications, the
legislative framework on environmental issues and the economics of co-firing.
Co-firing Solid Bio-fuels or Waste Recovered Fuels with Coal 3
Barriers, mostly of technical nature, that can issue a variety of constraints on co-
firing implementation in large-scale power plants.
A review of European operating power plants which experienced biomass co-firing
at demonstration or commercial scale.
Research trends for future developments in co-firing solid bio-fuels.

2. CURRENT CO-FIRING TECHNIQUES

In general terms, solid bio-fuels can be used as supplementary fuels in combination with
solid fossil fuels in utility boilers or as a single fuel in combined heat and power plants of
limited capacity [2]. Overall, biomass co-firing with standard fuels can be accomplished in
two concepts, the direct and the indirect co-firing. The basic options [6], [7] available for the
direct co-firing of biomass materials at coal-fired power stations are:

The pre-blending of biomass with coal and the feeding of the mixture into the
bunkers, followed by the processing of the blend through the existing coal milling
and firing equipment. This approach is called the co-milling option. It is possible that
the milling of biomass and / or the mixing with coal is carried out off-site, followed
by the on-site handling and firing of the blended fuel.
The modification of one or more of the existing coal mills in each unit to mill the
biomass material on its own, and the firing of the milled material through the existing
pulverized coal pipework and burners. This option is only available for a limited
number of biomass materials.
The installation of new, dedicated biomass mills and the introduction of the milled
fuel directly into the existing coal firing system after its modification. New dedicated
biomass burners may be placed in the furnace rear or side walls.

The first option [8] is the most cost-effective and favorable approach. An additional
advantage is that it can be implemented easily and relatively quickly. Furthermore, it is more
attractive to power plants operators, due to the uncertainties about long-term biomass
suppliers. The second option is very simple and there are a number of current projects of this
kind in the UK and Northern Europe. The third option demands significant construction
modifications of the existing coal burners. However, there are currently projects based on this
approach in continental Europe. One example of coal burner modification is at Studstrup
power plant in Denmark, where chopped straw is co-fired through the core air tubes of four
low-NO
x
burners. The pulverized coal is fired through the primary air annulus as normal. This
system has been in successful operation so far. The placement of new dedicated biomass
burners in the furnace may increase combustion performance of the biomass, but it is
typically an expensive, complex and risky operation compared to modifying the existing coal
burners. Moreover, negative impacts on operational flexibility during low load operation may
arise [9].
On the other hand, the indirect option for co-firing involves the installation of a separate
gasifier or boiler. In this case, the gas product from the biomass gasification or the
combustion gases from separate fuel combustion can be used in a gas turbine or a common
Panagiotis Grammelis and Emmanuel Kakaras 4
steam cycle for heat and power generation. Up to now, indirect co-firing of biomass and coal
has been demonstrated successfully at a limited number of power plants, due to the higher
capital expenditure necessitated and the long-time taken to implement compared to direct co-
firing. This technique is particularly suitable for biomass containing troublesome components
or when the ash quality is of importance for subsequent sale or disposal [10].

3. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR RETROFITTING
A COAL-FIRED UNIT TO CO-FIRING BIOMASS

This section deals with the main practical considerations to be taken into account when
co-firing biomass with standard fossil fuels: fuel availability, power plant modifications,
legislative, environmental and societal issues. A generic approach for the direct biomass co-
firing implementation in a commercial coal-fired power plant is applied and described below.
The selected alternative of co-firing is the co-milling option considering the plant
modifications.

3.1. Fuel Availability

A wide range of different types of biomass fuels can be used for co-firing, although the
qualities of the fuel can have significant impacts on the equipment required for handling,
milling and combusting the material. Biomass fuel resources can be categorized as follows:

Agricultural residues produced by agricultural farming practices for food production,
such as straw and cereal residues etc.
Forestry and wood processing residues produced from existing lumbering and
coppicing operations in established forestry, such as wood chips, sawdust, bark etc.
Energy crops defined as plant crop planted and grown primarily for the purpose of
being used as fuel for energy production, such as willow, eucalyptus, miscanthus etc.
Waste derived fuels coming from different waste streams which contain a significant
portion of biogenic fraction and have an energy potential

The power plant operator will need to assess the type of biomass available that the region
can provide. For example [11], in the southern part of UK, there is an abundance of cereal
straw, whilst in Greece and other Mediterranean countries, olive waste is being exploited.
Indicatively, a summary of solid bio-fuels available in Europe and information about their
chemical and physical analysis is presented in Table 1.

T
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6

Panagiotis Grammelis 6
Once the type of biomass has been selected, the next consideration to be addressed is the
availability of the selected biomass materials throughout the year. The availability is
influenced by the fuels themselves and more specifically from seasonal differences and risks
resulting from climatic influences. Hence, the operator has to select an alternative biomass
fuel during those periods that the primary selection is not available. An alternative solution is
the storage of the chosen biomass fuel, but then safety, storage conditions and economics
parameters become of importance and need to be assessed [12]. The seasonal availability of
biomass materials for UK and Greece is presented in Table 2.
The other important consideration is biomass quantities. Due to its low energy density
and its high moisture content, large biomass quantities are needed in order to maintain the
thermal output level. The power operator has to ensure that the biomass suppliers can provide
the necessary amount of supplementary fuel. Moreover, for financial reasons, biomass
resources need to be available close to an existing power plant. Transporting biomass over a
vast distance can defeat to some extend the purpose of co-firing, due to additional
transportation and labor costs and pollutants generated by the vehicles. In general, the
establishment of Energy Companies associated exclusively with the collection, pre-treatment
and provision of standardized-quality solid bio-fuels may contribute to improve the biomass
fuels logistics.

Table 2. Availability of biomass materials for UK and Greece


It should be emphasized that the fuel supply of power plants is the most important issue
to be addressed when intending to apply co-firing on a large-scale power plant. In other
words, the feeding rates of the fuels must be guaranteed so as to maintain continuous
operation. In the case of coal, securing the fuel supply is easy. As regards biomass materials,
the discussion above illustrates that the power plant operator should examine a number of key
factors in order to minimize any uncertainties that could arise and affect the supply chain. The
establishment of institutions associated with the standardization of renewable fuels is
expected to provide valuable assistance in reliably supplying power plants with the proper
quantities of qualified solid bio-fuels.
3.2. Plant Modifications

Before implementing any specific set of retrofitting actions, the power plant operator has
to decide on the best course of action in order to reach a specified goal. For this reason, a set
of criteria [13] are established to facilitate decision making related to retrofitting coal fired
power plants. This approach is used for plant modifications aiming to improve performances
both in terms of plant efficiency and/or emissions reduction. The criteria, as applied in the
case of co-firing, are presented below:

Criterion 1: Conformity with the company objectives
As mentioned previously, co-firing is a cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse
gases, especially carbon dioxide. However, a series of retrofitting actions are always
required for a power plant. Hence the company will have to clarify and quantify the
objectives of the modernization based on both the experienced operating status and
on the anticipated role of the power plant into the new energy market. Depending on
the biomass species and the boiler technology, the needs to replace or even upgrade
the existing equipment have to be identified.
Criterion 2: Beneficial impacts of the proposed action
As far as co-firing is concerned, the benefits of any related retrofitting action
have already been mentioned and include carbon dioxide neutrality, conservation of
fossil fuel resources and potential financial benefits. Those benefits should be
qualified and quantified for all co-firing scenarios under investigation.
Criterion 3: Applicability of the proposed action
Any proposed retrofit measure should be examined for its applicability to the
power plant under consideration. In the biomass co-firing case, the power plant site
should be assessed to ensure that there is sufficient space for the construction of a
storage facility for the biomass fuels. In addition, if new pipe work is needed to feed
the biomass into the furnace, a feasibility study should be carried out.
Criterion 4: Technical risk
For any retrofitting activities, the technical risk must be kept at minimum. In the
case of biomass co-firing, an initial investigation of the operational difficulties
provoked from biomass introduction in the boiler must be carried out and the
associated problems must be identified and minimized prior to the implementation
phase. As an example, slagging, fouling and corrosion related problems that affect
the power plant performance must be examined and confronted.
Criterion 5: Investment cost
From the plant operator point of view, the investment cost is perhaps the most
important factor when deciding for retrofitting activities. In the case of co-firing with
biomass, the total investment costs - such as building of new storage facilities to
house the biomass, the new burners, new feeding systems etc - should be less than
revenue generated with the remaining lifespan of the power plant. The high cost of
dedicated biomass equipment and the accompanying plant modifications is one of the
main reasons for the prevalence of direct co-firing techniques over indirect ones.
Criterion 6: Requested idle period for the unit
Since the unit will not be operational during the retrofitting period, a loss of
revenues is expected. For biomass co-firing, as well as any other retrofitting
measures, the plant operator should ensure that the outage time is kept at a minimum.
Therefore, the coordinators will have to assess the most suitable periods for
retrofitting activities, ensure that the project proceeds as planned and try to organize
the subtasks in parallel rather than in series.

Once the above mentioned criteria are met and the decision for retrofitting is taken,
practical issues of implementing the renovation activities are considered. In the case of co-
firing biomass, the retrofitting activity is restricted due to cost and time factors. The basic
idea is to take advantage of the existing equipment at the power plants without major
modifications.
As mentioned above, the most preferable approach for co-firing biomass is the co-milling
option. This involves the pre-mixing of biomass with coal at low co-firing ratios, generally
less than 10% on a heat input basis, in the coal yard or on the main coal conveyors and then
processing the blended fuel through the existing coal milling and firing system [3], [6]. In co-
milling, coal and biomass are pulverized together at the existing coal mills to achieve size
reduction and drying of both feedstocks. This presupposes that the solid bio-fuels can be
easily handled using equipments similar to those employed for coal handling and feeding.
Therefore, there are limitations on the range of biomass materials that can be co-fired in this
way. For example, baled biomass materials are not suitable. Otherwise, pelletised and dried
forms can be utilized [8]. Despite the low levels of capital expenditure, the major
disadvantage of co-milling is that the presence of the biomass degrades the grinding
performance of the coal mills [14].
In addition, there is the direct co-firing option which involves the pneumatic injection of
the milled biomass into the pulverized coal pipework after by-passing the coal mills or into
modified coal burners. This approach allows co-firing of different biomass fuels with coal and
permits operation at higher co-firing ratios as well. In both cases, both additional air and
additional fuel are being introduced to the milling system, thus the mill primary air and coal
flow rates have to be reduced accordingly. This should be done in such a way so that the mills
and the burners are maintained within their normal operating envelopes, when the biomass
co-firing system is either in or out of service. However, there can be significant interferences
with the mill control system and risks of interference with mill operation. In general, there are
two different locations of the biomass injection into the pulverized coal pipework, both of
which are described below [8]:

Into the mill outlet pipes local to the mill outlet, which tends to be simplest to
engineer since the routing of the biomass pipework is usually easier and the mill
outlet pipework is cold.
Into the pulverized coal pipework just upstream of the burner, which tends to be
relatively more congested and the injection point is into hot pipework. In particular,
at this point the pulverized coal pipework moves with the expansion of the furnace,
and a suitable degree of flexibility has to build in to the biomass pipework.

Alternatively, the injection point of solid bio-fuels can be located directly into the coal
burners.
The third option of direct co-firing involves the injection of biomass directly into the
same boiler as the coal, but via a separate feeding system. This method is more costly than
co-milling, since it requires greater modifications to existing coal plant. A direct injection
mechanism can take six months to become fully operational and repay the initial investment
in six months. Direct injection also has the advantage that the biomass does not affect the
flow of the pulverized coal or the performance of the coal milling equipment. In addition,
direct injection can employ separate burners for each fuel type. This allows the biomass and
coal to be fired in the same boiler but ensures separate combustion of each fuel. The separate
injection mechanism also provides additional control since biomass with poor milling
qualities can be rejected without affecting the coal feedstock.
Conclusively, the most cost-effective approach in co-firing is the co-milling option. Once
the solid bio-fuels have been selected the next practical consideration would be to check the
suitability of the existing equipments and the possible modifications to be done at the power
plant. The final objective is the safe, reliable and effective operation of the modified power
plant. The lower energy density of biomass compared to coal, necessitates a relatively high
volume flow into the boiler [15]. The different properties of biomass will impact on the
performance of the boiler and the associated equipment. The areas of potential impact [2] of
the fuel blend and its product are analyzed below.

3.2.1. Biomass Handling, Storage and Fuel Preparation
The fuel handling is important to the operation of any power plant and therefore it needs
to be trouble-free. Where there was inappropriate handling of the supplementary fuel, the mill
power requirements were raised by 10 - 15% and this led to increased operating costs which
were reflected in the cost of electricity [15].
The characteristics of biomass materials are different from those of coal. A major concern
for all biomass fuels is that the energy density is only about 10% of that for coal. Moreover,
biomass is moist and has the strong tendency to create hydrogen bonds with water.
Consequently, all the above restrict the maximum proportion of biomass in the mixture and
demand on-site fuel preparation technologies disproportionately high compared to its heat
contribution. In any case, specific pre-treatment is required when co-firing biomass with coal
so as to minimize the negative effects. The degree of severity of the problems encountered
during their handling is strongly dependent on the type of biomass, as well as on its moisture
content. For example, the handling of straw requires different techniques compared to
granular materials. The former are generally free flow and must be stored in a dry condition,
while the storage time is kept at a minimum. The latter can be handled easier and their flow
behavior can be characterized by the existing test methods. Woody biomass in the form of
chips, chunks and sawdust is more difficult to characterize because of the wide range of
particle sizes, moisture contents and the degree of elasticity they exhibit. Herbaceous biomass
is usually handled, transported and stored in baled form, which is difficult and more
expensive to cope with. The pelletised form of these materials can be handled easily, but
when the pellets break up this necessitates problems, due to the liberised fine particles [16].
Concerns are also raised, when biomass pellets getting wet due to the moisture in the
atmosphere. The generation and accumulation of dust is another important issue, especially
when handling pellets in bulk. The proper equipments for dust suppression include explosion
vents and fire suppression systems because the wet removal configurations tend to increase
the humidity in the store, increasing thereby their cohesion.
The storage area must be large enough to accommodate sufficient quantities of biomass
and to ensure continuity of feeding rates. Current methods of storage are open and covered
piles, closed bunkers and silos. It is known that when storing large amounts of biomass for
long periods of time, there is a serious threat of spontaneous heating of the stored material,
due to the biological activity. In addition, wet biomass has a higher tendency for biological
self-heating than dry biomass. Thus, storage times should be minimized, especially for the
types of biomass which are most vulnerable to humidity. A careful arrangement of piles and
sufficient natural drying is required, in order to achieve a good control of stored biomass and
avoid flame incidents. The provision of enclosed and ventilated storage can prevent the solid
bio-fuels from moulding [16]. In order to avoid the self-heating of the stored material and
possible fire ignitions, biomass should be stored as dry as possible or with moisture content
below 20%. A storage pile should not be compacted and not contain heterogeneous materials.
A combination of temperature and gas measurements can offer the proper control of the
biomass storage [12].
Another method of handling biomass is road transport. Lorries with large containers at
the back which can be raised at one end to tip out the contents are the type of trucks used
mostly for road transport. These tipper trucks require a high free space at the point of tipping.
Thus, the reception facilities should be designed in such a way so as to ease the unloading of
the fuel. An approach to this is by housing them inside a suitably tall portal frame building.
Alternatively, a reception hopper can be installed inside the edge of a smaller building
allowing the trucks to back up to an open in the building when tipping [14].
The preparation of solid bio-fuels is mainly associated with the removal of oversize
materials. The separation can be completed in two stages. The reception hopper grid can help
with the removal of large materials, while a moving screen or a cyclone can remove the
smaller ones [14].

3.2.2. Preparation of the Blended Fuel and Modifications at the Coal Mills
As regards the pretreatment processes, biomass produces a non-friable and fibrous
material during grinding. According to many researchers [1] it is unfeasible and unnecessary
to reduce biomass to the same size or shape as coal. In general, biomass particles with
average aspect ratios (the ratio of the particles longer dimension to its shorter one), ranging
from three to seven create challenges when they are pneumatically or otherwise transported.
In cases where the co-grinding of fuels is needed, pulverized coal mill capacities may be
reduced, especially when co-milling wood with coal. This has the effect of limiting the degree
of co-firing that is possible in retrofits and removes the normal margin of mill redundancy.
Besides, large and non-spherical particles induce fuel conversion problems. Biomass of
proper size and under the heating rates typical of pulverized coal co-firing yields a much
higher fraction of its mass through devolatilization than coal.
The preparation of the fuel blend is primarily required when the co-milling option is
adopted and it can be conducted either on-site or off-site. If the preparation is going to be
carried out on-site, separate reception and handling facilities are required up to the point
where biomass and coal are blended into one stream. Off-site blending results in a single fuel
stream to the power plant, which can be handled in a similar way to coal. According to
commercial-scale co-firing applications, problems like extreme bunker flow profiles with
deposits building up at the bunker walls were encountered due to the blending of different
origin fuels. Blending small proportions of biomass with coal can affect the properties of the
mixture. Coal and biomass materials have also different heating values. Therefore, mixing the
fuels has the effect of reducing the energy density and hence the volumetric feed rate of the
mixed fuel. In turn, this reduced energy density will have an impact on the feeder calibration
and possible on the maximum mill throughput. The outermost objective of the fuel blending
is the achievement of a homogeneous fuel blend. In order to provide this, biomass must be
reasonably distributed within the volume of coal feedstock. Attention has to be paid to avoid
the operational transients due to fuel quality changes and on the effort to keep its properties
within safe limits. Also, the avoidance of problems associated with possible loss of coal mill
flow is strongly demanded.
A typical approach in order to achieve a typical continuous fuel delivery is by layering
the biomass with coal on a stockpile. However, biomass degrades when exposed to air or
moisture and thus it should be combusted in a short time. Another approach includes mixing
after storage at a point slightly downstream of the coal feeder, but this requires duplication of
the coal handling and storage systems employed for the primary fuel. In the biomass co-firing
retrofits in UK [14], the continuous mixing of the fuels en route to the boiler, either on a
conveyor or in a transfer chute, is preferred instead. On the other hand, this approach
introduces inconveniences when mixing small quantities of biomass. The screw conveyors
used for the control of the biomass flow create voids due to the low flow rate. Derived from
the experience gained from co-firing activities in UK, the use of existing coal chutes and
conveyors belt is problematic due to spillage and dust, especially where the biomass is first
mixed with the coal. However, the previous is based on the fuel type and plant design. In any
case, the construction of windshields, enclosures and dust suppression systems can help solve
these problems.
The effective and safe operation of coal mills when grounding solid bio-fuels is necessary
so as to achieve a maximum level of co-firing. Special equipment, such as spike rolls disc
screens, hammer mills or cutting equipments, might be needed to reduce the particle sizes to
proper dimension. Problems are encountered due to the fibrous texture and the low particle
density of biomass materials resulting in poor grinding, large-sized particles of the mill
product and even an increase in carbon in ash. Also, by increasing the co-firing ratio, a
corresponding increase in power consumption and levels of differential pressure for the coal
milling equipments may be observed. The primary hot air employed to dry the coal in the mill
increases the temperature and pressure. This, in turn, can lead to a release of the biomass
volatile content, which starts at lower temperature than those occurring in the mill (compared
to coal). Hence, necessary steps must be taken to ensure minimum risk of overheating of the
fuel mixture. The combustion behavior of the fuel blend during co-firing processes is
acceptable when the mill product, especially the biomass particles, has a top size in the range
of 2 to 5 mm. Then, the unburned carbon levels in both the bottom and fly ashes are similar if
not marginal lesser than solely burning coal [8]. Despite the difficulties and limitations,
however, the co-milling option has been carried out successfully on a fully commercial basis
in a large number of coal-fired power plants all over the world.

3.2.3. Impact of Co-firing on the Boiler Performance
Biomass co-firing with coal can have a strong influence on the operation and reliability of
the power plant, hence, considerations such as steam generator performance, slagging /
fouling and corrosion of the boiler must also be taken into account for each individual power
plant.
The solid bio-fuels with a proper particle size can not influence negatively the
combustion behavior of the fuel blend. Concurrently, the residence time of the particles in the
furnace is another important factor for a complete burnout. If the time is insufficient the
burnout deteriorates with additional biomass share. Moreover, the moisture content of the
biomass can have an impact on maximum achievable boiler load and efficiency [17]. The
impacts on the boiler load have been minimized with low co-firing ratios and utilization of
dry biomass materials. As far as efficiency is concerned, it is calculated by summing the
losses due to unburned material, radiation and heat losses from the chimney. The heat losses
from the chimney are owed to both the water emitted from it and the water generated in the
combustion process. The former is dependent on the moisture content of the fuels (as fired)
and the latter on their chemical composition. According to a scenario taken from literature
[8], assuming a biomass fuel like wood with moisture content less than 10% co-firing with
high volatile bituminous coal with 12% moisture and 15.7% ash contents, as received at a
ratio of 5% by mass, the calculations result in an efficiency loss of around 0.1%.
Biomass materials with high amount of alkali metals in ash have the tendency to lower
the melting point of the ash depositions. In the case of wood, the high amount of calcium and
potassium in ash indicates that the melting temperature of ash of this kind will be high.
Therefore, the deposits will be loose even on the radiation boiler surfaces. Co-firing wood
with coal produces minerals with high fouling tendency, resulting in the deterioration of
boiler efficiency [18]. However, the boiler efficiency loss is much lower than the decrease in
coal consumption and thus the biomass co-firing is profitable. In the case of solid bio-fuels
such as straw, the high chlorine compounds in ash compared to coal tend to create strong
fouling phenomena. Particularly in the superheater area, the deposits of this kind are strongly
corrosive due to the high steam temperatures, creating a layer which deteriorates the heat
transfer coefficient. Thus, in supercritical boilers which operate with increased steam
parameters this phenomena are determinant in order to implement co-firing at them.
Nevertheless, in co-firing with sulfur containing fuels like coal, this combination may help
mitigate the chlorine-based corrosion of the boiler walls and steam superheaters [19]. This
happens due to the reaction of SO
2
generated from coal with alkali chlorides generated from
biomass, to form alkali sulfates, which agglomerate on the convention surfaces and protect
the tube surfaces. The promoting agent for this phenomenon is the oxidizing conditions.
Thus, the conversion rates of chlorine deposits to sulfates decreases under reducing
conditions or lower temperatures.
At the convective heating surfaces fouling and erosion can occur. Fuels with low ash
melting points enhance the fouling potential. A crucial factor that can bring about corrosion is
the high flue gas rates. The high moisture content of supplementary fuel compared to primary
fuels encourages variations in the wet flue gas flow rates. Then, the latter will surpass the
boiler specifications resulting in changes of the convective heat transfer [2].

3.2.4. Impacts of Co-firing on Emissions
In general terms, the impact of biomass co-firing with coal on environmental issues is
similar to or slightly positive to the sole burning of coal. The main issues that must be
examined are the air emission constraints, and constraints concerning the quality of the solid
by-products produced. The environmental regulatory framework set by both the commission
and national level must in any case be observed. As far as pollutant emissions are concerned,
biomass co-firing has the benefit of being regarded as CO
2
neutral; moreover it and has
already demonstrated evidence of reduced NO
x
emissions and the potential for SO
2

reductions. A description of effects of co-firing on the pollutant formations is presented in the
following paragraphs.
The measured NO
x
emission levels when co-firing is similar to those measured when
firing coal. However, in some instances, there has been an improvement of up to 10% in NO
x

emission reduction when co-firing is implemented. Depending on the type of biomass used
and the developed temperature during combustion, the corresponding NOx emissions vary.
For example, some of the most commercially mature biomass materials, notably wood,
contain relatively little fuel nitrogen; the nitrogen concentration of straw on the other hand is
of the same magnitude with the nitrogen in coal. Also, the higher moisture content of biomass
than coal decreases peak temperatures and leads to proportional decreases in NO
x
[1].
The generation of SO
2
emissions is dependent strongly on the sulphur in the fuel if
sulphur capture is not included in the plant design. Almost all coal types show higher sulphur
levels than does biomass materials. In a pure coal flame a percentage of 80 to 100% of the
fuel sulphur is converted into SO
2
[18].When co-firing biomass with coal, the SO
2
emission
levels are similar to or lower than that of firing with coal only [20]. This happens because the
SO
2
generated from coal reacts with the alkali metals present in biomass ash and that results
in the reduction of this pollutant.
Particulate ash collection is an important part of plant operation to minimize dust
emissions. According to several plants reports, there is a slight increase in particulate
emissions, mainly, when co-firing with wood [15]. Concerns about fugitive dust emissions
and odors during the biomass delivery and handling process are raised, as well. In some cases,
the effectiveness of the flue gas treatment systems such as the Electrostatic Precipitators
(ESPs) might also be affected, due to the increase in flue gas volume during co-firing. On the
other hand, the low ash levels of solid bio-fuels relieve the ESPs performance. Besides, the
different fly ash composition can alter its electrical conductivity and, hence, the behavior of
the mixed ash in the precipitators.
The impacts on the DeNOx catalyst system depend on its placement within the flue gas
treatment system. If it is installed upstream of the electrostatic precipitator, compounds of the
alkali metals can lead to its deactivation. Otherwise, if it is installed between the FDG system
and the chimney the flue gas contains negligible amounts of components, which could
damage the catalyst. For this reason, the low dust configuration (second one as mentioned) is
particularly more suitable for co-firing.
The amounts of trace elements in solid bio-fuels are lower than in coal. Thus, when co-
firing with fossil fuels this lead to reduced input of these into the boiler. As a consequence,
measurements of trace elements in different places, air heater inlet and emitted flue gases,
showed decreased levels in the first case and little impact in the latter. None adverse impact
was found on dioxins and furans emissions, as well [14]. According to the indications of
some tests performed, the dioxins that would be expected to be produced during co-firing
appear to be destroyed in the high temperatures within the furnace and the heavy metals
appear to be trapped within the ash [15].
The ash disposal or utilization of solid by-products of biomass co-firing with coal is
another area of concern due to the fact that the incorporation of solid bio-fuels may change
the properties of coal-derived ash. Indeed, the environmental issues that may arise associated
with the further disposal or utilisation of solid by-products could pose serious obstacles in the
implementation of co-firing techniques. The changes to the properties of the solid by-products
should be assessed in the light of the European standard EN 450 and the ASTM specifications
for the use of fly ash in construction products. Some preliminary results [1] regarding the
impact of mixed fly ash on concrete are presented below. However, these results constitute
nothing but indications and should not be accepted as general rule without further research.
Only herbaceous biomass materials were used in the tests, since many woody fuels contain so
little ash that co-firing is likely to have negligible effects on fly ash properties. According to
the tests, the amount of aerating agents (surfactants) which are basic for the establishment of
concrete air entrainment was increased with increasing the biomass content. This impact is of
little economic concern but is of major process concern, due to the likely fail under freeze
thaw cycles of the resulting concrete if the mixed fly ash that displace cement was treated the
same way as coal-derived fly ash. As a general result of these data, the mixed fly ash behaves
qualitatively similar to coal-derived one in terms of structural and performance properties.
Nevertheless, further research work on this subject has to be done in order to ensure the
mixed fly ash utilization in cement manufacture.
According to the analysis presented, the overall conclusion which emerged naturally is
that the impacts on performance, integrity and environmental performance of the power
plants, where co-firing of a variety of biomass materials at low co-firing ratios implementing,
have been small.

3.3. Legislative Framework on Environmental Issues

The aim of the environmental legislation that has been developed over the years is to
ensure that any impact on the environment of industrial facilities stays within acceptable
limits. The legislative framework for the utilization and promotion of solid bio-fuels into
energy sector through co-firing activities with fossil fuels is the subject examined in this
section. It is known that the majority of legislative issues is in close relation with economic
considerations and always have financial extensions. This means that there is a penalty for
those who activities are perceived as environmental threats for exceeding emissions limits or
do not conform to the policy considerations in general. There are a few EU Directives of
direct relevance to the power industry. For example, the Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control (IPPC) Directive specifies that Best Available Techniques (BAT) for minimizing
pollution should be determined for various industry categories, including Large Combustion
Plant (LCP). The European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER), established by a
Commission Decision of 07/17/00, which is based on Article 15(3) of 96/61/EC Directive,
requires Member States to produce a triennial report on the emissions of listed pollutants of
industrial facilities into air and water [21].
The selection of biomass as a fuel for the purpose of recovering its energy content is due
to these naturally-occurring materials are viewed as CO
2
-neutral fuels. The introduction of
biomass into energy activities was strengthened by 2001/77/EC Directive whose purpose is to
promote an increase in the contribution of renewable energy sources to electricity production
in the internal electricity market. Moreover, co-firing applications offer an environmentally
sound and a more economic approach to existing coal-fired power plants compared to
dedicated biomass boilers, since no other practical technology exists except for fuel
switching. Before burning biomass materials, all combustion plants operating under IPPC
[19] need approval from the Environment Agency (EA) in order to proceed in co-firing
applications. In order to avoid possible inconsistency in approach to approvals given the EA
produce a protocol to standardize the approvals for operators.
The revised 2001/80/EC Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into
the air from large combustion plants establishes emissions limit values (ELVs) for new and
existing plants. Under this legislation, existing combustion plants must either observe lower
emission limits or achieve equivalent emission reductions via a national emission reduction
plan by 2008 unless it is intended to close the plant after a further 20,000 operating hours
between 2008 and the end of 2015. Namely, the ELVs for existing and new plant with
installed capacity greater than 300 MW
th
are given in the Table 3.
Concerning the Greenhouse Gas mitigation in the power sector, the EC confirmed its
strong commitment to ensuring that the EU and Member States achieve their greenhouse gas
emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol. The latter was approved on behalf of the
Community by Council Decision 2002/358 of 28 April 2002. In accordance with the 2003/87
Directive, the EC activate a system called the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-
ETS), in which an overall cap is placed on CO
2
emissions. Thus, industrial facilities are
allocated a number of CO
2
emissions permits according to each Member States National
Allocation Plan. Facilities that exceed their permitted emissions must purchase surplus
permits from other operators. In this way, every ton of CO
2
emitted by a power station has a
market price reflecting either the cost incurred from the purchase of emissions permits or
the income the plant could otherwise have earned from the sale of the permit. As biomass is
considered carbon neutral, it can be burned without using up emissions permits. Therefore, a
generator who co-fires biomass with coal effectively receives an additional source of income,
beyond the price of electricity itself, the carbon price of the coal emissions foregone. [21]
The following example is characteristic of how the legislative frameworks are connected
with economic considerations. The data source is mainly the Department of Trade and
Industry in UK. Therefore, on 27/10/2006, the carbon price was 11.85 per ton of CO
2
. In
order to offer incentives for co-firing, a carbon price of at least 20 is needed, as Table 4
shows. The carbon price exceeded 20 during 2005, reaching a peak of almost 30 in April
2006, before falling to a price of 10-15 (DTI, 2006). On this basis, it appears that co-firing in
the UK is close to becoming an economically viable activity. However, a permanent increase
in the carbon price is required. This means that any future tightening in the emissions permits
issued under EU-ETS will have a significant effect on the viability of co-firing in the UK or
elsewhere.

Table 3. ELVs for large combustion plant (>300 MW
th
)

Existing
1
New Fuel Type
Solid Liquid Gas Solid Liquid Gas
SO2 400 400 35 200 200 35
NOx 500 400 200 200 200 100
Dust 50 50 5 30 30 5
Ref. O2 dry 6% 3% 3% 6% 3% 3%

1
Valid until 31 December 2015
Table 4. Calculated example of carbon price needed for biomass co-firing
to be competitive

Coal Biomass Data Source
Cost of fuel () 20.11 37.36 DTI. 2006d. Scottish Executive. 2004
Carbon Price (/tCO2) 11.85 11.85 http://www.pointcarbon.com
Carbon Emission
(tCO2/MWh)
0.85 0 Commission of the European
Communities. 2006
Carbon price needed
for biomass co-firing
to be competitive ()
20.3

Table 5. The cumulative ROCs issued for biomass co-firing for all
of the large coal-fired power plants in Britain [5]

Station Capacity (MW
e
) Generator Cumulative ROCs
Aberthaw 1,455 RWE npower 91,290
Alcan Lynmouth 420 Alcan 45,127
Cockenzie 1,200 Scottish Power 25,958
Cottam 2,000 Electricity de France 124,431
Didcot 2,100 RWE npower 50,303
Drax 4,000 Drax Power 748,527
Eggborough 1,960 British Energy 140,778
Ferrybridge 2,035 SSE 1,246,550
Fiddlers Ferry 1,995 SSE 606,864
Ironbridge 970 E.on UK 135,740
Kingsnorth 2,034 E.on UK 237,113
Longannet 2,400 Scottish Power 269,915
Ratcliffe 2,010 E.on UK 37,501
Rugeley 1,000 International Power 252,085
Tilbury 1,085 RWE npower 25,946
West Burton 1,980 Electricity de France 64,677
Total ROCs/MWh 4,102,805

Another implication of the legislative framework which is enforced in UK and it is
worthwhile to be mentioned is the Renewables Obligation (RO) [22]. The RO was established
in 2002 and constituted the base for the development of co-firing on a commercial scale in the
country. This is a system of tradeable permits in which electricity suppliers are obliged to
produce Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs
2
) to guarantee that an increasing
proportion of the total electricity supply was generated from renewable sources. The level of

2
A ROC is equivalent to 1MWh of electricity generated of renewable sources
the RO began at 3% in 2002/3 rising to 10% by 2010 and has been extended to 15% by 2015.
One of the results of the introduction of the RO has been the increase in biomass co-firing
involving all of the large coal-fired power plants. A list of the cumulative ROCs issued, up to
February 2006, is presented in the following Table 5. Apparently, the electricity supply
industry has responded rapidly to the financial incentives, such as the extra source of income
from the ROC value.

3.4. Financial Evaluation

In general, co-firing biomass in a coal-fired power plant is a cost-effective
implementation as it requires a relatively small capital, while offering simultaneously
immediate benefits to the power plant operators and the inhabitants of the region. However,
the profits available to the company are defined to a large extent by some key parameters [6],
such as:

The delivered price and availability of the solid bio-fuels
The market value of possible subsidies named as green energy generation
The costs of the pre-blending route option

From an economic point of view, in order for biomass to be more attractive as a
substitute fuel it has to be first and foremost cheaper than the fossil fuel it displaces. It is clear
that the market value of biomass materials is strongly influenced by the type, source,
availability and storage/transport requirements. Biomass in general has too low an intrinsic
value to justify transportation over long distances. This acts as an economic barrier to co-
firing, if biomass materials are not in close proximity to the coal-fired power plants. In Figure
1, the current final costs for the biomass fuels in UK are presented. The transport costs, which
were estimated assuming a collection radius of 40 km around the power plant, play a large
part in the final market value of the fuels as a result of the smaller volumes compared to mass
transport [8].

Table 6. Energy cost of a number of solid bio-fuels [3], [23]

Fuel Energy cost-UK (/GJ ) Energy cost -GR (/GJ )
Coal 1.8 2.23
3

Forestry residues 2.7 n.a
Cereal (straw) 3 3.75
Olive kernels 3-3.7 4.48
Sawdust pellets 5.2-6.7 0.97
4

3
Brown coal
4
Considering a heating value of 17.28 GJ /tn and fuel cost of 16.7 /tn

Figure 1. Final costs of biomass fuels in UK, Source DTI-2006.
Furthermore, seasonal differences and risks resulting from climatic influences affect the
availability and price of solid bio-fuels. Also, the involved pre-processing conditions of the
delivered biomass to power plants have their own share in the price. For example, in UK
these prices are in the order of 3 - 7.5 /GJ , with agricultural residues lying at the bottom of
this range and highly processed (dried and pelletised) biomass materials at the top,
respectively. In Table 6, the delivered costs of a number of relevant biomass materials both in
UK and a Mediterranean country, Greece, are given. Moreover, the dispersed resource of
indigenous bio-fuels can have adverse effects in the price. In the case of coal, the supply is
easy and can be guaranteed to maintain continuous operation. In addition to the above, the
coal-fired power plants have historically been sited at convenient locations for the receipt of
coal. On the other hand, biomass has low bulk energy density which exaggerates the transport
costs and the price itself. Thus, the intention of applying biomass co-firing in existing energy
plants should be sized according to locally available biomass resources or within reasonably
transport distances. In cases of increased market value of biomass due to increased utilization
or seasonal shortage, the coal-fired power plants have the possibility to temporarily suspend
the co-firing activities and minimize the fuel costs. At this point, environmental regulation
authorities have to play a significant role, regulating a ceiling on the biomass price and
keeping the same distance between the energy sector and the solid bio-fuels suppliers.
In the section related to legislative framework, the connection between the legislative
framework and the economics was emphasized. The relation was illustrated through a
calculated example of the carbon price required to consider biomass co-firing a competitive
alternative. Such renewable certifications, like ROCs in UK, or other subsidies are in a strong
place to affect profitably the biomass co-firing implementations.
Generally, costs for co-firing projects applied in existing power plants are lower
compared to those of new dedicated biomass plants [23], [24]. The pre-blending route option
comprises the pre-blending of biomass with coal and the processing of the blend through the
existing milling equipment followed by the feeding of the mixture into the bunkers. The
capital cost is relatively modest due to the already existing infrastructure. However, there are
other capital expenditure requirements which depend on the nature of the solid bio-fuel, the
arrangements needed for the reception and the on-site storage of it, the blending facilities and
other possible additional modifications. Specifically, the associated systems include the
biomass reception area, the roads and the turning areas for the delivery trucks, the storage hall
and hoppers, the feeders and conveyors. Also, there are the development costs which are
associated with more paper-works and their respective costs. The selection and securing of
biomass supply, the performance of the necessary co-firing test run and the preparation of the
application for the authorization to permit commercial operation, are some of the above
mentioned. Finally, a part of the operating costs of co-firing activities are mainly associated
with the additional direct labor and contract services costs. These are highly variable and
dependent on site-specific factors.
In the end, the energy utilization of biomass must secure a premium price for the
electricity produced in terms of power generation. The cost-savings or revenue-increase
benefits must be sufficient to cover the cost of capital for additional infrastructures and risk
involved in the technical retrofitting of the plant to accommodate solid bio-fuels. The absence
of funding often acts as a financial barrier to co-firing applications, which always require
capital investments. Namely, the specific barriers are due to the risk-perception by the
suppliers of funding. In general terms, there are two types of financiers, the external
commercial financiers and the internal plant operators. Both of them require minimisation of
the risk, the first on the repayment of their loans and the latter for their revenue generating
operations. As discussed, fuel supply, technology and economics are the major sources of
risk. It should be stressed out that a good relation of these factors is essential in order to find
funding for a co-utilisation action.

3.5. Societal Issues

Although co-firing is adopted in order to alleviate the environmental issues that fossil
fuel power plants create, its implementation may face reactions from the public. The nature
and the intensity of these objections usually depend on the location of the plant and the type
of supplementary fuel used. For biomass, which is considered a green fuel, the public
objections are likely to be less intense and rather enthusiastic. The opposite reaction can arise
if the intention is co-utilisation with waste-derived fuels, even for the biodegradable fraction
of them. Thus, the use of public informing campaigns for the environmental positive impacts
of co-firing technology is beneficial [23].

4. REVIEW ON CO-FIRING EXPERIENCE AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

4.1. Current Status

There has been remarkably rapid progress over the past 5-10 years in the
development of the co-utilization of biomass materials in coal-fired boiler plants. Several
plants have been retrofitted for demonstration purposes, while new plants are already being
designed for involving biomass co-utilization with fossil fuels. A study on the application of
co-firing worldwide [25], [26] shows that over 80 coal-fired plants have experienced co-firing
biomass or waste. Typical power stations where co-firing is applied are in the range from
approximately 50 MW
e
to 700 MW
e
. The majority are equipped with pulverized coal boilers
(tangentially fired, front-wall fired, back-wall fired, dual-wall fired). Tests have been
performed with every commercially significant coal type (lignite, sub-bituminous coal,
bituminous coal) and every major category of biomass (herbaceous and woody fuel types
generated as residues) [1].
However, the final selection of the fuel type used for energy purposes is strongly
depended on its availability in the region. Namely, in Northern European countries, such as
Finland, Sweden and Denmark, a large amount of small scale biomass-based combustion
steam boiler plants for process and district heating purposes are in operation. This is due to
the fact that these countries have a large amount of low cost biomass which can be used for
primary fuel for heat or combined heat and power production. This is accomplished with
relatively simple technical ways.
On the other hand, in Central European countries such as Germany, The Netherlands
and Belgium biomass-based energy conversion systems are much less applied due to the high
availability of indigenous fossil fuels resources. Furthermore, the corresponding biomass
quantities in this region are limited, so that whenever these countries want to use the latter as
substitute or main fuel, they depend on the use of a variety of relatively more expensive
domestic bio-fuels or imported energy crops. Thus, the implementation of biomass-based
energy conversion systems is more difficult both from a technical and economic point of
view. However, as a consequence of CO
2
emission reduction targets, renewable energy
policies and tax incentives imposed by the national governments, the energy utilization of
biomass is a major topic for the power production sector. Because of the existing energy
infrastructure in these countries the attention is mainly focused on direct and indirect co-firing
in already existing coal-fired power plants. Several significant case studies of co-firing coal
with solid bio-fuels accomplished in European countries are reviewed briefly below.

4.2. Demonstration of Co-firing at Commercial Level in Finland

The Case Study of Naantali-3 Power Plant
Co-firing tests with sawdust and coal have been conducted at FORTUMs Naantali-3
CHP power plant. The Naantali-3 is a tangentially-fired pulverized-coal unit with a Sulzer
once-through boiler that produces 79 MW electricity, 124 MW district heat and 70 MW
steam. The basic fuel, Russian coal, is pulverized in three mills (Loesche roller mills). Each
of them feeds one burner level which consists of four burners. The boiler is also equipped
with low-NO
x
burners (IVO RI-J ET) and over-fire air (OFA) system. The system for the fuel
gas treatment includes electrostatic precipitators and a flue-gas desulphurization facility. The
co-firing tests were carried out for three months during April 1999 to April 2000 period and
without any investments. The solid bio-fuel used in the tests was pine sawdust, which was
received from the saw mill, located about 50 Km from the power plant. The proportion of the
supplementary fuel in the mixture started from 2.5% and came up to 8% of fuel input. The
coal to Naantali was delivered by sea. The blending of coal and sawdust was accomplished in
the coal yard. Then, the mixture was loaded to the hopper by a bulldozer and farther to the
existing coal silos by the belt conveyors. During this process, the behavior of the blend was
normal without self-ignitions problems. Afterwards, it was fed into the boiler via the existing
coal mills. The behavior of the blend in the coal mills caused some problems. The
simultaneous grinding of the fuels in the roller mills affected negatively the coal fineness
result. Specifically, the amount of bigger particles was increased while the corresponding of
the smaller ones reduced. Both had adverse side effects on the burn-out efficiency of the coal
and on the boilers efficiency or on the quality of fly ash, successively. When coal was co-
fired with sawdust and if the latters proportion was high, the grinding of the coal was
worsened, increasing the amount of unburnt carbon in the fly ash. Furthermore, increased
smoke formation in the coal mills was noticed during the co-firing tests. This was probably
due to the roller mills are not designed to handle fibrous materials like the wood sticks and
chips, which came with the sawdust. Thus, the bigger particles were not ground in the mills
but dried and flattened. Then they met with the primary hot air and caused smoke formations.
Therefore, the simultaneous feed is not a suitable solution for long-term use.
Concerning the combustion behavior, the ignition and the flame stability were normal,
even with a high substitute percentage, due to the special burners used in the plant. All the
values which affect the heat transfer in the furnace plus the slagging and fouling behavior
were at normal levels. The SO
2
emissions were lower in co-firing than in the sole coal
combustion, due to the higher sulphur content of the coal compared to biomass. No important
changes occurred in the ESP performance, while the dust emissions were lower during the co-
firing process. The latter is probably connected with the low concentration of ash in the
sawdust.
In general, the co-firing tests at Naantali were successful. However, Fortum concentrated
on developing a new concept for co-firing, in order to solve the problems encountered with
the coal mills. Generally, co-firing a solid bio-fuel in existing pulverized-coal fired boilers
sets high demands for its grinding technology. In order to achieve the desirable size of the
biomass, a complex and expensive micro-milling system is needed. However, according to
the gained experienced from the full-scale co-firing tests, some new ideas arose. It was
decided that the existing simple grinding system was sufficient provided that modern burners
are to be used. The new co-firing concept is shown in the Figure 2. According to this, the
biomass is screened and ground in the crusher process and the grinded biomass particles are
fed to the boiler through special bio-coal burners (RI-BIO). There two possible alternatives
for the mixing of biomass and coal. In the first case the ground biomass flow can be
introduced to the coal flow near the burner area, so that the coal and biomass are mixed
before they enter the furnace. In the latter case the biomass can be fed to the furnace via a
special centre pipe so that this and coal particles are mixed in the flame. Applying this
concept, it is possible to substitute 5 30% (by heat) coal by solid bio-fuels. [27]


Figure 2. Fortum's new concept for the direct co-firing of bio-fuel and coal.

Figure 3. Direct co-firing of straw with coal in Studstrup Power Plant.

Table 7. Danish power plants experienced co-firing

Plant name Location Output
(MW
e
)
%
substitution
Status Primary
fuel
Suppl.
Fuels
Studstrupvaerket
1
Aarhus 150 20% heat Commercial
(1996-1998)
Pulverized
coal
straw
Studstrupvaerket
4
Aarhus 350 20% heat Commercial
(since 2001)
Pulverized
coal
straw
Amager 3 Amager 250 Up to 20%
heat
n.a Pulverized
coal
straw /
miscanthus
Esbjergvrket Esjberg 150 Up to 25% n.a Pulverized
coal
straw
/wood

4.3. Demonstration of Co-firing at Commercial Level in Denmark

Major projects aiming at large scale commercial or semi-commercial operation are under
way in Denmark. These projects are important parts of the energy and environmental policies
of the country. Some of these demonstrations of co-firing tests are reported in Table 7.

The Case Study of Units 1 and 4 at Studstrup Power Plant
Two of the above mentioned co-firing activities have been conducted at Units 1 and 4 at
Studstrup Power plant. The latter is located near Aarhus in J utland and operated by Elsam.
Based on the experience gained over a number of previous projects, Danish engineers
converted the 150 MW
e
installed capacity pulverized coal-fired Unit 1 to straw co-firing. A
diagram of the system, including the handling and the pre-processing equipment, is presented
in the Figure 3. The system was installed and commissioned during 1994-5. A demonstration
program started in 1996, focusing on the performance of the straw-handling and firing
system, the boiler performance, the slagging / fouling and residue characteristics, and the pilot
testing of the system for the flue gas treatment (DeSO
x
and DeNO
x
equipment). This involved
long-term operation at 10 and 20% straw on a heat input basis.
The option followed in this case was the direct injection of biomass into the boiler
through the existing coal burners. The principle of that process is thoroughly described below.
Initially, the straw bales were delivered to the Station by lorries. An automatic overhead crane
unloaded and placed the bales in the store or feed the two-tier conveyor system. The crane
was also equipped with load cells and microwave pads for the automatic recording of the
weight and the moisture content of each bale. Afterwards, the two-tier conveyor and transport
system automatically feed four straw pre-processing lines. Upon entry to these, the bale cord
was cut and removed. The loose bale then fell into a size-reducing unit. This had a cutting
table with two shafts fitted with a number of curved blades that broke up the straw bale and
reduced originally the straw to a size of 100 to 150 mm. The shattered straw was then
dropped onto an inclined belt conveyor. This helped to balance the flow of straw and the
speed of the belt to control the straw feed rate to the burner. From the top of the belt, the
straw was dropped to an air classifier, which removed any undesirable material that may have
been included in the bales. Then, a short pneumatic system conveyed the straw into the
hammer mill. The hammer mill farther reduced the straw size depending on the open in the
outlet screen. The screens used at Studstrup have diameters size of 50 and 75 mm. From the
hammer mill outlet, the ground straw dropped into a collection bin, which was fitted with an
aspiration chamber and a rotary airlock. This dropped the straw into the pneumatic conveying
system to the burners. Twelve pulverized fuel (PF) burners existed into the boiler, which were
arranged in three rows of four on the furnace back wall. The boiler produced 139 kg/s of
steam at 540C and 143 bar. The burners that had been converted to allow straw-coal co-
firing were those of the centre row. The latter was achieved with the ensuing arrangement.
The ground biomass was arrived at the burner at a primary air velocity of 25 m/s and reduced
to 15 m/s at the burner. In sequence, the straw was fired down the burner core air tube, with
the coal being fired through the primary air annulus. With this settlement, it was possible to
co-fire straw at up to 20% of the total furnace heat input at full boiler design load.
Despite the successful operation of Unit 1, some problems related to the handling and the
conveyance of the straw was encountered. The wet nature of the solid bio-fuel created
inconveniencies at the mentioned system. Namely, the system was sensitive to relatively
small quantities of straw with moisture content in excess of 25%. In order to set out this
unfavorable situation, an improvement of the quality and consistency of the delivered fuel is
needed. This can be accomplished with a better collaboration with the straw providers so as to
secure a long term quality controlled biomass supply scheme. Concerning the combustion
system, its overall performance was good, as long as the straw injection velocity through the
burner was below 15 m/s. In addition, a good burnout was achieved. No particular problems
associated with ash deposition, high temperature corrosion, or the environmental performance
of the plant were identified at straw co-firing rates up to 20% on a heat input basis [28].
Particularly, the positive effect of biomass addition on NO
x
emissions were confirmed by
reduced levels compared to operation on coal alone. An increase in HCl emissions was noted
though, due to the higher input of chlorine contained in the fuel mixture.
After the deployment of co-firing technology in Unit 1 from 1996 to 1998, there was the
intention to convert to straw co-firing an additional Unit of Studstrup Power Station. This was
the Unit 4, a 350 MW
e
boiler. When the problems concerning the utilization of the mixed ash
as a component of cement and concrete product were solved in 2001, Unit 4 was converted to
straw in the same way. As of J anuary 2002, Studstrup Power plant was capable of co-firing
250,000 tn of straw plus 100,000 tn of other biomass fuels (maize, sunflower seed husks)
with coal, annually.

The Case Study of Unit 1 at Esjberg Power Plant
The same concept of the direct injection of the supplementary bio-fuel into the boiler
via dedicated biomass burners was followed at another Danish hard coal-fired Power Plant as
well. The co-firing tests of straw and wood with coal were performed in the 150 MW
e

pulverized coal Unit 1 of Elsam at Esjberg. The approximately 15,000 tn of baled straw were
fed in two trains to a shredder, followed by a cutter. The density of biomass was 500 kg/m
3
,
the heating value amounted to 19 MJ /kg and the ash content to 0.45%. The corresponding
quantities of coal were 63,000 tn. Its heating value ranged from 24.8 to 26.9 MJ/kg, while the
ash content was set in high levels of 18%. The feeding system presented difficulties and
operated well only when the moisture content of the solid bio-fuel was held below 15%.Then,
the straw was transported with air to separate burners into the boiler. The structural
modification which discriminated these burners from those of coal was the fixed cones
instead of impellers to spread the injected straw. The ensuing configuration included two
straw burners in conjunction with ten coal burners, which were installed above and to either
side of the straw burners. The aim of the above arrangement was to moderate the air flow and
avoid the collision of straw particles with the boiler wall. Another inhibitory factor was the
foreign material in the straw stream which can cause breakdowns.
Concerning boiler operation, there were no deposits on boiler tubes, superheaters and
preheaters. Although slag accumulated on straw burners, the deposits were easily removed.
Moreover, the slagging / fouling and corrosion effects were of particular interest to the utility
due to the higher levels of both chlorine and potassium presented in the straw, compared to
coal. Also, the boiler load was typically 80% of rating. Finally, indications of unburned straw
and carbon in the slag ash for co-firing proportions in excess of 10% by heat obstructed the
mixed ash to be utilized as raw material in the cement sector [15].

The Case Study of Unit 3 at Amager Power Plant
An additional co-firing test in the country was carried out at the Amager Power Plant
Unit 3. The wall-fired pulverized coal Unit 3 was chosen to substitute its main fuel, hard coal,
used for the production of 250 MW
e
with 20% straw by thermal energy. The biomass was
delivered in forms of cylindrical pellets of approximately 9% moisture content so as to avoid
the need of shredding. The concept followed was that of the mixing of biomass with coal
prior to entering the mills for co-grinding. In the boiler itself, the combustion process was
performed well and sustained in stable levels, while no depositions were observed in the heat
transfer surfaces. The Flue Gas Desulphurisation system operated with no problems except
for a decrease in the limestone reactivity [15].

4.4. Demonstration of Co-firing at Commercial Level in Germany

In Germany, the demand for alternative waste treatment concepts, the CO
2
reduction
potential coupled with savings in fossil fuels resources are currently the issues of the greatest
interest. One problem arising is the suitability of existing power plants for the co-firing of
biomass and / or waste. The locations and additional information about the respective power
plants are listed in Table 8. The main achievements gained so far from the accumulated
experience in German coal /lignite fired power plants in using supplementary fuels are
summarized as follows [2]:

The fuel supply has to be scrutinized as regards the transport costs and the
availability of the supplementary fuels. The former is referred to the long distances
between the locations of the power plant and the source of the additional fuels. The
latter is referred to the high local concentration of potential users.
The fact that existing facilities primarily designed for coal are used for the
preparation and the handling of the supplementary fuels limits their share on the
thermal load. However, by appropriate process settings any differences of the fuel
characteristics are acceptable. Quality standards for the fuel suppliers are necessary
in order to confine the concerns that induce the nature and the characteristics of the
fuels themselves.

Table 8. German power plants experienced co-firing

Plant name
Location
Firing
System
Output
(MW
e
)
Output
(MW
th
)
%
heat
%
mass
Status Primary
fuel
Suppl.
Fuels
Afferde
El.Werke
Wesertal
Fluidized
bed
n.a 124 Up to
10%
n.a Operation
since 1997
Hard coal Wood,
straw
Bayernwerke
AG Bavaria
PF (direct) 108 n.a n.a n.a n.a Pulverized
coal
straw
Berrenrath
Rheinbraun
Fluidized
bed
n.a 235 Tests with
approx.8t/h
1999 tests Brown
coal
wood
Heilbronn
EnBW
Dry bottom n.a 1933 8% n.a Feasibility
study 1999
Hard coal Wood
straw
J anschwalde
VEAG
Dry bottom n.a n.a n.a n.a 2002 Tests Brown
coal
Wood
straw
Lubbenau
VEAG
PF (direct)
Wall fired
Dry bottom
100 n.a n.a 7% 1993 tests Brown
coal
Wood
straw
Magdeburg
VEAG
PF (direct) 350 n.a n.a n.a n.a coal wood
Moabit
BEWAG
Fluidized
bed
n.a 240 1 to
13%
n.a 1995 tests Hard /
Brown
coal
Wood
straw
Saarberg
Saaberwerke
AG
PF (direct)

75 n.a n.a n.a n.a Pulverized
coal
Sewage
sludge
Schwandorf
Bayerwerke
B
Grate
(direct)
Dry bottom
n.a 280 Up to
20%
n.a 1996 tests Brown
coal
Straw
pellets
Schwandorf
Bayerwerke
D
Grate
(direct)
Dry bottom
316 n.a 12 8 Operation
since 6/1999
Brown
coal
Wood
chips
Weisweiler
RWE
PF (direct)
Dry bottom
2 x
600
n.a 2 to
8%
n.a Cont.operati
on starting
2000
Brown
coal
SRF
/paper
pulp

As regards the corrosion and slagging of the boilers, for co-firing at ratios less than
10% in a thermal heat basis no problems appear. Exceptions arise in the case of fuels
with high chlorine content and for boilers with supercritical characteristics.
Changes in the flue gas composition show a direct correlation to the fuel analysis.
Higher concentrations of SO
2
or HCl are separated in the flue gas purification
system. The NOx emissions which are strongly dependent on the combustion
conditions and the fuel compositions decrease during co-firing of straw and wood
due to the reducing effect of the high volatile release of the additional fuels.
The amounts of trace elements such as mercury are lower in supplementary fuels
than in brown coal. Hence, no increased emissions for them were observed. This can
be also attributed to the small proportions of the additional fuels or to the detection
limits of available measuring techniques.
With respect to dioxins and furans, no negative effects of the co-firing were
observed. This can be attributed to the destruction of all the organic intermediates,
due to both the high temperatures in the flame zone and the sufficient oxygen
availability.
Overall, the experience gained from the co-firing tests has shown that the quality of
the co-firing residues are not altered , except for fly ashes of straw co-firing at high
thermal shares

Two cases studies for co-firing biomass and waste, respectively, are described below:

The Case Study of VEAGs Lubbenau Power Plant
The co-firing tests were conducted at VEAGs Lubbenau Units with installed capacity of
100 MW
e
. The test program involved co-firing 7% (by mass) of pine wood chips with lignite
using two boilers pulverized fuel Units. According to the co-firing results, a single recycle
of wet ash was needed so as to reduce the unburned carbon in the coarse ash. On the other
hand, the fly ash showed no additional carbon even without this recycling. The route of
recycling comprised the addition to the fuel before it reached the feed mills. When this
recycling was applied the CO emissions remained within the limits set by German
environmental legislation. Considering the combustion process, it carried out successfully
even when using 10,000 tn of wood chips [15].

The Case Study of Weisweiler Power Plant
A summarized description of the co-firing application in a German lignite-fired power
plant is given farther down. The full-scale co-combustion trials took place in the RWE
Powers site at Weisweiler, which is located 50 km westwards from Cologne in the Rheinish
brown coal area. The Weisweiler site consists of six units with total installed capacity of
2,100 MW
e
. The trials took place in Units G and H, with a nominal capacity of 600 MW
e

each, which already utilize paper sludge for co-combustion, Figure 4. The substitute fuel is
produced by REMONDIS; more specifically it is the solid recovered fuel (SBS

Substitutbrennstoff in German nomenclature) coming from the high calorific fractions of
municipal solid wastes via positive sorting methods.
The co-firing tests in Weisweiler were carried out in two stages. During the pre-trials in
J uly 2004, the focus was mainly on fuel handling, conveying and feeding issues. The share of
SBS
to the thermal input started from 2% and was increased up to 8.5%. The results of them
showed no severe operational problems. Namely, the unloading of the fluffy alternative fuel
was successful due to the good weather conditions. In the case of stronger winds, the
construction of a windshield could prevent the low density fuel to be spread around. The
feeding process to the boilers was accomplished through the conveyor belts together with
lignite, that followed the coal bunkers where the SBS
from the unloading area was first

transported. Some blockage of SBS
in parts of the transportation parts and some layers from

metal aluminium and aluminium oxides on the second row of pre-beater arms in the coal
mills were observed. The low density of SBS
was to be blamed for the first problem, while

the high content of metal aluminium in it created the appearance of the aluminium deposits.
On the contrary, a small increase in power production was observed, owing to the higher
heating value of the fuel mixture. Moreover, no significant changes in the flue gas emissions
were noticed. Finally, the amount of the unburnt SBS
in the wet bottom ash was negligible

[29].
The share of SBS
was kept to the level of 2% of the thermal capacity and doubled to 4%

for specific time periods during the main combustion trials. The total (Unit G and H) feeding
rates of SBS
fluctuated from 21 to 24 tn per hour at the first thermal share and 40 to 46 at

the latter. The feeding rate of paper sludge and lignite came up to 54 tn per hour and 750 tn
per hour, respectively. The total feedstock consumption was 4,200 tn of SBS
, 13,300 tn of
paper sludge and 345,000 tn of lignite. A special unloading station has been built at the
Weisweiler site for the co-firing of paper sludge. It consists of a double 180m
3
bunker and a
single 90m
3
one together with two intermediate storage areas summing up to 4,000 tn. The
feeding capacity amounts to 125 m
3
/h of each of the three screw feeders resulting to a feeding
capacity of 62.5 tn per hour for paper sludge or 25 tn/h for SBS
. The existing infrastructure

could be successfully applied during the SBS
co-firing tests. The measurements were

performed at two different levels at the furnace exit and in front of the air preheater- and
mode -lignite / paper sludge operation and co-firing with SBS
mode-. The mixing of the

fuels took place into the coal conveyor belt before the pre-crushers. In case to secure a
permanent alternative operation, a separate pneumatic system for the SBS
transportation
with an unloading station is needed. The accrued conclusions of the tests are summarized
below. Concerning the combustion process and the overall power plant behavior, the
operation of the boiler, namely parameters such as steam production and temperatures, was
not influenced. As far as emissions are concerned, CO levels were slightly increased while
SO
2
emissions could not be detected, nor dioxins/ furans nor dust and NOx were slightly
lower. Also, no unburnt SBS
in the ash was found. Though, HCl concentrations were

observed before the air preheater, they were not monitored in the stack measurements after
the FGD system. As regards corrosion issues, the experimental data indicated no clear
influence of SBS
co-firing. Relating to the quality of the residues, the results of the leaching
values of the mixed fly and bottom ash did not exceed the permission limits and it is suitable
for disposal. [30]

4.5. Demonstration of Co-firing at Commercial Level in the Netherlands

The main goal of Dutch Renewable Energy Policy is that in 2020 10% of the total energy
consumption has to be provided by renewable energy sources. Further to that, in order to meet
the CO
2
-reduction goal (Kyoto Protocol), the fossil fuel related CO
2
emissions of the Dutch
Power Plants have to be decreased significantly. Based on the agreement drawn up between
the power production sector and the Dutch government, a large part (6 out of 25 Mtn CO
2

equivalents) of this target has to be realized at coal-fired power plants [31]. Co-firing of
biomass in existing coal-fired power plants along with other activities (efficiency
improvements, fuel switching to natural gas) is expected to contribute substantially to this
target. Moreover, it is already applied in many Dutch coal-fired plants, due to the high
availability of solid bio-fuels. The co-firing percentage is still less than 5% by thermal heat
input. A list of these applications that had been successfully demonstrated at commercial or
pilot scale in units of up to 645 MW
e
is given in Table 9. The direct co-firing is the preferable
concept, due to the high electric conversion efficiency and low additional investment costs.
Furthermore, it is not expected to cause any problems concerning the air emission regulations
of the EU and the quality of produced solid byproducts. The potential high-temperature
corrosion of heat transfer surfaces and slagging or fouling problems are among the most
important technical constraints. Although emissions of dust particles and heavy metals may
be problematic in certain cases, these problems have to be assessed experimentally for a
variety of biomass materials.

Figure 4. SRF/ paper sludge supply system to the boiler, Source: RWE Power AG.
Table 9. Dutch power plants experienced co-firing

Plant name/
Location
Owner Output
(MW
e
)
net

%
substitution
Status Primary
fuel
Suppl.
Fuels
Gelderland /
Nijmegen
EPON 602 4.5% heat commercial Coal wood
Borssele 12 EPZ
(=Essent)
403 n.a commercial Coal Kernels,
paper
sludge,
shells,
fibers
Amer 8/
Geertruidenberg
EPZ
(=Essent)
645 0.8% heat commercial Coal Paper
sludge
5% heat commercial Massvlakte-
1/2,Rotterdam
EZH
(Germany)
2 x 518
4% heat tested
Coal Biomass
pellets


Figure 5. The wood handling system at the Gelderland Power Plant.
The Case Study of Gelderland-13 Power Plant
Co-firing was demonstrated at Gelderland Power Plant in Nijmegen during 1995 and is
now in full commercial operation. The selected Unit was a 602 MW
e
(net electrical capacity)
pulverized coal-fired boiler, which was converted to burn almost 60,000 tn/yr of processed
waste wood. Moreover, the Unit is equipped with a wet limestone FGD system and a SCR
system for SO
x
and NO
x
emission control respectively. The goal of this conversion was the
utilization of waste wood as boiler fuel so as to avoid the greenhouse gas released into the
environment during their decomposition at the landfill sites. The co-firing concept is based on
the separate size reduction and drying of the supplementary fuel. The waste wood material is
collected and processed first into raw wood chips, which are then delivered to the power
plant. The wood handling system at the Gelderland Power Plant is shown in Figure 5.
According to this, the wood chips are unloaded in the reception area and conveyed to the
grinding area. Magnetic separation and air classification equipment are employed to provide
additional cleaning of the wood chips. The chips are then fed to a hammer mill, which
reduces them to a top size of 4 mm. After screening out the fines, the oversize material is sent
to the milling plant. The mill product and the fines from the hammer mill are combined and
powdered in a wood-handling system. There are two mills, each with a capability of
producing around 1.8 tn/h of final mill product, whose moisture content is below 8% in dry
basis. The powdered wood is conveyed pneumatically to a storage silo, of 1,000 m
3
capacity,
located adjacent to the boiler. A powdered wood metering system delivers the fuel, via air
blowers, to four burner injection systems, each capable of delivering 1.1-3.5 tn/h of fuel. The
four burners, each rated at 20 MW
th
, are located in the side-walls of the furnace. The boiler
furnace is opposed-wall-fired with three rows of six burners in both the front and back walls.
The wood burners and the wood combustion control system were independent of the coal-
firing system, and there was no interference with the boilers capability to burn coal at full
load. The wood-firing capacity mounted to 10 tn per hour, which equals to 3-4% of the heat
input [28].
At this co-firing ratio the impacts on the operation, the environmental performance, and
the availability of the boiler have been small. The coal substitution for the used quantities of
biomass mentioned above come up to 45,000 tn annually. Concurrently, the corresponding
annual CO
2
-emission reduction is 110,000 tn. On the other hand, the investment costs, mainly
for the biomass handling and feeding system, drew near to 13.6 M [31].

The Case Study of Borssele-12 (BS-12) Power Plant
The co-firing test was carried out at one of Essents Power Plants, known as Borssele-12.
The BS-12 is a tangentially-fired pulverized-coal unit, a view of which is depicted in Figure
6. The boiler produced 365 kg/s of steam at 543C and 183 bar. The supplementary fuel
tested was processed waste wood, including olive residues, palm kernels, citrus pellets and
friable wood. One of the most significant parameters that affect the co-firing activity is the
rate of biomass grindability. According to experiments, the particle size distribution of three
different fuels after milling showed size variations even in the own fuel. Specifically, a
proportion of 70% of ground coal particles sized from 0 to 0.2mm. On the other hand, only
the 35% of milled palm kernels had a top size of 0.5mm, while wood presented a 40%
percentage of its particles having diameter of 0.2 up to 0.9mm. Other prerequisites of fuels for
co-firing are the volatile content and self-ignition temperature in order to ward off fires in
potential hot primary air environment. A high silicon content of the fuels can create
congregations on the rotating pulverizer table, as well. Moreover, the ratio of weight to
surface area of the pulverized bio-fuel powder determines classifying at the pulverize outlet.
Essent Energy proposed four options so as to apply co-firing at Borssele-12. One of them
was accomplished via the coal yard, where coal and wood were disposed. Mixing of fuels was
carried out on the conveyor belt and the mixture headed toward the boilers. Afterwards, new
covered storage was constructed for the biomass with sufficient room in four separate
bunkers. The other two options included the presence of separate silos and the conveyance of
biomass via the central feeding pipe of the coal pulverizers to the boiler or via separate
hammermills and crumblers to dedicated biomass burners in the boiler. The fourth option
which was founded at BS-12, the so-called Multi-fuel co-firing installation, is presented in
Figure 7. The storage of biomass took place at four silos that lifted close to the boiler. Each
section of the silos were transported by trucks from port and assembled at the power plant.
After the installation was turned over, it was waiting the delivery of the solid bio-fuels. The
biomass was transported to the boiler via enclosed chain conveyors [32].
An additional initiative to be executed in the short term constitutes the direct co-firing of
6,000tn dry base sewage sludge. The increasing of the total c-firing potential to 120,000 tn
per year partly by sewage sludge and 7,000 tn/yr CO
2
-reduction are some of the most
important results. The corresponding investment cost comes up to 1.2 M [31].


Figure 6. The tangential fired boiler as is in Borssele-12.

Figure 7. Multi-fuel co-firing installation at Borssele-12.


Figure 8. Flow chart of the direct co-firing concept at Amer-8.
The Case Study of Amer-8 Power Plant
A direct co-firing activity was performed at Unit Amer-8 as well. The number 8 unit of
the Amer power plant of Essent in Geertruidenberg has a total capacity of 645 MW
e
. The unit
has been co-firing 75,000 tn/year of paper sludge commercially for a number of years.
Thereby, it substituted almost 4,500 tn/year of its main fuel, coal. This represents 0.8% of the
heat input to the plant. In addition the fossil fuel substitution leads to the mitigation of 11,000
tn per year CO
2
emissions [30]. The co-firing concept is presented in Figure 8. No adverse
operational problems were noticed. Since 2003, one of the coal mills has been converted to
grind wood pellets.

The Case Study of Maasvlakte-1/2 Power Plant
The pulverized coal power plant of EZH near Rotterdam has been applying direct co-
firing activities in the Units 1 and 2 for several years. Each of the Units has a net electrical
capacity of 518 MW
e
. Maasvlakte 1 is utilized 150,000 tn per year of biomass pellets. The
pellets are produced at the power plant site from a mixture of paper sludge, wood residues,
and woody particles remaining from a compost sieve overflow for a number of years.
Namely, the solid bio-fuels are composed of 60% paper/cardboard, 24% waste wood and 16%
compost. This equals about 5% of energy input. Biomass co-firing with the main fuel results
in the substitution of 30,000 tn coal per year. This corresponds to the reduction of 78,000 tn
CO
2
per year. On the other hand, the investment cost comes up to 7 M.
Aiming to increase the co-firing capacity, Maasvlakte Power Plant increased the biomass
quantity to 288,000 tn per year. This implies coal substitution 10% by weight. Further,
improving the quality of bio-pellets by pre-drying makes an advance on the co-firing
capacity. Also, direct co-firing of 40,000 tn per year of poultry litter (4% of heat input) is
tested at Maasvlakte 2. This equals about 4% of energy input, with a coal substitution of
23,000 tn per year. The corresponding CO
2
-emission reduction amounts to 60,000 tn per year.
[31]

4.6. Demonstration of Co-firing Tests at Commercial Level in UK

At the present time, the great majority of large coal-fired power plants are pursuing co-
firing projects. The current situation is summarized in Table 10. The number of coal plants
co-firing has increased following the introduction of the Renewables Obligation, from two in
2002/03 to sixteen in 2005/06. [8] Most of the UK coal-fired Power Plants are co-firing
biomass materials on a commercial basis by pre-mixing the biomass with the coal, either on
or off-site. In general terms, the biomass co-firing projects at the power plants have been
reasonably successful, both technically and environmentally. On the other hand, the majority
of the problems were associated with the fuel supply arrangements, and with the on-site
storage and handling of the biomass materials. Some operational [9] problems occurred when
co-milling biomass with high volatile content. This caused fire hazards when hot primary air
was used. Also, in some cases, the high moisture content of biomass disturbed the mill heat
balance and the larger biomass particles left the mill or increased mill power consumption and
pressure drop.
Some demonstrations of co-firing tests are described [6] below. The specific co-firing
option adopted at each power plant depends on the geographical location, on the security of
supply of suitable quantities of bio-fuels, either imported or from indigenous sources. Also,
the majority of the power plant operators are focused almost exclusively on the ROCs
income. After the success of the co-firing tests, the electricity supply industry proceeded to
commercial co-firing of biomass materials, afterwards.

The Case Study of Tilbury Power Plant
A co-firing test was conducted at Tilbury coal-fired Power Plant, with installed capacity
of approximately 1.085 MW
e
, located in the Thames Estuary. The supplementary fuel was
sawdust, a high grade biomass material in a pelletised and dried form that was delivered to
the energy plant by sea at a price of 6 /GJ . During testing, the thermal share of solid bio-fuel
in the overall thermal input was adjusted to 3%. The installation of a separate unloading,
storage and conveying system was required for the biomass. Moreover, the co-firing option
applied involved the installation of a new, dedicated biomass mill under the existing
(redundant) bunker and the supply of the milled biomass through a pipework system to one of
the existing coal burner rows. For this reason the capital expenditure was significant and more
specifically in the order of several million pounds, while the time for the project
implementation surpassed twelve months. Consequently, the Tilbury case study turns out not
to be a very robust business case for the preferred biomass co-firing option. The relatively
high delivered fuel price, the high capital expenditure requirement for the fuel reception,
storage, new milling, handling and firing facilities were among the reasons for that.

Table 10. British power plants experienced co-firing

Plant name /
Company
Firing
technology
Output
(MW
e
)
Status [4] %
substitution
Primary
fuel
Suppl. Fuels
Aberthaw/RWE Direct
injection
1,553 Commercial n.a coal Wood,
sawdust
Cockenzie/SP Co-milling 1,200 Commercial n.a coal Wood pellets
Cottam/EDF Co-milling 2,000 Commercial 5% coal Forestry/
sawmill
wastes
Didcot A/ RWE Co-milling 2,100 Commercial 2% coal Energy crops
Drax / Drax Direct
injection
4,000 Commercial 3% coal Milled palm
nuts
Eggborough/BE Co-milling 1,960 Commercial 3.5% coal Palm kernels
Ferrybridge C /
SSE
Direct
injection
2,035 Commercial 10% coal Olive residue,
palm nuts,
citrus, wood
Fiddlers Ferry /
SSE
Direct
injection
1,995 Commercial 10% coal Olive residue,
palm nuts,
citrus, wood
Ironbridge/
E.on UK
Co-milling 970 Commercial 10% coal Wood, palm
kernels
Kingsnorth /
E.on UK
Co-milling 2,034 Commercial 10% coal Cereal
residues
Longannet/SP Co-milling 2,400 Commercial n.a coal Sewage
sludge, wood
pellets
Tlibury / RWE Co-milling 1,085 Commercial 3% coal sawdust

The Case Study of Kingsnorth Power Plant
Another co-firing test was performed at the Kingsnorth coal-fired Power Plant of 2.034
MW
e
installed capacity. The biomass material, cereal straw residues, contributes to the
substitution of the main fuel by 10% on a heat input basis. Due to the high delivered fuel
price (6 /GJ ), a low capital cost option was favored, which was subsequently implemented
relatively quickly. For the selected option, the existing coal milling, handling and firing
system for the pre-blending and co-firing of the pelletised bio-fuel with coal were utilized. All
the relevant potential impacts of straw co-firing were assessed by employing suitable
modeling techniques. Thus, the impacts of biomass co-firing on the boiler operation and on
the environmental performance of the power plant indicated that co-firing, at ratios less than
10% on a heat input basis, was technically viable with modest impacts on plant performance.

The Case Study of the Co-firing of Wood at a Scottish Power Plant
The third case study is concerned with the co-firing of wood in a large coal-fired power
plant in Scotland. The wood fuel derived from forestry residues and other wood materials. In
order to reduce the capital expenditure on storage and handling facilities, the energy company
delegates all these responsibilities to the fuel suppliers, thereby including the relevant costs
into the delivered fuel price. Thus, the solid bio-fuel was pre-blended with coal and the
mixture was delivered to the power plant by train. As a consequence, this approach offered a
higher degree of control over the blend ratio and the quality of the blend compared to what
can be achieved with most of the on-site blending options. In sequence, the pre-blended fuel
was handled and fired through the existing coal infrastructures. There was no requirement for
any significant modification of the installed equipment on-site. This approach to co-firing has
been adopted on a short-term trial basis but has not been demonstrated in long-term operation.
Moreover, the co-firing ratio that can be achieved is very unlikely to be greater than 10% on a
mass basis. At these low co-firing ratios, and with a clean, low ash content wood fuel, the
impacts on the technical and environmental performance of the plant will be modest.

4.7. Co-firing Experience in Mediterranean Countries [33]

In general, no large-scale co-firing plants are in commercial operation in the
Mediterranean region. Consequently, the acquired experience is derived from pilot-scale
activities solely. Both the available type of each bio-fuel and the low-rank coal used for
combustion should be taken into account when the optimum percentage of biomass in the
mixture is defined. The typical ratio biomass/coal ranges from 5 to 10% in conventional
systems of pulverized fuel. Furthermore, despite the high availability of biomass in all
Mediterranean countries, only 40% of this is potentially available for co-firing, due to logistic
constraints.

4.7.1. Co-firing Experience in Greece
In general, Greek biomass characteristics comprise the average biomass characteristics,
such as high volatile and oxygen content and low ash content. Also, the sulphur content is
low, but significant Cl percentage is present instead. A significant factor affecting the
biomass quality is the weather conditions during harvesting. The substitution of conventional
fuels from biomass in existing power plants is a promising alternative option for the country,
as well. Nonetheless, these biomass co-firing applications are limited to few numbers and
only on pilot scale implementations. Up to date, the concern has focused on utilizing biomass
residues (olive kernels) and wood, as additional fuels for the production of electricity or
steam. Specifically, short-term co-firing activities have been successfully attained in two
pulverized-fuel Units at the Megalopolis Thermal Power Plant and long-term ones have been
realized in an industrial boiler with a moving grate firing system [33]. Each case study is
described afterwards.
The environmental and socio-economic impacts of biomass co-firing with brown coal in
an existing thermoelectric unit in Northern Greece were also evaluated through a comparative
assessment of its pure combustion in a new plant. The study was conducted at a 125 MW
e

lignite-fired power plant in Ptolemais power plant. Concerning the environmental impacts,
the co-firing activity offers cleaner electrical power with lower emissions of pollutants.
Moreover, it acts beneficially on the saving of natural resources. In terms of economics,
biomass co-firing with lignite is counted as a low-risk investment due to the exploitation of
the existing infrastructure with fewer modifications that requires small capital. In addition to
this, the previous will bring about fewer jobs than the construction of a biomass-dedicated
plant, but it will secure the existing jobs for several years more. Beyond the positive social
impacts, the application of co-firing activities utilizing environmentally neutral fuels such as
biomass is necessary for the government in order to meet the standards of the Kyoto Protocol
or comply with the EU regulations. Aiming to achieve the above, there is a strong prerequisite
for the development of fuel supply networks, the classification and standardization of solid
bio-fuels produced in the country [35].

The Case Study of Megalopolis Lignite-fired Power Plant [34]
As it is reported, direct co-firing trials took place in Units I and II of Megalopolis
Thermal Power Plant, each one of 125 MW
e
power output. The aim of the co-firing tests was
to examine the efficiency and availability establishment in the existing boiler infrastructure.
Attention was addressed to the investigation of lignite substitution percentage by biomass in
the fuel blend. Although initially the biomass percentage in the mixture was 2% by mass, it
was gradually increased at 7%. For this percentage, the available biomass quantities in Greece
are enough to cover the needs for co-firing application in large power plants. Concerning the
boiler operation, an obvious increase in the steam generation and the load was noted. The
high volatile content of olive kernels contributed to a stable flame and its complete
combustion resulting in unaffected unburnt particles in the ash. Based on financial and
environmental issues, there are apparent advantages owning to SO
2
and CO
2
reduction. In
order to assure proper blend feeding in the boiler, some constructive modifications are
necessary in the existing boiler installations.

The Case Study of Pindos Industry [36]
In the Greek industry Pindos it was possible to utilize the existing combustion installation
for conventional domestic fuels (lignite) in combination with thermal utilization of waste
wood. The industrial boiler was of lower capacity, equal to 13.8 MW
th
and equipped with a
moving grate firing system. Referring to the emissions, the values of CO, NO
x
and SO
2
were
very satisfactory, dioxin and furan emissions were recorded lower than the legislative limit
while the concentrations of heavy metal were affected in a similar way. Furthermore, it was
observed that even the extensive use of waste wood does not bring any additional burden to
the maintenance cost of the combustion equipment.

4.7.2. Co-firing Experience in Italy
In Italy, co-combustion of coal and biomass is, at present, applied only in the Fusina
power plant (units 3 and 4). Since 2004, SRF co-firing has been continuously performed at
the two 320 MWe coal-fired boilers. The average share of SRF is about 2.5% of thermal input
with a typical heating value ranging between 16.5-18.5 MJ /kg and the organic fraction being
higher than 60%. Information described below was obtained regarding two experimental Enel
(National Electric Energy Board) installations, namely in Pietrafitta (Umbria) working from
1958 and in S. Gilla (Sardinia) working from 2001. In both cases, the basic fuel was lignite
initially and coal afterwards, excavated from the mines close to the plants locations. The
biomass utilized as secondary fuel was, in both plants, olive husk.

Co-firing in Pietrafitta Enel Power Plant
The total installed capacity of this power plant is equal to 244 MW
e
. From 1973 to 1988
the main fuel was integrated with a small quantity of olive husk. The aim of the co-firing
activities was to increase the plant residual life and to offset the reduced availability of the
lignite deposits. The problems in realizing the olive husk co-firing with coal were related to
difficulties concerning the proper heat contribution of each fuel as well as some
inconveniences that occurred during the tests. More specifically, the additional wear of the
existing mills mechanical components associated with the grinding of biomass posed
problems in obtaining there were difficulties to obtain a good and homogeneous size rate.
Due to the lack of homogeneity, the heaviest particles were thrown on the boiler bottom,
having only realized partial combustion. The lighter particles on the other hand were burned
in the mills ducts, before entering the combustion chamber. In addition, problems associated
with the automatic removal of the ashes because of their weight and size occurred in the
combustion chamber, on the bottom grid and on the transporting strap. Moreover, whenever
the proportion of the mixture was not rightly set, particularly when an excess quantity of olive
husk was present, the combustion chamber temperature was raised with a consequent increase
of heavy ashes production.

Co-firing in S. Gilla ENEL Installation
The S. Gilla Plant (Cagliari) consists of a 5 MW
th
boiler and was installed for
experimental tests on co-combustion of olive husk and coal, in order to verify its feasibility
on thermoelectric plants of a large size. The first test concerned the optimization of the
grinding system and the feeding system of the secondary fuel while the second one conducted
a series of combustion tests with mixtures of coal and olive husk. Based on the results of the
first test, the only problem to be solved regarded the reduction of the mills yield, compared to
the coal grinding. According to the chemical analyses in both fuels, preceding the co-firing
tests, the olive husk ash was rich in silicon (47%), potassium (17%), calcium (9%),
phosphorus (3.5%) and sodium (4.2%). All these elements are unfavorable due to problems
related to fouling and slagging of the boilers. Moreover, the presence of Si with a high
percentage of K could cause the formation of low melting point substances in the ashes. Also,
a change in the ratio to a percentage of 60/40 for olive husk could increase the potential of
fouling in the convection section of the boiler because of the presence of high alkaline metals
content. In relation to traces, almost all of these elements in olive husk, with the exception of
Cr, Ni, Zn, were in a lower concentration than in the coal.
The steps of the co-firing application in Cagliari followed at each phase are mentioned
below. The granular nature of olive husk makes it easy to be transported. Except for the
possible drying in the presence of humidity higher than 10 -15%, no other particular pre-
treatment was used. As regards the grinding and the feeding procedure, the olive husk was
mixed with the coal in a silo and grinded within the main mill of the plant. Then the mixture
was sent to the burners. Combustion problems were not observed due to the high percentage
of volatiles in biomass, which helped produce good flame stability. Fouling and slagging
problems were not presented. Some inconveniences caused by deposits of dusty nature were
easily removed by the soot-blowers systems. The most significant advantage of combustion
with olive husk was observed in the emissions, with a generalized reduction of the total
amount. Concerning the ash quality, the process of olive husk working can affect and render
the mixed ash improper for future exploitation without additional pre-treatment.

4.7.3. Co firing Experience in Portugal
In Portugal, the energetic utilization of biomass residues represents a great contribution
for the improvement of renewable energies. The promotion of biomass in the country is
especially related to forest residues improvements. This situation is mainly due to the fact that
forest is covering a significant area of the country and on the other hand, forest is threatened
every year by forest fire. However, the use of these residuals is limited in co-firing with solid
fossil fuels plants as the country has only two coal-fired power plants. One of them, Sines
power plant with an installed capacity of 1.200MW
th
, is located by the sea, where there are
not enough residues in a radius of 50km to provide 10% of fuel replacement. Therefore, the
larger amounts of biomass residuals are not located close to these plants. The implementation
of biomass-fired plants is suitable in dense forest areas as in the centre of the country. Thus,
different alternatives have to be followed. One alternative for the use of biomass residues can
be their exploitation in decentralized power plants, like the first biomass fired power plant
located in Mortgua. Another is their utilization in biomass boilers existing in pulp industries.
Due to their specific location, there is enough capacity to use all residues produced in a radius
of 50 km to replace 10% of the biomass feed in the boiler.

5. RESEARCH TRENDS FOR BIOMASS CO-FIRING IN EUROPE

Nowadays, research development activities in Europe are focused on extending
applications to a wider range of biomass materials [39]. Demonstration projects should aim at
medium to large scale bio-electricity systems, covering the whole process chain from
sustainable feedstock supply over energy conversion to the recovery of by-products. The
overall scope is to decrease the electricity generation costs of biomass from the range of 0.05-
0.08 /kWh to below 0.04 /kWh in 2020. Although several R&D activities have been
accomplished in the past for the operational problems met during co-firing biomass or waste,
there are still some technical difficulties to be confronted. The development of on line
monitoring tools to control slagging and corrosion phenomena during biomass co-firing could
contribute towards that direction. On the other hand, more demonstration activities have to be
undertaken for co-firing biomass in existing large-scale fossil fuel fired power plants with
high net electric efficiency and enhanced biomass shares. The production of new, tradable
solid biofuels for electricity generation purposes will certainly assist the deployment of co-
firing technologies. Such biofuels may be fully or partially based on unconventional and
difficult resources such as e.g. straw and/or organic wastes. Especially concerning the latter,
there is a developing market for Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in the EU, enforced by the
implementation of the waste landfill directive in 2005. The markets enlargement in the future
is strongly dependent on the standardisation needs of SRF, as well as the barriers occurred in
its co-utilisation in coal fired power plants, such as the logistics, legislation and social impact.

6. CONCLUSIONS

The following conclusions can be drawn from this study on retrofitting coal fired power
plants for co-firing biomass and the accumulated experience from co-firing projects in
Europe.

1. Co-firing biomass with coal can offer the best short- and long-term solution to
greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. The effectiveness of the co-firing
application, combined with its low cost and low technical risk, classify it high on a
priority list of the large scale power plant operators and institutions considering
mitigation of CO
2
emissions and saving of diminishing fossil fuels.
2. The economic evaluation of biomass co-firing with coal is complex. The evaluation
must include several components. The price of solid bio-fuels is frequently a very
important determinant of a plants economic viability. Straw delivered to the
coal/straw co-fired Grenaa plant in Denmark costs three to four times more than coal
[36]. Moreover, biomass co-firing is commonly slightly more expensive than
dedicated coal systems concerning the cost for the additional infrastructures, not to
mention the higher operating cost. Consequently, subsidies providing to the
generators of electricity from renewable sources, such as the Renewable Energy
Certificates (ROCs) in Britain, or other financial incentives like the Emission
Trading, are necessary in order to initiate co-firing activities.
3. Concerning the technical situation of co-firing, a multi-criteria analysis needs to be
addressed. The involved criteria take into account the following subjects:
Fuel supply and handling
The case of fuel supply is essential and has to be investigated thoroughly.
Particularly, even if the renewable fuel is cost free at the point of its generation,
its transportation and preparation increase its effective cost per energy unit,
which sometimes exceeds the corresponding of the reference fuel. Additionally,
biomass availability is another key parameter which depends on seasonal
variation and additional market of potential users. Thus, the preparation and
handling of supplementary fuels in existing installation, originally designed for
coal, is limited to small proportions. Low energy density, high shares of fines,
high moisture content and unpleasant odors may cause inconveniences. In such
cases, a separate biomass handling and feeding system is preferred, which raises
the cost significantly. The proper selection of fuel supply system and its coupling
with the firing system is probably the most serious retrofitting action to be
realized in a co-firing project.
Technical modifications and effects on boiler operating conditions
Generally, the addition of biomass to a coal-fired boiler does not impact or
at worst slightly decrease its overall efficiency [37]. Co-firing with shares of less
than 10% of the thermal output appears to be no problematic regarding corrosion
and slagging of the boilers. By appropriate process settings any differences of
the fuel characteristics can be overcome. With respect to dioxins and furans, no
negative effect were observed. The high temperatures in the flame zone together
with sufficient oxygen availability or the addition of some nitrogen compounds
in the post combustion zone can effectively reduce the concentration of PCDD/F
in the flue gases [2], [36].
Environmental and financial issues
In addition to greenhouse emissions, pollutants like SO
2
are decreased when
proper choices of biomass and operating conditions are made. NO
x
emissions,
which are strongly reliant on combustion conditions, decrease due to the
reducing effect of the higher volatile release of the solid bio-fuels. Furthermore,
available experience has shown that changes in the flue gas composition are
associated with the fuel analysis. In relation with the economics, the quality of
fuel for the energy supply determines the type and size of the equipment and
consequent capital costs. Operating and maintenance costs are dependent on the
technology used to store, process, and burn the fuels and the potential impact of
fuel characteristics on plant performance, including efficiency.
4. Beyond the technical concerns to co-firing, legislation issues should be also taken
into account. The previous are referred to the political goals that have launched by
the European Commission. These issues include actions on supporting and
promoting the energy utilization of alternative solid bio-fuels. Apart from that, the
use of biomass in co-firing activities with fossil fuels can make a real contribution to
Governments renewable targets and obligations. Thus, administrative expenditures
should be estimated especially when introducing supplementary fuels which are
subject to other intended markets.

Conclusively, co-firing with limited biomass shares is technically feasible, even though
operational problems and issues on the variability of residues composition need to be further
clarified. Generally, there is a wide range of secondary fuels co-utilised in fossil fuel fired
power and industrial plants in Europe throughout the years. In several countries, bio-fuels
such as wood, straw or even wastes and other biomass resources are used in modern and older
power plants for energy generation, in particular when an economical advantage exists.
However, the implementation of large scale co-firing activities within the European power
industry has to be more expanded. For this reason, standardized fuel qualities for the use in
power plants have to be defined and fuel markets to be established. Especially concerning the
waste derived fuels, methods should be developed aiming to determine their biogenic share in
terms of the CO
2
certificate trading system. Such tools will encourage and facilitate the
implementation of secondary fuel production/utilization as an integral part of an integrated
waste management concept.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Mrs. A. Malliopoulou, Mr. M. Agraniotis, Mr. M. Karampinis and
Dr. D. Chua for their valuable contribution in collecting the data, without which the
accomplishment of this study would not have been possible.

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[39] European Commission, Work Programme 2007-2008 Cooperation Theme 5:
Energy, 2007.

Chapter 2

MICRO-CHP POWER GENERATION FOR
RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Louay M. Chamra
*
and Pedro J. Mago

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University,
210 Carpenter Engineering Building, P.O. Box ME,
Mississippi State, MS 39762-5925, USA

ABSTRACT

The traditional structure of the electrical utility market, green engineering issues, and
environmental acceptability have resulted in a relatively small number of electric utilities.
However, today's technology permits development of smaller, less expensive power
systems, bringing in new, independent producers. Competitions from these independent
producers along with the re-thinking of existing regulations have affected the
conventional structure of electric utilities. The restructuring of the electric utility industry
and the development of new "onsite and near-site" power generation technologies have
opened up new possibilities for buildings, building complexes, and communities to
generate and sell power. Competitive forces have created new challenges as well as
opportunities for companies that can anticipate technological needs and emerging market
trends.
Micro-cooling, heating, and power (micro-CHP) is decentralized electricity
generation coupled with thermally activated components for residential and small
commercial applications. A micro-CHP system consists of a prime mover, such as a
reciprocating engine, which drives a generator, which produces electrical power. The
waste heat from the prime mover is recovered and used to drive thermally activated
components and to produce hot water or warm air through the use of heat exchangers.
Micro-CHP holds some of the answers to the efficiency, pollution, and deregulation
issues that the utility industry currently faces. A review of micro-CHP systems, specific

*
Phone: (662) 325-0618; Fax:(662) 325-7223; E-mail: chamra@me.msstate.edu
E-mail: mago@me.msstate.edu
Louay M. Chamra and Pedro J . Mago 48
types of distributed power generation, and thermally-activated technologies are
introduced and discussed in this chapter.

INTRODUCTION

Micro-cooling, heating, and power (micro-CHP) is decentralized electricity generation
coupled with thermally activated components for residential and small commercial
applications. micro-CHP systems can simultaneously produce heat, cooling effects, and
electrical power. The micro regime is typically designated as less than fifty kilowatts
electric (<50 kWe).
The concept of micro-CHP is illustrated in Figure 1. A prime mover, such as a
reciprocating engine, drives a generator which produces electrical power. The waste heat
from the prime mover is recovered and used to drive thermally activated components, such as
an absorption chiller or desiccant dehumidifier, and to produce hot water or warm air through
the use of heat exchangers.
Cooling, heating, and power (CHP) has proven beneficial in many industrial situations by
increasing the overall thermal efficiency, reducing the total power requirement, and providing
higher quality, more reliable power. Applying CHP technology to smaller scale residential
and small commercial buildings is an attractive option because of the large potential market.
The residential and small commercial sectors account for 40% of the electrical usage in
the U.S. As can be seen from Figure 2, the residential and small commercial sectors make up
the largest portion of the utility electricity market.
The residential energy consumption is not only the largest portion of the pie, but it is also
the fastest growing segment. Between 1978 and 1997, the number of U.S households has
increased by over 30%. At the same time, space heating expenditures have increased by 75%,
air conditioning by 140%, and water heating by 184%. The largest increase in household
energy expenditures was for home appliances, which increased by 210%.

Prime
Mover
Generator/
Power
Conditioner
Absorption
Chiller
Heat
Exchanger
Desiccant
Device
Heat
Exchanger
Building
Cooling
Building
Heating
Building
Humidity
Control
Hot water
Electrical
Power
Waste Heat
Reject Heat

Figure 1. Schematic of a micro-CHP System.

Micro-CHP Power Generation 49

Figure 2. 2001 U.S. Electrical Consumption by Building Sector.
(Available at http://www.eia.doe.gov)
As a result of such large increases, residential energy consumption is projected to
increase by 25% from 2001-2025. The question is: Why should micro-CHP be considered a
viable option to meet the needs of the U.S. residential and small commercial market?
The basis of this answer can be found by applying the wells to wheels analysis concept
to the energy production for a single residence. The idea of wells to wheels is that the
whole system must be considered from fuel harvesting to the energy (in some final form) that
is used. In addition, each time that fuel is converted, packaged, or transported, there is an
associated loss of energy. The more conversion and transportation steps in a process, the
greater the associated energy losses.
In the U.S. as of 2004, electricity is generated by coal (50%), nuclear (20%), natural gas
(18%), hydro (7%), petroleum (3%), and various renewable energy methods (2%). The
traditional method of electrical power generation and distribution is based on large, centrally-
located power plants. Central means that the power plant is located on a hub surrounded by
major electric load centers.
Once the electricity is produced, the power must be delivered to the end user. Delivery is
achieved by a utility transmitting the electricity to a substation through a high-voltage
electrical grid. At the substation, the high-voltage electricity is transformed, or stepped down,
to a lower voltage to be distributed to individual customers. The electricity is then stepped
down a final time by an on site transformer before being used by the customer. The number of
times that the electricity must be transformed depends largely upon the distance the power is
transmitted and the number of substations used in distributing the electricity.
Inefficiencies are associated with the traditional methods of electrical power generation
and delivery. To begin, the majority of the energy content of the fuel is lost at the power plant
through the discharge of waste heat. Traditional power plants convert about 30% of a fuels
available energy into electric power. Highly efficient combined-cycle power plants convert
about 50% of the available energy into electric power. Further energy losses occur in the
transmission and distribution of electric power to the individual user. Inefficiencies and
pollution issues associated with conventional power plants have provided the motivation for
new developments in on-site power generation. The overall efficiencies of central power
generation and distributed combined-cycle power generation are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Natural
Resource
Power
Plant
Distribution
End Uses
100% 91%
32% ~30%
Transmission
31%

Figure 3. Efficiency of Central Power Generation.
Once the electric power reaches the end user, the electricity is used to run central heat
and air conditioners, appliances, lighting, and in some cases, water heating. These are the
same end uses that could be provided by a micro-CHP system at a greater overall thermal
efficiency. Micro-combined heat and power units utilize waste heat while simultaneously
producing electric power for a residence or building. The waste heat is used to meet space and
water heating requirements and to provide cooling if an absorption chiller is incorporated into
the system. Heating and cooling are major end uses of residential energy. Because the heating
and cooling loads of the space are being met without total dependence on electrically-driven
thermal components, the overall electric load of the residence will be reduced.

Natural
Resource
Power
Plant
Distribution
End Uses
100% 91%
50% ~48%

Figure 4. Efficiency of Combined-Cycle Power Generation.

100% 91%
~75%
Natural
Resource
CHP Power
Plant
End Uses Thermal
Energy

Figure 5. Efficiency of micro-CHP System.
Another advantage of micro-CHP is that there are no losses associated with power
distribution and transmission as opposed to the traditional power generation method. Micro-
CHP systems can utilize about 75% of the fuels available energy to provide electric and
thermal energy. A micro-CHP system can produce an overall efficiency of about 75% while a
modern combined-cycle power plant will have an overall efficiency of around 50%. The
overall efficiencies of a micro-CHP system is shown in Figure 5.
Larger homes, higher energy costs, volatile fuel markets, electricity blackouts, power
security, power quality, and increasing concern for environmental issues have all helped open
the door for micro-CHP. RKS, a leading market research firm, found that more than 38% of
high-income households, (i.e., incomes greater than $50,000) are interested in generating their
own electricity. (Micro-CHP Technologies Roadmap, U.S. DOE, 2003).

History

Combined heat and power generation, or cogeneration, is a well established concept
dating back to the 1880s when steam was a primary source of energy in industry and
electricity was beginning to be used for both power and lighting. As electrical power and
electrical motors became more widely used, steam driven mechanisms were replaced creating
a transition from mechanically powered systems to electrically powered systems. In the early
1900s, an estimated 58% of the total power generated in the United States by on-site
industrial power plants was cogenerated power.
The development of central power plants and reliable utility grids drove electricity costs
down, and industrial plants began buying electricity from utility companies and ceased
generating their own power. On-site industrial cogeneration declined in the United States and
accounted for only 15% of total electricity generation by 1950 and dropped to about 5% by
1974 (Knight and Ugersal, 2005). Increasing regulatory policies, low fuel costs, and advances
in technology also contributed to the decline of cogeneration.
In the last forty years systems that are efficient and have the ability to utilize alternative
fuels have begun to appear because of energy price increases and the uncertainty of fuel
supplies. In addition, CHP has gained attention because of decreased fuel consumption and
lower emissions. Today, many industrialized countries are taking leading roles in establishing
and promoting the use of cogeneration in the industrial, residential, and other market sectors.

THE MICRO-CHP SYSTEM

Micro-cooling, heating, and power combines distributed power generation with thermally
activated components to meet the cooling, heating, and power needs of residential and small
commercial buildings. The success of CHP systems for large-scale application coupled with
the development of power generation equipment and thermally activated components on a
smaller scale have contributed to the development of micro-CHP applications. Distributed
power generation technologies and thermally activated components will be introduced and
briefly discussed.

Distributed Power Generation

A number of technologies are commercially available or under development for
generating electric power (or mechanical shaft power) onsite or near site where the power is
used. Distributed power generation is a required component of micro-CHP systems. Fuel
cells, reciprocating engines, Stirling engines, Rankine cycle engines, and microturbines are
prime movers that have the most potential for distributed power generation for micro-CHP
systems.
When discussing various prime movers for micro-CHP systems, a primary method of
comparison is to examine the efficiency of each prime mover. The efficiency of a micro-CHP
system is measured as the fraction of input fuel that can be recovered as power and heat. The
remaining energy is rejected as low-temperature heat. There are three primary efficiencies
that are associated with micro-CHP systems: electrical efficiency, thermal efficiency, and
overall efficiency. These efficiencies are defined as

electrical output
Electical efficiency =
fuel input
(1)

Thermal output
Thermal efficiency =
fuel input
(2)

useful thermal +electrical output
Overall efficiency =
fuel input
(3)

PRIME MOVERS

Reciprocating Engines

Reciprocating engines can be used to produce shaft power. The shaft power can then be
used to drive a generator to produce electrical power. The shaft power can also be used to
operate equipment such as compressors and pumps. The application of reciprocating engines
is widespread and highly developed. Reciprocating engines use natural gas, propane,
gasoline, diesel and biofuels to produce 0.5 kW to 10 MW of power. A diesel fuel engine
generator set is shown in Figure 6.
Reciprocating engines exhibit characteristics that are advantageous for micro-CHP
applications. Reciprocating engines used for power generation have proven reliability, good
load-following characteristics, low capital cost, fast startup, and significant heat recovery
potential. Recent advances in combustion design and exhaust catalyst have also helped reduce
overall emissions of reciprocating engines. Currently, reciprocating engines are the most
widely used distributed energy technology. Typical electrical conversion efficiencies are in
the range of 25% to 40%. The overall thermal efficiencies of these systems increase with the
incorporation of thermally activated components.
The thermal energy in the engine cooling system and exhaust gases from reciprocating
engines can often be recaptured and used for space heating, for hot water heating and for
driving thermally activated components. Shaft power from the engine can also be used to
power thermal components, such as gas vapor compression chillers. Such chillers are very
similar to electric-driven chillers with the exception that the compressor is driven by the
reciprocating engine rather than an electric motor.

Figure 6. Model D13-2, 12-kW Diesel Engine Generator Set from Caterpillar (Available at
http://www.cat.com).

Table 1. Overview of Reciprocating Engine Technology
(Available at http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/)

Reciprocating Engines Overview
Commercially Available Yes
Size Range 0.5 kW 7 MW
Fuels Natural gas, diesel, landfill gas, digester gas
Efficiency 25 45%
Environmental Emission controls required for NOx and CO
Other Features Cogeneration (some models)
Commercial Status Products are widely available

Emissions of reciprocating engines tend to be higher than that of other distributed
generation equipment. Due to the emissions and noise emitted by these engines, care must be
exercised in the location of the engine with respect to the occupants of the building. In some
areas, local air quality standards may limit the use of reciprocating engines.

Application
Reciprocating engine generator sets are the most common and most technically mature of
all distributed energy resources (DER) technologies. Reciprocating engines can be used for a
variety of applications due to their small size, low unit costs, and useful thermal output.
Applications for reciprocating engines in power generation include continuous or prime-
power generation, peak shaving, back-up power, premium power, remote power, standby
power, and mechanical drive use. An overview of reciprocating engine characteristics is
presented in Table 1.
Reciprocating engines are an ideal candidate for applications in which there is a
substantial need for hot water or low pressure steam. The thermal output can be used in an
absorption chiller to provide cooling. Comparatively low installation costs, suitability for
intermittent operation, and high temperature exhaust make combustion engines an attractive
option for micro-CHP. Internal combustion engines utilize proven technologies with a well
established infrastructure for mass production and marketing. The development of
combustion engines has also formed a maintenance infrastructure with certified technicians
and relatively inexpensive and available parts are available. Due to the long history and
widespread application, internal combustion engines are a more developed technology than
most prime movers considered for micro-CHP.

Heat Recovery
Traditional large-scale electric power generation is typically about 30% efficient, while
combined cycle plants are typically 48% efficient. In either case, the reject heat is lost to the
atmosphere with the exhaust gases. In an internal combustion engine, heat is released from
the engine through coolant, surface radiation, and exhaust. Engine-driven micro-CHP systems
recover heat from the jacket water, engine oil, and engine exhaust. Low pressure steam or hot
water can be produced from the recovered heat, and can be used for space heating, domestic
hot water, and absorption cooling.

Figure 7. Heat Balance for a Representative Reciprocating Engine (Knight and Ugersal, 2005).
Heat from the engine jacket coolant is capable of producing 200 F (93 C)hot water and
accounts for approximately 30 % of the energy input from the fuel. Engines operating at high
pressure or equipped with ebullient cooling systems can operate at jacket temperatures of up
to 265 F (129 C). Engine exhaust heat can account for 10 30 % of the fuel input energy and
exhaust temperatures of 850 F 1200 F (455 C 649 C) are typical. Because exhaust gas
temperatures must be kept above condensation thresholds, only a portion of the exhaust heat
can be recovered. Heat recovery units are typically designed for a 300 F 350 F exhaust
outlet temperature to avoid corrosive effects of condensation in the exhaust piping. Low-
pressure steam (~15 psig) and 230 F (110 C) hot water are typically generated using exhaust
heat from the engine. The combined heat recovery of the coolant and exhaust in conjunction
with the work produced by combustion can utilize approximately 70 80% of the fuel
energy. Figure 7 shows a heat balance for a representative reciprocating engine.
Cost
Reciprocating internal combustion (IC) engines are the traditional technology for
emergency power all over the world. They have the lowest first costs among DER
technologies. The capital cost of a basic gas-fueled generator set (genset) package ranges
from $300-$900/kW, depending on size, fuel type, and engine type. Generally speaking, the
overall engine cost increases as power output increases. The total installed cost can be 50-
100% more than the engine itself. Additional costs include balance of plant (BOP) equipment,
installation fees, engineering fees, and other owner costs. Installed costs of micro-CHP
projects using IC engines typically range between $800/kW - $1500/kW.
The maintenance costs over the life of IC engines can be significant. The core of the
engine maintenance is in the periodic replacement of engine oil, coolant, and spark plugs (if
spark ignition). Routine inspections and/or adjustments are also necessary. Maintenance costs
of gas and diesel IC engines range between $0.007-$0.015/kWh and $0.005-$0.010/kWh
respectively. (Available at http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/equipment/html)

Advantages and Disadvantages
Reciprocating engines are generally less expensive than competing technologies. They
also have start-up times as low as ten seconds, compared to other technologies that may take
several hours to reach steady-state operation. Through years of technology advancements,
reciprocating engines have climbed in efficiency from under 20% to over 30%. Today's most
advanced natural gas-fueled IC engines have electrical efficiencies (based on lower heating
value, LHV) close to 45% and are among the most efficient of the commercially available
prime mover technology. Lower heating values neglect the energy in the water vapor formed
by the combustion of hydrogen in the fuel. This water vapor typically represents about 10%
of the energy content. Therefore the lower heating values for natural gas are typically 900 -
950 Btu per cubic foot.
Advantages of reciprocating engines include:

Available in a wide range of sizes to match the electrical demand.
Fast start-up and adjustable power output on the fly.
Minimal auxiliary power requirements, generally only batteries are required.
Demonstrated availability in excess of 95%.
In load following applications, high part-load efficiency of IC engines maintains
economical operation.
Relatively long life and reliable service with proper maintenance.
Very fuel flexible.
Natural gas can be supplied at low pressure.

Disadvantages of IC engines are:

Noisy operation.
Require maintenance at frequent intervals.
Relatively high emissions to the atmosphere.

Microturbines

Microturbines were derived from turbocharger technologies found in large trucks or the
turbines in aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs) and have a capacity range of 25 kW to 500
kW. Microturbines utilize a variety of fuels including natural gas, propane, and biofuels.
Electrical energy efficiencies of 25% to 30% are capable with the use of regenerators.
Microturbines have fewer moving parts than other generation equipment of similar capacity,
creating the potential for reduced maintenance intervals and cost. Though the generating
capacity of microturbines is above the range defined in the micro-CHP regime, microturbines
have considerable potential in on-site power generation applications such as apartment
complexes and clusters of small commercial buildings.

Figure 8. Capstone C30 Microturbine (Available at www.capstone.com).
The waste heat from a microturbine is primarily in the form of hot exhaust gases. This
heat is suitable for powering a steam generator, indirect heating of a building, allocation to
thermal storage devices, or use in heat-driven cooling systems. Most designs incorporate
recuperators that limit the amount of heat available for micro-CHP applications.
Microturbines have relatively low emissions and noise and also have low maintenance
costs. Another advantage is that microturbines are relatively small in size or footprint. The
fuel flexibility and quantity of hot exhaust gases make microturbines an advantageous
technology for micro-CHP and cogeneration applications. The Capstone C30, a 30-kW
microturbine, is pictured in Figure 8.

Application
Markets for microturbines include commercial and light industrial facilities.
Microturbines can be used for stand-by power, power quality and reliability, peak shaving,
and cogeneration applications. In addition, because microturbines are being developed to
utilize a variety of fuels, microturbines are used for resource recovery and landfill gas
applications. Microturbines are well-suited for small commercial establishments such as
restaurants, hotels, motels, small offices, retail stores.
The development of the microturbine technology for transportation applications is also in
progress. Automotive companies are interested in microturbines to provide a lightweight and
efficient fossil-fuel-based energy source for hybrid electric vehicles, especially buses.
Microturbines are also being developed to utilize a variety of fuels and are being used for
resource recovery and landfill gas applications.
Heat Recovery
The waste heat from a microturbine is primarily in the form of hot exhaust gases. This
heat is suitable for powering a steam generator, heating of a building, allocation to thermal
storage devices, or use in absorption cooling system. However, most designs incorporate a
recuperator that limits the amount of heat available for micro-CHP applications.
The manner in which the waste heat can be used depends upon the configuration of the
turbine system. In a non-recuperated turbine, the exhaust gas typically exits at a temperature
between 1000 1100 F (538 594 C). A recuperated turbine can provide waste heat for
heating and operating an absorption cooling system at exhaust temperatures around 520 F
(271 C). The recovered heat can also be used to drive a desiccant dehumidification device.
The use of the recovered heat influences the selection of the microturbine with or without a
recuperator.

Cost
The capital costs of microturbines range from $700 - $1,100/kW when mass produced.
These costs include all hardware, associated manuals, software, and initial training. Adding
heat recovery components increases the cost by $75- $350/kW. Installation and site
preparation can increase the capital costs by 30-50%. Manufacturers are striving for future
capital costs of microturbines to be below $650/kW. This goal appears feasible if the market
expands and sales volumes increase.
With fewer moving parts, vendors hope their microturbines can provide higher reliability
and require less maintenance than conventional reciprocating engine generators. The single-
shaft design with air bearings will not require lubricating oil or water. Microturbines that use
lubricating oil should not require frequent oil changes as the oil is isolated from the
combustion products.
Manufacturers expect microturbines to require maintenance once-a-year when the
technology matures and are targeting maintenance intervals of 5,000 8,000 hours. Actual
maintenance costs and intervals for mature microturbines are less well known since there is a
limited base of empirical data from which to draw conclusions. Forecasted maintenance costs
for microturbines range from $0.005 $0.016 per kWh, slightly lower than the costs for small
reciprocating engine systems.

The operation of a microturbine offers several advantages. Microturbines have fewer
moving parts than IC engines. The limited number of moving parts and the low lubrication
requirements allow microturbines long maintenance intervals. Accordingly, microturbines
have lower operating costs in terms of cost per kilowatt of power produced. Another
advantage of microturbines is their relatively small size for the amount of power that is
produced. Microturbines are also light weight and have relatively low emissions. Potentially,
one of the greatest advantages of microturbines is their ability to utilize a number of fuels,
including waste fuels or biofuels. Microturbines have great potential in cogeneration
applications because microturbines produce a large quantity of clean, hot exhaust gases
compared to other distributed generators.
The primary disadvantages of microturbines are that they have a low fuel to electrical
efficiency. Also, with higher elevation and increased ambient temperatures, microturbines
experience a loss of power output and efficiency. The ambient temperature directly affects the
temperature of the air at the intake. A gas turbine will operate more effectively when colder
air is available at the intake. A gas turbine cycle must compress the inlet air and the greater
the compression, the greater efficiency. Another potential disadvantage is that microturbines
experience more efficient operation and require less maintenance when operated
continuously.

Stirling Engines

The Stirling engine is a type of external combustion piston engine which uses a
temperature difference to produce motion. The cycle is based on the behavior of a fixed
volume of gas. The heat source used to provide the temperature difference can be supplied by
a wide variety of fuels or solar energy. The Stirling engine has only seen use in specific and
somewhat limited applications. However, recently many companies have begun research and
development related to Stirling engines due to their potential for micro-CHP applications and
solar power stations.
Stirling engines typically have an electrical efficiency in the range of 12% to 25%. This
efficiency can be increased with the use of recuperators. The operation of a Stirling engine
requires that one side of the engine remain hot while the other side remains cool. This
requirement makes heat recovery an integral part of the operation of a Stirling engine. Heat
can be recovered from dissipation of the heat source and through the use of heat exchangers
on the cool side of the engine. Stirling engines have low emissions and create low noise
levels. These engines are also mechanically simple, and because there is no internal
combustion, the maintenance requirements of Stirling engines are relatively low. However,
due to design, Stirling engines are heavy and large for the amount of power generated.
Stirling engines also have one of the higher capital costs of distributed power generation
technologies. The SOLO 9-kW Stirling engine based micro-CHP unit is shown in Figure 9.
Stirling engines use a displacer piston to move the enclosed gas back and forth between
the hot and cold reservoirs. The gas expands at the hot reservoir and displaces a power piston,
producing work while at the same time forcing the gas to move to the cold reservoir. At the
cold reservoir, the gas contracts, retrieving the power piston and closing the cycle. The
operation of a Stirling engine can be best understood by examining the operation of a two-
cylinder (or alpha) Stirling engine. A step-by-step diagram of a two-cylinder Stirling engine
and further explanation on the operation of the Stirling engine are shown in Figure 10. In the
two-cylinder Stirling engine, one cylinder is kept hot while the other is kept cool. In Figure
10, the lower-left cylinder is heated by burning fuel. The other cylinder is kept cool by an air
cooled sink. In a two-cylinder Stirling engine each piston acts as both a power piston and
displacer piston.


Figure 9. SOLO 9-kW Stirling Engine (Available at http://www.stirling-engine.de/engl/index.html
Application
Stirling engines are an old technology; however their use became limited with the
improvement of steam engines and the invention of the Otto cycle engine. Recent interest in
distributed energy has revived interest in Stirling engines. Stirling engines can be used in a
variety of applications due to their thermal output, simple operation, low production costs,
and relatively small size. Applications for Stirling engines include power generation units for
space crafts and vehicles, small aircraft, refrigeration, micro-CHP, solar dish application, and
small scale residential or portable power generation. An overview of Stirling engine
characteristics is presented in Table 2.
Commercially available Stirling engines can produce between 1 kW 25 kW. Stirling
engine technology has been widely used in England and Europe with great success,
particularly in the micro-CHP arena. However, a very small percentage of the worlds
electrical capacity is currently provided through the use of Stirling engines.

Table 2. Overview for Stirling Engine Technology
(Available at http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen)

Stirling Engine Overview
Commercially Available Yes, mostly in Europe
Size Range <1 kW - 25 kW
Fuel Natural gas primarily but broad fuel
flexibility is possible
Efficiency 12 20% (Target: >30%)
Environmental Potential for very low emissions
Other Features Cogen (some models)

Step 3: Expansion. Now, most of
the gas in the system has just been
driven into the hot cylinder. The
gas heats and expands driving
both pistons inward.
Step 4: Heat Transfer. At this
point, the gas has expanded (about
3 times in this example). Most of
the gas (about 2/3rds) is still
located in the hot cylinder. Flywheel
momentum carries the crankshaft
the next 90 degrees, transferring
the bulk of the gas to the cool
cylinder to complete the cycle.
Step 1: Compression. At this
point, the majority of the gas has
been shifted to the cool cylinder.
As the gas cools and contracts,
both pistons are drawn outward.
Step 2: Heat Transfer. The now
contracted gas is still located in the
cool cylinder. Flywheel momentum
carries the crank another 90
degrees, transferring the gas to back
to the hot cylinder.
Hot
Cool
Hot
Cool
Hot
Cool
Hot
Cool

Figure 10. Two-cylinder Stirling Engine Diagram (Available at www.keveny.com/vstirling.html).
Heat Recovery
Traditional large-scale electric power generation is typically about 30% efficient, while
combined cycle power plants are approximately 48% efficient. In either case, the reject heat is
lost to the atmosphere with the exhaust gases. Stirling engines are typically in the range of 15
30% efficient, with many reporting efficiencies of 25 30%. The overall efficiencies of
these systems can be greatly increased by recovering the waste heat.
A high percentage of the Stirling engine heat losses will go to the cooling fluid instead of
into the exhausts, which makes the Stirling engine suitable for combined heat and power
generation. Typical operating temperatures range from 1200 1470 F (650 800 C),
resulting in electrical engine conversion efficiencies of around 30% to 40% when a
recuperator is included in the engine system. These high operating temperatures can convert
into high quality waste heat. The reject heat can be recaptured through piping the cooling
fluid through a heat exchanger and by ducting the exhaust gases through a heat exchanger to
produce hot water.

Cost
The capital costs of Stirling engines are comparably high and vary greatly depending
upon manufacturer ($2,000 - $50,000). And, overall cost increases with size. However,
several companies have targeted Stirling technology for micro-CHP units and have achieved
relative success. These companies include PowerGen, WhisperTech, Sunpower, and
ENATEC.

Some advantages of Stirling engines are:

The burning of the fuel air mixture can be more accurately controlled due to the
external heat source.
Emission of unburned fuel can be eliminated as a continuous combustion process can
be used to supply heat.
Less lubrication is required leading to greater periods between overhauls because the
bearings and seals are placed on the cool side.
Simplicity of design; no valves are needed, fuel and intake systems are very simple.
Low noise and vibration free operation.
Low maintenance and high reliability.
Multi-fuel capability.
Long service life.

Some disadvantages of Stirling engines are:

High costs.
Low efficiencies.
Require both input and output heat exchangers which must withstand the working
fluid pressure and resist corrosion effects.
Relatively large for the amount of power they produce due to the heat exchangers.
Cannot experience instantaneous start-up.
Power output is relatively constant and rapid change to another level is difficult to
achieve.

Rankine Cycle Engines
Rankine cycle engines are based upon the well known thermodynamic cycle that is used
in most commercial electric power plants. The shaft power from a Rankine cycle engine is
used to drive an electric generator in the same manner as reciprocating or Stirling engines.
Rankine cycle engines have relatively low electrical conversion efficiency. However, as
micro-CHP technologies are designed to follow the thermal load, this low electrical efficiency
becomes less of a drawback because significant thermal energy that can be recovered from a
Rankine cycle engine. The durability and performance characteristics of Rankine cycle
engines are also well known, and low production costs are a potential benefit.
The construction of a Rankine cycle engine allows heat to be recaptured easily through
the use of a condenser, which is already a component in the engine cycle. Currently, Rankine
cycle engines for micro-CHP applications are in the development stage. As a result, cost and
specific performance characteristics are not yet defined. A Cogen Microsystems 2.5-kW
micro-CHP unit based on a Rankine cycle engine is pictured in Figure 11.

Application
The advantage of the Rankine cycle for power plants is that the working fluid is a liquid.
Many times this liquid is water, which is a cheap and readily available resource. Currently,
companies such as the Baxi Group, Enginion, and Cogen Microsystems are exploring the
possibility of using Rankine Cycle engines for micro-CHP.

Heat Recovery
As the Rankine cycle is a closed-loop, which incorporates a condenser, heat recovery can
be achieved easily at the condenser. However, as most of the Rankine cycle engine
technologies for micro-CHP are still under development, the quality and quantity of heat that
can be recaptured is currently not well defined.

Figure 11. Cogen Microsystems 2.5-kW Rankine Cycle micro-CHP Unit (Available at
www.cogenmicro.com).
Cost
Unfortunately, little is known about potential costs of small-scale Rankine cycle units for
micro-CHP. As more of these technologies complete the field trial stage of development,
more information concerning capital and maintenance costs will be available.

Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices that produce electrical power
rather than shaft power. Unlike the technologies discussed previously, fuel cells have no
moving parts and, thus, no mechanical inefficiencies. Four major types of fuel cells will be
discussed: proton exchange membrane (PEMFC), solid oxide (SOFC), phosphoric acid
(PAFC), and molten carbonate (MCFC) fuel cells. Each of these fuel cell types operate
differently and exhibit different performance characteristics.
In general terms, fuels cells combine a hydrogen based fuel input and gaseous stream
containing oxygen in the presence of a catalyst to initiate a chemical reaction. The products of
this reaction vary for each type of fuel cell but typically are electrical power, heat, and water.
In some instances, other product gases such as carbon dioxide are formed. As a pure
hydrogen-rich fuel is required by most fuel cells, hydrogen reformers are often included in a
fuel cell system.
Like batteries, fuel cells produce direct current (DC) electrical power. This requires that
an inverter and power conditioner be used to transform the DC current into alternating current
(AC) at the appropriate frequency for use in the majority of applications.

Figure 12. Plug Power Fuel Cell Unit (Available at www.plugpower.com).
Fuel cells can achieve high electrical efficiencies as compared to other distributed power
generation equipment. Fuel cells exhibit quiet operation and low emissions. Also, the absence
of mechanical components decreases maintenance. Unfortunately, the costs of fuel cells are
relatively high as compared to other technologies. The fuel flexibility of fuel cells is also low
as very pure streams of hydrogen are the only suitable fuel for certain types of fuel cells. In
some instances, the energy required to reform the input fuel greatly decreases the overall
efficiency of a fuel cell system. Still, fuel cells are a promising technology that hold potential
for micro-CHP applications. A Plug Power fuel cell is shown in Figure 12.
Typically, a fuel cell electrochemically reacts hydrogen and oxygen to form water and in
the process produces electricity. The process consists of a hydrogen-based input fuel passing
over an anode where a catalytic reaction occurs, splitting the fuel into ions and electrons.
Consider the reactions at the anode and cathode of an acid electrolyte fuel cell. At the anode,
the hydrogen gas ionizes, releasing electrons and creating H
+
ions in an exothermic reaction.
The reaction is

2 4 4
2
H H e +
+

Ions pass from the anode, through the electrolyte, to an oxygen-rich cathode. At the
cathode, oxygen reacts with the electrons taken from the electrode and the H
+
ions that have
traveled through the electrolyte to form water according to the following reaction:

O H e H O
2 2
4 4 2 + +
+

Figure 13. PAFC Electrochemistry (Available at http://www.fctec.com/fctec).
For the reactions to occur simultaneously, electrons produced at the anode must pass
through an electric circuit to the cathode while the H
+
ions pass through the electrolyte. A
schematic diagram of the reaction occurring in a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) is
illustrated in Figure 13.
The performance of a fuel cell can be analyzed by using the Gibbs function or Gibbs free
energy of reaction. The Gibbs free energy of reaction is an indication of the maximum work
that can be achieved from combining two substances in a chemical reaction.
The maximum theoretical work (W
MAX
) is the difference in the Gibbs free energy (G) of
the reactants and the products of the chemical reaction.

MAX react prod
W G G = (4)

The Gibbs free energy is a function of the enthalpy (h), entropy (s), and temperature (T)
associated with the chemical compound of interest at a specific state of matter and is defined
as

G h T s = (5)

The temperature-entropy product represents the loss due to changes in entropy. The
maximum work that can be achieved by a fuel cell is

( ) ( )
MAX react prod react prod
W h h T s s = (6)

And the thermal efficiency (
th
) is defined as

react prod
th
react prod
G G
h h
(7)

The thermal efficiency of a fuel cell typically ranges from 82 94% in ideal cases. The
thermal efficiency of a fuel cell as defined in Equation 4-45 is not the actual electrical
conversion efficiency achieved by the fuel cell. Due to ohmic losses resulting from
concentration polarization and activation polarization the electrical conversion efficiency of a
fuel cell (
fc
) generally falls between 40 60%. The ohmic losses are accounted for using a
voltage efficiency (
v
) and a current efficiency (
i
). The electrical conversion efficiency of a
fuel cell is defined as the product of the thermal, voltage, and current efficiencies.

fc th v i
= (8)

The components needed for the operation of a fuel cell system vary depending on the
type of fuel cell used and the fuel. Common major components for a fuel cell system include
a fuel reformer (processor), the fuel cell stack, and a power conditioner. The fuel reformer,
also known as a fuel processor, generates hydrogen-rich gas from the supply fuel and
removes poisons from the fuel stream. Poisoning and fuel flexibility are two major
considerations when selecting a fuel cell. Nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, antimony, oxygen
(in specific instances), sulfur, selenium and tellurium (Group VA and VI A on the Periodic
Table) are typical poisons for fuel cells. Table 3 displays the fuel requirements of each fuel
cell type.
Fuel reformers are needed because the fuel is often in the form of hydrocarbons, such as
methane, and the hydrogen concentration is not at a level suitable for operation. The fuel cell
stack consists of layers of the cathode, anode, and electrolyte mentioned earlier. A power
conditioner converts the direct current (DC) electricity generated by the fuel cell into
alternating current (AC) electricity at the appropriate voltage and frequency.
Fuel cells are categorized by the electrolyte used to transport ions between the cathode
and the anode (or vise versa). Fuel cell technologies include molten carbonate (MCFC),
alkaline (AFC), proton exchange membrane (PEMFC), solid oxide (SOFC), direct methanol
(DMFC), and phosphoric acid (PAFC). While PEMFC are arguably the most advanced of the
fuel cell technologies, the low operating temperatures are not ideal for CHP applications,
particularly if the waste heat is required to drive thermally activated components. Because
high temperature or high quality waste is heat needed for micro-CHP applications, the solid
oxide (SOFC) and the molten carbonate (MCFC) configurations are two likely candidates.
Direct methanol fuel cells also hold some potential because a hydrogen reformer is not
required, thereby reducing the system costs. Currently, the PEMFC and the SOFC are
regarded as having the most potential for micro-CHP. Table 4 shows the characteristics of the
five major types of fuel cell technologies.

PEMFC
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) use an ion-conducting polymer as the
electrolyte. The electrolyte works well at low temperatures, typically around 175 212 F (80
100 C), which allows for fast start-up. The polymer membrane construction varies
depending on manufacturer; however a standard practice uses a modified polymer known as
polytetrafluoroehtylene (PTFE), or as it is commonly know, Teflon. Because the electrolyte
is a solid polymer, electrolyte loss is not an issue with regard to stack life. Most PEMFCs use
platinum as the catalyst for both the anode and the cathode. Hydrogen is used as the fuel at
the anode, and air or oxygen is supplied to the cathode. The reactions that occur within a
generic PEMFC are as follows:

Table 3. Fuel Requirements for Fuel Cells (Laramie et al., 2003)

Gas Species PEMFC PAFC MCFC SOFC
H
2
Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel
CO Poison
(>10 ppm)
Poison
(>0.5%)
Fuel Fuel
CH
4
Diluent Diluent Diluent Diluent
CO
2
and H
2
O Diluent Diluent Diluent Diluent
S
(as H
2
S and COS)
Few studies,
to date
Poison
(>50 ppm)
Poison
(>0.5 ppm)
Poison
(>1.0 ppm)

Table 4. Characteristics of Fuel Cells (Available at http://www.oit.doe.gov)

2
2 2
2 2 2
Anode Reaction: 2 2
CathodeReaction: 4 4 2
Overall Reaction: 2 2
H H e
O H e H O
H O H O
+
+
+
+ +
+

The electrode reactions are shown in Figure 14. Hydrogen ions and electrons are
produced from the fuel gas at the anode. The hydrogen ions travel through the electrolyte to
the cathode. Electrons pass through an outside circuit to join the hydrogen ions and oxygen
atoms at the cathode to produce water and product gases. The solid electrolyte does not
absorb the water. The operation of a PEMFC requires a certain level of water be maintained
in the stack; however, too much water, or a flood of water, will shut the fuel cell down. The
optimum water level creates water management issues in that the amount of water remaining
in the fuel cell stacks and the amount of water rejected must be carefully controlled.
The primary advantage of the PEMFC is that extensive development has resulted in
increased electrical efficiency and decreased size and material requirements. However, there
are several disadvantages of using a PEMFC for micro-CHP applications. The operating
temperature is too low to drive the thermally activated components of the micro-CHP system.
Water management and humidity control are critical issues in the operation of a PEMFC.
There must be sufficient water content in the polymer electrolyte as the proton conductivity is
directly proportional to the water content. However, there must not be so much water that the
electrodes are bonded to the electrolyte, blocking the pores in the electrodes or the gas
diffusion layer. Also, due to poisoning issues, relatively pure hydrogen is needed at the anode
and a hydrogen reformer is necessary, which increases the overall costs of the system.
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Emerging
Technologies & Practices (2004) performed a theoretical study on a residential CHP system
using a 2-kW PEMFC as the power generation device. The economics indicated that with the
estimated costs of the PEMFC unit and maintenance cost, the cost of the electricity generated
would be $0.18/kWh. Therefore the installation of the 2-kW PEMFC unit would only be
advantageous in an area that has an electrical cost higher than $0.18/kWh, or in an area where
grid electricity is unavailable.
Thermally activated components were included only implicitly in the study, and the
systems were not sized large enough to have excess power either to store or sell to the
electricity grid. The study listed several major market barriers: dwindling natural gas supplies,
introducing and integrating a new technology and overcoming the inertia of the established
market, and uncertain system reliability. Also to be considered is how and who will provide
system maintenance.
The Entergy Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) experimented with a 2 kW PEMFC micro-
CHP system. The system uses natural gas, and the fuel cell operates at approximately 65 C.
For system operation, natural gas is desulphurised and converted to hydrogen rich gas in the
reformer. The study showed that a start-up time of 2.5 hours was needed when starting from
cold conditions to steady operating conditions where the rejected heat could be used to aid the
reforming process. This start-up time was reduced to 45 minutes when transitioning from hot
stand-by conditions. Characteristics demonstrated by the system include:

Gross (electrical +thermal) efficiency of fuel processor varies from 70% at 1 kW to
78% at full load (10 kW)
Stack electrical conversion efficiency of 40% at 2 kW and 42% at 1 kW
Recovered 53% of the waste heat (LHV basis)

The results of this study predicted a payback period of five years for a 1 kW micro-CHP
system costing 1000 1500 EUR ($1300 - $2000), taking into account the market value of
Dutch natural gas, electric rates in the Netherlands, and local energy tariffs. Note that system
costs of $1300-$2000 is a theoretical value the manufacturers hope to achieve.

SOFC
Solid oxide fuel cells use an oxide ion-conducting ceramic material as the electrolyte.
The anode of a SOFC is usually a cermet composed of nickel and yttria-stabilised zirconia. A
cermet is a mixture of ceramic and metal. The cathode is a porous structure typically made of
lanthanum manganite. All of the materials used to construct a SOFC are solid state. SOFCs
operate in the temperature range of 800 1100 C. Either hydrogen or methane can be
supplied at the anode, and a SOFC can accommodate both oxygen and air at the cathode. The
reactions that occur within a generic SOFC are illustrated in Figure 14.
The reactions that occur within a generic SOFC are as follows:

2
2 2
2-
2
2-
4 2 2
2
2
2 2 2
Anode Reaction: 2
2
4 2 8
Cathode Reaction: 4 2
H O H O e
CO O CO e
CH O H O CO e
O e O
H O H O

+ +
+ +
+ + +
+
+

In the SOFC reactions, hydrogen or carbon monoxide in the fuel stream reacts with oxide
ions traveling through the electrolyte. These reactions produce water and carbon dioxide and
disperse electrons to the anode. The electrons pass through the exterior load and return to the
cathode. At the cathode, the electrons are used to ionize the oxygen molecules from the air.
The oxide ions then enter the electrolyte and the process begins again.

Figure 14. SOFC Reactions (Available at http://www.fctec.com/fctec).
Solid oxide fuel cells have several advantages from an micro-CHP point of view. First,
the high operating temperatures are attractive for driving thermally activated components and
for heating domestic hot water. The construction negates any electrolyte management issues
or water management difficulties. The presence of nickel at the cathode can be used as an
internal reforming catalyst, eliminating the need for a reformer and reducing system cost.
The SOFC has challenges and disadvantages. The high temperatures result in
construction and material difficulties. The elevated temperatures also decrease the open-
circuit voltage achieved by a SOFC because the Gibbs free energy of formation of the
products (water) tends to be less negative. The reduced open-circuit voltage leads to a
decrease in electrical efficiency. However, the advantage of the quality of the waste heat
overcomes the small decrease in the system efficiency.
Solid oxide fuel cells hold perhaps the most promise for micro-CHP applications. The
European Commission has recognized the natural gas powered, high-temperature fuel cell as
being among the most efficient and environmentally friendly means of achieving distributed
cogeneration. Several micro-CHP systems using SOFC technology have been developed and
tested. Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) has been developing flat plate SOFC technology
for thirteen years. In 2004 CFCL announced an all-ceramic stack design capable of volume
fabrication for a 1-kW micro-CHP fuel cell system targeting the residential market. The
SOFC stack developed by CFCL has been designed with commercial requirements in mind.
The stack has the ability to reform fuel at the anode without the use of an external reformer
and operates at temperatures of 1470 1600 F (800 870 C). The SOFC stack utilizes a
modular design that allows stacks to be arranged in parallel to generate power in a range of 1
10 kW.
An example of an SOFC installed for residential micro-CHP use is at the Canadian
Centre for Housing Technology in Ottawa. The unit is a 5-kW system that operates on natural
gas, using a tubular arrangement developed by Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation.
The unit has the ability to use low fuel pressures which decreases operational costs. The
system also includes an inverter that meets residential standards and output control that
allows the system to output/receive electricity to the grid.
The SOFC unit has been placed in a research house that incorporates simulated
occupancy and an intensively monitored real world environment. Researchers intend to
monitor heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning conditions to develop methods for better
controls systems and grid connections.
The Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ENC) has also experimented with the
use of a 1-kW SOFC micro-CHP unit. The system operates with an HXS 1000 Premiere fuel
cell system installed in September 2002. The unit has a thermal output of 2.5 kW and is
equipped with an auxiliary heater. The unit is fueled by natural gas, and the operating
temperature is approximately 900 C. The SOFC cells are manufactured by InDEC and are
arranged in a stack assembly. The system is pictured in Figure 15.
The operation of the system begins with the desulphurization of the natural gas which is
mixed with de-ionized water vapor. The mixture is internally reformed at the anode, and
carbon monoxide and hydrogen are consumed at the anode. Waste heat is recovered by the
combustion of the mixture of anode off gas (water vapor and carbon dioxide) and cathode
exhaust. The combustion provides sensible heat to the storage vessel. (Oosterkamp et al.,
1993)


Figure 15. SOFC Stack Assembly (one cell shown) (Oosterkamp et al., 1993).
The SOFC micro-CHP system operates in a heat following mode and has demonstrated
the following performance:

Electrical efficiency of 25-32% at full load
Thermal efficiency of 53-60% on LHV basis
Total efficiency of approximately 85%

However, the study also found that the electrical efficiency does decrease over time. The
efficiency decrease is rather fast for strongly dynamic system operation, but is also noticeable
for a more stable and steady operation.

PAFC
Phosphoric acid fuel cells are generally considered the first generation technology.
PAFC fuel cells typically operate at a temperature of 390 F (200 C) and can achieve 40 % to
50 % fuel to electrical efficiencies on a lower heating value basis (LHV). The PAFC operates
similar to the PEMFC. The PAFC uses a proton-conducting electrolyte (phosphoric acid), and
the reactions occur on highly-dispersed electrocatalyst particles supported on carbon black.
Phosphoric acid (H
3
PO
4
) is the only common inorganic acid that has enough thermal,
chemical, and electrochemical stability and low volatility to be considered as an electrolyte
for fuel cells. Typically, platinum is used as the catalyst at both the anode and cathode. The
reactions that occur within a generic PAFC are as follows:

2
2 2
2 2 2
Anode Reaction: 2 2
Cathode Reaction: ( ) 4 4 2
H H e
O g H e H O
H O H O
+
+
+
+ +
+


Figure 16. PAFC Reactions (Available at http://www.fctec.com/fctec).
In the PAFC reactions, hydrogen is ionized at the anode to produce two hydrogen ions
and two electrons. The hydrogen ions pass through the electrolyte to the cathode while the
electrons travel through a load in an external circuit. At the cathode, the hydrogen ions,
electrons, and oxygen react to form water. The reactions that occur in the PAFC are shown in
Figure 16.
The PAFC has experienced success in the large-scale CHP arena and holds potential for
the micro-CHP market. However, currently few manufacturers are pursuing development of
PAFC micro-CHP based system but have expressed more interest in the SOFC and PEMFC
fuel cells. One reason for manufacturers lack of interest in PAFC fuel cells is that the PAFC
fuel cell uses only pure hydrogen as fuel and other fuel cell types have the capability to utilize
a fuel other than a pure hydrogen stream. This selection could also result from potential
hazards the electrolyte (phosphoric acid) could pose to inhabitants in the event of a leak. The
PAFC requires an external fuel reformer, increasing the production cost.

MCFC
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) are high-temperature fuel cells and promise the
highest fuel-to-electricity efficiencies for carbon based fuels. The higher operating
temperature allows the MCFCs to use natural gas directly without the need for a fuel
reformer. MCFC have also been used with low-Btu fuel gas from industrial processes and
other fuel sources. Developed in the mid 1960s, improvements have been made in fabrication
methods, performance and endurance.
The MCFC operates differently than the fuel cells previously discussed. MCFCs use an
electrolyte composed of a molten mixture of alkali metal carbonate salts, which is retained in
a ceramic matrix of LiAlO
2
. Two mixtures are currently used: lithium carbonate and
potassium carbonate or lithium carbonate and sodium carbonate. To melt the carbonate salts
and achieve high ion mobility through the electrolyte, MCFCs operate at temperatures of
600-700 C. When heated to a temperature of around 650 C, the salts melt and become
conductive to carbonate ions (CO
3
2-
). These ions flow from the cathode to the anode where
they combine with hydrogen to give water, carbon dioxide and electrons. Electrons are routed
through an external circuit back to the cathode, generating electricity and by-product heat.
Unlike other fuel cells, carbon dioxide as well as oxygen needs to be delivered to the
cathode. The carbon dioxide and oxygen react to form carbonate ions, which provide the
means of ion transfer between the cathode and anode. At the anode, the carbonate ions are
converted back into carbon dioxide. There is a net transfer of CO
2
from the cathode to the
anode; one mole of CO
2
is transferred for every two moles of electrons. The operation of a
MCFC is illustrated in Figure 17. The reactions occurring in the MCFC are

2-
3 2 2 2
2
2 2 3
2 2 2 2 2
Anode Reaction: CO 2
1
Cathode Reaction: C ( ) 2
2
1
Overall Reaction: 2 ( ) 2 ( )
2
H H O CO e
O g O e CO
H O CO cathode H O CO anode

+ + +
+ +
+ + +

The higher operating temperature of the MCFC creates both advantages and
disadvantages compared to fuel cells such as the PAFC and PEMFC with lower operating
temperatures. The higher operating temperature allows fuel reforming of natural gas to occur
internally, eliminating the need for a fuel reformer. The MCFC can also utilize standard
materials for construction, such as stainless steel and nickel-based catalysts. The by-product
heat from an MCFC can be used to generate domestic hot water, space heating and cooling,
and even high-pressure steam.

Figure 17. MCFC Reactions (Available at http://www.fctec.com/fctec).
Table 5. Overview of Fuel Cell Characteristics
(Available at www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/)

Fuel Cells Overview
PAFC SOFC MCFC PEMFC
Commercially
Available
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Size Range 100-200 kW 1 kW - 10 MW 250 kW - 10
MW
3-250 kW
Fuel Natural gas,
landfill gas,
digester gas,
propane
Natural gas,
hydrogen,
landfill gas, fuel
oil
Natural gas,
hydrogen
Natural gas,
hydrogen,
propane, diesel
Efficiency 36-42% 45-60% 45-55% 25-40%
Environmental Nearly zero
emissions
Nearly zero
emissions
Nearly zero
emissions
Nearly zero
emissions
Other Features Cogen
(hot water)
Cogen
(hot water, LP or
HP steam)
Cogen
(hot water, LP
or HP steam)
Cogen
(80C water)
Commercial
Status
Some
commercially
available
Commercializati
on likely in 2004
Some
commercially
available
Some
commercially
available

The high operating temperatures and the electrolyte chemistry of the MCFC also lead to
disadvantages. The high temperature requires significant time to reach operating conditions
and correspondingly slow response time to changing power demands. These characteristics
make the MCFC less attractive for dynamic power applications and restrict it to constant-
power supply applications. The carbonate electrolyte can also cause electrode corrosion
problems. Due to the use of the carbonate ions as the charge carrier, the supply of carbon
dioxide to the cathode must be carefully controlled in order to achieve optimum performance.
Each fuel cell type has both advantages and disadvantages over its counterparts. The selection
of the best fuel cell will depend upon the details of the application. An overview of fuel cell
characteristics is given in Table 5.

Application
Fuel cells are being developed for stationary power in small commercial and residential
markets and as peak shaving units for commercial and industrial uses. Some fuel cells, such
as PEMFC, are currently undergoing development for use in automobiles and portable power
applications.
Phosphoric acid fuel cells have been installed at medical, industrial, and commercial
facilities throughout the country, and the 200-kW size is a good match for distributed
generation applications. The operating temperature is about 400 F, which is suitable for co-
generation applications. Developers are targeting commercial and light industrial applications
in the 100-200 kW power range, for both electric-only and cogeneration applications.
The high efficiency and high operating temperature of MCFC units makes them most
attractive for base-loaded power generation, either in electric-only or cogeneration modes.
Potential applications for the MCFC are industrial, government facilities, universities, and
hospitals.
Solid oxide fuel cells are being considered for a wide variety of applications, especially
in the 5 250 kW size range. These applications include small commercial buildings,
industrial facilities, micro-CHP, and base load utility applications.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are currently undergoing the most rapid
development of any fuel cell type. Part of this development has been driven by the desire of
automotive manufacturers to develop a fuel cell powered automobile. This surge in
development has led to breakthroughs for stationary power applications as well. Research is
aimed at commercial-sized power generation (e.g., Ballard's 250 kW unit) and residential
power generation (e.g., Plug Power's 3-5 kW units). For the units to achieve market potential,
natural gas is selected as the fuel of choice. Reject system heat in the form of hot water makes
them particularly attractive for cogeneration, which is included in almost all products
currently under development.

Heat Recovery
The type of fuel cell determines the temperature of the heat rejected during operation and
directly influences the fuel cell types suitability for micro-CHP applications. Low
temperature fuel cells create waste heat suitable for producing hot water and in some cases,
low pressure steam. Lower temperature fuel cells such as the PAFC and PEMFC produce
lower quality waste heat and are suitable for small commercial and industrial cogeneration
applications. The MCFC and the SOFC operate at high temperatures and are capable of
producing waste heat that can be used to generate steam for use in a steam turbine, or
combined cycle microturbine. If space cooling is considered and an absorption chiller is to be
used, the recaptured heat should be at a temperature of at least 185 F (85 C).

Cost
The initial cost of fuel cells is higher than those of other electricity generation
technologies. The only product available commercially today is the PureCell 200 (formerly
PC-25) built by UTC Power. The cost of the unit is approximately $4,000/kW. The
installed cost of the unit approaches $1.1 million. At a rated output of 200 kW, this translates
to about $5,500/kW, installed. However, on J anuary 3, 2005, Delphi Corp., in partnership
with the DOEs advanced fuel cell development program, reported that researchers have
exceeded the governments $400/kW power cost goal for fuel cells. At this price, fuel cells
could compete with traditional gas turbine and diesel electric generators and become viable
power suppliers for the transportation sector. Table 6 shows the uninstalled projected long-
term costs of fuel cell technologies. The price of $400/kW is not included in Table 4-7 as the
information was only recently released and currently, the development has not been proven
for production costs in a fuel cell of substantial size.

Table 6. Projected Long-Term Costs of Fuel Cell Technologies

Emerging Fuel Cell Technologies
Technology Projected Cost (Long-term, Uninstalled)
MCFC $1,200-1,500/kW
SOFC $1,000-1,500/kW
PEMFC Initially $5,000/kW
Long term $1,000/kW

Table 7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Fuel Cell Types

PAFC
Advantages Disadvantages
Quiet
Low emissions
High Costs
High efficiency
Proven reliability
Low energy density
PEMFC
Quiet
Low emissions
High Costs
High efficiency Limited field test experience
Synergy with Automotive R&D Low temperature waste heat may limit
cogeneration potential
SOFC
Quiet
Low emissions
High Costs
High efficiency
High energy density
Self reforming
Planar SOFC's are still in the R&D stage but
recent developments in low temperature
operation show promise
MCFC
Quiet
Low emissions
High Costs
High efficiency
Self reforming
Need to demonstrate long term reliability

As no combustion is occurring, and there are no moving parts, fuel cells are expected to
have minimal maintenance requirements. The primary maintenance will be focused on
preventing poisoning of the catalyst and periodic inspection and maintenance to the fuel
supply system and fuel reformers. The cell stack itself will not require maintenance until the
end of its service life. Fuel cell system maintenance requirements vary with the type of fuel
cell, size, and maturity of the equipment. Major overhaul of fuel cell systems involves shift
catalyzer replacement, reformer catalyzer replacement, and stack replacement. The
maintenance and reliability of the system still needs to be proven in a long-term
demonstration. Maintenance costs of a fuel cell are expected to be comparable to that of a
microturbine, ranging from $0.005-$0.010/kWh (based on an annual inspection visit to the
unit). (Available at http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/)

Each fuel cell type will have advantages and disadvantages in certain areas, both as
compared to other fuel cell technologies and other DER equipment. Table 7 displays some of
the advantages of the four primary types of fuel cells.
Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity without the combustion
process. As a result, a fuel cell does not incur losses resulting from mechanical inefficiencies.
Fuel cells can achieve high efficiencies in energy conversion terms, especially where the
waste heat from the cell is utilized in cogeneration. A high power density allows fuel cells to
be a relatively compact source of electric power, a benefit in applications with space
constraints. In a fuel cell system, the fuel cell itself is often smaller than the other components
of the system such as the fuel reformer and power inverter.
Fuel cells, due to their nature of operation, are extremely quiet in operation. This allows
fuel cells to be used in residential or built-up areas where the noise pollution is undesirable.
Unfortunately, the primary disadvantage of the fuel cells is the cost. The two basic reasons
are high component costs compared to other energy systems technology and fuel cell
operation requires a continuous, highly selective, expensive fuel supply.

Heat Recovery

Electrical power generation devices do not convert 100% of an energy source potential
into usable energy. Electrical efficiencies of reciprocating engines, microturbines, Stirling
engines, and fuel cells are about 50%, 30%, 30%, and 60%, respectively. This means that the
electrical power generation devices fail to utilize 40% - 70% of the available energy. Energy
that is not converted to electrical or shaft power is rejected from the process in the form of
waste heat. In order to utilize more of the energy stored in a given fuel and increase the
overall thermal efficiency of a system, heat recovery must be incorporated into a system. Heat
recovery converts waste heat to useful energy and is primarily accomplished through the use
of heat exchangers.
Distributed energy generation prime movers possess waste heat that can be recovered as
useful energy. The type of prime mover determines the characteristics of the waste heat and
the effectiveness with which useful energy can be recovered. Waste heat is typically released
in the form of hot exhaust gases, process steam, or process liquids/solids. The usable
temperature for heat recovery is listed for various prime movers in Table 8. Potential uses for
the waste heat are hot water, space heating and cooling, and process steam.

Table 8. Waste Heat Characteristics of Prime Mover Technologies

Usable Temp. for micro-CHP (F)
Diesel Engine 180 - 900
Natural Gas Engine 300 - 500
Stirling Engine 800 - 1000
Fuel Cell 140 - 750
Microturbine 400 - 650

Recovered heat that is utilized in the power generation process is internal heat recovery,
and recovered heat that is used for other processes is external heat recovery. Recuperators,
turbochargers, and combustion pre-heaters are examples of internal heat recovery. Absorption
chillers, desiccant dehumidification devices, and heat recovery steam generators are examples
of external heat recovery components. Recovered heat is classified as low-temperature when
less than 445 F (<230 C), medium-temperature 445 F 1202 F (230 C 650 C), or high-
temperature when greater than 1202 F (>650 C). The majority of heat exchangers used in
micro-CHP are used for external heat recovery.

Technology Overview
Because combustion exhaust gases or process liquids cannot be used directly in many
applications, heat exchangers are used to facilitate the transfer of waste heat thermal energy to
heat recovery applications. Devices that transfer energy between fluids at different
temperatures by heat transfer modes are known as heat exchangers. Heat exchangers come in
a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and types and utilize a wide range of fluids. Applications for
heat exchangers are vast, ranging from heating and air-conditioning systems, to chemical
processing and power production in large plants. Heat exchanger classification is based upon
component and fluid characteristics. Several classification schemes have been proposed for
heat exchangers. Hewitt et al., (1994) suggests the following four-tiered system:

5. Recuperator/Regenerator
6. Direct-contact/Transmural heat transfer
7. Single phase/Two-phase
8. Geometry

A recuperator is based on a continuous transfer of heat between two fluid streams. A
regenerator is a device which uses a heat-absorbing material, alternately cooled and heated in
a batch mode, to transfer heat between two streams; these are often rotary devices. Direct-
contact heat exchangers, such as a feedwater heater used in a power plant, allow the two
fluids to come into contact with each other. Transmural heat exchangers separate the two
fluid streams using a wall or series of walls. Single phase/two-phase refers to the physical
state of the fluids flowing in the heat exchanger. Single-phase flow implies that both fluids
are either completely gaseous or liquid. If evaporation or condensation is taking place, the
device involves two phases. Geometry refers to the basic shape of the heat-exchanger
passages that contain the fluid.
This section will focus on transmural recuperators with fluids in single-phase; however,
other arrangements will also be discussed. Transmural recuperators with single-phase flow
can be divided further by flow arrangement into the following categories:

Counterflow
Cross-flow
Parallel flow

Counterflow and parallel flow tube-within-a-tube and cross-flow configurations are
shown in Figure 18.
The temperature versus area diagrams for the parallel flow and counterflow arrangements
are shown in Figure 19. In the parallel arrangement, the fluid temperatures approach each
other so that the temperature difference T
1
is much greater in magnitude than T
2
. If the
length of the heat exchanger were extended long enough in parallel flow, the exit
temperatures of each of the fluids would be approximately equal. The counterflow average
T will be larger than the parallel flow average T.
Cross-flow heat exchangers are arranged so that the two fluids flow perpendicular to each
other as shown in Figure 20. An important concept when discussing cross-flow heat
exchangers is mixing. A fluid is said to be unmixed if the passageway contains the same
discrete portion of fluid throughout its traverse of the exchanger. If the fluid passageways are
such that fluid from one passageway can mix with fluid from others, the fluid is mixed. In
Figure 20, mixed and unmixed arrangements are illustrated. Cross-flow heat exchangers are
classified as both fluids unmixed, both fluids mixed, or one fluid mixed and one fluid
unmixed.
When several tubes are placed inside a shell, the classical single-pass shell-and-tube heat
arrangement results. A schematic of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with one shell pass and
one tube pass is illustrated in Figure 21. Baffles are often placed inside a shell-and-tube heat
exchanger to promote higher heat transfer rates and increase the effectiveness of the heat
exchanger.

Figure 18. Main Types of Transmural Recuperators with Fluids in Single-phase.
T
h
in
T
h
o ut
T
c
in
T
c
out
T
1
T
2
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
Area
T
T
h
in
T
h
o ut
T
c
in
T
c
out
T
1
T
2
Area
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
(a) Parallel Flow (b) Counter Flow
T

Figure 19. Temperature-area Diagram of Parallel and Counterflow Arrangements.

Figure 20. Cross-flow Heat Exchangers.

Figure 21. Shell-and-tube Heat Exchanger.

Gas-to-Gas Waste
Heat Recovery
Plat-fin and prime-
surface heat
exchangers
Heat pipe heat
exchangers
Rotary
Regenerators
Convection
Recuperators
Liquid coupled
heat exchangers
Gas-to-Liquid
Waste Heat
Recovery
Waste heat boilers Economizers
Fluidized bed heat
exchangers
Heat pipe heat
exchangers
Liquid-to-Liquid
Waste Heat
Recovery
Shell-and-tube
heat exchangers
Plate heat
exchangers
(a)
(b)
(c)

Figure 22. Classification of Waste Heat Recovery Heat Exchangers (Recreated from the CRC
Handbook of Energy Efficiency).
Application
Waste heat recovery heat exchangers may be classified as gas-to-gas, gas-to-liquid, and
liquid-to-liquid. The various types of these classifications are displayed in Figure 22.

Gas-to-Gas Heat Exchangers
Gas-to-gas waste heat recovery exchangers can be used as recuperators to preheat
combustion air in IC engines and microturbines. Rotary regenerators are often used in Stirling
engines to recover and store heat. Gas-to-gas heat exchangers find many applications in
micro-CHP systems.
Metallic radiation recuperators, convection recuperators, and a runaround coil are the
three primary types of gas-to-gas heat exchangers. A metallic radiation recuperator is a tube-
in-tube heat exchanger that consists of two concentric metal tubes. Hot exhaust (flue) gas
flows through the inner tube, and the air to be preheated flows through the outer tube or
annulus. This type of recuperator can act as a part of a chimney, flue, or exhaust line. The
majority of the heat is transferred from the hot gas to the inner wall through radiation. The
heat transfer in the outer tube then takes place through convection. Air and gas flowing in
counterflow is the most desirable arrangement because this arrangement has a high
performance. Metallic radiation recuperators typically achieve an effectiveness of 40% or
lower. Though metallic radiation recuperators could be used in micro-CHP applications, their
use will likely be limited by the relatively low effectiveness which would result in large heat
exchangers.
Convection recuperators are cross-flow heat exchangers with flue gases flowing normal
to a tube bundle with air to be preheated flowing in the tubes. Convection recuperators can be
used in low-temperature applications such as space heating, direct-fired absorption chillers, or
return air heating in a desiccant dehumidification system.
A runaround coil consists of two connected heat exchangers that circulate a working
fluid. The working fluid is heated by the waste gas with one heat exchanger and then
circulated to the other heat exchanger where the fluid heats a stream of cool air. Runaround
coils are used in HVAC applications and can be coupled with distributed generation
components to produce warm air for district heating, to heat return air for desiccant
dehumidification devices, or to fire an absorption chiller (Shah, 1997).

Gas-to-Liquid Heat Exchangers
Gas-to-liquid heat exchangers include economizers, waste heat boilers, heat-pipe heat
exchangers, fluidized-bed, and thermal fluid heaters. Economizers and thermal fluid heaters
are used for low- to medium-temperature waste heat recovery while waste heat boilers, heat-
pipe heat exchangers, and fluidized bed heat exchangers are used for medium- to high-
temperature heat recovery. Economizers are most often used with boilers to preheat the boiler
feedwater. In other applications, economizers are referred to as a process fluid or water
heaters. An economizer is an individually finned-tube bundle, with gas flowing outside
normal to the finned tubes and water flowing inside the tubes.
Thermal fluid heaters are double-pipe heat exchangers that use waste heat gases to heat a
high-temperature organic heat transfer fluid. Thermal fluid heaters operate on the same
principle as a domestic warm-water system, except that the water is replaced by a high-
temperature organic heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid can be circulated and used for
heating and heat-driven absorption chillers.
Fluidized-bed heat exchangers utilize water, steam, or another heat transfer fluid heated
by waste heat gases that flow over a bed of finely divided solid particles. As the waste heat
fluid reaches a critical velocity, the particles begin to float, and the resulting mixture acts as a
fluid.
Economizers and thermal fluid heaters are more likely to be used in micro-CHP systems
than either boilers or fluidized-bed heat exchangers due to the amount of thermal energy
available for heat recovery and the size requirements of fluidized-bed heat exchangers.
Process steam is also less likely to be needed for micro-CHP applications, eliminating the
need for waste heat boilers.

Liquid-to-Liquid Heat Exchangers
Liquid-to-liquid waste heat recovery heat exchangers are typically used in industrial
applications. Shell-and-tube heat exchangers and plate heat exchangers are typically used for
liquid-to-liquid heat recovery. Liquid coolant systems in reciprocating engines offer liquid-to-
liquid heat recovery opportunities from hot oil and other liquid coolants. However, liquid-to-
liquid heat recovery will not be as significant a contributor in micro-CHP applications as are
gas-to-gas and gas-to-liquid waste heat recovery exchangers. (Shah, 1997)

THERMALLY ACTIVATED DEVICES

Thermally activated devices are technologies that utilize thermal energy rather than
electric energy to provide heating, cooling, or humidity control. The primary thermally
activated components used in micro-CHP systems are desiccant dehumidifiers and absorption
chillers.

Absorption Chillers

Technology Overview
Absorption chiller technologies are one of a group of technologies classified as heat
pumps. Heat pumps may be either heat driven or work driven. Absorption technologies are
heat driven, transferring heat from a low temperature to a high temperature using heat as the
driving energy. Heat pumps operate on the principle of the absorption refrigeration cycle,
which is similar to the vapor-compression cycle. Both the absorption refrigeration cycle and
the vapor-compression cycle will be examined to draw analogies between the two.
Vapor-compression refrigeration systems are the most common refrigeration systems in
use today. The vapor-compression cycle is a work-driven cycle that is illustrated in Figure 23.
In the vapor-compression cycle, work is input to compress the refrigerant to a high pressure
and temperature at State 2. At State 2, the refrigerant condensation temperature is below the
ambient temperature. As the high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant vapor passes
through the condenser, heat is rejected to the ambient air and the refrigerant vapor condenses
to a liquid to achieve State 3. The high-pressure liquid at State 3 passes through an expansion
valve. As the liquid passes through the expansion valve, the refrigerant experiences a
reduction in both temperature and pressure to reach State 4. At State 4, the boiling
temperature of the refrigerant is lower than that of the surroundings. The low-pressure liquid
refrigerant passes through the evaporator, absorbing heat from the ambient environment when
boiling occurs in the evaporator and creating a low-pressure refrigerant vapor at State 1. The
low-pressure refrigerant vapor at State 1 enters the compressor completing the cycle.
The absorption cycle has some features in common with the vapor compression cycle.
For example, the absorption cycle has a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion valve.
However, the absorption cycle and the vapor-compression cycle differ in two very important
aspects. The absorption cycle uses a different compression process and different refrigerants
than the vapor-compression cycle.
The absorption cycle operates on the principle that some substances (absorbents) have an
affinity for other liquids or vapors and will absorb them under certain conditions. Instead of
compressing a vapor between the evaporator and condenser as in Figure 23, the refrigerant of
an absorption system is absorbed by an absorbent to form a liquid solution. The liquid
solution is then pumped to a higher pressure. Because the average specific volume of a liquid
is much smaller than that of the refrigerant vapor, significantly less work is required to raise
the pressure of the refrigerant to the condenser pressure. This corresponds to less work input
for an absorption system as compared to a vapor-compression system.

1
2
3
4
Evaporator
Condensor
Compressor
Expansion
Valve
Q
out
Q
in
W
in

Figure 23. Vapor-Compression Cycle Schematic.
v
1
2
3
4
Evaporator
Condensor
Expansion
Valve
Q
in
Q
out
Pump
Absorber
Generator
W
in
Q
out
Q
in
Z
Z

Figure 24. Basic Absorption Cycle Schematic.
Because the absorbent used in the absorption cycle forms a liquid solution, some means
must also be introduced to retrieve the refrigerant vapor from the liquid solution before the
refrigerant enters the condenser. This process involves heat transfer from a relatively high-
temperature source. Because the thermal energy input into the system is much higher than the
work input through the pump, absorption chillers are considered to be heat driven. The
components used to achieve the pressure increase in an absorption chiller are viewed as a
thermal compressor and replace the compressor in the vapor-compression cycle shown in
Figure 23. The components of the absorption cycle are shown schematically in Figure 24. The
components of the thermal compressor are a pump, an absorber, and a (heat) generator and
are shown to the right of the dashed Z-Z line. The components to the left of the dashed Z-Z
line are the same as the ones used in the vapor-compression system.
The operation of the absorption cycle shown in Figure 24 is as follows: At State 1, the
low-pressure refrigerant vapor exits the evaporator and enters the absorber. In the absorber,
the refrigerant vapor is dissolved in an absorbent and rejects the heat of condensation and the
heat of mixing to form a liquid solution. The refrigerant/absorbent solution is then pumped to
the condenser pressure and passed to the generator. In the generator, heat is added to the
refrigerant/absorbent solution to vaporize the refrigerant, removing the refrigerant from the
solution. The liquid absorbent has a higher boiling temperature than the refrigerant and,
therefore, stays in the liquid form. There are two streams exiting the generator. The
refrigerant exits to the condenser at a high temperature and pressure (State 2) while the
absorbent passes through an expansion valve, decreasing the pressure of the absorbent to the
evaporator pressure before entering the absorber again.
The remainder of the operation is much the same as the vapor compression cycle. The
high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor at State 2 enters the condenser with a
pressure such that the ambient temperature is higher than the condensation temperature of the
refrigerant. The refrigerant vapor condenses as it passes through the condenser, rejecting heat
to the ambient environment to achieve State 3. At State 3, the high-pressure, low-temperature
liquid refrigerant enters the expansion valve where the refrigerant experiences a decrease in
pressure to the evaporator pressure. The low-pressure, low-temperature liquid refrigerant that
results at State 4 is at a pressure such that the boiling temperature of the refrigerant is lower
than the ambient temperature of the environment. As the liquid refrigerant passes through the
evaporator, the refrigerant boils, absorbing heat from the ambient air. The refrigerant exits the
evaporator as a high-temperature, low-pressure vapor to complete the cycle.

Refrigerant-absorbent Selection

Though all absorption chillers operate on the basic cycle presented in Figure 24, each
chiller design is dependent on the refrigerant-absorbent selection. Current refrigerant/
absorber media for absorption chillers are either water/lithium bromide or ammonia/water.
Water/lithium bromide absorption chillers utilize water as the refrigerant and lithium bromide
as the absorbent. Because water is used as the refrigerant, applications for the water/lithium
bromide absorption chillers are limited to refrigeration temperatures above 0 C. This
combination of refrigerant and absorbent is advantageous in areas where toxicity is a concern
because lithium bromide is relatively non-volatile. Absorption machines based on
water/lithium bromide are typically configured as water chillers for air-conditioning systems
in large buildings. Water/lithium bromide chillers are available in sizes ranging from 10 to
1500 tons. The coefficient of performance (COP) of these machines typically falls in the
range of 0.7 to 1.2 (Herold et al., 1996).
The ammonia/water combination utilizes ammonia as the refrigerant and water and the
absorbent. The use of the ammonia as the refrigerant allows much lower refrigerant
temperatures (the freezing temperature of ammonia is -77.7 C); however, the toxicity of
ammonia is a factor that has limited the use of ammonia/water chillers to well-ventilated
areas. In commercial and residential building applications where there is insufficient
ventilation, emissions from an ammonia/water absorption chiller could be harmful to
occupants.
The primary selling point of ammonia/water absorption chillers is their ability to provide
direct gas-fired and air-cooled air conditioning. Ammonia/water absorption chillers are
commonly sold as a single component in an air-conditioning system; however, use is
restricted in some densely populated areas. Ammonia/waster chillers are available in
capacities ranging from 3 to 25 tons with COPs generally around 0.5 (Herold et al., 1996).
A schematic of an absorption cycle of ammonia/water is shown in Figure 25. The
addition of a heat exchanger is common in all absorption chillers to increase the efficiency of
the thermal compressor. The hot solution leaving the generator is used to preheat the
refrigerant/absorbent solution entering the generator. A rectifier is also included in the system
of an ammonia/water chiller. This is because the ammonia vapor leaving the generator often
includes a low concentration of water vapor. This water vapor will freeze in the expansion
valve, negating the operation of the system.

v
1
2
3
4
Evaporator
Condensor
Expansion
Valve
Q
in
Q
out
Pump
Absorber
Generator
W
in
Q
out
Q
in
Heat Exchanger

Figure 25. Ammonia/Water Absorption Cycle.
Types of Absorption Chillers
Absorption chillers are classified as single-effect, double-effect, or triple effect. Single-
effect absorption chillers contain one stage of generation, such as the systems shown in
Figures 24 and 25. Single-effect absorption chillers use low-pressure steam or hot water as
the energy source. Typical temperature requirements range from 200 to 270 F (93 to 132 C).
Steam-powered systems operate at pressures between 9 and 15 psig. When the supplied
temperatures are below the design specifications, the chiller capacity is reduced.
Double-effect absorption systems use a second generator, condenser, and heat exchanger
that operate at higher temperature. A double-effect water/lithium bromide absorption system
is shown schematically in Figure 26. Refrigerant vapor is recovered from the first-stage
generator in the high-temperature condenser. The refrigerant/absorbent in the second-stage
generator is at a lower temperature than the solution in the first-stage generator. The
refrigerant vapor from the first stage generator flows through the second-stage generator
where a portion of the refrigerant condenses back into liquid while the remainder remains in
the vapor phase. Additional refrigerant is vaporized in the second-stage generator by the high
temperature and the heat of vaporization supplied by the refrigerant from the first-stage
generator. The refrigerant vapor from both generator stages flows to the condenser while the
absorbent solution flows back to the absorber.

The purpose of the two stages that make up the double-effect absorption cycle is to
increase the COP of the cycle. This is made possible through the use of the recuperative heat
exchangers used in the system. Double-effect chillers yield higher COPs than single-effect
chillers. The COP for double-effect absorption chillers varies from 1.0 to 1.2 for
water/lithium bromide chillers (Herold et al., 1996).
Triple-effect absorption chillers have been in prototype development for several years.
These chillers will be direct-fired and are expected to provide a 50% thermal efficiency
improvement over double-effect absorption chillers. Triple-effect absorption chillers do not
feature a distinct third generator stage; rather they use internally-recovered heat to achieve
high efficiencies. Triple-effect water/lithium bromide chillers can achieve COPs of 1.6 and
greater (Petchers, 2003).
One of the most promising absorption technologies is the generator-absorber heat
exchange (GAX) cycle. GAX chillers use an ammonia/water working fluid. GAX-cycle
systems hold great potential for residential and light-commercial applications and provide
capacities as low as 3 tons. GAX absorption chillers have obtained COPs of approximately
0.7.

Application
Absorption chillers can be directly fired or indirectly fired. Direct-fired absorption
chillers utilize a natural gas burner and can supply waste heat for a desiccant dehumidification
device or hot water. Direct-fired chillers are often used in areas where electric rates are high
and gas utilities offer lower rates or rebate programs to replace vapor-compression chillers.
Indirect-fired fired absorption chillers are utilized where there is an existing source of
heat that can be recovered. The supplied heat can be in the form of hot water, steam, or
exhaust gases. All of the prime mover technologies that are applicable to micro-CHP can
produce waste heat sufficient to drive an absorption chiller. This coupling ability makes
absorption cycle chiller systems very desirable for micro-CHP applications. An absorption
chiller in an micro-CHP system may not utilize all of the waste heat that is input into the
chiller. J ust as with direct-fired chillers, this remaining heat may be used in a desiccant
dehumidification device or to produce hot water.
The temperature of the waste heat available from a power source determines the
appropriate absorption configuration. Table 9 matches the waste heat temperatures typical of
various prime movers with appropriate absorption configurations. The match is based on the
temperature of the waste heat that could be obtained to drive the generator in an absorption
chiller cycle.
Absorption chillers offer many advantages over electric chillers, especially when there is
a source of waste heat available. As compared to electric chillers, absorption chillers have
lower operating costs, shorter payback periods, quiet operation, low maintenance, and high
reliability. Absorption systems also operate at lower pressures and offer safer operation.
However, absorption chillers have higher initial costs and are not as widely available as
electric chillers.
Vapor-compression systems are much more widely manufactured and more available
than absorption chillers. Still, the fact that absorption chillers do not have mechanical
compressors and have fewer moving parts gives absorption technologies an advantage over
vapor-compression systems in terms of lower maintenance, higher reliability and quieter
operation.
Table 9. Matching of Power Generation and Absorption Technology

Power Generation and Absorption Technology
Power Source Temperature (F) Matching Technology
Microturbine ~600 Triple-, double-, or single-effect
Reciprocating Engine ~180 Single-effect
SOFC ~900 Triple-, double-, or single-effect
PAFC ~250 Double-effect or single effect
PEMFC ~140 Single-effect

Cost
The capital cost of installing an absorption chiller is generally more than installing an
equivalent electric or engine-driven chiller. The RS Means Mechanical Cost Data (2001) for a
100 ton steam or water-fired absorption chiller is presented in Table 10 (replace with 10 ton
unit cost).

Table 10. RS Means Cost Data for a 100 Ton Absorption Chiller Installation

Cost Source Cost ($)
Material 110,500
Labor 7,975
Total 118,475

Desiccant Dehumidification Technologies

Controlling humidity in a conditioned space can be important for a number of reasons.
Concerns include humidity damage to moisture sensitive items, product protection from
moisture degradation (foods, grains, and seeds), mildew growth, corrosion, and health issues.
In the last thirty years, applications have expanded for desiccant technologies to include
supermarkets, hospitals, refrigerated warehouses, ice rinks, hotels, and retail establishments.
Recently, development has turned to applying desiccant dehumidification to commercial and
residential buildings.
Desiccants are materials that attract and hold moisture. A desiccant dehumidifier is a
device that employs a desiccant material to produce a dehumidification effect. The process
involves exposing the desiccant material to a high relative humidity air stream, allowing the
desiccant to extract and retain a portion of the water vapor, and then exposing the same
desiccant to a lower relative humidity air stream where the retained moisture is drawn from
the desiccant.

Figure 27. Sub-cooling Dehumidification Process (Chamra et al., 2000).
This section presents an overview of desiccant dehumidification. The principles of the
sub-cooling system are introduced to contrast the differences between desiccant and
conventional air dehumidification and to highlight the advantages of desiccant
dehumidification. Also discussed are the principles of desiccant systems, types of desiccant
systems, and cost considerations for choosing desiccant systems. Desiccant dehumidification
technologies are an attractive component of an micro-CHP system because desiccant
regeneration provides an excellent use for waste heat.

Sub-cooling Systems vs. Desiccant Systems
In traditional air-conditioning systems, such as the units installed in most U.S. homes,
dehumidification is achieved by cooling a moist air stream to a temperature below the
dewpoint so that water (liquid) condenses out of the air. This process is familiar to anyone
who has seen moisture condense on the exterior of a glass of ice water on a humid day. An
example of the sub-cooling process is illustrated on a psychometric chart in Figure 27. The
processes shown are for air being cooled and dehumidified from conditions of 95 F dry bulb
(db) and 75 F wet bulb (wb) to 77 F db and 58 grains/lbm
da
. The resulting air lies
approximately in the center of the ASHRAE Summer Comfort Zone shown in Figure 28.
Initially, the dry bulb temperature of the air decreases, while the moisture content remains
constant. The dry bulb temperature continues to decrease as moisture begins to condense out
of the air onto the cooling coil, resulting in a decrease in the moisture content. In order to
deliver air at the desired drier condition of approximately 45% relative humidity, some form
of reheating must be used. The reheat process path is also illustrated in Figure 27. In this
example, the total net cooling load is 10.8 Btu/lbm
da
, and of this, 6.4 Btu/lbm
da
, or about 59%,
is latent load.


Figure 28. ASHRAE Comfort Zones (ASHRAE Fundamentals, 2001).
Summary of the Principles of Sub-cooling Systems
The same equipment is used for both the sensible cooling and dehumidification in the
conventional system. If independent humidity and temperature control are required in a
system, a provision for reheat of the cooled air must be included. In the example above, the
net cooling load is 10.8 Btu/lbm
da
, but the load on the cooling coil is 16 Btu/lbm
da
with the
difference (5.3 Btu/lbm
da
) being added back in during the reheat process. Thus, energy is used
both for the extra cooling and for reheat.
Another disadvantage of this approach is that the air leaving the evaporator coil is nearly
saturated, with relative humidity typically above 90%. This moist air travels through duct
work until the air is either mixed with dryer air or reaches the reheat unit. The damp ducts,
along with the wet evaporator coils and standing water in a condensate pan (Figure 29), can
generate problems with microbial growth and the associated health and odor problems.


Figure 29. Damp Duct Symptoms (Chamra et al., 2000).
Summary of Principles of Desiccant Systems
Desiccant dehumidification systems remove moisture from the air by forcing the water
vapor directly into a desiccant material. The moisture from the air is attracted to desiccants
since an area of low vapor pressure is created at the surface of the desiccant. The pressure
exerted by the water in the air is higher, so the water molecules move from the air to the
desiccant and the air is dehumidified.
The functioning of desiccant material might be compared to the action of a sponge in
collecting a liquid. When the sponge is dry, it soaks up the liquid effectively. Once it becomes
saturated, the sponge is taken to a different spot, the liquid is expelled by squeezing the
sponge, and the sponge is ready to absorb more liquid. In a desiccant system, if the desiccant
material is cool and dry, its surface vapor pressure is low, and moisture is attracted and
absorbed from the air, which has a higher vapor pressure. After the desiccant material
becomes wet and hot, it is moved to another air stream and the water vapor is expelled by
raising the temperature (this step is called "regeneration"). After regeneration, the desiccant
material is ready to be brought back to absorb more water vapor. Unlike the conventional
cooling coil, the water vapor does not condense, but rather remains a vapor throughout all
processes.
Desiccants can be either solids or liquids. The difference between solid and liquid
desiccants is their reaction to moisture. Some simply collect moisture like a sponge collects
water. These desiccants are called adsorbents and are mostly solid materials. Silica gel is an
example of a solid adsorbent. Other desiccants undergo a chemical or physiological change as
they collect moisture. These are called absorbents and are usually liquids or solids, which
become liquid as they absorb moisture. Lithium chloride collects water vapor by absorption.
Sodium chloride, common table salt, is another example of an absorbent.

Types of Desiccant Systems

General Classifications
Most commercial desiccant dehumidification systems use as their working material either
a solid adsorbent or a liquid absorbent. Briefly, absorption is a process in which the nature of
the absorbent is changed, either physically, chemically, or both. The change may include
formation of a hydrate or phase change. An adsorbent, on the other hand, does not change
either physically or chemically during the sorption process.
A variety of factors dictate whether an adsorbent will be commercially useful. These
include cost, long-term stability, moisture removal characteristics (rate, capacity, saturation
conditions, suitable temperatures), regeneration requirements (rate of moisture surrender as a
function of temperature and humidity), availability, and manufacturing considerations.

Solid Adsorbents
Silica gels and zeolites are used in commercial desiccant equipment. Other solid
desiccant materials include activated aluminas and activated bauxites. The desiccant material
choice for a particular application depends on factors such as the regeneration temperature,
the level of dehumidification, and the operating temperature.
Solid desiccant materials are arranged in a variety of ways in desiccant dehumidification
systems. A large desiccant surface area in contact with the air stream is desirable. A way to
bring regeneration air to the desiccant material is necessary.
The most common configuration for commercial space conditioning is the desiccant
wheel shown in Figure 30a. The desiccant wheel rotates continuously between the process
and regeneration air streams. The wheel is constructed by placing a thin layer of desiccant
material on a plastic or metal support structure. The support structure, or core, is formed so
that the wheel consists of many small parallel channels coated with desiccant. Both
"corrugated" and hexagonal (Figure 30b) channel shapes are currently in use. The channels
are small enough to ensure laminar flow through the wheel. Some kind of sliding seal must be
used on the face of the wheel to separate the two streams. Typical rotation speeds are between
6 and 20 revolutions per hour. Wheel diameters vary from one foot to over twelve feet. Air
filters are an important component of solid desiccant systems. Dust or other contaminants can
interfere with the adsorption of water vapor and quickly degrade the system performance. All
commercial systems include filters and maintenance directions for keeping the filters
functioning properly.

Liquid Absorbents
Some materials that function as liquid absorbents are ethylene glycol, sulfuric acid, and
solutions of the halogen group such as lithium chloride, calcium chloride, and lithium
bromide (ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, 2001). A generic configuration for a liquid
desiccant system is illustrated in Figure 31. The process air is exposed to a concentrated
desiccant solution in an absorber, usually by spraying the solution through the air stream. As
the solution absorbs water vapor from the air stream, the solution concentration drops, and the
weak solution is taken to a regenerator where heat is used to drive off the water (which is
carried away by a regeneration air stream) and the concentrated solution is returned to the
absorber.

Figure 30. (a) Desiccant Wheel (Meckler et al., 1995) (b) Corrugated and Hexagonal Channel Shapes
(Chamra et al., 2000).

Figure 31. Liquid Desiccant System (Chamra et al., 2000).
Regeneration
For solid or liquid systems, regeneration energy can be drawn from a variety of sources.
In an micro-CHP system, regeneration energy is drawn from the waste heat of a power-
generation component. Due to the relatively low temperature requirements of regeneration (<
250 F or <120 C), waste heat provided by combustion turbines, IC engines, and any of the
fuel cell technologies is capable of supplying heat at regeneration temperatures. The thermal
energy produced in many micro-CHP systems is sufficient to meet the input requirements for
absorption refrigeration as well as desiccant regeneration.


Figure 32. Solid Desiccant Dehumidification System (Chamra et al., 2000).
Solid Desiccant Systems
Figure 32 illustrates the components of a generic solid desiccant dehumidification
system. At a minimum, the system will include separated process and regeneration air-
streams for the desiccant device and some kind of heater to raise the temperature of the
regeneration air.
The approximate path of the process air through a desiccant device is shown in Figure 33
for the same inlet and outlet conditions as were shown for the sub-cooling system (Figure 27).
Note that, as indicated by the path from point 1 to point 2 in Figure 33, the desiccant process
increases the dry bulb temperature of the process air. For solid desiccant materials, this
increase is a result of the "heat of adsorption" which consists of the latent heat of vaporization
of the adsorbed liquid plus an additional "heat of wetting." Heat of wetting is the energy
released during dehumidification, in excess of the latent heat of vaporization. The path from
point 1 to point 2 is close to a line of constant enthalpy. After the dehumidification process,
the process air must undergo a sensible cooling process to reach the end point.

Cost Considerations
In many cases, the additional benefits provided by a desiccant system will lead to greater
overall capital equipment cost. However, since the latent part of the cooling load is shifted
from electrical energy to thermal energy, desiccant dehumidification systems can potentially
have lower operating costs, particularly if waste heat can be utilized. In micro-CHP systems,
waste heat can be used to regenerate the desiccant. This makes desiccant dehumidification
appealing to micro-CHP applications, especially when an absorption chiller is incorporated
into the system to provide the sensible cooling load.
Because the humidity and temperature can be controlled independently with a desiccant
dehumidification and cooling system, the system performance is often more effective than
that obtainable with conventional systems. Analysis of the sensible heat ratio (SHR) suggests
the energy cost savings potential that a desiccant system may have. The SHR is the ratio of
sensible cooling load to the total cooling load (sensible load plus latent load). A sensible heat
ratio close to unity implies that very little moisture is removed from the air, while a sensible
heat ratio close to zero indicates that most of the load is latent cooling. Air-conditioned
environments often have SHR values well below unity, which results in greater energy
consumption for a sub-cooling system than that of a desiccant dehumidification and cooling
system that meets the same temperature/humidity requirements.

Figure 33. Dry Desiccant Dehumidification Process (Chamra et al., 2000).

CONCLUSIONS

micro-CHP is a developing paradigm in energy systems. The driving potential behind
micro-CHP systems is the thermal efficiency that these systems can achieve and the
significant portion of the energy market that lies within the micro regime. Projected system
efficiencies of 80% are well above the overall thermal efficiencies produced by standard
energy systems. micro-CHP systems have the potential to increase the overall thermal
efficiency, reduce the total power requirement, and provide higher quality, more reliable
power than conventional systems. Larger homes, higher energy costs, volatile fuel markets,
electricity blackouts, power security, power quality, and lower emissions are additional
characteristics that make micro-CHP attractive.
A variety of distributed power generation (DPG) technologies may be selected for an
micro-CHP system. Table 11 illustrates how these technologies compare in efficiency, cost,
technology status, emissions, noise, and load matching flexibility. The technologies are
ranked from those having the most positive characteristics to those having the most negative
characteristics. For example, fuel cells have the quietest operation and, therefore, the best
characteristics in the noise category, and reciprocating engines generate significant noise and,
therefore, the most negative characteristics in this category. The rankings in Table 11 are
based on the technologies as a whole and may vary in some instances.

Table 11. Rankings for Distributed Power Generating Technologies

Rankings for DPG Technologies
Category Most Positive Least Positive
Efficiency Fuel Cells Reciprocating Stirling Microturbine Rankine
Technology Status Reciprocating Microturbine Fuel Cells Stirling Rankine
Cost Reciprocating Microturbine Fuel Cells Stirling Rankine
Emissions Fuel Cells Stirling Microturbine Rankine Reciprocating
Noise Fuel Cells Stirling Microturbine Rankine Reciprocating
Load Matching Flexibility Reciprocating Fuel Cells Microturbine StirlingRankine

The thermally activated components discussed in this chapter are non-competing
technologies. The selected use of either an absorption chiller or desiccant dehumidifier is
based upon the needs of the application rather than performance. A system configuration
requiring only latent cooling would incorporate an absorption chiller. If both cooling and
dehumidification are required, both a desiccant dehumidifier and absorption chiller can be
included in an micro-CHP system.
Despite the potential benefits of micro-CHP systems, numerous significant obstacles and
challenges must be addressed if micro-CHP is to be successful in the United States. Research
must be conducted to validate micro-CHP systems and components. Likewise, efforts must be
made to reduce installed initial capital costs of micro-CHP systems. These issues can be
resolved with time and the application of good engineering practices. The more difficult
issues to overcome are characteristics of the market to which micro-CHP systems apply.
In order for micro-CHP systems to succeed, maintenance and service support issues must
be addressed. Large scale CHP systems are typically installed in large factories, hospitals, or
other facilities which employ a full-time maintenance staff. Retaining a full-time maintenance
staff for a single micro-CHP system is neither practical nor economically feasible. Expecting
the owner to maintain the system is also impractical because of technical complexity and
safety issues. Still, providing professional, timely service and maintenance will be a crucial
part of successful micro-CHP system operation. More than one potential technology has
become a distant memory because of poor maintenance and technical support. This situation
leads to a very important question: Who will provide maintenance and support? Should this
responsibility fall on utility providers, individual micro-CHP system manufacturers, or
independent maintenance contractors?
Another important issue to address is the inclusion and cooperation of local electrical
utilities. Ideally, an micro-CHP system would provide the exact amount of electrical power
needed instantaneously, continually throughout the day. While designing such a system is
possible, unfortunately, the increase in system complexity and increased capital costs would
be a detriment to early system installations. Initially, most micro-CHP systems will likely be
designed as constant-power output or base-load systems. This implies that at some point the
power requirement will not be met, or that the requirement will be exceeded. Realistically,
both cases will occur within a 24-hour period. For example, in the United States, the base
electrical load for the average home is approximately 2 kW while the peak electrical demand
is slightly over 4 kW. (EIA) If a 3 kWe micro-CHP system were installed in this situation,
part of the time more energy will be provided than could be used and for a portion of the time
more energy will be required than could be provided.
One option is to size the system for base electrical load. This option requires that the
system include an energy storage device or be connected to the electrical grid to provide the
peak electrical load. Another option is to size the system for peak electrical load. This option
requires that the excess energy be stored, transferred to the electrical grid, or simply rejected
as a loss. In all instances, either energy storage or grid connectivity is required. Energy
storage is expensive and increases the system size and initial costs. In many instances, a more
economically attractive option is for the micro-CHP system to be grid connected.
Grid connectivity will require the inclusion and cooperation of local electrical utilities to
establish an infrastructure and pricing system to accommodate micro-CHP installations. Grid
connectivity also requires the use of two-way metering. The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers-United States of America (IEEE-USA) has developed a series of
standards for interconnection of distributed energy resources with the electricity grid. The
IEEE 1547 2003 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources With Electrical Systems
is the first in the 1547 series of planned interconnection standards. The standard establishes
technical requirements for electrical power systems (EPS or electrical grids) interconnecting
with distributed generators such as fuel cells, photovoltaics, microturbines, reciprocating
engines, wind generators, large turbines, and other local generators. Additional IEEE
interconnection standards activities are now designated under the 1547 series of standards.
Before a full-market drive for installation of micro-CHP systems is attempted, an in-
depth case study of an micro-CHP system should be performed. Also, a full economic
assessment including all capital costs and the potential effects of the volatile fuel market
should be conducted. The selection and price of fuel to be used in an micro-CHP system is
very important. A small percent change in the market demand creates a large change in the
cost of many fuels.

REFERENCES

ASHRAE, 2001, 2001 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals, the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.
California Distributed Energy Resources Guide. Available at http://www.energy.ca.gov/
distgen/
Caterpillar. Available at http://www.cat.com
Capstone. Available at www.capstone.com
Chamra, Louay, Parsons, J im A., J ames, Carl, Hodge, B.K., and Steele, W. Glenn, Desiccant
Dehumidification Curriculum Module for Engineering/Technology HVAC Courses,
Mississippi State University, 2000.
DOE Energy Information Administration. Available at http://www.eia.doe.gov.
DOE Industrial Technologies Program. Available at http://www.oit.doe.gov.
Georgia State University Physics Website. Available at http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/diesel.html.
Harold, Keith E., Klein, Sanford A., and Radermacher, Reinhard. Absorption Chillers and
Heat Pumps, New York: CRC Press, Inc., 1996.
Hewitt, G. F., Shires, G. L. and Bott, T. R. Process Heat Transfer, CRC Press., 1994.
Keveny, Matt, 2000, Two Cylinder Stirling Engine. Available at http://
www.keveny.com/Vstirling.html
Knight, I., and Ugursal, I., Residential cogeneration systems: a review of the current
technologies. A report of Subtask A of FC+COGEN-SIM The Simulation of Building-
Integrated Fuel Cell and Other Cogeneration Systems Annex 42 of the International
Energy Agency Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems Programme.
93 pages. First published: April 2005
Laraminie, James, and Dicks, Andrew, Fuel Cell Systems Explained, 2
nd
edition, West
Sussex: Wiley, 2003.
Meckler, M., R. Heimann, J . Fischer, and K. McGahey. Desiccant Technology Transfer
Workshop Manual. American Gas Cooling Center, 1995, Arlington, Virginia.
Micro Cogeneration system for residential and small commercial applications. Available at
www.cogenmicro.com
Plug Power. Available at www.plugpower.com
RS Means Mechanical Cost Data 24
th
Annual Edition, Kingston, Maryland: RS Means
Company Inc. 2001
Shah, Ramesh K., Recuperators, Regenerators and Compact Heat Exchangers, CRC
Handbook of Energy Efficiency, New York: CRC Press, Inc., 1997.
The micro-CHP Technologies Roadmap: Meeting 21
st
Century Residential Energy Needs
December 2003 United States Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy
Solo Stirling Engine. Available at www.stirling-engine.de/engl/
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center. Available at
http://www.fctec.com/fctec
Van den Oosterkamp, P.F., Goorsen, A.J ., and Blomen., L.J ., Journal of Power Sources, 1993
41, p.239 - 252.

Additional References

Alanne, Kari, and Saari, Arto. Sustainable small-scale CHP technologies for buildings: the
basis for multi-perspective decision making. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews,
Helsinki University of Technology, Hut, Finland.
Basso, T. S. and DeBlasio, R., IEEE 1547 series of standards: interconnection issues. IEEE
Transactions on Power Electronics, 2004 Vol 19, 5.
Boyce, Meherwan P., Handbook for Cogeneration and Combined Cycle Power Plants, New
York: ASME Press, 2002.
Caton, J erald A., and Turner, W. Dan, Cogeneration, CRC Handbook of Energy Efficiency,
New York: CRC Press, Inc., 1997.
Cengel, Yunus A., Heat Transfer: A Practical Apprach, 2
nd
edition, New York: McGraw Hill,
2003.
Commercial micro-CHP Using Fuel Cells and Microturbines. Emerging Technologies and
Practices: 2004 American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy.
Felder, Richard M., and Rausseau, Ronald W., ElementaryPrinciples of Chemical Processes,
2
nd
edition, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1986.
Flin, D. Domestic CHP in Europe. Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production, J an. Feb.
2005, pp. 43 49.
Goswami, D.Y., Kreith, F., and Kreider, J ., Principles of Solar Engineering, 2
nd
edition,
Taylor and Francis Pub., 2000.
Hardy, J .D, Cooling, Heating, and Power for Building Instructional Module, Mississippi State
University, 2004.
Harrison, J . Micro CHP in rural areas. EarthScan James & James. 1 J anuary, 2003a.
Harrison, J . Micro CHP in Europe. EA Technology. Presentation at the 2003 National Micro
CHP Technology Pathways Workshop. 2003b.
Harrison, J . Towards a strategy for micro CHP in the USA domestic markets. EA Technology,
J une 2003c.
Moran, Michael J ., and Shapiro, Howard N., Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics,
4
th
edition, New York: J ohn Wiley and Sons, 2000.
Micro Gas Turbines and Heat-Driven Cooling. Australian National Training Authority, 2003.
Peltchers, Neil, Combined Heat and Power Handbook: Technologies and Applications, The
Fairmont Press, Inc., Georgia, 2003.
Pehnt, P., Praetorius, B., Foscher, C., Schnieder, L., Cames, M., and VoB, J .P. Micro CHP
a sustainable innovation. Transformation and Innovation in Power Systems.
Berlin/Heidelberg, 2004.
Stull, D.R., et al., J ANAF Thermochemical Tables, Michigan: Dow Chemical Company,
1965.
Senft, J ames R., Ringbom Stirling Engines, New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Urieli, Isreal, and Berchowitz, David M., Stirling Cycle Engine Analysis, Great Britain:
Adam Hilger Ltd.,1984.


Chapter 3

WIND ENERGY IN ELECTRICITY MARKETS
WITH HIGH WIND PENETRATION

Julio Usaola
*
and Edgardo D. Castronuovo
Departamento de Ingeniera Elctrica. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Av. Universidad 30. 28911 Legans, Madrid, Spain

ABSTRACT

The great amount of wind power recently connected to electric power systems makes
necessary new grid analysis tools and control strategies. Some of these tools are short
term wind power prediction programs, which have been recently developed and are
already in use in many System Operators and wind power producers. Prediction programs
also allow the participation of wind energy in the electricity market by keeping the
economic losses due to power imbalances for wind generators within acceptable values,
specially if the uncertainty of the predictions is evaluated and used in the bidding process.
Such participation intends to make the power system operation easier. Distributed control
of power system, and specially optimized control of clusters of wind generators is another
measure that is being taken in order to maintain the levels of power system security and
to minimize the consequences of possible and temporary wind power curtailments, due to
grid security reasons, on the affected wind farms. The contents of this chapter include a
detailed description of short term wind power prediction programs, an evaluation of the
economic losses due to imbalances incurred by wind generators participating in an
electricity market, and an optimization strategy aimed at minimizing the consequences of
power curtailments.

1. INTRODUCTION

In the last years, a great and sudden increase of wind generation has taken place in many
countries. Most of its power injects their production into the power grids, which have to face

*
e-mail: jusaola@ing.uc3m.es, ecastron@ing.uc3m.es
J ulio Usaola and Edgardo D. Castronuovo 104
the problems of a different form of generation, with peculiar features. Among them, perhaps
the most annoying is the variability of the primary resource, the wind, and its difficulty in
dispatching this power. It is well known that electric energy cannot be easily stored, and this
means that wind power fluctuations must be balanced by other types of generation. This
uncertainty stresses the system management and operation, and may add extra costs to the
electricity.
These disadvantages are clearly compensated by the renewable nature of this source of
energy, and for the null cost of the resource, that reduces the overall cost of electricity.
However, the need for new analysis and control tools for the power grids is evident, if we
expect to keep the reliability of these grids at a maximum level and to limit all avoidable cost
to a minimum.
Short term wind power prediction programs are one of the tools that have been recently
developed to help power system operation. They use the output of numerical weather
forecast, and produce a reasonably accurate prediction for the wind power production of the
next hours or few days. With this information, system operation is substantially helped.
Prediction tools also allow the participation of wind energy in electricity markets. Wind
farm owners may commit themselves to produce the predicted wind power for the next hours.
Because of the inaccuracy of these predictions, actual generation differs from the predicted
values committed, and this imbalance generate an extra cost that must be paid by those who
produce it, namely the wind generators. Nevertheless, this extra cost is reasonably small if a
state-of-the-art prediction program is used, and may even be reduced with an adequate
subsidy policy. The generators will be interested in reducing this imbalance cost as much as
possible, and to fit the generation to the predicted value. In this incentive for adjusting the
production lays the main benefit of the participation of wind generation in the markets it is a
way of reducing the need of balancing energy in a power system.
Another problem of wind generation is that older wind farms cannot withstand non
standard grid conditions such as under/over voltage or under/over frequency. This means that
much of wind generation disconnects if voltage goes below 90% of the rated value. Although
this is not important when there are just a few wind farms connected to a big grid, when there
is a substantial wind penetration, these disconnections may mean the switching off of
hundreds on MW and may have a strong effect on power system stability. Most of the recent
generation has been designed to remain connected under severe undervoltages, but a great
part of wind farms cannot still deal with undervoltages produced by a short circuit, an
incident quite common in the power systems. Modern system operation must tackle this
problem by the use of new control strategies.
In the following sections, these problems have been addressed, describing new strategies
and control tools that have, or are being implemented in power systems with high wind power
penetration. First of all, short term wind power prediction tools are described, their typical
performance presented and examples of actual prediction programs given in order to show
their principles, possibilities and limitations.
Then, the economic consequences of participation of wind energy in the electricity
markets are evaluated. Numerical tests show that economic losses of wind producers, due to
imbalance costs, are assumable if they use a short term wind power prediction program.
Knowledge and adequate use of the uncertainty of this power prediction may even reduce this
imbalance cost.
Wind Energy in Electricity Markets with High Wind Penetration 105
Finally an optimized control strategy for distributed management of wind power is
presented. This strategy minimize the consequences of possible power curtailments imposed
by the System Operator and uses market mechanisms to allocate the power decrease to those
wind farms more willing or capable to control their production. This strategy is also aimed at
improving the manageability of power systems with a heavy wind power penetration.

2. SHORT TERM WIND POWER PREDICTION

2.1. General Background

Short term wind power prediction programs are tools that provide an estimation of the
future power production of a wind farm, or a group of wind farms, in the next hours. For this
purpose, they use meteorological forecasts coming from a Numerical Weather Prediction
(NWP) tool, and sometimes real time SCADA data from the wind farms. Typically, their
predictions are issued at least once a day, although many prediction programs refresh these
predictions once per hour, or even with greater frequency. The output is the average hourly
(typically) production forecasted for the prediction time horizon. These programs have the
following main applications:

They aid the power system operation by estimating the wind power production for
the future hours. This helps to foresee the congestions in the system, to program the
power reserve, or to prevent extreme events under adverse meteorological conditions.
This is why System Operators of most countries with high wind penetration use
them.
They are also used by the balancing companies, i.e., those who have to buy energy
for the customers connected to their grids, where there are also wind farms
connected. An inaccurate prediction makes these companies to pay for their
imbalances.
They make possible the participation of wind power in electricity markets. Power
predictions can be used to make bids in the market. Although there are deviations
between the predicted power and the actual generation, prediction programs keep
these imbalances small enough (around 10% of the income) to make this
participation profitable. This participation makes easier the integration of wind
energy in the electric systems.
They are also useful for wind farm maintenance scheduling, since they estimate
future production. However, accuracy of short term wind power prediction tools
decrease drastically after a few days, and for this reason, their application to this
purpose is limited.

A short term wind power prediction tool usually has the outline shown in Figure 2. As
mentioned, the basic inputs to the program are meteorological forecasts. Additionally, there
may also be inputs from a SCADA system, with data of the actual production of one or
several wind farms. This allows the regular updating of prediction, based on more recent data.
With these fresh data some prediction tools are able to issue new predictions each hour, or
even more frequently. SCADA data include power output from the wind farms most of the
times, but it may include also meteorological data, such as measured wind speed and
direction, temperature or atmospheric pressure. In any case, the real production data from the
wind farms must be known, in order to check the accuracy of the predictions and to tune the
models. In some prediction programs, this information is received regularly, but some time
(one day, for instance) after real time.
It is also necessary to have data of the wind farms, such as rated power, type and
availability of wind turbines, etc. Also information about the wind farm site is needed, as the
UTM coordinates, and some prediction tools need information about terrain: roughness
topography, turbine site etc.
The output of these programs is the average wind farm production for the next hours. The
time scope of this prediction depends on the horizon of the numerical weather prediction
available. Typically, predictions are issued for the next 48 hours, but longer time horizons are
possible, sometimes at the price of a poorer resolution.
An important part of the wind power prediction program is the management of past
predictions that are used to revise the modelling and to assess the accuracy the performance
of the prediction tool.

Numerical Weather Forecasts
Output processing
Report 1
Report 2
...
Report N
Prediction
algorithms
Real time P, v
measurements
Wind farms
database
Data storage
Data presentation
Statistical
correction
Downscaling
Upscaling
Numerical Weather Forecasts
Output processing
Report 1
Report 2
...
Report N
Prediction
algorithms
Real time P, v
measurements
Wind farms
database
Data storage
Data presentation
Statistical
correction
Downscaling
Upscaling

Figure 2. Elements of a short term wind power prediction program.

2.2. Numerical Weather Predictions (NWP)

Numerical Weather Predictions (NWP) are the basic input to a prediction program. They
are usually sent by a provider of this service, who typically are National Weather Services, or
companies specialized in this field. New predictions are received only some times each day,
due to the high computation requirements of the programs employed.
Different numerical models provide weather predictions around the world. For instance,
the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) provides (among
many other products) wind speed and direction predictions, for many places throughout the
Earth, each six hours for up to 72 hours in advance at 3 hours intervals, and up to 240 hours
in advance at 6 hours intervals, with a resolution of 0.25 x 0.25 lat/long. Predictions are
produced for the whole world. This organization is funded by 28 countries, mostly European
ones. There are other projects running that provide also predictions on a regional or global
scale, as the project HIRLAM, Aladin, LokalModell, or the MRF models of the USA.
Numerous references can be found in literature and elsewhere.
These forecasts have usually low resolution, since their results are extended to a wide
area in a continental scale. This is why a downscaling procedure is often used. Downscaling
uses meso or microscale models to fit the wind speed predictions to the wind farms site.
This is usually a difficult task, since it may require detailed modelling of the terrain, which
for some farms is rather rugged, since they are placed to profit of local effects.

2.3. Prediction Methods

The core of a prediction program is the algorithm used to produce the predictions. All
current prediction programs use at least one of two kinds of methods of prediction wind
power physical and statistical methods. Physical methods try to model the wind farm
equations according to the aerodynamical behaviour of wind turbines in the actual site, and
the local effects of wind speed and directions. Statistical methods try to reproduce the
behaviour of the wind farm from past data under different conditions. There are different
techniques to do this: time series analysis, nonparametric methods and Artificial Intelligence
based methods have been successfully used.
The simplest prediction method is called persistence. This method consists of assuming
that the future prediction, for all the time horizon considered, is the current production of the
wind farm. Although this method has little practical value, it is considered as a lower
threshold for the performance of a prediction method.
Predictions may be also easily made by taking the NWP (downscaled or not) and
converting this value to power by means of a P-v curve. This curve could be made as easily as
to take the sum of the standard power curves of the wind farms as shown in Figure 10 a), or it
may be obtained from past power and wind measurements in the wind farm, as shown in
Figure 10 b). It could also be an empirical curve that expresses the relation between past wind
forecasts, and power measurements. The power curve of a wind farm is different according to
the wind direction, due to wake effects or to a terrain with different roughness in different
directions, so a more sophisticated model could be a power surface that takes into account
this different behaviour. However, actual methods are more complex than these, because
these simple methods do not take into account the different conditions of the wind farm along
time, nor the characteristics of the site.
The physical models of most prediction programs, such as [19] or [21] receive the wind
speed and direction data from a NWP, and adapt them to local characteristics. Then, this wind
is transformed into output power using the wind farm power curve, which normally is a
complex model. This output is modified according to the wind farm efficiency that accounts
for the wake effects. A Model Output Statistics (MOS) module is normally used to improve
the results. This module can be applied either to the incoming wind, or the outcoming power.
MOS require data of the farm for several months, and detailed information of the turbine site
and terrain. Physical models usually require long computation times, and for this reason their
predictions are updated just few times a day.
Statistical models also use the outcome of NWP programs, as well as real time power
production (and sometimes other SCADA data from the wind farm), and the power
predictions are obtained from a statistical module that models the wind farm from the inputs
and outputs through a long period. Statistical prediction models usually do not have high
computational requirements, and the predictions can be updated typically every hour or even
more frequently. Different methods can be included in this family. For instance [19] uses time
series models with exogenous inputs (the NWP), with parameters that vary adaptatively with
time. It also models the power curve of the wind farm according to past data and recent
conditions. Other models use fuzzy artificial neural networks for this purpose [27]. Statistical
models need also to work for some time since they reach their optimal performance. This time
is no less than four months, although significant results can be obtained before.
Actually, the best performance of a prediction program combines physical and statistical
methods. As already said, physical models use statistics (MOS modules) to suppress
systematic errors and to improve the model, and statistical models improve their results if a
better wind input is used. In difficult terrain, to adapt the NWP to local conditions can lead to
improvements of 10% in accuracy [22].

v
nP
Wind forecast
Number of turbines
Power
forecasted Standard
power curve
v
nP
Wind forecast
Number of turbines
Power
forecasted Standard
power curve

v
P
Wind forecast
Windfarm power
Power
forecasted
Standard
power curve
v
P
Wind forecast
Windfarm power
Power
forecasted
Standard
power curve

a) b)
Figure 3. Simple prediction methods.

When it is necessary to forecast the production of the wind farms in a region, but there
are no data available from all the wind farms present in it, it becomes necessary to upscale the
results, i.e., to forecast the prediction for all wind farms, from the prediction for few of them.
This process requires data from all the wind farms, in order to find the spatial correlation
among all the wind farms present in the area. This is also a complex task, and a great amount
of data is needed [11].

2.4. Evaluation of Results

The error descriptors used for assessing the accuracy of the prediction are usual in
Statistics. If we define the error in the power prediction for time t+k, produced at time t as
e(t+k/t), then this error has the value

) / ( ) ( ) / ( t k t p k t p t k t e + + = +

Where p(t+k) is the production of the wind farm at time (t+k) and ) / ( t k t p + is the
power predicted at time t for time (t+k). Then, the error measures usually considered are:

Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE(k))

N
t k t e
P
k NRMSE
N
t
r
=
+
=
1
2
) / (
1
) (
Normalized Mean Average Error (NMAE(k))

N
t k t e
P
k NMAE
N
t
r
=
+
=
1
) / (
1
) (
Skill score (R(k))

2
2
) / (
2

) (
P
t k t e P
k R
=

Where P
r
is the rated power of the wind farm, N is the number of predictions examined
along the considered time, produced k hours before the measure,
2
P
is the estimated
variance of the power production along the considered time, and
2
) / (
t k t e +
is the estimated
variance of the error of the predictions produced k hours before the measure.
The skill coefficient tries to explain part of the variance of the data. It has a value
between 0 and 1. A value of 1 means perfect prediction. A value of 0 means useless
prediction the model does not give any improvement compared with the constant mean
model. It may be seen that all these error measures depend on the time elapsed between the
moment when the prediction is generated and when the power is measured. This error
increases when this time is bigger.
Values of NMAE, NMRSE and R for a wind farm of 21 MW are given in Figure 4, Figure
5 and Figure 6, for a prediction tool and persistence. It can be observed that the method
always performs better than persistance, although for the first hours this difference is very
small.

NMAE
0
0,05
0,1
0,15
0,2
0,25
0,3
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47
look-ahead time (hour s)
p
.
u
.
Pred. Tool Pers

Figure 4. NMAE of a typical wind farm, for a prediction tool and persistence.
NRMSE
0
0,05
0,1
0,15
0,2
0,25
0,3
0,35
0,4
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47
l ook-ahead ti me (hours)
p
.
u
.
Pred. Tool Pers

Figure 5. NMRSE of a typical wind farm, for a prediction tool and persistence.
R
0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47
look-ahead t ime (hour s)
p
.
u
.
Pred. Tool Pers

Figure 6. Values of R of a typical wind farm, for a prediction tool and persistence.
Some other features of wind power predictions, is that they are often biased, i.e., that the
average value of the errors is not zero. Figure 7 shows this effect for eighteen months data of
a wind farm of 14 MW of rated power. The error is defined as above. The mean value is
always negative, so the bias is towards overprediction. This bias increases quickly the first
hours, and then keeps stable.
Standard deviation also increases with look-ahead time, because these predictions are
more inaccurate. The trend of standard deviation for the same wind farm is shown in Figure 8.

error bias
-0,16
-0,14
-0,12
-0,10
-0,08
-0,06
-0,04
-0,02
0,00
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43
look-ahead time (hours)
M
W

Figure 7. Error bias of short term wind power prediction.
error standard deviation
1,0
1,5
2,0
2,5
3,0
3,5
4,0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43
M
W

Figure 8. Standard deviation of short term wind power prediction.
The distribution of error has also skewness, as shown in Figure 9. This means that there
are larger errors that are greater than the average.
All these results may be considered as typical, although the accuracy of wind power
prediction may vary widely between different wind farms. This accuracy depends heavily on
the roughness on the terrain, which makes wind predictions more difficult and inaccurate.
It is also a common feature that the error decreases for a group of wind farms. Errors tend
to compensate and give a better joint result. This is usually called portfolio effect that may
increase the accuracy up to a 100%.

skewness coefficient
0,0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1,0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43

Figure 9. Skewness coefficient of short term wind power prediction.

2.5. SIPRELICO as an Example of a Short Term Wind Power Prediction
Program

In this section, a more detailed description of a short term wind power prediction
program is given. This intends to give a deeper insight into the properties, the accuracy and
the application of these tools as a help to power system operation.

2.5.1. Introduction
Wind power has grown very quickly in the last years in Spain. The installed power in the
Spanish peninsular system reached the value of 11854 MW in May 2007, and the growth of
the power installed in the whole of Spain has been very quick, as shown in Figure 10.
Due to this amount of installed power, electric system operation must take into account
the wind power production for the day ahead scheduling (grid constraints solution) and for
real-time operation. This is why it has been revealed necessary a short term wind power
prediction for the wind production in the whole of Spain. The Spanish System Operator, Red
Elctrica de Espaa uses since the year 2002 the short term wind power program
SIPRELICO, developed by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid [29], [30], [36], whose main
features are described below.
SIPRELICO issues predictions each 15 minutes for the whole Spanish peninsular
system. This means that predictions are generated for 88 farms or groups of farms, and then
grouped by zones. Finally, the prediction for the whole peninsular system (more than 11.5
GW) is found from the individual predictions.
SIPRELICO receives numerical weather predictions four times a day from the National
Meteorological Service of Spain (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologa), who produces them
with the program HIRLAM (see below). Some features of these predictions are given in
Table 1.

39 45 69109
205
455
834
1453
2228
3200
4500
6371
8263
10000
11239
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
Year
MW

Figure 10. Installed wind power in Spain.
Table 1. Numerical weather predictions supplied by HIRLAM

Time of day (hour) 00 06 12 18
Time horizon (hours) 48 24 48 24
Spatial resolution () 0.16 0.05 0.16 0.05

As SIPRELICO has to manage a great number of wind farms, no detailed description
for each of them, and consequently, no downscaling is possible by the moment, due to the
huge computation times that would be needed. However, the portfolio effect keeps the error
for the whole peninsular Spain within adequate levels.
Data of wind farms include information about the wind farm situation and rated power.
There are not details about each wind farm. Wind farms are not obliged by the moment to
provide the real time production to the System Operator. Hence, real time SCADA data used
as input to SIPRELICO come from the distribution lines that evacuate only wind power.
This is more than 80% of the total installed wind power. Due to this fact, it is not necessary
any complex upscaling models. This upscaling just follows a proportional rule.

2.5.2. Prediction Algorithm
The core of SIPRELICO is the time series module. The design of it is critical, since it
has to deal with changing relations between wind and power, which are nonlinear, and with
numerical weather predictions that may have gross errors due mainly to the low spatial
resolution of the NWP. This is why SIPRELICO uses different statistical models working in
parallel, and only a combination of the most accurate among them are selected for each farm
and each hour. The models used are the following:

Univariant models. Autorregresive models AR(3), that take into account the wind
inertia, and the daily cycle which is usually present in wind speed. These models can
be used up to 10 hours before real time.
Parametrical models with dependence of wind and speed direction. These models
include the effects mentioned above in the univariant models, as well as the
numerical predictions.
Non parametrical models dependent on wind speed and direction. Nonparametric
methods try to find the relations between the input to the model (the numerical
weather predictions) and the output (the power produced by the wind farm). These
relations depend on the time lag between the prediction and production, the wind
speed and direction and the time in the day (diurnal cycle). These relations are found
from past results and data, and are locally linearized. Since past predictions and
outputs do not define clearly a curve, but values around each point, a probability
distribution function is obtained, from which the prediction is finally issued. An
illustration of this model is given in Figure 11.

v
P
Wind prediction (V, D)
V
Predicted
power
Power curve D=0
Power curve
D=180
v
0
v
D
v
P
Wind prediction (V, D)
V
Predicted
power
Power curve D=0
Power curve
D=180
v
0
v
0
v
D

Figure 11. Nonparametric methods.
Final prediction
Improves all of them
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone M
Prediction
Total peninsular
Prediction
Model A
Predictin
Model B
Other sources of prediction
Adaptative
combination
SIPRELICO
Final prediction
Improves all of them
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone M
Prediction
Total peninsular
Prediction
Model A
Predictin
Model B
Other sources of prediction
Adaptative
combination
SIPRELICO

Figure 12. Scheme of SIPRELICO operation.
However, for an accurate prediction, two more aspects must be considered: adaptative
estimation of the time series parameters, and the optimal combination and selection of the
best prediction provided by the different tools.
The parameters of the models change with time, due to seasonal variations of weather,
wind farm repowering, or other reasons. Hence, these parameters must be adapted with the
new data that are being obtained. This parameter updating is made using two alternative
procedures, Recursive Least Squares and Kalman Filter.
The final prediction is made by a final combination of the parallel predictors. This
combination is based on the actual performance of each predictor. For this reason, it is
necessary to implement a real time evaluation of each of them.
Then, the degree of performance of each predictor in each horizon determines the optimal
weighting of each forecast in the final predicted output, together with several measures and
diagnostics. The evaluation of the predictions of each predictor is made with an exponentially
weighted mean squared prediction error (EW-MSPE). The final prediction for a given horizon
is obtained using the combination of the 3 predictors with lower EW-MSPE. A more detailed
description may be found in [30].
Finally, this prediction is optimally combined to prediction coming from other sources,
and the accuracy of the joint prediction is higher than any of the incoming sources. This
process is illustrated in Figure 12.

2.5.3. Application in Red Elctrica de Espaa
The wind generation forecasts produced by SIPRELICO are already used in the
following aspects of the system operation:

Improvement of the day-ahead demand prediction carried out by the Control Centre
of Red Elctrica de Espaa.
Determination of the reserve needs for the secondary and tertiary regulation markets.
Continuous resolution of the technical constraints of the system.
Transmission grid works and line disconnections scheduling

When a line disconnection takes place in a zone with many wind farms, problems may
arise for the evacuation of the whole power generated in the area (this could be the case when
both the generation groups and the wind farms are working at full power). As an example, it
may be said that a situation such as this took place in the Northwest of Spain during the
disconnection of a 220 kV line. Since wind generation forecasts were available 48 hours in
advance, the system operator imposed a limitation to the technical minimum to several
conventional groups in the area, when necessary. A study conducted latter showed that the
decisions adopted/undertaken by the system operator thanks to SIPRELICO forecasts were
corrected in a 96% of the cases. More detailed information may be found in [14].

2.5.4. Accuracy of Results
In this section, the accuracy of SIPRELICO is shown. The evaluation of this accuracy
for the last month before J une 5, 2007 are shown in the following figures, that corresponds to
the whole of the wind power connected to the Spanish peninsular grid. These results have
been kindly provided by Red Elctrica de Espaa. The high accuracy of these results is partly
due to the portfolio effect applied to all the generation connected at that moment.

2.6. Other Prediction Programs

Many other short term wind power prediction programs are currently being used, and are
available. In this section a few of them are shortly described.
WPPT [23] (Wind Power Prediction Tool) is a prediction program developed in Institut
of Mathematical modelling of the Technical University of Denmark and it is running since
1996 for different users. It is a statistical model, and uses non-linear time series models,
including a semi-parametric power curve model for wind farms taking into account both wind
speed and direction. The models are self calibrating and adaptive. The inputs are predictions
of wind speed and direction as well as real time power production measurements and other
meteorological variables. It produces predictions for up to 120 hours ahead, depending on the
input predictions.

Coefficient R-month
0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
0,7
0,8
0,9
1
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47
l ook-ahead ti me (hours

Figure 13. Value of coefficient R for the last month in the Spanish peninsular grid.
NMAE-month
0
0,01
0,02
0,03
0,04
0,05
0,06
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46
Serie1

Figure 14. Value of NMAE for the last month in the Spanish peninsular grid.
RMSE-month
0
0,01
0,02
0,03
0,04
0,05
0,06
0,07
0,08
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47

Figure 15. Value of RMSE for the last month in the Spanish peninsular grid.
Prediktor [19] is a prediction tool that uses physical models and MOS. Its basic input are
the NWP, and information about the wind farm. The NWP are adapted to local conditions,
taking into account the turbines siting, the orography, the roughness of the terrain, etc. MOS
(model output statistics) are used to correct the model. The observed wind farm productions
are used to adjust the parameters of statistical filters. The final output of the model is the
expected production of the wind farm every 3 hours over the next 48 hours. It has been
developed by Risoe, and has been used in Denmark, the USA and elsewhere.
LocalPred [21] is another tool that uses physical model that includes weather prediction
using mesoscale models. Its inputs are the NWP and data for the wind farm, such as
orography, roughness, turbine siting, and past data. MOS statistics and real production are
also used for tuning the model. It has been developed by CENER and CIEMAT and is
currently being used in Spain.
Advanced Wind Power Prediction Tool (AWPT) [10] has been developed by ISET,
Germany. It uses statistical models using Artificial Neural Networks. They use NWP and a
few measurements from selected wind farms for producing predictions of a large area in
Germany with more than 13 GW of wind connected. Off-line measurements of the production
in the region are used to tune the upscaling method.
eWind [3] is an USA product, developed by AWS Truewind that produces predictions
using physical modelling. From NWP produced by a Regional Weather Model, mesoscale
simulation tools adapt the prediction to local conditions. MOS are also used to tune the
models and correct systematic errors. This model is being widely used by wind farm owners
in the USA.
Previento [11] is another physical prediction model developed in the University of
Oldenburg that takes the prediction inputs from different services. The prediction of regional
production is upscaled from selected wind farms, and MOS are used to correct the model
results. It is being used in Germany.
ANEMOS is the result of an European project that joins different prediction tools in
Europe. The project aims to develop accurate models or improve existing ones, aiming to
outperform actual state-of-the-art, for onshore and offshore wind resource forecasting
(statistical and physical). Emphasis is given on integrating high-resolution meteorological
forecasts. For the offshore case, marine meteorology is considered, as well as information by
satellite-radar images. ANEMOS itself is an integrated software that hosts the various models
developed by the projects partners. The system is being used by several utilities and wind
farm owners for on-line operation at onshore and offshore wind farms for
local/regional/national wind prediction. The applications are suited to different terrains and
climates, on-/near-/off-shore farms, interconnected or island grids. A detailed description of
this project may be found in [16].
More information about the state of the art in short term wind power prediction may be
found in [12]. An interesting study (in Spanish) comparing results for different wind farms
and prediction tools in Spain is [2].
The current trend of research in the prediction field is focused on a better use of
mesoscale models, the combination of different predictions coming from independent
sources, and the use of ensembles [13]. These lines are very promising, and future increases
in accuracy can be reasonably expected. Besides, the advances in computation will also lead
to NWP more frequent and with greater resolution and accuracy.

3. BIDDING STRATEGIES FOR WIND FARM OWNERS

One of the applications of short term wind power prediction programs is to help the wind
generators to participate in the electricity markets. As shown in the next sections, to use such
programs implies important benefits to the users. Participation of wind energy in electricity
market is now becoming usual, and this is why this section aims to quantify those benefits
and describes the possibilities of using these tools, pointing at the consequences of this use.

3.1. Wind Power and Electricity Markets

Electricity markets are nowadays the most common paradigm for electricity trading. In
many of the electricity markets, a important amount of the energy is traded in a daily market,
that may account for the 20 to the 80% of the total energy, and the rest is traded bilaterally
between generators and consumers. To participate in these daily and intraday markets, it is
necessary to present bids for selling or buying power at a certain price, more than 12 hours
before the operation time. The energy is committed to each market participant by means of an
auction. To deviate from this commitment may suppose an overcost for the system, and must
be paid accordingly. However, it is possible in some countries to trade the foreseen power
excess or deficit in intraday markets run along the day, if this imbalance is known several
Julio Usaola and Edgardo D. Castronuovo 120
hours beforehand. Other countries, such as the UK, have a different market model, with a
small balancing market that is closed shortly before the operation time [25]. Table 2
summarizes some of these features for different European countries.
Wind energy must integrate into electricity markets, in spite of its non-dispatchable
nature, and the variability of the resource. Also, wind energy, as coming from a renewable
source of energy, usually benefits from subsidies. These subsidies may take the form of feed-
in tariffs, green certificates of other mechanisms, such as tenders, that vary widely among the
different countries.
It is not common that wind energy participates in electricity markets. Wind generators are
usually allowed to inject all their power to the grid under preferential rules, and they are just
paid the feed-in tariff for their production. In order to assess the wind power production,
TSOs and balancing companies must run prediction programs for a region in order to allocate
reserves, to account for the possible congestions in the system, to buy the energy need by
their customers, etc.
However, there is a trend to encourage the participation of wind power in the electricity
markets, following the market rules as any other participant. This means that wind generators
must submit bids to the Power Exchange office, the day before operation, saying how much
power they want to sell, and its price. Since the power generated cannot be easily stored, the
price is usually zero, and all the bids are accepted. However, the amount of power committed
in the energy auction must be generated, or the system overcost due to deviations from this
commitment should be paid. For this reason, wind power generators participating in an
electricity market need to make power predictions between (typically) 12 and 36 hours in
advance of the operation time for bidding in the daily markets. Whenever possible, it is
advisable to negotiate in intraday markets using updated predictions, in order to reduce the
imbalance cost.
Participation of wind generators in electricity markets has several advantages. Predictions
made by wind generators themselves may be more accurate than those produced at a regional
scale, since they have more information about their wind farms. For instance, they know
accurately the orography of the terrain, and a downscaling may improve the NWP input, and
they know better the availability of the wind turbines for the next day. This information
arrives with more difficulties to a regional organization. In general, a better prediction helps
the system operation.

Table 2. Common points in regulatory frameworks

Pool
Bilateral
contracts
Gate closure
Intraday/balance
markets
Spain X 14 h Yes (2h15m)
Denmark X X 12 h Yes (30 m)
France X X 13 h Yes (2 h)
Ireland X X 14 h Yes
Eng.&W X Yes (1 h)
Greece X X 12 h No

3.2. Benefits of Using Short Term Wind Power Prediction Tools

The wind generators that participate in an electricity market obtain interesting benefits
from using a short term wind power prediction tool, because the amount of power imbalance
reduces significantly. In this section, this reduction is quantified under rather general
assumptions.
In general terms, the revenue R for a given wind farm in a pool market may be
generalized as:

( ) imbalance P P MP MP P R
t
t di t i t i
t
t t d
+ + =
, , , ,
(1)

Where
( )
( )
<
> +
=
t last t gen t gen t last
down
t
t last t gen t last t gen
up
t
P P P P MP
P P P P MP
imbalance
, , , ,
, , , ,
(2)

The meaning of the different terms of the equations is:

P
gen,t
Power actually generated by the wind farm in the hour t
P
d,t
Power committed to the wind farm in the daily market for the hour t. It
coincides with the prediction available at the gate closure of the daily
market.
P
i,t
Power committed to the wind farm in the intraday market for the hour t It
coincides with the prediction available at the gate closure of the intraday
market.
P
last,t
Power committed to the wind farm in the last update for the hour t
MP
t
Marginal price of energy in the daily market for the hour t
MP
i,t
Marginal price of energy in the intraday market for the hour t
MP
t
up
Marginal price of energy in the spot market for selling energy in the hour t
MP
t
down
Marginal price of energy in the spot market for buying energy in the hour t

In markets without intraday markets, the second term of equation (1) does not apply. In
these cases P
last,t
= P
dt
. Where there is a possibility for updating bids in an intraday market,
P
last,t
= P
it
. An example of time schedules for daily and intraday markets is shown in Figure
17.
The imbalance term (2) is simpler for some markets, because the price in both senses of
the imbalance is the same. In other markets, this price depends on the system deviation and
may be zero in some cases. Most times the imbalance term represents a decrease in revenue,
and an accurate prediction program should reduce as much as possible this term.
In order to simplify the equations, for a better understanding of the results, some
simplifications are going to be made to them.
Equations (1) and (2) are simplified to:


=
t
t t dev
t
t t gen
MP P MP P R
, ,

where

P
dev,t
= |P
gen,t
- P
d,t
|
penalty factor.

Hence, the following simplifications have been assumed:

The intraday market has not been considered. Since the overpredictions and the
underpredictions could be assumed to be more or less unbiased, and the intraday MP
might be equally higher or lower than the daily MP, the weight of this term is not
high. The assumption of unbiased predictions seems not to be completely correct as
shown later.
The imbalance term has been changed into a penalty proportional to the absolute
value of the deviations incurred, and the amount of the penalty is a fraction of the
marginal price. This simplification has the following effects in different markets:

For those markets where the penalties are paid only if the imbalances have the same
sense than the overall system deviations, this assumption is a pessimistic one. Better results
must be expected.
For those markets with different penalties (or market prices) for up deviations and down
deviations, the effect is small, due only to the bias of the prediction.
The results presented in this section compare the performed prediction and persistence
with perfect prediction. The comparisons are made between the revenues of a producer that
would perform a perfect prediction and those of a producer using SIPRELICO as a
prediction tool. This comparison has been made also for predictions performed using
persistence. The value of the relative revenue (RR) that compares these values is given by the
following equation.

=
t
t t gen
t
t t dev
t
t t gen
MP P
MP P MP P
RR

,
, ,

(3)

The lower part of the equation represents the revenues obtained with perfect prediction.
The upper part is the loss in revenues due to inaccuracies of the prediction tool. Therefore, the
term RR will be always less or equal than 1.
A further simplification is to try to make equation (3) independent of the price. If we
consider that it leads to the same results for a long period of time to be paid every hour the
MP or to be paid the average MP along that period, then the term RR of equation (3) changes
into RRapp of equation (4).

Operation time
RW=4h, 8h,24h
Time ahead (h)
Gate closure
Operation time
RW=4h, 8h,24h
Time ahead (h)
Gate closure

Figure 16.

=
t
t gen
t
t dev
t
t gen
P
P P
RRapp
,
, ,
(4)

In this equation it may be seen that the reduction income depends proportionally of the
penalty . Results have been obtained for different values of this parameter.
The study has been performed for different rolling windows (RW), and for different times
between gate closures and operation time (Ta). An illustration of these times is given in
Figure 16.

Some additional assumptions concerning market rules are made:

A pool system is considered. Results under bilateral contracts would depend on
agreed conditions, difficult to know. However, bilateral prices and spot prices could
be assumed as correlated in the long term, so that the conclusions could be
extrapolated for markets based on bilateral contracts.
The use of past market prices implies to assume that wind power has no influence on
market prices. This is a too simplifying assumption, especially for countries with a
high wind power penetration. However, it must be considered that most farm owners
are price takers in a competitive market, and for them the prices are independent
variables. The conclusions are intended to be independent of the price level.
There is no difference between wind generators and conventional generators in the
market. That is to say that no subsidies are considered for the wind generation. The
losses due to imbalance costs then are smaller in relative terms than those shown
here.
Wind generators present their bids for the amount given by the prediction program, at
zero price, so they are always accepted.
The prediction tool makes new prediction from available data (wind forecasting and
real-time production) every hour.
SIPRELICO has been the prediction tool used for performing the prediction. This
prediction tool may be considered as representative of the state of the art.

These equations have been applied to offline data of two different real wind farms, with
the following features:

WF 1: 19 months of power measurements, farm situated on flat terrain
WF 2: 3 months power measurements, farm placed on mildly rough terrain

The Spanish market prices have been used for the studies. However, the results are fairly
independent of the price level.
According to equation (4), the revenues loss is an amount that depends on the accuracy
of the prediction tool, and independent of the actual market prices. The average value for all
considered values of time ahead and rolling window could be considered as a characteristic
parameter of that farm that gives a measure of the advantages of a prediction tool at a glance.
These results are given in Table 3.

Table 3. Losses as a percentage of the penalty factor

WF1 WF2
SIPRELICO 39.37 23.52
Persistence 79.21 45.19

In this table, the number 39.37 means that for a penalty of 0.4 times the marginal price,
the loss for WF1 would be 0.4x39.37=15.748% of the revenue, when compared to the
revenues with prediction. As this number is the average for very different values of look
ahead times and rolling windows, the losses may be smaller. More details of this study may
be found in [34].
The effect of trading in the intraday market the difference between old predictions for the
daily market and the new ones is also to reduce the cost of the imbalance. If, for instance, we
consider that prediction for the daily market are produced at 1100 of the previous day, the
look-ahead time for the predictions is between 13 and 16 hours. If there is an intraday market
each 4 hours, with a market gate closure 3 hours before operation time, the updated
predictions can be used with a look-ahead time between 3 and 6 hours, with a much better
accuracy. This time schedule is shown in Figure 17.
Under these assumptions, the reduction of the imbalance costs when trading also in the
intraday markets is shown in Figure 18.

Hours 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Daily P D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
ID1 P ID1ID1ID1ID1
ID2 P ID2ID2ID2ID2
ID3 P ID3ID3ID3ID3
ID4 P ID4ID4ID4ID4
ID5 P ID5ID5ID5ID5
ID6 P ID6ID6ID6ID6
DAY D-1 DAY D

Figure 17. Time schedule of the different markets. D =daily market; ID =intraday market.

0,00
2,00
4,00
6,00
8,00
10,00
12,00
14,00
16,00
20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Penal ty (%MP)
C
o
s
t

(
%

m
a
x

r
e
v
e
n
u
e
)
MD
MID
MID+TID
MD-MID

Figure 18. Effect of intraday markets on revenue. Results for WF2.
In this figure, the reduction in revenue due to imbalances is shown against the penalty,
expressed as a percentage of the marginal price (MP). Different cases are considered only
bids in the daily market (MD), bids in the daily and updates in the intraday markets (MID),
bids in the daily and updates in the intraday markets, plus the price of purchasing energy in
the intraday market (MID+TID). The difference of the income reduction between MD and
MID is also shown. The positive difference between (MID+TID) and (MID) comes from the
bias that tends to overpredict rather than to underpredict, and then most of times energy must
be bought in the intraday market.
It is apparent that the decrease in lost revenue may be quite high and obviously increases
with time and frequency of intraday markets. For very low penalties, and if there is a bias for
overpredictions in the prediction program, to participate in the intraday markets may imply
only a small advantage, since the expenses in buying more energy are more or less the same
amount than the reduction in penalty for imbalance.

3.3. Uncertainty of Wind Power Predictions

The results shown in the previous sections have been obtained by considering only one
value produced by the prediction program used.
However, the predictions provided by a short term wind power prediction program are
uncertain, and it is interesting to estimate this uncertainty to have more information about the
future production of a wind farm. As we will see later, this knowledge may have economic
consequences for the wind farm owner.
Let p be the random variable associated with the power output of a wind farm. Then, the
probability of producing p MW, having predicted p
*
MW k hours before, is given by the
probability density function f
p*,k
(p).
The uncertainty, and hence the probability density function, changes with the range of the
wind farm power output, since this value is bounded between zero and the rated power.
Besides, the power curve of a wind turbine or wind farm is nonlinear. If we assume that the
wind power predictions have gaussian uncertainty , then the probability density functions of
the power predictions will not be gaussian [18].
The shape of these probability density functions is also affected by the time lag elapsed
between the prediction and the operation times. As shown before, predictions with a shorter
time lag are more accurate, and their variance is smaller than those predictions produced
longer before.
To obtain analytically, or in real time, the uncertainty of this prediction is difficult, but
approximate estimations can be made from past data, and some research has already been
made in this field [18]. Given the past predictions and wind production for these predictions,
the accuracy of these predictions can be tabulated, and then their frequency can be used as an
approximation of these probability density functions.
If the power range of a wind farm is comprised between 0 and P
max
, and this range is
divided in Q intervals, the power p is included in the interval q, if

max max
P
Q
q
p P
Q
q
<
1

The probability density function f
p*,k
(p) may change into f
q*,k
(p), where q
*
is the interval
in which the predicted power p
*
is included.
As an example, the following figures give the frequency distributions of the produced
powers for different values and time lags of the prediction. Figure 19 reflects the frequency
distribution when a low power had been predicted 7 hours before real time, while Figure 20
shows the frequency distribution when the power level is near the average.

Figure 19. f
q*,k
(p) for q
*
=2 and k =7. Q =14.

Figure 20. f
q*,k
(p) for q
*
=7 and k =7. Q =14.

Figure 21. f
q*,k
(p) for q
*
=13 and k =7. Q =14.

Figure 22. f
q*,k
(p) for q
*
=13 and k =36. Q =14.
Figure 21, on the other hand, shows the frequency distribution for a prediction in the high
range of power 7 hours before the operation, while Figure 22 gives the frequency distribution
for the same power range, but 36 hours before operation. It can be seen that this last
distribution has a larger variance.
All these values have been obtained from real production of three months of a wind farm
whose rated power has been normalized to 1.

3.4. Bidding Wind Power under Uncertainty

The evaluation of the uncertainty of the predictions can be used advantageously in the
bids submission to the electricity markets. Due to the fact that the cost of imbalances are
usually higher when the generator is short (it produced less than predicted, and energy must
be bought) than when it is long (the production is greater than expected, and extra power is
sold), to bid a different power than the average of the probability distribution (the usual
output of a prediction program) may yield greater revenues. The following sections quantify
this effect, that should be taken into account by System Operators and Regulators.

3.4.1. Problem Formulation
Since the predictions are more accurate when the prediction and the operation times are
closer, a possible use of this uncertainty evaluation could be to bid the output of the
prediction program (average of the distribution) in the daily market (13 hours before
operation), and to correct these bids in the intraday, according to the expected price of the
energy in this markets, the expected penalty, and the uncertainty of the more recent
predictions. This is developed in this section.
As explained in a previous section, the revenues of the wind farm may be calculated by
the formulas (1) and (2). When bidding in the intraday markets, the bid to the daily market
(the committed power) is already known, as well as the price for the energy in this market.
The price of the intraday markets is unknown, although they can be predicted, as well as the
price of the imbalance. At the time of the intraday market, a prediction is generated for the
next hours, and this prediction has an uncertainty estimated from past data as explained in last
section. Then, the revenue for a given time could be expressed as a function of the power bid
(or power traded) in the intraday markets, and the power actually generated, as R(P
last
,P
gen
),
where P
last
, and P
gen
are vectors of bid and generated powers for a whole period (one day, or a
few hours).
The aim of the problem is to obtain the value of P
last
that maximizes the revenue for a
given set of intraday energy prices, imbalance costs and the uncertainty of the prediction. This
problem may be formulated for each hour as in eq. (5). The formulation for more hours is
straightforward. Since time couplings between the different hours are not considered, this
formulation is general.

( ) ( ) { }
=
=

Q j
j
j gen
k q
j gen last
P
P f P P R
last
1
,
,
,
*
, max
(5)

In equation (3), Q is the number of intervals of the power range of the wind farm that
have been considered in the uncertainty probability density function, and f
q*,k
(P
gen,j
) is the
probability of the generated power to take the value P
gen,j
when the prediction k hours before
is in the interval q
*
.
The assumed hypotheses for the study have been the following:

A pool system has been considered. Wind producers make their bids for a given
amount of power at price zero. This means that bids are always accepted.
The prediction of the prices of the intraday market is perfect.
The subsidies for wind energy are not considered.
The prediction tool makes new prediction from available data (wind forecasts and
real-time production) every hour.
SIPRELICO has been the prediction tool used for performing the prediction.

3.4.2. Study Case
In order to show the consequences of taking into account the uncertainty of the prediction
into the power bidding, an example has been run with real data from wind farms and
electricity prices.
The data of wind farm come from the actual production of a wind farm of 14 MW of
rated power during three months. The probability functions of the wind farm have been
obtained from these same production data and predictions performed for this wind farm for
these three months.

Figure 23. Prices for the period considered.
Although the study conditions do not follow the Spanish market rules, the prices of the
Spanish market between J anuary and March 2003 have been used for this study. The level of
the prices is given in Figure 23. The average price for this period was 23.678 c/MWh. The
intraday market prices for this period where also used. The average intraday market price
used was 22.4791 c/MWh.

The study performed includes a comparison between three different assumptions:

9. OPTIMAL: The described method of maximizing the revenues taking into account
the uncertainties of the wind power prediction tool.
10. BEST PREDICTION: When the best prediction available is used to modify the bid in
the intraday markets.
11. NO INTRADAY: When no updating is produced in the intraday market. Therefore,
only one bid per day is produced.

The study has been performed for eighty days. Longer studies, however, do not lead to
very different results.

3.4.3. Results
For the three assumptions, and for values of MP
sell
=0,5MP and MP
buy
=1,5MP, the
revenues, the average errors and the average of the absolute value of the errors along the
whole period are presented in Table 4. It can be seen there that the most profitable option
presents larger errors than the most accurate. Errors and absolute errors for instant t are
defined as:

t gen t last t
t gen t last t
P P err abs
P P error
, ,
, ,
_ =
=
(6)

Table 4. Errors for the different assumptions

Optimal Best prediction No intraday
Revenues () 290 112 280 500 269 046
Error (MW) -0.3661 0.1412 0.1619
Absolute error(MW) 1.8722 1.4132 2.0198

Although the values of MP
sell
and MP
buy
are realistic in the sense that, usually, to buy
energy at the last moment is more expensive than to sell it, real systems have more complex
methods to calculate the cost of the imbalances.
Figure 24 shows the differences between the three assumptions. The asterisks (*) show
the difference between the OPTIMAL and the BEST PREDICTION assumptions. The
diamonds show the difference between the OPTIMAL and the NO INTRADAY assumptions.
The dotted line shows the difference between the BEST PREDICTION and the NO
INTRADAY assumptions. It may be observed that the differences, especially between
OPTIMAL and BEST PREDICTION are almost always greater than zero. Only in some cases
where the predictions had been bad, the results for the BEST PREDICTION were better than
the OPTIMAL assumptions.
However, if we check the error between the actual generated power and the different
powers, as shown in Table 4, we can see that, even if the errors of the OPTIMAL assumptions
are greater, the revenues obtained are higher, and then, the bids provided by the wind farm
owners aiming to maximize their revenues are not the most accurate. In Figure 25 a sample of
the power error in a series of 30 hours is shown. It may be seen there, that the error of the best
prediction is lower than the optimal, and also lower than the case where only bids to the daily
markets are presented. Although there are cases where this does not happen, the general
behaviour follows this pattern.

Table 5. Revenues for different sell and buy prices ()

Buy/Sell prices 1.5/0.5 1/1 0.5/1.5
Optimal 290 112 348 834 467 178
Best prediction 280 500 311 751 343 002
No intraday 269 046 313 039 357 032


Figure 24. Results for one month of the cases studied.

Figure 25. Power errors for a series of 30 hours.
From Table 4 we can deduce that the prediction tool has a trend for overprediction as
expected, because the errors, defined as in (4) are positive. This is more apparent when the
buy and sell prices change from those assumed in the previous results.
Although the following discussion is mainly of theoretical interest, it gives a good insight
into the properties of the process. The Table 5 gives different results for different values of
sell and buy prices. The second column has the same values as the first row of Table 4, but it
is included here for an easier comparison.
We can see in this table that:

1. The revenue when bidding the optimal power is always the highest of the three
possible bids.
2. The revenue is higher when the sell price becomes greater. This means that the
system tends to overpredict, and then, power must be bought at the last moment most
of the times. This need of purchasing is an additional cost that reduces the overall
revenues.
3. When the sell price is equal or lower than the buy price, the revenues are larger when
no updates are made in the intraday markets. This is also a consequence of the
tendency to overpredict, since the error is higher in this last case, as shown in Table
4.

In order to show the bias of the errors and absolute errors, these errors are given in Table
6 and Table 7. In them, the values for the BEST PREDICTION and NO INTRADAY
assumptions given in Table 4 are also included for an easier comparison.
From these tables we may conclude also that:

The lowest errors are always given by the BEST PREDICTION case. This better
performance, however, does not lead to the highest revenues, even compared with
the NO INTRADAY option, if the sell price were higher than the buy price.
The errors from the OPTIMAL case show that with this strategy, the trend to
overpredict of the prediction tool is compensated. When the sell price is higher than
the buy price, the bid tends to be higher than the actual generation. The fact that the
average error is negative when both prices are equal is another consequence of this
trend to overprediction.

Table 6. Average errors for different sell and buy prices (MW)

Buy/Sell prices 1.5/0.5 1/1 0.5/1.5
Optimal -0.3661 -0.2423 0.6255
Best prediction 0.1412
No intraday 0.1619

Table 7. Average absolute errors for different sell and buy prices (MW)

Buy/Sell prices 1.5/0.5 1/1 0.5/1.5
Optimal 1.8722 4.2822 5.5945
Best prediction 1.4132
No intraday 2.0198
4. OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTED MANAGEMENT OF WIND POWER

Geographic distribution of wind farms depend mainly on best wind resource locations
and environmental regulations. Therefore, wind parks are generally concentrated in zones of
the country, where these installations are more profitable. In addition, wind farms should be
connected to the transmission system in buses which can accept non-dispatchable generation
in a secure way. For this, it is frequent to find two or more wind farms injecting power to the
same transmission system node. The wind farms are connected to the transmission bus
through a subtransmission grid, generally including only wind farms. This is the case in
Spain, where the larger installed wind power (4922 MW, 42.4% of the full wind power
installed capacity) is allocated in the North-West side of the country (2007 data, [38]). In this
region, up to 6 wind farms of an average power of 30 MW may inject active power to the
same transmission node. The geographic closeness among the wind producers and their
particular production characteristics have led to create regional Renewable Control Centres or
Delegated Dispatches (DDs), to control the wind farm production. At the moment, DDs
only can include wind power generators linked to the same transmission bus and to proceed in
contingence situations. Spanish System Operator (REE, Red Elctrica de Espaa) had created
a centre called CECRE (Centro de Control para Rgimen Especial), to manage the renewable
production in contingency situations. CECRE coordinates the action of DDs and independent
wind farms (not included in any DD) in contingency situations, receiving information about
the production of the wind farms and setting the maximum admissible active power injections
of wind power in the nodes of the transmission system.
In the next sections, an optimal approach for the DD control actions in contingency
situations is developed, considering the restrictions of the operation and the predictions of
active power production of the wind farms.

4.1. Power Curtailments of Wind Power Production

In the Spanish electrical system, some generators can inject all the available production to
the system in normal situations, independently of the hourly market price. This is the Non-
Dispatched Generation (NDG) of the system. Wind power, solar, hydraulic without regulation
dam and other producers that use fluent or variable renewable energy are included in the
NDG. However, the SO may require a reduction in the production of the NDG, if it is
necessary to prevent risks in the system operation. This decrease can be demanded to the
wind parks if there are not other means to avoid the risks. The following problems could be
cause of NDG reductions [32]:

Congestions in the generation provision: the SO calculates the maximum input of
NDG that the system can absorb, in situations when the power predicted by the NDG
can not be injected into the system, either because of excessive wind power
production or due to restrictions in the transmission grid.
Stability reasons: wind parks are sensitive to temporary voltage reductions (voltage
dips). Reductions in the voltage value (even for periods lower than 100 ms.) could
produce disconnections of older technology wind parks, with the subsequent stability
risks. The SO must calculate the maximum of NDG that could be instantaneously
disconnected by a voltage dip in each bus of the system, without causing stability
problems. In this calculation, the SO must consider the sensitivity of each wind park
to the voltage dips.
Viability of the power system balances: the SO must guarantee both active and
reactive power balances in the system. To perform this task, technical restrictions can
be imposed by the SO to dispatched and not-dispatched generation units. The SO
must consider possible generation surpluses, produced by either generations greater
than forecast or demands lower than the expected loads.

Based on security analyses, the SO calculates at every moment the maximum amount of
NDG that can be safely injected to the system, for each transmission bus of the grid. When a
reduction of the NDG is required in some part of the system, the SO must select which
producers must decrease their production. This assignment involves numerous tasks: the SO
requires accurate predictions of the NDG for the following periods, the producers send the
information to the SO, which collect the data, the SO calculates the required reductions in
each transmission node and finally the SO informs the producers of the generation
maximums. These tasks must be performed generally in critical situations, increasing the
effort of the SO in these circumstances. Therefore, some SO (as REE) had proposed the
creation of regional DDs, to act in such critical situations. When the SO detects the need of a
NDG reduction, communicates to the related DD the maximum of acceptable NDG for the
transmission buses involved. The DD calculates the optimal reduction of the generation in the
transmission bus, informing the producers of the new operational points. DDs operate as
intermediate entities between the SO and the non-dispatched producers, acting (as specified in
the current legislation) only in critical situations. In Spain, the largest amount (54,6%, [28]) of
the NDG corresponds to wind generation. Therefore, in a first step, DDs only could manage
wind power producers, being expected the incorporation of other non-dispatchable producers
in the next years. The first Spanish DDs are (in 2007) being tested and it is expected that
they will be in operation along 2008.
Under the present regulation [32], NDG producers may choose the way in which the
reductions are calculated: either they follow the settings set by the SO, or they associate in a
DD and follow their settings. In the last case, the producer must declare its wish to participate
to the DD, signing an agreement. On the other hand, the SO calculates the required reduction
by following a proportional rule (explained in the following sections of the chapter) while
DDs can use a proportional rule or any other to find the optimal reduction for each of its
members. In any case, the DD calculation methodology must be previously approved by the
SO, and the operational constraints (including the maximum admissible NDG in the
transmission node) must be satisfied. In the next sections, an alternative to the proportional
rule that can be used by the DD is described, considering the different controllability of the
producers.

4.2. Rate of Decrease for Non Dispatchable Generation

Once the maximum of admissible NDG in the transmission buses has been determined,
the SO matches these values with the predicted power injection in the nodes. Both, admissible
NDG and forecasted production should correspond to the same period of the next future. Due
to technological restrictions, there is a delay between the request of reduction and the
effective application of the reduction. In the present analysis, the delay is 15 min. Therefore,
the first period of application of the restriction will be (at least) 15 min. after the calculation.
In the transmission buses in which NDG prediction exceeds the admissible injection, a
reduction of the NDG is necessary. The SO calculates the reduction of the NGD production
bus by bus, using a proportional rule. Suppose that in a bus the prediction for the total
production of the wind farms (
1
ng
Av
Gj
j
P
=
, with
Av
Gj
P the estimation for the available active power
production of the wind farm j and ng the number of wind farms connected to the transmission
bus) in a period of the future exceeds the admissible NDG (
Max
Out
AdP ) in the bus for the same
period, as shown in (7).
1
ng
Av Max
Gj Out
j
P AdP
=
>
(7)

The rate of decrease (DR) can be calculated as (8).

1
if 0.0 1.0 NDG reductions
if 1.0 normal operation
Max
Out
ng
Av
Gj
j
DR AdP
DR
DR
P
=
<
= =

(8)

In (8), when DR varies between 0 and 1 the SO may require reductions in the active
power production of the NDG.
The active power production of producer j can be calculated, using DR, as in (9).

1
Max
Av Av Out
Gj Gj Gj
ng
Av
Gj
j
AdP
P DR P P
P
=
= =
(9)

4.3. Calculation of Power Reduction by the Delegated Dispatches.

When the SO communicates the possible existence of critical situations to the involved
DD, implying probable NDG diminutions, the DD must calculate the reductions needed for
not exceeding AdP
Out
Max
. For this task, the DD may also use a proportional rule, as previously
presented, or any other. However, the calculations performed by the DD and SO may differ in
three points.

a) As presented in previous sections, a reasonably accurate prediction can be obtained
for the average production of the wind farms for the next 15 min. In this period, the
wind power prediction can be considered a known quantity. However, if the security
of the system is evaluated for periods beyond 15 min, uncertainties associated with
wind power previsions could be considered. In this aspect, DD calculations may have
a relative advantage in relation to the prevision performed by the SO. Better
communications with the producers, a better knowledge of the wind characteristics of
the region and the possibility of relating the prediction of a wind farm to the others
suggest that the DD forecasts could be more accurate than the SO predictions.
b) The proportional rate calculated in (8) does not consider the power losses in the
internal grid to the DD. The wind farms are connected to the transmission node
through a distribution network, supervised by the DD. Therefore, the total production
injected into the transmission node is the added production of the generators,
decreased by the losses in the DD internal grid. If the amount of active power losses
in this network is small, (8) is a good approximation. However, if active power losses
represent an appreciable value, the wind productions would be decreased more than
required, causing economic losses to the producers because the injected wind powers
would be below the admissible NDG. An improved proportional rate calculation, that
allows increasing the NDG production to compensate the DD internal losses, is
analyzed in [4].
c) In the DD calculation, the different technological control possibilities of the wind
farms may be considered. When DR is calculated by the DD, the sharing of the
power decrease can be performed only by the controllable wind farms. As presented
in the next section, not all the wind parks can control the active power generation
continuously. The ability of the wind farms to modify the production as wished
depends on the technology implemented in the wind park. Suppose that only m1
wind farms, of the m generators belonging to the DD (m1 m ng), can modify
voluntarily the active power generation in the DD. Also, suppose that a reduction of
the NDG is required in the bus (
1
ng
Av Max
Gj Out
j
P AdP
=
>
). Therefore, the Decrease Rate

considering only m1 controllable generators (DR
m1
) is presented in (10), where
AdP
DD
Max
is the maximum admissible input of DD in the transmission bus.
1
1
1 1
1 1
m
Av
Gj
Max
j
DD
m
m m
Av Av
Gj Gj
j j
DR P
AdP
DR
P P
=
= =
= =

(10)
The reduction effort is only assumed by the m1 controllable generators, as shown
in (11).
( )
1 1
1
1, ... , 1
1, ..., - 1
Max
Av Av DD
m Gj Gj m
Av
Gj
Gj
j
Av
Gj
AdP
DR P P j m
P
P
P j m m
=
= =
(11)
In (11), when the required reduction of the production (
1
m
Av Max
Gj DD
j
P AdP
=

) exceeds
the control capacity of the DD
1
1 1
m m
Av Max Av
Gj DD Gj
j j
P AdP P
= =

>

, the non-controllable
generators of the DD may be called on to switch off the complete production, to
satisfy the SO constraints.
The (m-m1) non-controllable units will compensate the controllable wind farms
for the reduction service, after the operation. Many payment schemes can be used for
this compensation, for instance, to share it proportionally among the non-controllable
generators, or according to the rated power, to the production, or considering
controllability prices, etc. The consideration of controllability (and interruptive)
prices in the payment scheme allows to implement a method based on market rules
within the DD, as shown in next sections. Firstly, a classification of the wind power
generation units, based on their controllability and interruptive abilities, is presented.

4.4. Classification of Wind Power Producers

Three main technologies dominate now the wind turbine market: squirrel cage induction
generators directly coupled to the grid, direct drive synchronous generators and doubly fed
induction generators [31]. The controllability of the wind farm turbines depends on the
technology used. Doubly fed induction generators may vary continuously their production
within their operational limits. This kind of turbines can follow different control strategies, as
shown in [1], [8] and [9].
However, wind producers able to control their production could decide not to participate
in the DD reduction service. Their willingness for active participation in the DD may depend
on the benefits of participating. Therefore, the controllable wind power producer can offer its
production control to the other producers, putting a price to this service, the Controllability
Price.
All the wind farms have the capacity to cut off the complete production, disconnecting
the wind farm from the network. In fact, this is the basic measure that the SO applies to the
wind parks, switching off the parks in the connection bus under contingences. The wind farm
owners can choose between allowing the DD (or the SO) to disconnect them only in very
critical situation, or to put also a price to this service, the Interruptive Price. Partial
curtailments (disconnecting only some of the wind park turbines) could be also possible, but
they have not been considered in the model. However, the consideration of this ability can be
easily included in the formulation.
According to the controllability and the interruptive aptitudes of the wind farms, they can
be classified into the following groups:

Type 1 wind parks offer to the DD both interruptive and controllability prices,
aiming to participate in the control of the DD active power production under
contingencies. Their services will be used if the price they give for them is low
enough. When the wind farm can not be controlled but the producer wants to
participate in the reduction service, by offering its interruptive ability, he may submit
a very high controllability price. In [5], it is shown that the control of the power
factor is necessary to perform an adequate production control. Therefore, Type 1
wind farms can be required to set their production and their power factor, between
the limits imposed by the reactive power production of the generator and the
available wind power. The reactive power control is not paid in the present approach.
However, a payment for reactive power controllability might be included in the
model without problems.
Type 2 wind parks contribute to the operation of the DD by controlling the power
factor of their production. As previously expressed, in the present paper the
contribution of these producers to the system operation is not paid. The active power
output of Type 2 wind farms is the available wind power at the moment.
Type 3 wind parks are producers that cannot, or do not wish to control either their
active power generation or their power factor. The active power delivered by these
wind farms is the available wind power at each instant. The power factor of these
wind farms is one fixed value, according to the existing incentives for power factor
specifications [33].
Type 4 wind parks are those WPG that do not belong to the DD, but that are
connected to the same output transmission bus. Under current regulation, this
situation is possible. Type 4 Wind Parks receive the reduction setting directly from
the SO, who follows a proportional rule (8). Like Type 3 wind farms, the Type 4
wind power producers usually specify a fixed power factor for the production.

Wind parks of Types 2, 3 and 4 may be interrupted, in very critical situations and as last
choice, to solve the SO constraints.

4.5. Optimal Allocation of Power Curtailments under Market Rules

In the power reduction imposed by the SO, all the producers are considered controllable
and with equal controllability cost. Therefore, the reduction effort is equally distributed
among the NDG, using a proportional factor. However, some of the producers can not be
controlled (facing interruptions in critical situations) or do not want to control the production
(because of the management and maintenance costs associated). Furthermore, the
technological alternatives of production introduce different charges for the control actions.
Therefore, the costs for both control and interruptive actions will vary among the producers.
A methodology based in bids is analysed in the present section, considering that the Type 1
wind parks offer within the DD their controllability and interruptive abilities. The prices
submitted by these producers for their controllability and interruptive actions must consider
the following aspects:

Cost of reducing the production: the producers that reduce the generation to reach SO
constraints will decrease the revenue obtained for injecting active power generation
into the system. The price of the NDG depends on the regulation adopted to reward
this kind of generation. In general, to calculate the price of NGD market prices and
possible governmental incentives must be considered.
Management costs: to control the active power generation in a wind farm requires to
monitor the production, to decrease the generation in some of the turbines and
probably to switch off others, when necessary. Besides this, the set-points of the
generators (or electronic devices) must be handled to reach the reactive power
generation required for a secure operation. Specific software, control equipments and
specialized personnel must be employed.
Amortization of the controllability equipments and increased maintenance costs:
possible increments in the maintenance expenses for additional operations and the
amortization of the control devices must be considered in the prices offered for
reduction operations.

To simplify the formulation, maximum ramps for increasing/decreasing generation
between consecutive periods and start-up costs were not considered. These aspects are
generally considered not significant in wind turbines. The next section develops the
mathematical formulation proposed.

4.6. Mathematical Formulation

The mathematical formulation used to distribute optimally the reduction effort among the
DD producers for the next hours, considering prices for controllability and interruptive
services, is presented in equations (12) to (26).

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1 2 3
2
1 1
3 4 4
2 2
1 1
min + cos ...
cos
m m m
Av Av
j j j j Gj Gj j Gj
j j
m m m
Av
j f Gj j Gj
j j
cp CR ip IR P fnp S P
fnc fnp S DR P

+
= =
+
= =
+ +
+

(12)

s.t.
Max
out Out
P AdP (13)

( )
cos , 0
Gi i Di i
S P P V = (14)

( ) sin , 0
Gi i Di i
S Q Q V =
(15)

0
sk
= (16)

cos (1 )
av
Gj j j Gj j
S CR P IR + = (17)

1.0
j
j
av
Gj
CR
IR
P

(18)
1
1
cos ( ) for capacitive
cos ( ) for inductive
f
fpf fpf
fpf fpf
(19)
1
Max
Out
ng
Av
Gj
j
AdP
DR
P
=
=
(20)
cos 0
Gi i
S (21)

min
cos cos
j j

(22)

min max
i i i
V V V
(23)

max max
ik ik ik
T T T i k (24)

0
j
CR
(25)

{ }
0;1
j
IR =
(26)

, 1...
1... 1
i k n
j m
=
=

In equations (12)-(26), cp
j
and CR
j
are the controllability price and controllability
reduction factor of wind producer j, respectively; ip
j
is the price of wind producer j for
disconnection; IR
j
is a binary variable, representing the connection of wind producer j; fnp
and fnc are the weight coefficients for maintaining the active power production (of Types 2, 3
and 4 wind farms) and the power factor (for Types 3 and 4 wind farms) in the specified
values, respectively; DR is the proportional factor, used by Type 4 wind farms to calculate
their required active power production; P
out
is the total active power output of the DD area;
P
Di
and Q
Di
are active and reactive power demands at bus i, respectively; V
i
and
i
are the
module and angle of the bus voltage, respectively, at bus i,
sk
is the voltage angle at the slack
bus; cos
j
min
is the minimum power factor of thej producer; V
i
min
and V
i
max
are minimum and
maximum limits of the voltage module in bus i; T
ik
is the apparent power transmission
between buses i and k;
max
ik
T is the maximum apparent power limit of the transmission line
between buses i and k; fpf is the specified power factor in Types 3 and 4 wind farms; m
(m=m1+m2+m3) is the number of wind farms included in the DD action; m1, m2, m3 and m4
(m4=ng-m) are the numbers of Types 1, 2, 3 and 4 producers; and n is the number of buses at
the internal of the DD system, including the transmission node.
Objective function (12) minimizes the cost for reduction actions, both for interruptive and
controllability procedures. This is the primordial objective of the DD action, to distribute the
reduction effort among the more adequate units. Also, objective function (12) includes some
equality restriction, by using large-value multipliers fnp and fnc. In Types 2 and 3 wind farms,
the active power generation is not controlled; therefore the production must be equal to the
available wind power in each instant. Type 2 and 3 wind farms generate at a fixed production
angle,
f
. Finally, the generation in Type 4 producers is specified by the SO, following a
proportional rule. These equality equations are included in the objective function, instead as
equality constraints, to improve the convergence of the algorithm in very critical situations. In
addition, violations of these equations will show possible corrective alternatives in non
factible solutions.
Restriction (13) includes output restriction specified by the SO for NDG in the
transmission bus. The power flow nonlinear equations within the DD internal grid are shown
in (14) and (15), considering a null value of the voltage angle at the slack bus (16). The
discrete variable IR
j
specifies the unit commitment for the j producer. If IR
j
=1, the j wind
farm is disconnected; if IR
j
=0, the j wind park is connected. In connected wind farms, the
available active power can be decreased in a continuous mode, modifying CR
j
, as shown in
(17). The continuous control CR
j
can only be used in connected producers with IR
j
=0, as
expressed in (18). The fixed production angle for Types 2 and 3 wind farms is calculated in
(19), as function of the specified power factor fpf. The proportional factor DR, used by the SO
in Type 4 wind farms, is obtained in (20), as specified in (8). Minimum values for the active
power production and the power factors of the producers are shown in (21) and (22).
Operational constraints for voltages and apparent power flowing in the transmission lines
within the DD area must be also considered in the model, (23) and (24).
The optimization problem (12)-(26) must be executed for each programming interval of
the future. The model results in a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. It can be
solved by using Branch and Bound, Branch and Cut [6], [7] and [3915], Lagrangian
relaxation [393], [24], [37], [39] and [40] or other methods [26]. In the present case, an
exhaustive enumeration algorithm was implemented [39], [26], due to the low number of
discrete variables. It is reasonable to assume that up to 6 big wind farms may be injecting
power to the same transmission node.

4.7. Test Case

The method was evaluated in a real network, extracted from the Spanish National grid. In
this test case, 6 wind farms inject power into the system through a transmission node. The
main characteristics of the internal grid and the wind farms are shown in Table 8 and Table 9.

Table 8. Internal DD System

From To R [pu] X
L
[pu] B
C
[pu] T
ik
max
[pu]
1 2 0.00132 0.0720 0.0040 14.2
2 3 0.00360 0.1845 0.0008 4.8
2 4 0.00420 0.2153 0.0001 4.4
2 9 0.00500 0.2563 0.0007 2.7
3 5 0.00120 0.0615 0.0010 2.2
3 6 0.00180 0.0692 0.0016 2.4
4 7 0.00160 0.0615 0.0014 2.0
4 8 0.00680 0.0307 0.0020 2.2

Table 9. Buses and Wind Farms

Bus
Producer
Name
Type
P
Gj
Max

[pu]
ip
j
[/MWh] cp
j
[/MWh] B [pu]
1 - - - - - 0.899
2 WG2 1 5.000 75 150 2.100
3 - - - - - 0.000
4 - - - - - 0.000
5 WG5 1 2.000 72 150 0.000
6 WG6 2 2.200 - - 0.000
7 WG7 4 1.800 - - 0.000
8 WG8 1 2.100 82 87 0.049
9 WG9 1 2.500 78 84 0.000

In Table 8, the pu values of the resistance (R), series reactance (X
L
), parallel susceptance
(B
C
) and maximum apparent power flow (T
ij
max
) in the transmission lines of the grid are
shown. Apparent power and voltage bases are 10 MVA and 66 kV, respectively. In the
simulations, the output and slack bus is 1 and the voltages vary between 0.95 and 1.05. As
shown in Table 9, there are 6 wind generators in the test system, with rated capacities P
Gj
Max
.
One of them (at bus 7) does not want to participate in the DD control, although it is injecting
power to the same transmission node (bus 1). Another one (connected to bus 6) only controls
reactive power, injecting all the available active wind power to the grid. The other four aim to
participate in the reduction control, submitting both controllability and interruptive prices to
the DD. The wind power producers at buses 2 and 5 cannot control the active power
production, offering a large value for this service. It must be stressed that the prices presented
in Table 9 are only orientative values, used to show the operation within the DD. In this table,
the compensation susceptance (B) in the buses is also included.
In Figure 26, the test system is represented graphically. Bus 1 is the transmission node, in
which the wind farms inject the production into the system.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Figure 26. Test System.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

[
p
u
]
Period

Available Wind Power in the Type 1 producers.
Admissible Wind Power.

Figure 27. Available and Admissible Wind Powers.
In the present formulation, the solution of optimization problem (12)-(26) provides the
optimal generation profile for one period of 15 minutes. In the next simulations an interval of
8 hours is simulated, solving 32 consecutive optimization problems (one for each 15 minutes
period). In Figure 27, the available and admissible wind powers for each period are shown.
In Figure 27, the available wind power (classified by controllability type) and the output
restriction imposed by the SO are depicted, in all the 32 programming periods. In periods 1-2,
14-16 and 31-32 there are not restrictions for injecting wind power into the transmission
node. In all the others periods, the SO constraints the admissible wind power at different
levels. The available wind power in Type 1 producers constitutes the large amount of
renewable production, resulting of the addition for the previsions of WG2, WG5, WG8 and
WG9. Also, in Figure 27 the available wind powers of Types 2 and 4 wind power producers
are shown. There are not Type 3 wind power producers in the considered system (Table 9). In
Figure 28, the results obtained by solving the optimization problem in each period are shown.
As shown in Figure 28, SO constraints can be solved only by using the combined abilities
of Types 1 and 4. If the admissible wind power is below the available production of the
controllable producers (Types 1 and 4), disconnections of non-controllable Types 2 and 3
may be required.
In the presented simulations, the optimization problem (12)-(26) gives the amount of
generation in Type 4 producers following the SO proportional rule (8), it maintains constant
(if possible) Type 2 active power production and determines the optimal production of the
Type 1 wind power generators. In those periods when a decrease of the total wind power
production is required, it can be observed (Figure 28) that the added production is slightly
higher than the admissible wind power. The optimization problem explicitly considers the
active power losses in the operation, increasing the Type 1 production to closely reach the
admissible wind power limit at the transmission node.
The best combination of generations in the Type 1 productions depends of both
controllability and interruptive abilities of each producer, and the corresponding prices for
these services. In Figure 29 to Figure 33, the production of the controllable producers is
shown.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

[
p
u
]
Period

Figure 28. Production and Admissible Wind Powers.
5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

i
n

W
G
2

[
p
u
]
Period
Av. Wind Power
Wind Power Prod.

Figure 29. Production and Available Wind Power in WG2.
5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

i
n

W
G
5

[
p
u
]
Period
Av. Wind Power
Wind Power Prod.

Two control strategies converge in transmission node 1. WG7 follows the proportional
rule, as calculated by the SO. Therefore, this producer must modify continuously its active
power generation (Figure 31) in all the periods in which restrictions on wind power are
applied. The SO proportional rule (8) depends on the admissible wind power and on the wind
power predictions for the wind farms connected to the same transmission node. Thus, the
decrease rate DR varies in each interval and WG7 must adapt its own generation to this
variation. The other controllable producers (WG2, WG5, WG8 and WG9) are managed by the
DD. Wind power producers with only interruptible abilities (WG2 and WG5) are called on to
switch off the generations when necessary. WG5 (Figure 30), with the lowest interruptible
price, is firstly requested to suspend its generation. Larger wind power reductions demand the
disconnection of WG2. Depending on the intensity of the reduction and the power generation,
other controllable producers (WG8 in periods 5, 6, 27 and 28 and WG9 in periods 25 and 26)
may be called to interrupt their production. The lowest controllability price was offered by
WG9. Therefore, this producer is required to permanently vary the active power generation to
follow, as close as possible, the maximum of available wind power accepted by the system at
bus 1. Only when WG9 is called to interrupt the production (intervals 25 and 26), WG 8 (the
other controllable producer) is requested to control the active power production. As expected,
in the solution of the optimization problem the DD producers without continuous control
abilities (WG2 and WG5) are not called on to control the production at any interval.

5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

i
n

W
G
7

[
p
u
]
Period
Av. Wind Power
Wind Power Prod.

5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

i
n

W
G
8

[
p
u
]
Period
Av. Wind Power
Wind Power Prod.


4.8. Ex-post Analysis. Economic Balance

After the operation, the economic balance for all the participants of the DD must be
settled. The producers that reduced their own generation to match SO requirements must be
rewarded by the others. This operation is performed for each period. As an example, the 5th
period is considered. In Table 10 and Table 11, the productions and flows in this period are
synthesized.

5 10 15 20 25 30
0
0.5
1
1.5
A
c
t
i
v
e

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

i
n

W
G
9

[
p
u
]
Period
Av. Wind Power
Wind Power Prod.

In the 3th column of Table 10, the available wind power of the wind parks is shown. DD
manages 5.05 pu of available wind power and 0.63 pu (of WG7) is directly controlled by the
SO, totalizing 5.68 pu. This total amount of wind power can not be injected into the
transmission grid, due to the imposed restrictions, and should be reduced to 2.2 pu. Following
a proportional repartition, the SO calculates a decrease rate (8), as shown in (27).

6
1
2.2
0.3873
5.68
Max
Out
SO
Av
Gj
j
AdP
DR
P
=
= = =
(27)

Table 10. Active Power Balance at Interval 5. ADP
OUT
MAX
= 2.2 p.u.

Management Producer
P
Gj
Av

[pu]
SO
Proportional
[pu]
Results of
Optimization
[pu]
DD
Proportional
[pu]
P
j
[pu]
SO WG7 0.6300 0.2440 0.2440 -- 0.0000
WG2 1.8500 0.7165 0.0000 0.7240 0.7240
WG5 0.6800 0.2634 0.0000 0.2661 0.2661
WG6 0.8400 0.3254 0.8400 0.3287 -0.5113
WG8 0.5300 0.2053 0.0000 0.2074 0.2074
WG9 1.1500 0.4454 1.1363 0.4500 -0.6863
DD
Total 5.0500 1.9560 1.9763 1.9763 0.0000
Total 5.6800 2.2000 2.2203 -- 0.0000

Table 11. Economic Balance at Interval 5. = 71 /MWh,
DD
= 84 /MWh

Management Producer
SO
Proportional
[]
Results of
Optimization
[]
Reduction
Control []
Total
Remuneration
[]
SO WG7 43.3100 43.3100 -- 43.3100
WG2 127.1788 0.0000 152.0400 152.0400
WG5 46.7535 0.0000 55.8820 55.8820
WG6 57.7585 149.1000 -107.3630 41.7370
WG8 36.4585 0.0000 43.5540 43.5540
WG9 79.0585 201.6933 -144.1130 57.5803
DD
Total 347.1900 350.7933 0.0000 350.7933
Total
390.5000 394.1033 -- 394.1033

Applying DR to the available wind powers, results the SO proportional reduction shown
in 4th column of Table 10. WG7, controlled by the SO, produces (0.38730.63=0.244 pu) in
this period. To match the SO output restriction, the total DD injection should be
(0.38735.05=1.956 pu). The solution of optimization problem (12)-(26) (5th column of Table
10) explicitly considers the losses, therefore the amount generated within the DD is slightly
greater, 1.9763 pu (1% of increased production).
After the operation, the effective contribution of the wind farms to the reduction effort is
calculated. Considering only DD producers and the real generation, the proportional decrease
rate within the DD is obtained in (28).

5
1
1.9763
0.3913
5.05
Max
DD
DD
Av
Gj
j
AdP
DR
P
=
= = =
(28)

In the 6th column of Table 10, the requested reductions (following the DD proportional
rule, (28)) for the DD producers is shown. As shown in the 5th column of this table, the
economic rule used in the optimization problem implies that some producers have increased
reductions and other ones inject all their available wind power. The difference between the
productions calculated using either DD proportional or economical rules is shown in 7th
column of Table 10.
In

Table 11, the economic results are analysed. In the 3th column of the table, the
remuneration obtained by the producers if all of them follow the SO proportional rule is
shown. As an example, considering a market price for the wind power generation injected in
the system of 71 [/MWh] (including possible incentives), a decrease in generation of 0.244
pu in the wind park, with base power of 10 MVA (1 pu = 10 MVA) and a 15 minutes interval
(15 min. = 0.25 hour), WG7 receives (710.244100.25 = 43.31 ). After the optimization
process, the payment obtained by the DD producers for injecting power to the system, at the
market price for wind power generation, is shown in the 4th column of the table. As an
example, WG6 receives (710.84100.25 = 149.1 ). However, these amounts do not consider
the reduction effort performed within the DD. In fact, WG6 should not reduce its generation,
when following the economic rule implemented in the optimization problem. As shown in 7th
column of Table 10, WG6 is not performing its reduction of 0.5113 pu.
The internal price for the DD reduction effort is determined by the highest price unit
required to reduce the production. In the present case, the internal DD reduction price is
specified by the controllability of WG9,
DD
= 84 [/MWh]. Therefore, WG6 should pay to
the DD producers that reduced the production in an amount equal to (840.5113100.25 =
107.36 ). In the 5th column of the

Table 11, the payments and rewards for the reduction effort within the DD producers is
represented. Adding 3th and 5th columns of the table, the total remuneration of the producers
is shown in the 6th column. In synthesis, the formula for calculating the remuneration of a
wind park acting in the DD is presented in (29).

( )
cos cos
Av
j Gj j DD DD Gj Gj j
Profit S DR P S = + (29)

5. CONCLUSION

The high penetration of this resource in the grids has raised concerns about the best way
of integrating it into the power networks. The nature of wind power implies that the power
production is highly changing and that it is difficult to manage with the traditional power
system analysis and control tools. This leads to the need of developing new ones and to
implement operation strategies that facilitate the integration of this clean and renewable
resource without decreasing the efficiency and reliability of power grids.
In the previous sections, some of these new tools have been shown. The short term wind
power prediction tools have been demonstrated to be necessary for the power system
operation in grids with high wind power penetration. They have a reasonable accuracy, and
are easy to implement and include in a power system control centre. When these predictions
are produced for several wind farms, the accuracy of the joint prediction is even greater, and
if predictions for only a wind farm (or a small number of them) are needed, then a higher
detail in the wind farm modelling may lead to an assumable accuracy. This is still an open
field for research, since more intensive computation tools (for numerical weather predictions)
will lead to higher accuracies, and also new statistical and mesoscale models will give better
results, according to the promising results of the research in this subject.
The integration of wind energy is also helped if wind generation participates in electricity
markets as any other kind of generation. This leads to a greater implication of wind power
producers into the system management and operation, and drive them to minimize the
imbalance between the committed and the generated powers. Of course, prediction programs
play a basic role in this participation and this minimization of deviations. It has been shown
that these imbalances, when a prediction program is used, have an assumable cost and that
trading in intraday markets and taking into account the uncertainty of the prediction still
reduces them to a lower value.
The need of keeping power system in a secure operation may lead to wind power
curtailments at some moments. To decide which wind farms must reduce their production
should be decided taking into account the technical possibilities of the wind farms, and the
price that the farm owners give to this control. This is why an optimization process that uses
market mechanisms is an adequate and transparent way of allocating power curtailments
among a group of users. The consequences of following this strategy have been shown in the
previous sections and they are reasonable and easy to accept and understand.
New forms of generation demand a new management of the grid, if we want to keep the
reliability of power networks and to include the renewable sources of energy that are required
by the society.

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SIPRELICO- a wind power prediction system based on fexible combination of
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Dispatched Renewable Generation (in Spanish), BOE n. 254, pp. 37020-37022.
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22886, available on-line in www.boe.es .
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integration of wind energy in electricity markets. Proceedings of the EWEC06.
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International Conference on Clean Electric Power. Renewable Energy Resources
Impact. Capri (Italy). May 2007.
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SIPRELICO, a wind power prediction toll for the Spanish peninsular power system
operation. Proceedings of the 2002 Global Wind Power Conference. Paris (France),
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dispatch incorporating rotor fatigue effect, IEEE Trans. on Power Systems, vol. 9, n.
3, pp. 1539-1545, Aug. 1994.
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[40] Zhuang F. and Galiana F.D., Towards a more rigorous and practical unit commitment
by Lagrange Relaxation, IEEE Trans. on Power Systems, vol.3, n. 2, pp 763-773, May
1988.


Chapter 4

LEAKAGE CURRENT ON HIGH VOLTAGE
CONTAMINATED INSULATORS

P. T. Tsarabaris and C. G. Karagiannopoulos
*

National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., GR 157-80 Athens, Greece

ABSTRACT

The present chapter will present a short review of research work regarding leakage
current. In addition, measurement system of the leakage current is introduced using a
high sampling frequency analogue/digital converter. The application of this system in 20
kV insulators contaminated from a compound of salt and kaolin are described. Using this
system measurement in a time frame of one period (50 Hz) were done and an
investigation of the observed phenomena is attempted with the assistance of i-u
characteristic curves plotted for one cycle of voltage application. The fact that existence
of partial discharges on the surface of the contaminated insulators, beyond threshold field
intensity leads to radiation emission, is also be examined. An estimation of the free
electrons energy has been done and the corresponding emitted radiation which seems to
include acoustic waves, radio waves, microwaves and infrared waves is also examined.
The classification of the leakage current values of a typical porcelain insulator of 20 kV,
contaminated by salt and kaolin, is presented. The classification is based on the
collaboration between the above high precision data acquisition system having high
sampling rate and an unsupervised self-organized neural network. In addition a
simulation model for contaminated insulators is presented. The proposed model will be
provided, together with a mathematical function that simulates the behavior of the dry
band resistance as a function of time, even in cases where arcs or partial discharges
occur. The models parameters of a typical porcelain insulator of 20 kV, contaminated by
salt and kaolin, are presented.

*
Email: ckarag@central.ntua.gr
P. T. Tsarabaris and C. G. Karagiannopoulos 156
1. INTRODUCTION

The flashover is probably the major visible undesirable effect on an insulator, which
results in power loss. This effect usually appears on insulators that operate under adverse
conditions, like industrial areas, near the sea, in a desert or in snow [1-10]. The probability of
a flashover to occur on a contaminated insulator depends on the level and nature of the
insulator surfaces contamination, and also on the wetting conditions [11].
The flashover is the result of a series of other effects, which occur in the following order:
insulator contamination, wetting of contaminants, generation of a thick electrolytic solution,
increase of the leakage current, increase of the temperature, formation of a dry band,
occurrence of partial discharges, occurrence of arcs, and finally the flashover [1].
Research on this phenomenon has been carried out for many years by scientists all over
the world. Test methods have been developed and many papers published. Researchers have
been studying the flashover on contaminated insulators, especially from salt contaminants,
and most of them have worked on the correlation of the voltage level at which the flashover
occurs either with the number of units on the insulator string or with the equivalent pollution
density [2, 6, 7, 11-15]. Other researchers have been working on the correlation of the
precipitation rate with the equivalent salt deposit density [14].
A large part of the bibliography [3, 8, 9, 14, 16-20] concerns the leakage current. There,
has been studied the leakage current of the contaminated insulator in relation to the salinity
[8], the leakage current for salt pollution in relation with time[17], as well as the exposure
time in a foggy place [14]. There has also been recorded the leakage current in insulators
polluted by a combination of salt and desert dust [9], and also in insulators exposed in a
coastal area having snow deposited on their surface [16]. Furthermore, a measurement
method of the leakage current has been proposed, for the calculation of the rms value of the
leakage current [3]. The form of interference in the radio and TV sets in relation with the
form of the leakage current under DC [20] and AC [17, 18] voltage has also been examined.

2. LEAKAGE CURRENT MEASUREMENT AND RECORDING SYSTEMS

In order to record and study the behaviour of parameters what are related with the
contaminated insulator behaviour, many researchers have used various recording and
monitoring systems. The leakage current, speed and direction of wind, relative humidity,
environment and insulators surface temperature, the rainfall and finally the conductivity of
polluted are the parameters commonly recorded because it is accepted that these parameters
has influence on the leakage current behaviour. The presentation of sensors used for the
measurement of speed and direction of wind, relative humidity, environment and insulators
surface temperature, rainfall and conductivity of polluted surface is believed that doesnt fit
the scope of this chapter. For this reason only the common used leakage current sensors
would be presented.
A leakage current recording system composes by the sensor and the recording unit. The
systems used, among other, for the leakage current measurements are given in the following
paragraphs.
Leakage Current on High Voltage Contaminated Insulators 157
Habib et al [21] and Khalifa et al [22] have proposes a monitoring system which gives an
alarm signal when the number of leakage current pulses exceeding a threshold value, exceeds
a predetermined limit. The system uses a toroidal coil, a current pulses comparator, a counter,
a pulses number comparator and finally a circuit for the production of the alarm signal. The
toroidal coil, which operation is based on Hall effect, is used for the current pulses
measurement. The pulse comparator is used for the pulse width comparison concerning a
predetermined threshold (which varies from 45 mA until 1 A or even more). The counter
measures the number of current pulses (for a time interval 4-30 min) which have exceeded the
threshold. Then the comparator compares if the number of current pulses has exceeded the in
advance determined number of pulses and if yes it gives command for alarm.
Vlastos et al [23] have proposed a system for the current pulses recording. The system
uses leakage current measurement sensors, a voltmeter for the measurement of applied
voltage, as well as measurement instruments for speed and direction of wind, atmospheric
pressure as well as rainfall. The outputs of above instruments are connected in a sampling
system of 100 channels. The sampling speed is 30 Hz and each input is sampled once each 10
seconds roughly. The leakage current measurement sensors give as output the biggest price of
current for all the time interval of sampling.
Marrone et al [24] have proposed a recording system for the quantity of insulator surface
pollution. The system is constituted by a surface conductivity recording system.
Richards et al [25] have proposed a system of pollution recording in the insulator surface.
The system is constituted by a leakage current recording system, as well as sensors for the
measurement of relative humidity, the environment temperature, the temperature of insulator
surface (radiation sensor), the speed and the direction of wind, the level of condensation and
the quantity of rain. The current recording measures the biggest value of leakage current for
each half- period of applied alternative voltage.
Gilbert et al [26] have proposed a system of current pulses recording. The system uses a
very small resistance (5 ) for the leakage current measurement, and an integrating circuit
which integrates the current values over a fixed period (10 seconds). The integrated current
values (each 10 seconds) are stored in memory. The system checks also the current values in
the case, where their value exceeds, for three sequentially time intervals ( of 10 seconds), a
predetermined limit, then the system produces a alarm signal for the insulators washing
procedure start up.
Thalassinakis et al [27] have proposed a leakage current monitoring system. The system
is constituted by a leakage current sensor connected with a recorder. The sensor is a high
accuracy Hall effect current transducer. The recorder incorporates an analogue-to-digital
(A/D) converter and a microprocessor data acquisition system, specially designed to record
the leakage current activity on nine different insulators. All captured data are stored in the
system and can be retrieved via an RS232 serial port or via an external dial-up modem. The
sampling rate of the A/D converter of the instrument is 20 kHz and the whole system
accuracy is 0.5% of full scale. The unit is also equipped with 3 voltage inputs in order to
record the three phase to ground voltages through appropriate voltage transformers, 160/3
kV to 120/3 V. The recording system is additionally equipped with weather sensors for
recording humidity, temperature, wind-speed and rainfall.
Williams et al [28] and Sebo et al[29] have proposed a leakage current measurement
systems constituted by a measuring resistance and a digital storage oscilloscope. The leakage
current was observed on the oscilloscope as voltage drop across the measuring resistance.
Sorquist et al [30] have used a digital multimeter connected with a PC for the leakage
current measurement. The multimeter is directly connected to the nonenergized size of the
insulators.
Fernardo et al [31] have proposed a leakage current measurement systems constituted by
a shunt (varied from 2 to 4.7 k), a digital storage oscilloscope and a PC. The leakage
current were observed and saved on the oscilloscope as voltage drop across the shunt.
Tsarabaris et al [3236] have proposed a leakage current recording system. The
measurement circuit is provided schematically in figure 1. The voltage elevation transformer
is supplied by a Variac, thus resulting in a controlled gradual voltage increase. The
transformers secondary coil is connected in parallel with a capacitive voltage divider
composed by capacitors C
1
and C
2
respectively. In parallel with the voltage divider the series
connection of the insulator and the measurement resistance R
m
is coupled. The voltage across
C
2
and R
m
is measured with the use of an A/D converter. The data transfer from the A/D
converter is achieved via an RS 232 connection to a computer where it is recorded and
visually displayed with the use of appropriate software. The technical characteristics of the
capacitors C
1
and C
2
were 224 pF, 100kV / 50 Hz and 2 F, 1000V / 50 Hz respectively. The
values of the above-mentioned capacitors determine the appropriate voltage division ratio, as
the maximum voltage across C
2
must not exceed the permitted input voltage of the A/D
converter. In this case, this maximum value was 5 V. The resistance R
m,
has zero self-
induction and its maximum permitted power is considerably higher than the one imposed by
the measured leakage current. The thermal factor a of the resistance was practically zero.
Applying high voltage techniques the electromagnetic interference from the high voltage
components was eliminated and with a careful screening, low induced voltages caused by
stray magnetic fields, were minimised. The whole sampling system was specifically designed
and released for measuring fast rising voltage profiles and was capable of detecting voltages
as low as 1mV with a typical error 0,1% when the input measured voltage was 1V. The
employed 12 bit A/D converters were of successive approximation type with fast conversion
rate of 0,020sec (2x20 MSPS). The above system has successfully used to measure leakage
current pulses.

Figure 1. Measurement circuit 1: variac, 2: high voltage transformer, C
1
C
2
: voltage divider, Rm:
measuring resistance.
It results that the recording systems proposed among others concern mainly the leakage
current, speed and direction of wind, relative humidity, environment and insulators surface
temperature, the rainfall and finally the conductivity of polluted. From these recordings useful
conclusions can be exported regarding the form and the value of leakage current and the
effect of factors such as the speed and the direction of wind, the relative humidity, the
environment temperature, the rainfall and the conductivity of surface in the leakage current.
Also conclusions can be exported regarding the effect of speed and the direction of wind,
relative humidity, temperature of environment, and rainfall in the conductivity of surface.
These conclusions can help on one side in the planning and the manufacture of the high
voltage insulators and on the other side in the better understanding of mechanisms of
pollution deposition, the leakage current behaviour and flashover.

3. LEAKAGE CURRENT BEHAVIOUR

In the extensive bibliography for the insulator behaviour, a number of researchers [4-6]
for the case of porcelain or glass insulators have studied in detail the form of leakage current.
Woodson and McElroy [4] have used photographic camera for the study of arcs on surface of
polluted porcelain insulator. Their results showed that in the surface arcs are presented having
radial direction. The duration of these arcs depends considerably from the amount of humidity
on the pollution layer. For humidity density in the surface equal to 3 mg / cm
2
the time
duration of arcs is varied between 0.5 and 1 seconds while for density equal to 16 mg / cm
2
time duration of arcs is varied between 2 and 6 seconds. The intensity of above arcs is of the
order of tens or hundreds mA.
Lambeth et al[6], studying the current behaviour during salt fog tests, found that the
current waveform is constituted by regions where the current has very low value (almost zero)
and from parts with sinusoidal form, which are reported as current pulses, the duration and
the width of which depend considerably from the density of salinity contained in the pollution
layer. The time duration of sinusoidal form parts is varied from 5 ms to 7 ms for salinity
density variation from 5 kg / m
3
to 40 kg / m
3
. The corresponding width variation is roughly
between 112.5 mA and 300 mA .
The current study at the phase of ice fusion on ice covered insulators, showed that the
current presents pulses of width of the order of 10 mA and duration roughly 50 seconds as
well as pulses having width of the order of 450 mA and duration of roughly one min. The
vibrations that had width of the order of 10 mA were attributed corona streamers while the
pulses with considerably bigger width in the white arc occurrence [5] between a number of
disks.
According to bibliography [8] the leakage current during one period of time (50 Hz) is
initially practically zero and retains a prominent value only close to the maximum of the
applied voltage. It is also documented that its waveform always consists of pulses appearing
randomly, without discrimination among the pulses [19]. It has been reported [31] that the
leakage current may have sinusoidal form as well as small high-f spikes and long duration
discharges.
At the application of the system in the leakage current measurement on porcelain
insulators of 20 kV, Tsarabaris et al [32] have observed that the leakage current waveform is
constituted of linear regions as well as of small and high amplitude pulses. By observing the
waveforms of the leakage current in relation with the applied voltage (figures 2a and 3a) as
well as the corresponding i-u characteristic curves (figures 2c and 3b), we can distinguish that
the leakage current is zero for values of the applied voltage near zero (figure 2b point A). This
is expected, as the potential difference at the edges of the insulator is too low and thus the
corresponding field is also low.

Figure 2. a,b) Waveforms of leakage current and applied voltage in relation to time. c) i-u characteristic
curves which have been obtained after the elimination of time from the previous measurements.


Figure 3. a) Waveforms of leakage current and applied voltage in relation to time. b) i-u characteristic
curves which have been obtained after the elimination of time from the previous measurements.
The current rises linearly with the increase of the applied voltage up to a point B. This
linearity is obvious in the linear part of the i-u characteristic curves and is represented by
symbol I in figure 2b. This implies that in the A-B area conductivity probably appears at the
surface of the insulator [21]. The conductivity can be probably attributed to the low
conductivity of the solid insulating material of the insulator (porcelain), and also to the
conductivity of the deposits on the insulators surface. The deposits conductivity can be
attributed to the conductivity of the dense electrolytic solution (such as NaCl), which is
formed among the substances of the insulators surface pollution and the water concentrated
on its surface. The ions of the diluted substance obtain higher mobility under the influence of
the potent electric field, causing the appearance of the conductivity[21].
There is a point in the leakage current characteristic, where the current increases
instantaneously, obtaining the shape of high amplitude - negligible width, pulses. The pulses
vary in number and amplitude among different periods (50 Hz). They dont appear
periodically. The leakage current pulses which appear randomly, are assumed to be caused by
partial discharges on the insulators surface, as well as by arcs on the insulators surface
among different disks or across dry bands. This is rational because it is documented [22-25]
that the occurrence of partial discharges is followed by quick current fluctuations of the order
of a few tens of secs. Therefore, a dense spectrum of current pulses may imply that on the
insulator surface there was a high activity of partial discharges and arcs. Looking at the
waveforms of the leakage current on fig. 2a and 3a, we can see that the current pulses can be
split into three categories. In the first category belong pulses with amplitude up to 10 mA and
with negligible width of the order of few sec. In the second category belong pulses with
amplitude over 10 mA and with negligible width as before. In the third category we can find
pulses with amplitude over 10 mA and with significant width usually of the order of a few
thousands of sec. First category pulses are probably caused by the partial discharges,
because their amplitude is small, in contradiction with the pulses of the other two categories,
whose amplitude is quite higher and which are probably caused by arcs. Referring to the
second and third category pulses, those which have the less width are caused by momentary
arcs, whereas those which have significant width are caused by long duration arcs.
Regarding the pulses caused by continuous arcs, they start close to the maximum value of
the applied voltage. Thereafter their amplitude rises linearly up to a maximum value of
approximately 40 mA. After that their amplitude decreases linearly with the applied voltage
and becomes zero when the applied voltage is almost zero. This implies that on the insulators
surface long duration arcs existed which die out when the applied voltage reaches a rather low
value.
The third part of the leakage current half period waveform (area III of figure 2b) is
similar to the first, i.e. leakage current responds almost linearly to the variation of voltage,
due to the existence of conductivity on the insulators surface.

4. RADIATION EMISSION

It has been shown that ageing and penetration of solid insulators during their electrical
strain under high voltage are explained by methods that can be classified into two theories
[37, 38]:

macroscopic theory and
quantum mechanical theory

According to the macroscopic theory, the efforts of research have been aimed at an
equivalent electrical circuit based on the combination of electrical measurements with optical
observations or changes in the surface of the material caused by ageing. From measurements
taken, it was determined that there are 4 basic factors which contribute to the reduction in the
molecular stability of the insulating material and to the change of its molecular structure.
These factors are [37]:

J oule losses
Partial discharges
Coulomb forces
Ambient temperature

The most important factor of ageing is considered to be partial discharges. By the term
partial discharge we mean each local discharge of restricted length in the solid insulator. The
lack of homogeneity in the volume of the solid insulators constitutes the centre of partial
discharges. Furthermore, lack of homogeneity and contaminants on the insulator surface also
constitute centers for the initiation of partial discharges.

( a ) ( b )
Figure 4. Typical waveform of discharge current and the corresponding voltage applied in relation to
time and the corresponding i-u characteristic curves obtained after the elimination of time from the
previous measurements. a. (temperature =20
o
C, pollution =0.1 mg/cm
2
, and relative humidity =80%).
b. (temperature =20
o
C, completely clean, and relative humidity =80%).
The quantum mechanical theory principally concerns the energy of free electrical carriers
(electrons) which are produced during the ageing of the material. The lack of homogeneity
within the solid insulator induces the appearance of disturbance bands between conductivity
and strength bands, which, like intermediate energy levels, facilitate the transmission of
electrons to the conductivity band [37, 38]. A determining factor in the creation of free
electrical carriers is the value of the imposed field [37]. Above a threshold value of the
electric field the electrons acquire increased kinetic energy, which they emit as
electromagnetic radiation when they are absorbed at the anode [38, 39]. The spectrum of the
radiation during insulator ageing ranges from acoustic waves to ultra-violet radiation. [37-
39].
During measurements acquired for an applied voltage of 3 / 20
kV in porcelain post
insulator samples, having a leakage distance of 540 mm, and contamination (with a
compound of salt and kaolin) approximately 0.1 mg/cm
2
, Tsarabaris et al [32] have found that
one region of the leakage current waveform (around the point where the applied voltage
obtains its maximum value), where rapid current fluctuations appear. They presumed that
these fluctuations are generated by non-self-supported discharges [40], where the required
electrical field for the production of free electrical carriers is provided by the field that has
evolved across a dry band. In figure 4a someone can also notice that the current jump
(starting of instabilities) takes place at a distinct threshold value of the applied voltage. This
phenomenon has been observed in solid dielectrics and has extensively analyzed in the
bibliography [40].
Specifically, it is widely accepted that among the quantities of primary interest,
concerning electronic transport in solids, are the carrier mobilities, the majority carrier sign,
the carrier deep trapping lifetime, the efficiency of photogeneration (the number of free
carriers produced per absorbed photon), the surface and bulk recombination lifetime and the
bulk conductivity [41]. In disordered insulating materials, these properties are generally
strong functions of variables such as the applied electric field, the temperature and in some
case the overall geometry. The current-voltage characteristics of dielectrics stressed by high
electric fields is often characterised by current instabilities which may appear beyond a
threshold field intensity [42]. A widely used physical model describing charge transport in
dielectrics is based upon the presence of deep electronic states in their energy gap. It is
believed that electron traps are induced in the band-gap of these materials as a result of
various kinds of defects, e.g. chain folding and branching, carbonyl groups, cavities and
entanglements, unsaturated bonds and molecular oxygen [43]. The current flow (in the low
field region) has mainly been associated with electron hopping conduction and quantum
mechanical tunneling between adjacent electron sites. For higher applied fields, electrons can
gain enough energy to be excited towards wide energy bands allowing kinetic energies of the
order of l0 eV, in which case impact ionization phenomena may become of primary
importance [37, 44]. Theoretical studies, based on quantum mechanics, prove that for an
electron hopping conduction process in a narrow impurity band [45], or for a low-density
electron gas in random potential [46], the electric field will induce composite traps leading to
exponential conductivity decay and N-type negative differential conductance (NDC). For
even higher field values, the free electron concentration becomes larger than the trap density
and electron-electron interaction increases their escape probability, changing N-type NDC to
superlinear or even S-type NDC. Although the above theories were initially developed to
explain ionization phenomena in high field domains of III-V semiconductors [47], they also
appear to be in remarkable agreement with the data obtained experimentally so far [40] of a
large area mechanically contacted MIM structure, when excited by high voltages.
It seems that the dry solid contamination on the insulators surface (dry band), behaves as
a solid dielectric between two electrodes (conducting wet areas on the insulators surface).
This assumption is verified by the fact that non-linear i-u characteristics are not presented in
figure 4b, which represent completely clean insulators. The current-voltage loop observed in
Figure 4b can be attributed to the dry band capacitance. Besides, the hysteresis effect is
frequently noticed on the i-u characteristics obtained to electrode gaps bridged by dielectrics
or vacuum and it has been attributed to the capacitive nature of the structure or even to the
production of photoelectrons by the electrodes or the insulator's surface [48].
According to the previously mentioned model, during the free electrical carriers
incidence onto the positive electrode, their kinetic energy is given in the form of radiation.
This energy is given by the following expression [40]:

) eV (
2
u
W= (1)

where

R i u = (2)

Figure 5. Emitted radiation energy in the case of figures 4a non-self-supporting discharges.
By substituting the term u into equation (1) we obtain the following expression:

) eV (
2
i
R W = (3)

The emitted radiation energy, in the case of figure 4as non-self-supporting discharges, is
given in the histogram in figure 5.
From the calculated emitted radiation energy values, it results that the range during the
non-self-supported discharges mentioned above includes acoustic waves, radio waves,
microwaves and infrared waves. This range is in accordance with the range of the radiation
emitted in the case of partial discharges. Consequently, the fluctuations that appear in figure
4as current waveform are probably due to partial discharges. They could probably take place
on the insulators surface and/or in the bulk of the insulators material. But by observing
figure 4bs current waveform, we can see that no fluctuations appear. This reasonably implies
that partial discharges do not take place in the bulk of the insulators material.

5. CLASSIFICATION OF LEAKAGE CURRENT USING
NEURAL NETWORKS

The application of neural networks in the field of the insulators has been reported a few
years ago. Various systems have been developed for the forecasting of the flashover [49-51],
for the analysis of the surface tracking on solid insulators [52], for the identification of faulty
insulators using corona discharge analysis [53], for the modeling of partial discharges on
epoxy resin post insulators [54], for the inspection of the insulators on a string based on the
texture analysis of the images of the strings units [55],for the modeling of partial discharge
inception and extinction voltages of sheet samples of solid insulating materials [56], for the
ESDD modeling[57] and for the forecasting of number and the place of faults due to
insulators contamination in a distribution network [58]. Fernardo et al [31] have used neural
networks for the evaluation of the harmonic contents (3
rd
and 5
th
harmonics) of leakage
current waveforms of contaminated polymeric surfaces.
The neural networks which have been used are based on the following training
algorithms: back - propagation [ 31, 50-51, 54-58 ] and learning vector quantization [ 31].
From these algorithms, back - propagation requires supervision while learning vector
quantization doesnt [59].
Regarding leakage current Fernardo et al [31] have used neural networks for the
classification of the leakage current half-period waveforms on contaminated polymeric
surfaces.
Tsarabaris et al [35] have used neural networks for the classification of the leakage
current pulses on contaminated insulators. The proposed neural network (NN) is based on the
known from the bibliography as self-organized feature mapping which has been developed
by Kohonen[59, 60]. The neural network consists of the input layer and the output layer. The
input layer includes a single neuron. The output layer is one-dimensional and consists of a
variable number of neurons. The single neuron in the input layer corresponds to anyone of the
input patterns. Each of the output layer neurons corresponds to each class. The output layer
neurons number is variable and is defined by the user each time the training procedure is
executed.
The Euclidean norm between the input vector and the weight vector of the corresponding
neuron is used as the criterion for the selection of the winning neuron.
The normalized values of momentary leakage current values have been considered to be
the input patterns of the neural network. The normalization is carried out using the highest
value among all samples of leakage current that are held for the training. A class is defined as
a fixed region of normalized values of leakage current momentary values which has clearly
defined limits and which doesnt overlap another class. Since a normalized value of a leakage
current momentary value corresponds to a single momentary value of the leakage current, the
input patterns and the classes in which they are classified come from and univocally
correspond to momentary values of the leakage current. Initially, a large number of
measurements of leakage current momentary values were acquired using the system
previously described [32-34]. The contamination of the insulators surface was in the range of
0.10.14 mg/cm
2
[61]. Those measurements, approximately 1.000.000 leakage current
momentary values, were stored in file. These measurements correspond to approximately 100
periods of the leakage current waveform. Then the normalization of all samples of that file
took place, and the normalized samples were stored in a new file.
The neural network was trained using as input patterns the normalized patterns of the
momentary leakage current values. A summary of all the training parameters of the network
is given in Table 1. It is required for the network training that the number of output neurons is
defined. This number expresses the different categories of the leakage current momentary
values.
By observing the waveforms of the leakage current, drawn from measurements, someone
can see that no more than five categories are needed, whereas less than three would be
insufficient. This admission will be checked below. For that reason the NN was trained
separately for three, four and five output neurons. The rest of the parameters remained
unchanged, and are given in Table 1. After the completion of each training process, the
convergence weights that resulted were stored in a file. The above procedure was conducted
in order to choose the appropriate number of output neurons. It decided [35] to adopt the
three output neurons approach.
The limits that determine each class, actually determine which current values belong to
each class. In this way, a categorization of the levels of the leakage current values is achieved.
The case where a large number of classes derived would imply significant fluctuations in the
current values. On the other hand, the existence of only one class would imply absence of
such fluctuations.
The leakage current waveforms seem to present regions with negligible, as well as with
intense current fluctuations. The objective is to make a clear distinction between the current
values that are provocative or non-provocative of fluctuations and if they are, to make a
distinction among the various levels of fluctuation. So, the right determination of the limits of
the classes is particularly important. In order to achieve our objective, the contribution of the
neural network is considered of great importance. The proposed neural network is able to
determine the precise limits of the classes and to do this dynamically. This means that if in the
future we wish to enlarge the training patterns base, then the new training of the network
would result in the recalculation of the classes limits.
From the analysis that was achieved with the use of the NN, it seems that there are three
classes in which the leakage current values can be categorized, which correspond to three
regions of values. Comparing the results with optical observations and observing one typical
waveform of the leakage current (like the waveform in Figure 3a), we can see the existence of
regions where the current presents very small fluctuations, as well as regions with
significantly large fluctuations. In order to investigate this subject, we plotted Figure 6, in
which typical forms of pulses are presented, as they resulted from the measurements that were
performed.
In this figure we can distinguish pulses of small and large amplitudes, as well as parts of
the waveform where no fluctuations are present. Based on the above, it is possible to correlate
the classes (in which the leakage current is classified), with the pulses that are present in the
leakage current waveform. Based on the current value when a pulse occurs, we see that it is
possible to discriminate the pulses into those of small and those of large amplitude. The
classification results that class 2 represents pulses of small amplitude. Similarly, class 1
represents pulses of large amplitude. Class 3, represents the linear region of leakage current
waveform (Figure 3) where no fluctuations appear.

Table 1. The neural networks training parameters

Number of neurons in the output layer Variable
Initial neighborhood All output layers neurons
Minimum neighborhoods Radius 0
Initial weights Between 0 and 1
Initial learning rate 0.9
Amount to change learning rate 0.005
Minimum learning rate 0.005
wlimit 0.001
Maximum number of epochs 2000


Figure 6.Typical forms of pulses resulting from the measurements.
Pulses having high amplitude can be separated into two subcategories, one with short
width and one with long width pulses. This neural network classifies both pulses in the same
class. That was expected, as the classification was based on the amplitude of the leakage
current with the same range of variation. Short and significant width pulses, are probably
caused by momentary and long duration arcs, respectively, due to the large current value.
Therefore, in order to discriminate clearly the pulses according to their width, other additional
parameters of the leakage current waveform must be sought for, which characterize time
duration. This can be a topic for further investigation.
This NN in cooperation with the measurement system previously described (figure 1) can
be used in the approximate calculation of the number of arcs and partial discharges that occur
on the insulators surface for a specific time interval. This can be achieved by calculating the
mean value of the number of measured samples that are acquired throughout the duration of
an arc or partial discharge, and from that the mean time of arc and partial discharge duration,
since we know the sampling rate. From this calculation one can make assumptions about the
insulators deterioration during the presence of arcs and partial discharges, since in the area,
in which an arc is created, erosion on the insulators surface is observed [1] (due to the heat
release). Moreover the system can be used in the calculation of power loss on each insulator,
since both the momentary value of the leakage current and the momentary value of the
applied voltage is known. The power loss can be calculated both for cases of individual arcs
and partial discharges, and also during a specific time period of leakage current.
The system can also be used as alarm device for the washing of insulators, which are in
service in substations. This can be done either by only checking the existence of arcs, or by
counting the number of arcs (exceeding a limit) for a given time period. Finally, the system
can be applied for the study of leakage current in the case of insulators manufactured from
other material (e.g. composite), where the phenomena probably differ, as well as for
insulators which are in service in different high voltage networks (66 kV, 150 kV, 400 kV)
placed in different environments, where the level and the kind of pollution varies.

6. MONTELLING

In the bibliography [62-65], regarding the study of pollution flashover phenomenon
measurements have became and various models for the insulator surface behaviour have been
proposed.
A review of the main mathematical models for pollution flashover has been done by Rizk
[62]. As results from this review the polluted surface can be simulating from an arc in line
with a resistance which represents the resistance of its not short circuit part of the pollution
layer. For the study of longrod insulator behaviour a model of composed layer of pollution
(two layers of pollution in line where one corresponds in the pollution of the cylindrical form
shanks and the other in the pollution of disks) was used. During the study of the resistance of
pollution layer it was considered that in a small region round the points of inception and
extinguishment of the arc the resistance of pollution layer is different from that of rest of
layer. It has been proposed a new relation for the calculation of mean resistance of pollution
layer per unit of creep length which takes into consideration the occurrence of multiple arcs.
Improvement factors of the pollution layer conductivity have also been proposed.
Farzaneh et all [63] and Farzaneh et al [64] using models, based on that of Obenaus [62],
for the simulation of surfaces covered by ice and for the arc that is propagated on them, they
proposed a model for the propagation of discharges on the insulator surface covered by ice
under DC voltage. In their study they used triangular samples of ice. This model allows
among others the resistance determination of the non short circuit part of ice.
Farzaneh et al [65], used a model, similar with that of Obenaus, for the simulation under
AC voltage of surfaces that is ice covered.

Figure 7. Equivalent circuit of a polluted insulator: a) Before the formation of dry bands. b) After the
formation of a dry band. c) The proposed model.
Vosloo and Holtzhausen [66] recently proposed a model of an equivalent circuit of a
contaminated insulator, which is based on daily measurements of the leakage current.
Specifically, the leakage current waveform at which the daily maximum value occurs is
stored. A theoretical model for flashover voltage forecasting has also been proposed [67],
which takes into consideration the re-ignition characteristics of the dry band arcs. In the
above models, the equivalent circuit is mainly composed of the resistance of the conductive
layer on the contaminated insulators surface, which appears to be partly short-circuited along
an area, implying an arc occurrence [66-68].
Tsarabaris et al [36] have proposed a simulation model for contaminated insulators.
Experimentally investigating the behaviour of an insulator, they have seen that, when the
insulator is clean and has no pollution on its surface, it behaves as a capacitor. As pollution is
deposited on its surface, without humidity, it still behaves almost as a capacitor. When, the
humidity level of the pollution on its surface rises because of, for example, hoarfrost, mist,
drizzles, and frost, then an electrolytic solution is formed. This results in the development of a
leakage current. Consequently, at that time the insulator behaves as a capacitor in parallel
with a resistance (Figure 7a). The leakage current through the conductive layer on the
insulators surface results in an increase of temperature near the path of the leakage current.
This causes evaporation and therefore the formation of dry bands. In this case, the equivalent
circuit shown in Figure 7b simulates the insulator. In this circuit
Db Db
R , C are the
insulators dielectric capacity and surface resistance, respectively, in the dry band region,
while
2 1
C , C and
2 1
R , R are the insulators dielectric capacities and surface resistances,
respectively, in the leakage regions on either side of the dry band region. Dry bands tend to
retain the leakage current and at the same time undergo stress from the high voltage drop
along them. It has been suggested that the voltage, which a dry band is stressed with, is
stabilized at a slightly lower value than the threshold required for discharge development in
air. If this unstable equilibrium is perturbed then a discharge will appear along the length of
the dry band and the current pulse intensity will be reduced by the resistance of the residue
polluted surface. The extension of arcs along the length of the dry bands depends on many
factors, mainly the non-uniformity of the surface pollution, the deposit's resistivity and the
peak leakage current value [3,7,69-71].
The development of an arc is simulated by a small value parallel resistance R(t), valid for
the period of the arcs duration. This resistance practically short-circuits the dry band
resistance. Considering that not all the dry band area is short-circuited, although a
considerable part is, the resistance R(t) for the period of the arcs duration must be the
resistance of the non-short-circuited section of the dry band. For the time when no arcs occur,
R(t) must be large, so that its effect in the equivalent circuit will be practically negligible.
From the above, the equivalent circuit of the insulator is as shown in Figure 7c, where
eq
C and
eq
R are the capacitance and resistance of the insulator not involving the dry band
and
Db
C and
Db
R are the capacitance and resistance of the dry band region, respectively.
On the insulators surface and specifically on the dry band not subject to arcing, partial
discharges also occur. The effect of partial discharges on the equivalent circuit of the
insulator is also represented by R(t), which short-circuits for this occasion a rather small part
of the dry band resistance. Because not all dry band is short-circuited, but only a part, R(t) at
the time when partial discharges occur represents the non-short-circuited part of the dry band.
Resistance R(t) that short-circuits a small or considerable part of the dry band, due to
partial discharges or arcs respectively, is a non-linear time dependent resistance. For R(t) the
following formula has been proposed [36]:

( ) ( )
2 2
2 t - t * 2 a
pd
1 t - t * 1 a
arc
e )] 2 r r ( - 1 K [ e )] 1 r r ( - 1 K [ - 1 K ) t ( R + + = - (4)

where K1 is a constant, usually of the order of 10
12
, r1 and r2 are the resistances of the non-
short-circuited part of the dry band in the case of an arc or a partial discharge respectively,
and
arc , pd
r r are the resistances of the partial discharges and arcs, respectively, when one of
them is in progress. The constants a1 and a2 determine the time duration of the pulses, and
have values of the order of 10
14
. Time parameters t1 and t2 correspond to the initial time
when partial discharges and arcs occur, respectively.
The models evaluation, using representative samples of 20 kV porcelain insulators
having contamination on their surface in the range of 0.10.14 mg/cm
2
, results that
resistance
eq
R was found to be of the order of 0.5 M. Resistance
Db
R found to be of the
order of 5 M. Resistance r1 found to be of the order of 50 k. Resistance r2 found to be of
the order of 1.6 . The resistances
arc , pd
r r defined to be of the order of 10 [72]. The
total capacity of the insulator,
sum
C , derived from the bibliography [12] and from the
measurements performed using a Schering Bridge, is of the order of 10 pF.
The capacity
Db
C is of the order of 100 pF. and
eq
C in the order of 11 pF.
This model satisfactorily simulates 20 kV porcelain insulators subjected to partial
discharges and arcs. To further improve the model, a study could be undertaken regarding the
time partial discharges and arcs occur on the dry band. In addition, the behaviour of the
proposed model could be studied for insulators installed in 150 kV and 450 kV networks.

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Chapter 5

USE OF ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLES TO PRODUCE
ELECTRIC POWER FROM WASTE HEAT SOURCES

Pedro J. Mago
*
and Louay M. Chamra

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University
210 Carpenter Engineering Building, P.O. Box ME
Mississippi State, MS 39762-5925, USA

ABSTRACT

Several industrial processes have low-temperature waste heat sources that can not be
efficiently recovered. Low grade waste heat has generally been discarded by industry and
has become an environmental concern because of thermal pollution. A solution for this
problem is the use of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) which can make use of low
temperature waste heat to generate electric power. This chapter presents an ORC analysis
using different types of organic fluids and cycle configurations. Some of the working
fluids under investigation are R134a, R113, R245ca, R245fa, R123, Isobutane, and
Propane, with boiling points between -43C and 48C. These organic working fluids were
selected to evaluate the effect of the fluid boiling point temperature on the performance
of ORCs. The results are compared with those of water under similar conditions. In order
to improve the cycle performance, modified ORC are also investigated. Regenerative
ORCs are analyzed and compared with basic ORCs in order to determine the
configuration that presents the best thermal efficiency with minimum irreversibility. The
evaluation for both configurations is performed using a combined first and second law
analysis by varying certain system operating parameters at various reference temperatures
and pressures. Some of the results show that ORC using R113 as working fluid has the
best thermal efficiency while those using Propane show the worse efficiency. Also, it is
shown that the organic-fluid boiling point has a strong influence on the system thermal
efficiency and the electric power production. In addition, results from these analyses
show that regenerative ORC produces higher efficiency compared to basic ORC.

*
E-mail: mago@me.msstate.edu; Phone: (662) 325-6602 - Fax:(662) 325-7223
E-mail: chamra@me.msstate.edu
Pedro J . Mago and Louay M. Chamra 178
Furthermore, regenerative ORC requires less waste heat to produce the same electric
power with a lower irreversibility. ORCs are good candidates to produce electric power
from low temperature heat sources.

(a)

(b)
Figure 1. Different ORC configurations: (a) basic cycle and (b) regenerative cycle.

Use of Organic Rankine Cycles to Produce Electric Power 179
INTRODUCTION

Low temperature waste heat has been generally discharged in several industrial processes
due to the lack of effective methods to recover it. In addition, the discharged waste heat
contributes to thermal pollution and therefore becomes an environmental problem [Hung et
al., 1997]. Similarly, the increased consumption of fossil fuels has also caused environmental
problems such as ozone depletion, global warming, and air pollution [Yamamoto et al., 2001;
Cong et al., 2005]. A solution for these problems is the use of alternative renewable
technologies that are environment friendly and also are able to recover low temperature waste
heat to generate electricity. One of these technologies can be Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC)
which uses an organic fluid to recover low-temperature waste heat to generate electric power.
The basic principles of ORC are similar to those of the conventional Rankine cycle. The
working fluid is heated to boiling, and the expanding vapor is used to drive a turbine. This
turbine is used to drive a generator to convert the work into electricity. The working-fluid
vapor is condensed back into a liquid and fed back through the system. Schematics of a
simple and a regenerative ORC are shown in Figure 1.
One advantage of using ORC instead of steam Rankine cycles in the energy industry is
that the thermal efficiency becomes economically feasible when organic fluids are used to
recover low grade waste heat [Hung et al., 1997]. ORC can be used in geothermal plants with
low energy content, solar applications, in the recovery and use of waste heat such as
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants (especially those utilizing biomass as fuel), in the
efficiency improvement in power stations [Verschoor and Brouwer, 1995], and general heat
recovery applications from many potential sources. Therefore, the use of ORC to recover
waste heat is favorable in many aspects: better and economical use of the energy as well as
reduce the emission of CO
2
. Some example of low grade waste heat (80-200C) are:
industrial waste streams, solar heat trapped in the collectors, cooling water streams of
stationary diesel engines, the exhaust of diesel engines and biomass, among others.
Another important aspect of the operation of ORCs is the selection of the working fluid.
The organic working fluid must be carefully selected based on safety and technical feasibility.
There is a wide selection of organic fluids that could be used in ORC. Performances and
characteristics of different working fluids for waste heat recovery system can be found in
Maizza and Maizza [1996], Vijayaraghavan and Goswami [2005], and Maizza and Maizza
[2001]. Generally, a good working fluid should exhibits low toxicity, good material
compatibility and fluid stability limits [Niggeman et al., 1978], and low flammability,
corrosion, and fouling characteristics. Refrigerants are good candidates for ORC applications
due to their low toxicity characteristics [Lee at al., 1993]. Another characteristic that must be
considered during the selection of organic fluid is its saturation vapor curve. This
characteristic affects the fluid applicability, cycle efficiency, and arrangement of associated
equipment in a power generation system [Hung, 2001]. The slope of the saturation curve in
the T-s diagram depends on the type of fluid employed. A dry fluid has a positive slope; a wet
fluid has a negative slope; while an isentropic fluid has infinite large slopes. This is explained
in more detail later in this chapter.
Several researchers have investigated the application and performance of ORC. Some of
them are: Hung [2001], Hung et al. [1997], Gurgenci [1996], Yamamoto et al. [2001], Lee et
al. [1988], Larjola [1991], Larjola et al. [1987], and Mago et al. [2007], among others. Mago
et al. [2007] presented an analysis of the performance of ORC using R113 and R134a in
which it was shown that organic fluids can be used to generate power using low-temperature
waste heat. They have also shown that organic fluids must be operated at saturated conditions
to reduce the total irreversibility of the system. Most of the investigations presented by the
above-mentioned researchers have been focused in ORC using basic configuration. In order
to improve the performance of ORCs, different configurations such regenerative ORC have to
be analyzed and compared with basic ORC. Reheat ORCs were not included in this chapter
since the authors determined that the performance of this type of cycles is very similar to the
performance of basic ORC, therefore the analysis presented in this chapter is focused on
regenerative ORCs. The evaluation of regenerative ORCs includes the effect of this
configuration on the overall thermal efficiency of the cycle, the cycle total irreversibility,
amount of waste heat needed to operate the cycle, and system second law efficiency.
Different procedures to perform second law analysis of power cycles can be found in Bejan
[1996], Moran and Shapiro [2003], among others.
This chapter presents a study to evaluate the use of ORC to produce electric power from
low temperature waste heat sources. This study includes the analysis of the change in thermal
efficiency and irreversibility of ORC using different working fluids varying system-operating
parameters at various reference temperatures.

ANALYZING ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLES

To evaluate the performance of electric power generation systems, ORC in this specific
case, thermodynamic models of the different components have to be developed. Although the
analysis of simplified thermodynamic models generally leads only to qualitative conclusion
about the cycle performance, these models allow to evaluate how the changes in operating
parameters affect the actual cycle performance. Also, different parameters can be evaluated to
improve the cycle overall performance by utilizing these models.
The basic principles of ORC are similar to those of the conventional Rankine cycle. The
major difference is that the working fluid in the ORC is an organic fluid which has a lower
boiling point and a higher vapor pressure than that of water, which improves the total
performance of the cycle using low temperature heat sources.
The equations used to determine the cycle efficiencies as well as the cycle irreversibility
for basic and regenerative ORC configurations are presented in this section. Using the First
and Second Laws of Thermodynamics, the performance of ORCs can be evaluated under
various working conditions for different working fluids. The thermodynamic model presented
in this chapter assumes the following: steady state conditions, no pressure drop in the
evaporator, condenser, and pipes, and isentropic efficiencies for the turbine and the pump.
The components of a basic and a regenerative ORCs for converting waste heat into useful
electrical power are shown in Figure 1. As observed in Figure 1(a), basic ORC consists of
four different processes: Process 1-2 (pumping process), Process 2-3 (constant-pressure heat
addition), Process 3-4 (expansion process), and Process 4-1 (constant-pressure heat rejection).
For the regenerative cycle, Figure 1(b), a feed-water heater is incorporated into the ORC. The
vapor extracted from the turbine mixes with the feed-water exiting the pump. Ideally the
mixture leaves the heater as a saturated liquid at the heater pressure. Figure 2 shows a
temperature-entropy diagram corresponding to the ORC configurations shown in Figure 1(a)
and (b).
For each individual component, the first and second laws of thermodynamic are applied
to find the work output, the heat added or rejected, and the components and system
irreversibility. The energy balance equation can be expressed as:

+ = +
o
o
i
i
W E Q E
& &
(1)

where E
i
and E
o
are the energy rate in and out, Q
&
is the heat transfer rate, and W
&
is the power.
The irreversibility rate for uniform flow conditions can be expressed as:

+ = =

j
j
j system
inlet exit o o
T
q
dt
ds
s s m T
dt
dS
T I &
&
(2)

where the subscript j stands for the heat transfer for different reservoirs and the term
( ) 0 = dt ds
system
for steady state conditions.

Basic ORC Figure 1(a)

a. Process 1-2 (Pump)
The liquid leaving the condenser at Point 1 is pumped into the evaporator. Taking a
control volume around the pump, using Equation (1) and assuming a pump isentropic
efficiency, the pump power can be expressed as:

( )
p
s
p
ideal p
p
h h m
W
W

2 1
,

= =
&
&
&
(3)

where
ideal p
W
,
&
is the ideal power of the pump, m& is the working fluid mass flow rate,
p
is
the pump isentropic efficiency, and h
1
and h
2s
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the
inlet and outlet of the pump for the ideal case.
Using Equation (2), the pump irreversibility rate can be determined as:

( )
1 2
s s m T I
o p
= &
&
(4)

where s
1
and s
2
are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the inlet an exit of the pump
for the actual conditions, respectively.

b. Process 2-3 (Evaporator)
The evaporator heats the working fluid at the pump outlet to the turbine inlet condition.
Taking a control volume enclosing the evaporator, the heat transfer rate from the energy
source into the working fluid is given by:

( )
2 3
h h m Q
e
= &
&
(5)

where h
3
and h
2
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the exit and inlet of the evaporator,
respectively.
Using Equation (2), the evaporator irreversibility rate can be determined as:

( )

=
H
o e
T
h h
s s m T I
2 3
2 3
&
&
(6)

where s
3
and s
2
are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the inlet an exit of the
evaporator, respectively, and T
H
is the temperature of the high-temperature heat source. This
temperature is considered to be equal to
H H
T T T + =
3

c. Process 3-4 (Turbine)
Vapor from the evaporator at Point 3, with high temperature and pressure, expands
trough the turbine to produce mechanical work and then is discarded to the condenser at Point
4. For a control volume around the turbine and assuming a turbine isentropic efficiency, the
turbine power is given by:

( )
t s t ideal t t
h h m W W
4 3 ,
= = &
& &
(7)

where
ideal t
W
,
&
is the ideal power of the turbine,
t
is the turbine isentropic efficiency, and h
3
and h
4s
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the inlet and outlet of the turbine for the ideal
case.
The turbine irreversibility rate can be expressed as:

( )
3 4
s s m T I
o t
= &
&
(8)

where s
3
and s
4
are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the inlet an exit of the turbine
for the actual conditions, respectively.

d. Process 4-1 (Condenser)
The condenser heat rejection rate can be expressed as:

( )
4 1
h h m Q
c
= &
&
(9)

The condenser irreversibility rate can be determined from Equation (2) as follows

( )

=
L
o c
T
h h
s s m T I
4 1
4 1
&
&
(10)

where s
1
and s
4
condenser, respectively, and T
L
is the temperature of the low temperature reservoir. This
L L
T T T =
1

e. Cycle Efficiency
The thermal efficiency is defined as the ratio between the net power of the cycle to the
evaporator heat rate. It gives a measure about how much of the waste heat input to the
working fluid passing trough the evaporator is converted to net work output. It can be
expressed as:

e
p t
cycle
Q
W W
&
& &
+
= (11)

Substituting Equations (3), (5), and (7) into Equation (11) the thermal efficiency for a
basic ORC can be write as:

( ) ( )
( )
2 3
1
2 1 4 3
h h
h h h h
p s t s
cycle
+
=

(12)

f. Total Cycle Irreversibly
The total irreversibility can be obtained adding Equations (4), (6), (8), and (10) as
follows:

= + + + = =
L H
o c t e p
j
j cycle
T
h h
T
h h
m T I I I I I I
4 1 2 3
&
& & & & & &
(13)

g. Second Law Efficiency
The second law cycle efficiency can be calculated using the following equation:

( ) ( )
( )
1
2 3
1
2 1 4 3
1
1
+
=
=
H
L
p s t s
H
L
e
net
II
T
T
h h
h h h h
T
T
Q
W

&
&
(14)

h. Electric Generator
The mechanical power produce in the turbine is converted to electric power in the
generator. The total electric power can be expressed as:

( )
generator p t generator net electic
W W W W
& & & &
+ = =
(15)

where
generator
is the generator efficiency.

Regenerative ORC - Figure 1(b)

a. Feed-water Heater
In order to determine the fraction of the flow rate that goes into the feed-water heater and
the fraction that goes into the condenser a mass and energy balance is applied in the feed-
water heater. The fraction of the flow rate that goes into the feed-water heater is given by:

2 6
2 3
1
h h
h h
X
= (16)

b. Pump: (Processes 1-2 and 3-4)
The pump power for Pump I (Process 1-2) can be expressed as:

( ) ( )
p
s
p
ideal p
p
h h m X
W
W

2 1 1
,
1 ,
1
= =
&
&
&
(17)

and the pump power for Pump II (Process 3-4) can be expressed as:

( )
p
s
p
ideal p
p
h h m
W
W

4 3
,
2 ,

= =
&
&
&
(18)

where
ideal p
W
,
&
is the ideal power of the pump, m& is the working fluid mass flow rate,
p
is
the pump isentropic efficiency, h
1
and h
2s
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the inlet
and outlet of Pump I for the ideal case, and h
3
and h
4s
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at
the inlet and outlet of Pump II for the ideal case.
Adding Equations (17) and (18) the total pump power can be determined as:

( )( ) ( )
+
=
p
s s
p
h h h h X
m W
4 3 2 1 1
1
&
&
(19)

Using Equation (2), the total pump irreversibility rate can be expressed as:
( )( ) ( ) [ ]
4 3 2 1 1
1 s s s s X m T I
o p
+ = &
&
(20)

where s
1
and s
2
are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the inlet an exit of Pump I for
the actual conditions, respectively, and s
3
and s
4
are the specific entropies of the working fluid
at the inlet an exit of Pump II for the actual conditions, respectively.
c. Evaporator: (Process 4-5)
The evaporator heat transfer rate can be expressed as:

( )
4 5
h h m Q
e
= &
&
(21)

where h
4
and h
5
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the inlet and exit of the evaporator,
respectively.

The evaporator irreversibility rate can be expressed as:

( )
( )

=
H
o e
T
h h
s s m T I
4 5
4 5
&
&
(22)

where s
4
and s
5
are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the inlet and exit of the
evaporator, respectively, and T
H
is the temperature of the high temperature heat source.
Similarly to the other configurations, this temperature is considered to be equal to
H H
T T T + =
3

d. Turbine: (Processes 5-6 and 5-7)
The turbine power for this configuration is given by:

( ) ( ) [ ]
s s s t t ideal t t
h h X h h m W W
6 7 1 7 5 ,
+ = = &
& &
(23)

where
ideal t
W
,
is the ideal power of the turbine,
t
is the turbine isentropic efficiency, h
5
is the
enthalpy of the working fluid at the inlet of the turbine, and h
6s
and h
7s
are the enthalpies of
the working fluid at the exit of the turbine for the ideal case.
The turbine irreversibility rate can be expressed as:

( ) ( ) [ ]
7 6 1 5 7
s s X s s m T I
o t
+ = &
&
(24)

where s
5
is the specific entropy of the working fluid at the inlet of the turbine, and s
6
and s
7

are the specific entropies of the working fluid at the exit of the turbine for the actual
conditions.

e. Condenser: (Process 7-1)
The condenser heat rate can be expressed as:

( )( )
7 1 1
1 h h X m Q
c
= &
&
(25)

where h
1
and h
7
are the enthalpies of the working fluid at the exit and inlet of the condenser,
respectively.
The condenser irreversibility rate can be expressed as:
( ) ( )

=
L
o c
T
h h
s s X m T I
7 1
7 1 1
1 &
&
(26)

where s
1
and s
7
condenser, respectively, and T
L
is the temperature of the low temperature reservoir. This
L L
T T T =
1

f. Cycle Efficiency
The thermal efficiency can be determined as:

e
p t
cycle
Q
W W
&
& &
+
= (27)

Substituting Equations (19), (21), and (23) into Equation (27) the thermal efficiency of
regenerative ORC can be expressed as

( ) ( ) [ ] ( )( ) ( )
( )
4 5
1
4 3 2 1 1 6 7 1 7 5
1
h h
h h h h X h h X h h
p s s s s s t
cycle
+ + +
=

(28)

g. Total Cycle Irreversibly
The total irreversibility can be obtained adding Equations (20), (22), (24), and (26) as
follows:

( )
( )

=
L H
o cycle
T
h h
X
T
h h
T m I
7 1
1
4 5
1 &
&
(29)

h. Second Law Efficiency
The second law cycle efficiency for the regenerative cycle can be expressed as:

( ) ( ) [ ] ( )( ) ( )
( )

+ + +
=
=

H
L
p s s s s s t
H
L
e
net
II
T
T
h h
h h h h X h h X h h
T
T
Q
W
1
1
1
4 5
1
4 3 2 1 1 6 7 1 7 5

&
&
(30)

i. Electric Generator
similar to the basic ORC the total electric power generation can be determined as:

( )
generator p t generator net electic
W W W W
& & & &
+ = = (31)

where
generator
is the generator efficiency.


WORKING FLUIDS FOR ORC APPLICATIONS

As was mentioned before, one of the most important parameters of the operation of
ORCs is the selection of the organic working fluid. The organic working fluid must be
carefully selected based on safety and technical feasibility. There is a wide selection of
organic fluids that could be used in ORC, however the selection of the working fluid and
other operating conditions has to be taken very seriously in order to have a good system
performance. The proper choice of the working fluid is as important as the waste heat source
temperature for an effective ORC power plant [Liu et al., 2004]. Information regarding
different working fluids that could be used in ORC applications can be found in Maizza and
Maizza [1996], Vijayaraghavan and Goswami [2005], and Maizza and Maizza [2001].
A good working fluid for an ORC system should have the following desirable
characteristics:

(a) (b
Figure 2. Temperature-entropy diagram corresponding to the ORC configurations shown
in Figure 1(a) and (b), respectively.

Small specific volume
Low vapor superheat requirement
Moderate vapor pressure in the heat exchange units
Low viscosity
Surface tension
High thermal conductivity
Suitable thermal stability limits
Compatible with engine materials and lubricating oil
Non corrosive
Non inflammable
Non toxic
Low in cost

In fact no fluid will satisfy all of the above characteristics. Prediction of thermodynamic
capability of substances could help to select potential working media from numerous
compounds. To predict the thermodynamic properties of organic working fluids
thermodynamic models, such as the model proposed by Lee et al. [1993] or commercially
available software, such as REFPROF, could be applied. A detailed list of environmentally
acceptable working fluid with their different characteristics is given by Maizza and Maizza
[1996].
Refrigerants are good candidates for ORC applications due to their low toxicity
characteristics [Lee et al., 1993]. However, because of zero ozone depletion potential (ODP)
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have been predominantly chosen as alternative refrigerants
replacing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Since HFCs
have a high global warming potential (GWP) there is still search for next generation
refrigerants which might have a better cycle performance. It has been found that the presence
of hydrogen bonds in certain molecules such as water, ammonia, and ethanol may result in
wet fluid conditions due to larger vaporizing enthalpy and is regarded as inappropriate for
ORC systems.
Another important characteristic that must be considered during the selection of organic
fluid is its saturation vapor curve. This characteristic affects the fluid applicability, cycle
efficiency, and arrangement of associated equipment in a power generation system [Hung,
2001; Mago et al., 2007]. The slope of the saturation curve in the temperature-entropy (T-s)
diagram depends of the type of fluid employed. A dry fluid has a positive slope( ) 0 > ds dT ;
a wet fluid has a negative slope( ) 0 < ds dT ; while an isentropic fluid has an infinite large
slope ( ) ds dT . Generally, dry and isentropic fluids are better working fluids for an
ORC since they do not condensate after the fluid goes through the turbine [Mago et al., 2007;
Lee et al., 1993]. Also, dry fluids are superheated after isentropic expansion thereby
eliminating the concerns of impingement of liquid droplets on the turbine blades [Liu et al.,
2004]. The comparison of the temperature-entropy diagram for dry, wet, and isentropic fluids
(for a basic ORC) is presented in Figure 3. Properties and classification of some of the
organic working fluids employed in this investigation are presented in Table 1.

T
a
b
l
e

1
.

P
r
o
p
e
r
t
i
e
s

o
f

s
o
m
e

o
r
g
a
n
i
c

w
o
r
k
i
n
g

f
l
u
i
d
s

a
n
d

w
a
t
e
r

C
r
i
t
i
c
a
l

p
r
o
p
e
r
t
i
e
s

R
a
n
g
e

o
f

a
p
p
l
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

F
l
u
i
d

T
y
p
e

M
o
l
e
c
u
l
a
r

W
e
i
g
h
t

(
k
g
/
m
o
l
e
)

B
o
i
l
i
n
g

P
o
i
n
t

(
C
)

P

(
M
P
a
)

T

(
C
)

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
k
g
/
m
3
)

M
i
n
i
m
u
m

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(
C
)

M
a
x
i
m
u
m

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(
C
)

M
a
x
i
m
u
m

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
M
P
a
)

R
1
3
4
a

1

W
e
t

1
0
2
.
0
3

-
2
6
.
0
7

4
.
0
5
9

1
0
1
.
0
6

5
1
1
.
9

-
1
0
3
.
3

1
8
0
.
0

7
0

R
1
1
3

2

D
r
y

1
8
7
.
3
8

4
7
.
5
9

3
.
3
9
2

2
1
4
.
0
6

5
6
0
.
0

-
3
6
.
2

2
5
1
.
9

2
0
0

R
1
2
3

3

D
r
y

1
5
2
.
9
3

2
7
.
8
2

3
.
6
6
2

1
8
3
.
6
8

5
5
0
.
0

-
1
0
7
.
2

3
2
6
.
9

4
0

R
2
4
5
c
a

4
,
5

D
r
y

1
3
4
.
0
5

2
5
.
1
3

3
.
9
2
5

1
7
4
.
4
2

5
2
3
.
6

-
7
3
.
2

2
2
6
.
9

6
0

P
r
o
p
a
n
e

6

W
e
t

4
4
.
1
0

-
4
2
.
0
9

4
.
2
4
8

9
6
.
7
0

2
2
0
.
5

-
1
8
7
.
3

3
2
6
.
9

7
3
3

I
s
o
b
u
t
a
n
e

6

D
r
y

5
8
.
1
2

-
1
1
.
6
1

3
.
6
4

1
3
4
.
7

2
2
4
.
4

-
1
5
9
.
6

3
2
6
.
9

3
5

R
2
4
5
f
a

7

D
r
y

1
3
4
.
0
5

1
4
.
9
0

4
.
2
5

1
5
4
.
0
5

5
1
7
.
0

-
7
3
.
2

2
2
6
.
9

6
0

1

T
i
l
l
n
e
r
-
R
o
t
h
,

R
.

a
n
d

B
a
e
h
r
,

H
.
D
.

1
9
9
4
.

2

M
a
r
x
,

V
.
,

P
r
u
s
s
,

A
.

a
n
d

W
a
g
n
e
r
,

W
.

1
9
9
2
.

3

Y
o
u
n
g
l
o
v
e
,

B
.
A
.

a
n
d

M
c
L
i
n
d
e
n
,

M
.
O
.

1
9
9
4
.

4

H
u
b
e
r
,

M
.
L
.

a
n
d

E
l
y
,

J
.
F
.

1
9
9
4
.

5

D
e
f
i
b
u
a
g
h
,

D
.
R
.
,

G
i
l
l
i
s
,

K
.
A
.
,

M
o
l
d
o
v
e
r
,

M
.
R
.
,

S
c
h
m
i
d
t
,

J
.
W
.
,

a
n
d

W
e
b
e
r
,

L
.
A
.

1
9
9
6
.

6

Y
o
u
n
g
l
o
v
e
,

B
.
A
.

a
n
d

E
l
y
,

J
.
F
.

1
9
8
7
.

7

D
e
f
i
b
a
u
g
h
,

D
.
R
.

a
n
d

M
o
l
d
o
v
e
r
,

M
.
R
.

1
9
9
7
.

The effect of various working fluids on the thermal efficiency and on the total heat
recovery efficiency has been studied by Liu et al. [2004]. The results included:

1) The presence of hydrogen bond in certain molecules such as water, ammonia and
ethanol results in wet fluids due to larger vaporizing enthalpy and is regarded as
inappropriate for the ORC systems.
2) Thermal efficiency for various working fluids is a week function of the critical
temperature regardless of the fact that the thermal efficiency for the working fluids
with the lower critical temperature is lower.
3) In general, the maximum value of total heat recovery efficiency occurs at the
appropriate evaporating temperature that is between the inlet temperature of waste
heat and the condensing temperature. The maximum value of total heat recovery
efficiency increases with the increase of the inlet temperature of the waste heat and
decreases it by using working fluids of the lower critical temperature.

The properties of the working fluid affect the cycle efficiency and capital cost. Therefore,
the selection of a proper working fluid for an ORC is very important since the purpose of the
ORC is to recover low grade heat to produce electric power. The purpose of using ORC will
not be served if proper care is not taken in the selection of the working fluid.

Figure 3. Comparison of the working fluids: (a) dry, (b) isentropic, and (c) wet.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This section presents a study of a basic ORC and the comparison of the basic ORC
performance with the performance of regenerative ORC.

Basic ORC

For the purpose of this study seven organic fluids with different boiling points ranging
from -43C to 48C were employed. These organic fluids are: R134a, R113, R245ca, R245fa,
R123, Isobutane, and Propane. These organic fluids were selected to investigate the effect of
the boiling point and the effect of the fluid classification on the performance of basic ORC.
The selected fluids are dry and wet. Isentropic fluids such as R12 and R22 were not included
since they are being phase-out and replace with alternative refrigerants.
The results for the different organic fluids were compared with those of water under
similar operating conditions. Some of the properties of the fluids used in this section are
presented in Table 1.
To investigate the effect of the turbine inlet temperature on the cycle efficiency, system
specific irreversibility, and second law efficiency the following operating conditions were
used. The evaporator pressure and condenser temperature were kept constant at 1.5 MPa and
298 K, respectively. The isentropic efficiencies of the turbine and pump were 80% and 85%,
respectively, while the temperature differential was kept constant at 15 K for all cases. Figure
3 shows the variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet temperature.
Basically, this figure shows the effect of superheating of the working fluid over the thermal
efficiency of the cycle. The range of temperature used to analyze each fluid varies from the
saturation temperature to the critical temperature. This figure illustrates that the cycle thermal
efficiency for the evaluated organic fluids is a weak function of the turbine inlet temperature
since it remains approximately constant or slightly decreases with the increment of the turbine
inlet temperature. This reflects the fact that organic fluids do not need to be superheated to
increase the cycle thermal efficiency as oppose to water that increasing the inlet turbine
temperature increases the thermal efficiency. Even though only one evaporator pressure is
shown in Figure 3, the authors verified that the performance for other pressures is similar to
the one presented here. Figure 3 can also be used to analyze the influence of the fluid boiling
point temperature on the system thermal efficiency. The boiling point temperatures are shown
next to each fluid in Figure 3. It can be observed that the organic fluid that shows the best
thermal efficiency is R113, which has the highest boiling point among the selected fluids
(47.59C), while the fluid with the worst thermal efficiency is propane, which has the lowest
boiling point temperature (-42.09C). Similar trend is observed for the remaining working
fluids selected in this investigation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the higher the boiling
point temperature of the fluid the better the cycle thermal efficiency. From Figure 3, it can
also be observed that R113 shows the maximum efficiency among the organic fluids for
temperatures above 430 K, while R123, R245ca, and R245fa show the best efficiencies for
temperatures between 380 K and 430 K. For temperatures below 380 K, Isobutane shows the
best efficiency, while water is the best fluid when temperatures go above 470 K for the
analyzed conditions. This figure also illustrates that the selected organic dry fluids (R113,
R123, R245ca, R245fa, and Isobutane) show better performance than the selected organic wet
fluids (R134a and propane). As was mentioned before, one of the reasons dry fluids show
better thermal efficiencies is because they do not condense after the fluid goes through the
turbine as opposed to wet fluids that present condensate after the turbine. However, it is
important to point out here, that independently of the fluid classification, organic fluids can be
used to produce power from low temperature waste heat. However, organic fluids are
restricted to a small range of applicability depending on their thermodynamic conditions.
Figure 4 shows the variation of the system specific irreversibility with the turbine inlet
temperature. It can be observed that the total system irreversibility increases with the
increment of the turbine inlet temperature for all the fluids. The results presented in this figure
show the importance to perform a second law analysis. According to the results presented in
Figure 3 the thermal efficiency is approximately constant with the increment of the turbine
inlet temperature. However, a combine first and second law analysis shows that the best case
scenario is obtained when the fluid is operated at saturated conditions before the turbine. This
yields the same thermal efficiency with lower irreversibility that operating under superheated
conditions. Figure 4 also illustrates how the system with higher (R113) and lower (propane)
thermal efficiencies present the lower and higher irreversibility, respectively. Water shows
higher specific irreversibility compared with the evaluated organic fluids. The effect of the
boiling point temperature in this figure does not present a consistent trend as the one showed
in Figure 3.

Turbine Inlet Temperature (K)
300 350 400 450 500
S
y
s
t
e
m

T
h
e
r
m
a
l

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
R113
R123
R245ca
R245fa
Isobutane
R134a
Propane
Water
T
BP
=99.97C
T
BP
=47.59C
T
BP
=27.82C
T
BP
=14.90C
T
BP
=-11.61C
T
BP
=-42.09C
T
BP
=-26.07C
T
BP
=25.13C

Figure 3. Variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet temperature (P
e
=1.5 MPa
and T
c
=298 K).
300 350 400 450 500
S
y
s
t
e
m

S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

I
r
r
e
v
e
r
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

(
k
J
/
k
g
-
K
)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
R113
R123
R245ca
R245fa
Isobutane
R134a
Propane
Water

Figure 4. Variation of the system irreversibility with the turbine inlet temperature (P
e
=1.5 MPa and
T
c
=298 K).
300 350 400 450 500
S
e
c
o
n
d

L
a
w

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
R113
R123
R245ca
R245fa
Isobutane
R134a
Propane
Water

Figure 5. Variation of the system second law efficiency with the turbine inlet temperature (P
e
=1.5
MPa and T
c
=298 K).
Turbine Inlet Pressure (MPa)
0 1 2 3 4 5
S
y
s
t
e
m

T
h
e
r
m
a
l

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
R113
R123
R245ca
R245fa
Isobutane
R134a
Propane
Water

Figure 6. Variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet pressure (T
c
=298 K).
Figure 5 illustrates the effect of the turbine inlet temperature on the system second law
efficiency. It can be observed that for all the fluids the second law efficiency decreases with
the turbine inlet temperature. These results agree well with the results presented in Figure 4,
since an increment in the system irreversibility yield a decrease in the system second law
efficiency. For temperatures between 430K and 525K, R113 shows the best second law
efficiency, for a range of 400K to 430K, R123 shows the best efficiency; R245ca and R245fa
present the best second law efficiency for temperatures between 380K and 400K. Isobutane
shows the best efficiencies for a temperature range of 360K to 380K, R134a for a temperature
range of 330K to 360K, while propane shows the low second law efficiency among all the
evaluated fluids. The effect of the turbine isentropic efficiency on the system second law
efficiency was also evaluated. It was found that an increment of the turbine isentropic
efficiency represent and increase of the second law efficiency for all the evaluated fluids.
The next parameter to be evaluated is the effect of the turbine inlet pressure on the system
performance. For this case the condenser temperature was kept constant at 298 K, while the
maximum pressure used for each fluid was the critical pressure. The isentropic efficiencies of
the turbine and pump were 80% and 85%, respectively, while the temperature differential was
kept constant at 15 K. Figure 6 illustrates the variation of the system thermal efficiency with
the turbine inlet pressure while keeping the turbine inlet temperature at saturated conditions.
The results are consistent for all the fluids, since the system thermal efficiency increases with
the increment of the turbine inlet pressure for all of them. This can be explained since with
the inlet turbine pressure increase both the net work and the evaporator heat increase.
However, the percentage of increase of the net work is higher than the percentage of increase
of the evaporator heat. Therefore the ratio of the net work and the evaporator heat increases
with the turbine inlet pressure. Similar to the results presented in Figure 3, this figure shows
that R113 has the best performance among the organic fluids for pressures below 3.4 MPa,
R123 and R245ca present the best efficiencies for a range of pressures between 3.4 and 3.6
MPa, while R134a presents the best efficiency for a range of pressure between 3.6 and 4.2
MPa. Water shows the best thermal efficiency under the conditions analyzed in this case. The
trend observed with the boiling point described in Figure 3 is also consistent with the results
presented in this figure.
Figure 7 showed the total specific irreversibility versus the turbine inlet pressure for the
same conditions used to generate Figure 6, for R113, R123, R245fa, and Isobutane. Some of
the fluids were omitted from this figure to improve its readability. It can be observed how the
irreversibility increases with the increment of the turbine pressure for all the fluids. Water
shows the highest irreversibility values and they are not shown in the figure in order to be
able to observe the values for the remaining fluids. Among the organic fluids, Isobutane and
R123 show the highest and lowest irreversibility values, respectively. Similar to Figure 4, the
effect of the boiling point temperature in this figure does not present a consistent trend as the
one showed in previous figures.

0 1 2 3 4 5
S
y
s
t
e
m

S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

I
r
r
e
v
e
r
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

(
k
J
/
k
g
-
K
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
R113
R123
Isobutane
Propane

Figure 7. Variation of the system irreversibility with the turbine inlet pressure (T
c
=298 K) for R113,
R123, R245fa, and Isobutane.
0 1 2 3 4 5
M
a
s
s

F
l
o
w

R
a
t
e

(
k
g
/
s
)
0
2
4
6
8
10
R113
R123
Isobutane
Propane

Figure 8. Mass flow rate needed to produce 100 kW of electric power versus turbine inlet pressure
(T
c
=298 K) for R113, R123, R245fa, and Isobutane.
Condenser Outlet Temperature (K)
275 280 285 290 295 300 305
S
y
s
t
e
m

T
h
e
r
m
a
l

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
10
20
30
40
R113
R123
R245ca
R245fa
Isobutane
R134a
Propane

Figure 9. Variation of the system thermal efficiency with the condenser outlet temperature (P
e
=3
MPa).

The variation of the mass flow rate needed to generate the same electric power output
with the turbine inlet pressure is evaluated in Figure 8. This figure was generated using the
same conditions described in Figure 6 and for a fixed electric power output of 100 kW and
using a generator efficiency of 82%. It can be seen that for all the fluids the mass flow rate
needed to produce the same electric power decreases with the increment of the turbine inlet
pressure. This is due to the increase in the net work of the cycle with the increment in turbine
inlet pressure. From this figure it can be observed that propane requires the highest mass flow
rates among the organic working fluids, while for pressures below and above 1.5 MPa, R113
and Isobutane require the lowest mass flow rates, respectively.
Figure 9 shows the variation of thermal efficiency with the condenser outlet temperature.
This figure was generated keeping the evaporator pressure constant at 3 MPa. The isentropic
efficiencies of the turbine and pump were 80% and 85%, respectively. From this figure it can
be observed that for all the working fluids, the system thermal efficiency decreases linearly
with the increase in condenser outlet temperature. The trend observed in this figure is
consistent with the results shown in Figures 3 and 6 where R113 and R123 show the best
thermal efficiencies while Propane the worse among the evaluated organic fluids. This figure
demonstrates once more the influence of the boiling point on the system thermal efficiency,
since fluids with higher boiling point temperatures have the best thermal efficiency and vice
versa. Figure 10 illustrates the variation of the system second law efficiency with the
condenser outlet temperature for R113, Isobutane, and Propane. Some fluids were left out of
this figure in order to make it clear to read. It can be observed that the second law efficiency
decreases for all the fluids with the increment of the condenser outlet temperature. The results
presented in Figures 9 and 10 indicate that ORC will be more beneficial in places with annual
low ambient temperatures, since it will have higher first and second law efficiencies.

Condenser Outlet Temperature (K)
275 280 285 290 295 300 305
S
e
c
o
n
d

L
a
w

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
R113
Isobutane
R134a
Propane

Figure 10. Variation of the system second law efficiency with the condenser outlet temperature (P
e
=3
MPa) for R113, Isobutane, and Propane.
Regenerative ORC

Previous results showed that dry fluids have a better performance than wet fluids for
basic ORC applications. Therefore, this section focuses on the use of regenerative ORC to
produce electric power using only dry fluids. Four organic dry fluids, with boiling points
ranging from -12C to 48C, were selected: R113, R245ca, R123, and Isobutane. Figure 11
shows the variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet pressure while
keeping the turbine inlet temperature at saturated conditions for the different ORC
configurations (basic and regenerative). For both configurations the condenser temperature
was kept constant at 298 K, while the maximum pressure used for each fluid was the critical
pressure. The isentropic efficiencies of the turbine and pump were 80% and 85%,
respectively, while the temperature differential was kept constant at 15 K. Figure 11
demonstrates that the system thermal efficiency increases with the increment of the turbine
inlet pressure, the results are consistent for all the fluids used in both configurations. This
figure illustrates that for both configurations, the fluid that shows the best thermal efficiency
is R113, which has the highest boiling point among the selected fluids (47.59C), while the
fluid with the worst thermal efficiency is isobutane, which has the lowest boiling point
temperature (-11.61C). Similar trend is observed for the remaining working fluids selected in
this investigation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the higher the boiling point temperature
of the fluid the better the cycle thermal efficiency for both basic and regenerative cycle.

1 2 3 4
T
h
e
r
m
a
l

S
y
s
t
e
m

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
R113
R245ca
R123
Isobutane
(a)
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
S
y
s
t
e
m

T
h
e
r
m
a
l

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
R113
R123
Isobutane
R245ca
(b)
Figure 11. Variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet pressure for different ORC
configurations (T
c
=298 K): (a) basic and (b) regenerative.
Figure 12 shows a comparison of the system thermal efficiency for the two cases
presented in Figure 11. This comparison was performed for R113 and Isobutane since they
represent the best and worst case, respectively. The regenerative ORC shows better thermal
efficiencies than basic ORC for both fluids. Regenerative ORC using R113 shows an increase
of 13.4% to 16% for the lowest and highest turbine inlet pressure, respectively. On the other
hand, isobutane shows an increase of 6% to 8.5% for the lowest and highest pressure,
respectively. These results clearly demonstrate that using regenerative ORC the system
thermal efficiency of the basic ORC can be increased. It is also important to point out, that the
use of regenerative ORC is not justified for all fluids from the thermal efficiency point of
view, since the difference between this configuration and basic ORC is sometimes negligible
for some organic fluids. However, there are other parameters to be considered in this analysis,
such as: the total irreversibility of the system, second law efficiency, and the amount of heat
required to produce the same electric power, that can add additional benefits to the use of
regenerative ORC.
Figure 13 shows the variation of the system specific irreversibility using R113 with the
turbine inlet pressure under the same conditions used to generate the results shown in Figure
11. R113 was the only organic fluid included to improve the readability of the figure. It can
be observed that the total system irreversibility increases with increasing turbine inlet
pressures for both configurations. A comparison between the two configurations shows that
regenerative ORC has approximately 42% less specific irreversibility than basic ORC for the
pressure range evaluated in this chapter.

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
T
h
e
r
m
a
l

S
y
s
t
e
m

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
R113 - Basic
R113 - Regenerative
Isobutane - Basic
Isobutane - Regenerative

Figure 12. Comparison of the two ORC configurations for R113 and Isobutane (T
c
=298 K).
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
I
r
r
e
v
e
r
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
y

(
k
J
/
k
g

K
)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Basic ORC
Regenerative ORC

Figure 13. Variation of the specific system irreversibility with the turbine inlet pressure for R113
(Tc =298 K).
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
S
e
c
o
n
d

L
a
w

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Basic ORC
Regenerative ORC

Figure 14. Variation of the system second law efficiency with the turbine inlet pressure for R113 (Tc =
298 K).
Figure 14 illustrates the variation of the system second law efficiency with the turbine
inlet pressure for R113 for both ORC configurations. It can be observed that for both
configurations the second law efficiency decrease with the increment in the turbine inlet
pressure. The results presented in this figure agree well with the results presented in Figure
12, since an increment in the system irreversibility represent a decrease in the system second
law efficiency. It can also be seen that the second law efficiency obtained for regenerative
ORC are higher than those obtained for basic ORC. For low inlet turbine pressures the second
law efficiencies for regenerative ORC using R113 are approximately 12% higher than those
obtained for basic ORC, while for high inlet turbine pressures the second law efficiencies for
regenerative ORC are approximately 17% higher than those obtained for basic ORC. Figures
13 and 14 exhibit the importance of performing a second law analysis. According to the
results presented in Figure 12 using regenerative ORC, employing R113, the thermal
efficiency can be increased by approximately 15% compared with basic ORC. However, a
combined first and second law analysis shows that using regenerative ORC not only increases
the system thermal efficiency but also reduces the system irreversibility by 42%, or increases
the second law efficiency by an average of 14.5% compared with basic ORC.
The heat transfer rate required in the evaporator to generate the same power output with
the turbine inlet pressure is evaluated in Figure 15. This figure was generated using R113 for
the different configurations using the same conditions described in Figure 3, and for an
electric power output of 100 kW, with a typical generator efficiency of 82%. The generator
efficiency is defined as the ratio of the electric power and the net power produced by the
ORC. It can be seen that for R113 the evaporator heat rate needed decreases with increasing
turbine inlet pressures. This is due to the decrease in the mass flow rate needed and the
increase in the net work of the cycle with the increment in turbine inlet pressure. Figure 15
demonstrates that regenerative ORC required lower heat rates compared to basic ORC to
produce the same power. The amount of heat required for regenerative ORC is 7.5% to 9.7%
less than the heat required for a basic ORC, for the lowest and highest turbine inlet pressures,
respectively. From Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 it can be concluded that regenerative ORC not
only increases the first and second law efficiencies but also decreases the amount of heat
required and system irreversibility to produce the same power output as compared with basic
ORC.
Figure 16 shows the mass flow rate needed for R113, to produce the same electric power,
for the cases analyzed in Figure 15. It can be seen that the required mass flow rate decreases
with the increment of the turbine inlet pressure. This is due to the increase in the net work of
the cycle with the increment in turbine inlet pressure. Another interesting point is that the
basic configuration requires lower mass flow rates compared to regenerative ORC. This can
be explained since basic ORC generates higher specific net works than regenerative ORC.
However, the ratio between the net work and the total heat input (thermal efficiency) is lower
for this configuration than for the regenerative ORC.

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
H
e
a
t

R
a
t
e

R
e
q
u
i
r
e
d

(
k
W
)
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Basic ORC
Regenerative ORC

Figure 15. Variation of the heat transfer rate required in the evaporator to produce 100 kW of electric
power with the turbine inlet pressure for R113 (Tc =298 K).
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
M
a
s
s

F
l
o
w

R
a
t
e

(
k
g
/
s
)
0
1
2
3
4
5
Basic ORC
Regenerative ORC

Figure 16. Variation of the mass flow rates required to produce 100 kW of electric power with the
turbine inlet pressure for R113 (Tc =298 K).
Figure 17 shows the variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet
temperature. To generate this figure, the evaporator pressure and condenser temperature were
kept constant at 2 MPa and 298 K, respectively. Similar to the previous case, the isentropic
efficiencies of the turbine and pump were maintained at 80% and 85%, respectively, and the
temperature differential was kept constant at 15 K for all cases. This figure shows the effect
of superheating the working fluid on the thermal efficiency of the cycle. The temperature
range for each fluid used to analyze the different configurations is from the saturation
temperature to the critical temperature. Figure 17 illustrates that the efficiency of the cycle
slightly decreases for some fluids or remains approximately constant for others with the
increment of the turbine inlet temperature for all the configurations. This reflects the fact that
organic fluids do not need to be superheated to increase the cycle thermal efficiency as
opposed to water where increasing the inlet turbine temperature increases the thermal
efficiency. The trend observed with the boiling point described in Figure 12 is also consistent
with the results presented in this figure. Figure 17 demonstrates that regenerative ORC has
the best thermal efficiency for the analyzed organic fluids. Among the three organic fluids
included in this figure, R113 shows the maximum efficiencies for temperatures above 450 K.
R123 shows the best efficiencies for temperatures between 420 K and 450 K, while Isobutane
is the best fluid for temperatures between 375 K and 410 K. It is important to point out here,
how organic fluids can be used to produce power from low temperature waste heat; however,
organic fluids are restricted to a small range of applicability depending on their
thermodynamic conditions.

340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500
S
y
s
t
e
m

T
h
e
m
a
l

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
R113 - Basic
R113 - Regenerative
R123 - Basic
R123 - Regenerative
Isobutane - Basic
Isobutane - Regenerative
Isobutane

R123
R113

Figure 17. Variation of the system thermal efficiency with the turbine inlet temperature (Pe =2 MPa).
450 455 460 465 470 475 480 485
S
e
c
o
n
d

L
a
w

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Basic ORC
Regenerative ORC

Figure 18. Variation of the system second law efficiency with the turbine inlet temperature for R113
(Pe =2 MPa).
Figure 18 shows the variation of the system second law efficiency with the turbine inlet
temperature using R113 for both configurations. It can be observed that for both
configurations the second law efficiency decreases with the turbine inlet temperature.
Regenerative ORC shows an increase on the second law efficiency of about 14% compared
with the basic ORC. According to the results presented in Figure 17, the thermal efficiency is
approximately constant with the increment of the turbine inlet temperature. However, a
combined first and second law analysis shows that the best case scenario is obtained when the
fluid is operated at saturated conditions before the turbine since this produces the same
thermal efficiency with lower irreversibility and higher second law efficiencies than operating
under superheating conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper presents an analysis of the performance of basic and regenerative ORC to
produce electric power. This analysis was based on the first and second laws of
thermodynamics, and parameters such as thermal efficiency, irreversibility, and second law
efficiency were evaluated and compared with the results for water under the same conditions.
It was shown that the examined organic fluids could be used to generate power using low-
temperature waste heat.
Organic fluids do not need to be superheated since the cycle thermal efficiency remains
approximately constant when the inlet temperature of the turbine is increased. However, using
the second law analysis it can be seen that superheating organic fluids increases the
irreversibility. Therefore, organic fluids must be operated at saturated conditions to reduce the
total irreversibility of the system. It can also be concluded, that the thermal efficiency of ORC
increases when the condenser temperature is decreased. Therefore, using ORC in locations
with low ambient temperatures will be more effective. Organic dry fluids (R113, R123,
R245ca, R245fa, and Isobutane) show better performance than wet fluids (R134a and
Propane). This is due because they do not condense after the fluid goes through the turbine as
opposed to wet fluids that present condensate after the turbine.
It was shown that regenerative ORC not only has higher first and second law efficiencies
than basic ORC but it has lower irreversibility, and lower heat required to produce the same
power. Dry organic fluids do not need to be superheated since the cycle thermal efficiency
remains approximately constant when the inlet temperature of the turbine is increased.
Moreover, second law analysis showed that superheating organic fluids increases the
irreversibility and decreases the second law efficiency. Therefore, organic fluids should be
operated at saturated conditions to reduce the total irreversibility of the system.
The influence of the boiling point temperature on the system thermal efficiency for both
configurations was determined. The fluid that shows the best thermal efficiency is the one
that has the highest boiling point among the selected fluids (R113, T
bp
=47.59C), while the
fluid with the worst thermal efficiency has the lowest boiling point temperature (Propane,
T
bp
=-42.09C). Therefore it can be concluded that the higher the boiling point temperature of
the organic fluid the better the thermal efficiency that will be achieve by the ORC.
For the different scenarios analyzed in this investigation, ORC using R113 show the best
thermal efficiency while those using Propane show the worse efficiencies. However, it is
important to point out that some organic fluids show better performance within a range of
temperature. Therefore, designers have to closely monitor the operation conditions in order to
select the right organic fluid.

NOMENCLATURE

h specific enthalpy, kJ /kg
I
&
Irreversibility rate, kW
m& mass flow rate, kg/s
efficiency, %
q specific heat, kJ /kg
Q
&
heat rate, kW
S entropy, kJ/K
s specific entropy, kJ /kg K
T temperature, K
T
BP
Boiling Point Temperature,

C
T
H
temperature of the high-temperature reservoir, K
T
L
temperature of the low-temperature reservoir, K
T temperature differential, K
W
&
power, kW
Subscripts:
c condenser
cycle cycle
e evaporator
exit exit conditions
generator generator
II second law
ideal isentropic case
inlet inlet conditions
p pump
o ambient
t turbine

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propane, isobutane and normal butane. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1987, Ref. Data
16, 577-798.


Chapter 6

REAL TIME CONGESTION MONITORING
AND MANAGEMENT OF POWER SYSTEMS

Jizhong Zhu
*

AREVA T&D Corporation, 10865 Willows Road, NE
Redmond, WA 98052, USA

ABSTRACT

Power systems operation data could include a large list of variables. The power
system uncertainties as well as restructuring are introducing new class of dynamic
phenomena into the power grid and substantially increasing the data requirements for real
time congestion monitoring and management (RTCMM). Generating units and customer
load respond to market signals that are affected by grid conditions, such as congestion.
One of the most visible impacts is the increased volatility in the system, which results in
the increased volumes of data to manage. The increasingly severe data overwhelm
problem results in many challenges in terms of development of effective analytical and
software tools. The information availability is also an issue. Secure operations under open
access require the widespread availability of real time information about physical, as
distinct from financial, variables. Unfortunately, the competitive environment is not
conductive to information sharing. For example, data for state estimation is becoming
increasingly difficult to obtain because of some uncertain factors or the ability of that
data to reveal sensitive financial information. Consequently, state estimation may be
failed or couldnt be solved, which increases the difficult to analyze the behavior of real
time system operations. Another challenge in real time congestion monitoring and
management is to design real time controls to maintain the security and reliability of the
grid under the market condition and the contingency condition as well as uncertain
environment.
The implementations of real time congestion monitoring and management are
discussed in the chapter.

*
jizhong.zhu@areva-td.com
J izhong Zhu 210
I. INTRODUCTION

The electric power industry is widely changing under the pressure of various driving
forces and we can foresee that those changes will become even wider in the near future. This
is mainly because of the impact of many uncertainty factors and external factors related to the
environment of this industry. Therefore, modern power systems are facing many new
challenges, owing to environment and market pressures, as well as more uncertainties or/and
inaccuracies [1-4]. Environment pressure implies more loaded networks, market pressure
increases competition, while uncertainty and inaccuracy increase the complexity of operation
and planning. Consequently, these new challenges have huge and direct impacts on the
security and reliability of power systems. Especially, August 14s collapse of the electric grid
in 2003 caused the largest blackout in US history, knocking more than 100 power plants
offline and leaving 50 million customers in the US and Canada without power. An extensive
investigation on what happened (and why) began immediately after the blackout. The joint
U.S. Canada task force led the effort, including support from the electric utility industry and
several federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy. The North American Electric
Reliability Council (NERC) supported the task force. The overall blackout investigation team
drew expertise from a large number of organizations, assembled into teams to address specific
attributes of the blackout [5]. The related investigation reports were issued [6-10]. The old
transmission systems that were built in the 60s or 70s are blamed for this outage. Certainly,
it is time to upgrade and modernize the transmission system. But it is more important to
predict and avoid ahead of real time risks to the existing grid, or help the analysis of the real
time situation in order to minimize the damage or provide the useful information on how to
upgrade the grid. In addition, several blackouts also happened in the other countries at the
same year [11-12]. Thus, blackouts occur in the electric power grids for a variety of reasons
that include lack of investments in transmission network, control equipment failure, human
errors, atmospheric phenomena, etc. A number of discussions and analysis on the causes of
the blackout and on how to improve the secure operation of power system were presented in
the papers and reports. [5-12].
The new challenges in modern power systems and recent blackouts raise some high
requirements for modern power systems operation and control, i.e.

d) A stronger expectation from customers for higher reliability and quality of supply
owing to the uncertainty factors as well as the increase of the share of electrical
power in their overall energy consumption.
e) More electricity exchanges across large geographical areas resulting from a greater
cooperation in the electricity market and greater competition in the energy market.
There also exist lots of uncertainties both in the electricity market and energy
markets.
f) Low production fuel cost and low price of electricity are needed in order to achieve
the competitive strength in the energy market.

Furthermore, we can guarantee or say only one thing with absolute certainty in the
modern electrical power industry: we are living and working with many unknowns [2].
Especially in modern power system operation, the several inaccuracies and uncertainties will
Real Time Congestion Monitoring and Management of Power Systems 211
lead to deviation from operation and planning. These are mainly on the one hand the
inaccuracies and uncertainties in the input information, which is needed by the operation and
planning and on the other hand the modeling and solution inaccuracies. Therefore, it is very
important to analyze the uncertainty in modern power system operation and to use the
available controls to make sure the security and reliability of power systems. The real time
congestion monitoring and management (RTCMM) of power systems is for this purpose. The
RTCMM system will be a collection of analysis, processes, computing equipment,
measurement devices and communications that are assembled to provide the means to
maintain a secure system state. The objectives of RTCMM are to:

identify key issues of concern in real time congestion monitoring and management
Identify the issues and define the research scopes to meet the needs of real time
secure operation and transmission loading relief.
Analyze and evaluate possible strategies for effectively meeting the challenges in
RTCMM.
Implement visualization based on the obtained information from the RTCMM
system.

II. CHALLENGES IN RTCMM

Power systems operation data could include a large list of variables. The power system
uncertainties as well as restructuring are introducing new class of dynamic phenomena into
the power grid and substantially increasing the data requirements for RTCMM. Generating
units and customer load respond to market signals that are affected by grid conditions, such as
congestion. One of the most visible impacts is the increased volatility in the system, which
results in the increased volumes of data to manage. The increasingly severe data overwhelm
problem results in many challenges in terms of development of effective analytical and
software tools. The information availability is also an issue. Secure operations under open
access require widespread availability of real time information about physical, as distinct
from financial, variables. Unfortunately, the competitive environment is not conductive to
information sharing. For example, data for state estimation is becoming increasingly difficult
to obtain because of some uncertain factors or the ability of that data to reveal sensitive
financial information. Consequently, state estimation may be failed or couldnt be solved,
which increases the difficult to analyze the behavior of real time system operations. Another
challenge in RTCMM is to design real time controls to maintain the security and reliability of
the grid under the market condition and the contingency condition. The focuses of RTCMM
are:

Analysis and handling of the uncertainties in power systems.
Developing new performance indices for congestion monitoring or assessment.
Developing new indices for system stability and reliability assessment.
Analysis of available transmission capacity (ATC) of system.
Improving the transmission reliability through real time control and thereby
increasing ATC.
J izhong Zhu 212
Assessment and selection of the available real time controls for ensuring the security
and reliability of the system.
Pareto analysis and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the selected control strategies.
Determining the best control for transmission load relief and reliability enhancement
based on the benefit-cost-ratio (BCR).
Data visualization for demonstrating the analysis results.

III. DEFINITION OF UNCERTAINTY

Planning process of the regulated utilities does not capture the uncertainties in the
operation and planning of power systems. Especially, the factors of uncertainties are
increasing as the utility industry undergoes restructuring. There are two kinds of uncertainties
in power systems operation and planning [4]:

4) Uncertainty in a mathematical sense, which means difference between measured,
estimated values and true values, includes errors in observation or calculation;
5) Sources of uncertainty, including transmission capacity, generation availability, load
requirements, unplanned outages, market rules, fuel price, energy price, market
forces, weather and other interruption, etc.

These uncertainties will affect power systems planning and operation on the following
aspects:

Entry of new energy producing / trading participants
Increases in regional and intra-regional power transactions
Increasingly sensitive loads
New types and numbers of generation resources

IV. APPROACHES TO HANDLE UNCERTAINTY

Since the uncertainties affect power systems planning and operation, it is therefore very
important and urgent to investigate the uncertainties and to develop efficient and reliable
methods to reflect them in security assessment, reactive power planning and generator
scheduling problems in power systems.

4.1. Uncertainty Power Flow Analysis

In the general power flow analysis, the input variables to the power flow problem are
assumed deterministically known. The practical operation conditions with uncertainty factors
are not considered. Consequently, the power flow results may not reflect the real status of
system operation. This limitation will be overcome if a probabilistic approach or a fuzzy
approach is applied.
Probabilistic power flow (PPF) provides the complete spectrum of all probable values of
output variables. Like bus voltages and flows, with their respective probabilities taking into
account generation unit unavailability, load uncertainty, dispatching criteria effects and
topological variations [13-15]. But PPF calculation is mainly based on the mean and variance
of uncertain variables. These still exists some limitations in PPF. Fuzzy power flow may be a
better method to deal with the uncertainty in PPF. Especially, it is needed to develop a fuzzy-
stochastic power flow (FSPF) method. PSPE will be an appropriate technique to study
uncertainty power flow because in the practical power systems, some load is fuzzy one in
some case [16], and some load is stochastic [14], or some load is both fuzzy and stochastic.

4.2. Steady-State Security Regions with Uncertainty

In steady-state security analysis, a large number of repeated load flow studies must be
performed. The situation will be even more severe when load changes need to be considered.
It can also be anticipated that with the uncertainty of the amount and location of the loads in
the system, the complexity of the security assessment problem and required computation
burden will be increased greatly.
To reduce the computation amount of the steady-state security assessment, the approach
of steady-state security regions is a good one for this aim [17-24]. The previous security
regions, which were formed by using valid system operation constraints, were found to be too
implicit and difficulty to be used in power systems operation. In order to overcome the
disadvantages of the earlier methods, Wu et al [22] suggested a hyper-box to approximately
express the steady-state security regions. However, Wus security region was too
conservative. Liu improved the hyper-box approach having developed an expanding method
to obtain the hyper-box, which tends to the maximal region [23]. The expanding speed,
however, was very slow due to the adoption of a fixed expanding step. Moreover, the N-1
security constraints and uncertainty factors have not been considered in Lius work. This
means that the obtained security region based on Lius approach is either impractical or still
conservative.
A new approach to compute the maximal steady-state security regions of power systems
is presented by Zhu [24]. The method is based on fuzzy theory and optimization approach.
The fuzzy branch flow constraints and N-1 security are also introduced in that paper. The
maximal steady-state security region hyper-box is directly computed through a linear
programming (LP) model, in which the upper and lower limits of each component forming
hyper-box are taken as unknown variables, and the objective is to maximize the sum of
generators power adjustment ranges.

4.3. Optimal VAR Planning with Uncertain Loads

The objective of optimal reactive power (VAR) planning is to minimize power losses
with maintaining a desired level of voltages and VAR flows under various operating
conditions. A number of control options such as generators, tap changing transformers, shunt
J izhong Zhu 214
capacitors / reactors, synchronous condensers and static VAR compensators may be
considered.
Conventional approaches for the planning problems are based on non-linear
programming (NLP) and linear programming (LP) but both have problems to deal with the
limits of the variables [25-34]. In addition, the conventional methods do not take into account
the fact that, in practical power systems operational planning, the data needed for VAR
planning such as the load demands, voltage level at network nodes, the amounts of power
generation of the generators and the operation limits of equipment contain uncertainty. For
getting better VAR planning results, the uncertainty must be taken into account. Some
researchers have recently carried out work along this line [16, 25]. However, their methods
are time consuming and much more work needs to be performed. Up to now, most of VAR
planning or VAR control methods were designed for on-line application, for which
convergences reliability, processing speed and memory storages are the prime concern. For
convenience, these methods are usually confined to the fixed VAR compensation locations,
and may not be suitable for large-scale power systems with strict constraints and serious VAR
shortage. Thus, it is needed to analyze the characteristics of uncertain reactive load in the
practical power systems using fuzzy set theory, and/or stochastic methods.
In order to obtain optimal VAR planning under the uncertain and /or inaccuracy
environment, this chapter presents an idea: conduct the ranking of VAR compensation
locations based on the fuzzy set theory, voltage/VAR sensitivities, and the voltage stability
margin method. At the same time, the relative importance of different load sites will be
considered in the ranking process. Due to their independent nature, results from these
methods are not necessarily the same. Of course, these methods either reflect weak nodes in
system voltages or the relative importance of different load nodes. But it is difficult to find a
unified process for ranking results from these methods, especially some factors are
uncertainty and not quantitative. The analytic hierarchical process (AHP) provides a useful
means to consider comprehensively these factors in the selection and ranking of optimal VAR
locations. AHP is a simple and convenient method to analyze a complicated problem (or a
complex system). It is especially suitable for problems which are very difficult to analyze
wholly or quantitatively, and is now widely used in society and economy areas [34-37]. It was
first used in power systems area for solving combined active and reactive dispatch in 1996
[35]. AHP can help to quantify the decision-makers thinking. It can be used to compute a
unified ranking for the decision problem of optimal VAR locations.

4.4. Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch with Uncertainties

In power systems operation and control, the economy of power production, security and
quality of power supply are important aspects and needed to be considered. The first aspect is
related to the problems of unit commitment and economic dispatch. The objective of unit
commitment is to schedule generator units on-line and off-line to meet the electric load
demand in a power system. The main purpose of the optimal generation dispatch has so far
been confined to minimize the total generation cost of the power system under the conditions
of network security. Different methods have been proposed to reach this purpose [38-41].
However, the economy of short-term operation of thermal power systems is influenced
by approximations in the operation planning methods and by the inaccuracies and
uncertainties of input data. At present, the uncertainty problem in economic operation has not
been paid enough attention.

(a) Uncertain loads
The forecast loads are important input information, which are characterized by
uncertainty and inaccuracy because of the stochastic nature of the load.
(b) Inaccuracy fuel cost function
Inaccuracy in the process of measuring or forecasting of input data.
Change of unit performance during the period between measuring and operation.
The inaccuracies in the cost functions for steady-state operation are caused
by the limited accuracy of the determination of the thermal dynamic
performance, changing cooling water temperatures, changing calorific values
and contamination, erosion and attrition in boiler and turbine. These deviations
lead to inaccurate values for heat inputs and fuel prices.
(c) Inaccurate startup cost function
In addition to the above mentioned inaccuracies, there is the uncertainty about
the loss of unit life caused by heating and cooling of turbine shaft for the startup cost
function.

All factors taken together can mean inaccuracies of several percent in the steady-state
operation cost functions and more than 10 percent in the startup cost functions.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive fuzzy-stochastic method to study
the uncertainty in system economic operation. Fuzzy theory, refined artificial intelligence
(AI) approach are also needed for analyzing accurately real-time power systems operation.
Because some loads in practical systems are both fuzzy and stochastic, it is very important to
develop a fuzzy-stochastic optimization economic dispatch (FSED) method to conduct the
calculation of power systems economic operation with uncertain loads.

4.5. Hydro-Thermal System Operation with Uncertainty

There are several complex and interrelated problems associated with the optimization of
hydro-thermal systems.
Long term regulation problem (1 to 2 year optimization period);
Intermediate term hydro-thermal control (1 month to 6 months planning period);
Short term hydro-thermal dispatch (optimization period is from 1 day to 1 week)

For the short term optimization problem, the applications of deterministic methods to
hydro-thermal system operation have been established, in which the water inflows and loads
were considered to be deterministic. For the long term regulation problem, it is necessary to
use a stochastic representation for the load and river inflow [42, 43]. Since there are the
uncertainty factors in the short term hydro-thermal dispatch, the existing methods do not
provide the system operators with a convincing answer on how to use the water in each
separate reservoir. The following uncertainties should be taken into account in a large hydro-
thermal system operation.
J izhong Zhu 216

Uncertainty of the loads
Uncertainty of the unit availability
Uncertainty of the river inflow

The uncertainty of the river inflows, loads and unit availability can be dealt with in a
stochastic representation. Therefore, it is good to develop a new fuzzy-stochastic optimization
method. In addition, the uncertainty problem for the hydro-thermal system operation is very
complicated, the fast optimization method or the refined AI approach is recommended.

V. IMPLEMENTATION OF RTCMM

The blackout has provided the potential problem and new information about the electric
power system. Meanwhile, it also shows the complication of real-time power system
operation.
Electric system monitoring and management must be responsible to make any and all
efforts necessary to assure the highest level of safety and reliability of real-time system
operation. According to recent research achievements [4456], the proposed implementations
of RTCMM are as follows.

Step 2 for SE calculation involving whole
network

(Areas without measurement)

tie-line tie-line
Step 1 for SE
including only
Areas with
measurements

Figure 1. Two-step real-time state estimation (SE) calculation.

5.1. Model Reduction or Equivalent

Fast and valid state estimation calculation depends on the available data and good model.
Unavailable data or overwhelm data problem as well as the bad power system model easily
cause the failure of state estimation calculation. The frequent SE failures will let operator lost
first chance to know the system operation state change, which may hurt the grid operation.
Thus, it is important to construct a valid power system model. For example, some ISO system
model in the United States covers 4kv level and many of these levels data are not available.
The calculation of state estimation may easily be diverged due to the low ratio of measurable
data. So the model reduction or equivalent that focuses on measurable areas is an option. In
this case, two-step real-time state estimation calculation may be applied that is shown in
Figure 1, where the equivalent is conducted based on tie-line information that is computed
from step one state estimation calculation. This is particularly useful for the large power
network with the limited measurements.

5.2. Data Analysis

In modern power system operation, the several inaccuracies and uncertainties will lead to
deviation from the real time operation. There are two kinds of uncertainties in power system
operation mentioned in section III:

Uncertainty in a mathematical sense, that is means difference between measured,
estimated values and true, practical values, includes errors in observation or
calculation.
Sources of uncertainty, including transmission capacity, generation availability, load
requirements, unplanned outages, market rules, fuel prices, energy price, market
forces, weather and other interruption, etc.

Table 1. Deterministic vs probabilistic methods

Methods
Comparison
Deterministic
Method
Probabilistic
Method
Contingency
Selection
Typically a few probable and
extreme contingencies
More exhaustive list of contingencies;
Ranking based on Fuzzy / AHP methods
Contingency
Probabilistic
Based on
judgment
Based on inadequate or uncertain data
(ANN, Fuzzy and AHP methods)
Load Levels
(forecast)
Typically seasonal peaks and
selected off-peak loads
Multiple levels with uncertain factors
(Fuzzy, ANN)
Unit
Commitment
Traditional optimization
technology
Optimization technology & AHP / ANN
Security
Regions
Deterministic security region Variable security regions
Criteria for
Decision
Well established Need a suitable method / criteria to make
decision (ANN, Fuzzy and AHP methods)

J izhong Zhu 218
It is impossible to get all available data in the real time operation due to the above-
mentioned uncertainties of power systems and competitive environment. Nevertheless, it is
important to select an appropriate technique to handle these uncertainties. The existing
deterministic methods and tools are not adequate to handle them. The new probabilistic
methods such as Gray Mathematics, Fuzzy theory, and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) are
very useful to compute the unavailable or uncertain data; so that the state estimation can be
solvable even some key data are not available.
The comparison of deterministic method and probabilistic method is listed on Table 1.
Through comparing the various approaches, the following methods to handle
uncertainties are recommended:

Characterization and probabilistic methods
Probabilistic methods / tools for evaluating the contingencies
Fuzzy or AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method to handle uncertainties (e.g.
contingency ranking)
Risk management tools to optimize energy utilization while maintaining the required
levels of reliability
Cost-benefit-analysis (CBA) for quantifying the impact of uncertainty

5.3. Topology Error Detection

Generally, blackouts often occur accompanied by lost of generators or loads as well as
network topology change. The topology structure changes cause the most serious outages.
Thus, it is very important to detect the network topology change in the real time power
system operation in order to prevent blackout [44]-[46]. The topology error detection
combined the identifying the bad data and sudden loads changes should be the correct way.

5.4. Congestion Monitoring

The proposed congestion monitoring contains the function of the traditional security
monitoring. The purpose of congestion monitoring is not only to look ahead for possible
contingencies that may transition the power system away from a normal operation state, but
also analyze the data changes, which are from the state estimator, that may cause potential
outage during the normal operation state. Thus, the several new indices for congestion
analysis as well as system stability and reliability assessment will be developed in RTCMM.
These indices will be used for ATC evaluation and improving transmission stability and
reliability. It means that the proposed ATC calculation will consider the angle stability,
voltage stability and reliability constraints [47].

5.5. Congestion Management

Once some operational limit is reached, some real time control may have to move
variables away from the values in the normal operation state or in the agreements made in the
market since the secure and reliable operation is first important factor. In this case, the
congestion management should determine the minimum impact procedure to allow the
proposed transactions to be undertaken. According to the recent research [48] [56], the
possible real time controls in congestion management of RTCMM are:

1) Generation rescheduling:
Optimal distribution of power flow among the transmission network;
Loss minimization and thereby increase transmission capacity.
2) VAr Support and optimization:
Improve system voltage profile;
Loss minimization and increase transmission capacity and thereby improve
system reliability.
6) Real-time OPF with phase shifter control:
Optimal distribution of power flow among whole system network;
Improve system voltage security;
Change the direction of flow on the congested transmission lines and thereby
enhance system security and reliability.
7) Stability controls:
Voltage stability analysis;
Dynamic stability analysis
8) The other remedial controls:
Unit commitment;
Change of operation pattern/scheme.
9) Optimal load shedding: when the above-mentioned controls are unable to maintain
the security of system operation during the disturbance, optimal load shedding will
be last action to make the loss of blackout minimum. The idea is to classify the
system loads, and different load type has the different priority to supply. Different
load area also has the different weighting factor. Different load site also has different
relative importance, which is non-quantitative constraint. The proposed approach is
to determine the optimal load shedding scheme through computing a unified index
considering the quantitative and non-quantitative constraints. The AHP and Everett
optimization methods or network flow program can be used for this purpose [55],
[56].

5.6. Benefits from RTCMM

If RTCMM is implemented, the big blackout will be avoided. At least, if the optimal load
shedding were applied at the beginning of disturbance, August 14s blackout wouldnt have
happened in the several states. The benefits from RTCMM are:

J izhong Zhu 220
increase system security;
enhancement of reliability;
enhancement of system stability;
improve system voltage profile;
increase capacity of the system;
loss minimization savings;
economic dispatch saving;
unit commitment saving;
reduction of outage loss cost;
Reduction of zone importation cost.

5.7. Cost Benefit Analysis

Security is always ranked as first in the real time power system operation. Under the
system secure operation, the cost benefit analysis will be performed for the above-mentioned
all kinds of controls according the benefits to cost ratio for each control, so that the best
control or the combined controls can be selected and applied to real time system operation to
avoid the blackout or maintain the security and reliability of power system.

5.8. Essentials and Data Visualization

(1) Organize all relevant system cost data and calculate the new congestion, reliability,
and stability indices;
(2) Identify all potential benefits derived from real time control;
(3) Calculate the value for any number of system controls;
(4) Conduct both deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity and risk analysis of the
results;
(5) Data visualization for the analysis results. Use of animation and contour with
different colors can produce visually appealing display of bus voltages/angles, line
flow, and line loading to point out congestion or overloads, so that the operator could
quickly assess how the system state has been changing over a specified time period.

The proposed implementation strategy of real time congestion monitoring and
management (RTCMM) of power systems is shown in Figure 2.

VI. CONCLUSION

This chapter proposes an approach of power systems real time congestion monitoring and
management (RTCMM) to predict and avoid ahead of real time risks to the existing grid, or
help the analysis of the real time situation in order to minimize the damage or provide the
useful information on how to upgrade the grid. The chapter analyzes the challenges of the
RTCMM. The proposed RTCMM system will be a collection of analysis, processes,
computing equipment, measurement devices and communications that are assembled to
provide the means to maintain a secure system state. The implementations of real time
congestion monitoring and management are discussed in the chapter.

Data measurement
Data error check
Handle unavailable or uncertain
data
Incorrect
data?
Topology error
check
Perform state estimation
(SE) calculation
No
Yes
No
Topology
change?
Analyze Topology and
identify whether it is
network outage
If it is not an outage
but caused by data
error
Correct the
error
If it is an outage or system is congested, the best
control is recommended based on cost-benefit
analysis
Issue Alarm to remind
the operator
Yes
Visualization for result
analysis

Figure 2. The implementation strategy of RTCMM of power systems.
J izhong Zhu 222
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Chapter 7

POWER SYSTEMS DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

Abhisek Ukil
*

ABB Corporate Research
Segelhofstrasse 1K, CH-5405 Baden-Daettwil, Switzerland

ABSTRACT

The analysis of faults and disturbances has always been a fundamental foundation
for a secure and reliable electrical power supply. The introduction of digital recording
technology opened up a new dimension in the quantity and quality of fault and
disturbance data acquisition, resulting in the availability of a huge amount of new
information to power systems engineers. Information from the analysis of digital records
can provide much-needed insight into the behavior of the power system as well as the
performance of protection equipments. Manual analysis of these records, however, is
both time-consuming and complex. Today the challenge is to automatically convert data
into knowledge, which frees the human resources to implement corrective or preventive
action. Therefore, much focus is laid on automatic disturbance analysis. This also goes
towards the direction of black-out prevention which is a great threat from utility
perspective. This chapter will provide the insight on the recent trends on power systems
disturbance and fault analysis. Basics of disturbance analysis, Fourier transform and
wavelet transform-based signal processing techniques in the power systems disturbance
analysis are discussed in details.

1. OVERVIEW OF POWER SYSTEMS DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

The analysis of faults and disturbances has always been a fundamental foundation for a
secure and reliable electrical power supply. The introduction of digital recording technology
opened up a new dimension in the quantity and quality of fault and disturbance data
acquisition, resulting in the availability of a huge amount of new information to power

*
E-mail: abhisek.ukil@ch.abb.com, abhiukil@yahoo.com
Abhisek Ukil 228
systems engineers. Information from the analysis of digital records can provide much-needed
insight into the behavior of the power system as well as the performance of protection
equipment. Manual analysis of these records, however, is both time-consuming and complex.
Today the challenge is to automatically convert data into knowledge, which frees the human
resources to implement corrective or preventive action (Ukil 2005).

1.1. Necessity of Disturbance Analysis

The disturbance analysis is intended for the following personnel.

Operations
The operating personnel are charged with restoring as much of the disturbed electrical
system as practical within the shortest time possible. Fault location and operational
correctness are first information that they consider in order to proceed. If a line operates one
time and re-closes successfully, then all that is required is to forward the fault location to line
personnel for later inspection. If the re-closing was not successful then the operating
personnel should use the fault location as an indication of how to isolate the problem. If the
fault location indicates line problems, the operator should then use that location to return to
service as much of the line as possible. If the fault location indicates that some of the major
equipments (e.g., circuit breakers, transformers, switches, etc.) have been involved, then the
operator proceeds to isolate that equipment and return to service other equipments.

Maintenance
The information requirement here is entirely different. Maintenance personnel are
charged with repairing, maintenance and returning to service of the outage equipments.
Therefore, they require information concerning what is damaged or operating outside the
normal parameters. Then maintenance personnel can proceed to correct any problems (e.g.,
downed conductors, failed lightning arrestors, breakers, or transformers). Normal time
requirements for maintenance personnel depends on the way a utility operates, the type of
equipment involved, and its criticality in serving load. This usually is typically in the region
of two hours or less. Also, properly processed maintenance data can tell us when and what
needs regular services, how often, which are the particular weak spots of the equipment,
possible improvements and redesigns.

Protection
The protection engineer is responsible to investigate about the cause of the fault. Except
in extremely rare cases of catastrophic failure, normally the protection engineer has enough
time to collect all data necessary for a complete evaluation of the event. The main target
would be to correct the system problem that caused an erroneous system response. If fault
definition was quick and all parties involved get their respective information on time, the end-
users will get electricity fast and interruptions will be minimal.

Power Systems Disturbance Analysis 229
2. DIGITAL RECORDING AND INSTRUMENTATION
FOR DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

The reason why weve made separate section for this recoding equipment is that this
equipment is usually a part of protection system and, as such, it has quite different overview
on distribution. Most of these devices existed before digital technology was developed.
Digital equipments also, allow much easier integration of protection, monitoring and control
systems with huge advantages and savings. The choice of recording equipment depends on
many factors including the history of the substation construction and upgrades, utility
operating practices, strategic importance of the substation, etc. The following types of
equipments (Grisby 2007) are typically used in modern substations:

Digital protective relays (DPRs)
Digital fault recorders (DFRs)
Sequence of event recorders (SERs)
Remote terminal units (RTUs) of a SCADA system
Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)
Fault locators (FLs).

2.1. Digital Protective Relays (DPRs)

It is a complex recording and measurement instrument equipped with a decision making
control logic and plenty of monitoring functions, a variety of settings (both user selectable
and internal), number of internally computed measurement and logic signals that may be
accessed by the user. The main problem in defining a generalized model of such a relay
(which may be essential for the analysis) is due to the fact that the relay designs from various
vendors may be quite different and levels of data access provided for the outside use may also
be significantly different. Due to a relatively low sampling rate of some of the earlier DPRs
their waveform recording function provides only a limited frequency representation of the
waveforms.

2.2. Digital Fault Recorders (DFRs)

DFRs are highly accurate recording instruments providing sampled waveform and
contact data using relatively high sampling rate, typically above 5 kHz (a sample every 0.2
milliseconds). Their use in the analysis is quite appropriate since they provide recordings of
the waveforms that were also seen by the DPRs. Problem is that various DFRs provide
different triggering mechanisms, and the performance and sensitivity of the triggers may
affect the ability to capture relevant waveforms. Some of the newer DFR designs allow the
user to program a customized triggering mechanism, which can assist the analysis. Further
potential difficulties are associated with the DFR data formats that may be proprietary not
allowing implementation of an open data recording system which can easily be interfaced
with the analysis function.
Abhisek Ukil 230
2.3. Sequence of Event Recorders (SERs)

These are complex recording instruments implemented today most likely using
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and analog waveform data acquisition subsystems.
The SERs are capable of monitoring changes in the switching equipment status with high
precision due to a high data sampling rate. Combined with measurements of analog signals,
the SERs can record the status change for variety of controllers including the ones that are
based on analog set points. Most of the SERs can also be set to provide control function
through a number of control outputs. For the analysis purposes, existence of SERs in a
substation is very important. SERs also face the problem of not having an open system
design, which may reduce an ability to interface the data recorded by those systems with the
data from other sources used for the analysis. If available and accessible through standard
communication interfaces, SERs may be very important recording infrastructure to be used
for the analysis.

2.4. Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) of a SCADA System

The RTU can be a very sophisticated recording instrument that may have a recording
performance of a DFR, and at the same time may be producing a variety of pre-calculated
quantities. In addition, some advanced RTUs will provide an extensive SER and some limited
DPR functionalities. Due to the fact that RTUs are a part of the Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) system, the data is readily available for the analysis at the centralized
location through a SCADA database. However, the open system design remains an issue with
the RTUs as well since they are primarily designed to interface to the EMS SCADA data base
using mostly customized communication protocols and database formats. Another potential
problem is related to a limited opportunity for the user to access the recorded data locally
before it is sent to a centralized location. In the analysis hierarchy it may be desirable that
some locally recorded data is available in a substation for a local analysis, and this may be
difficult to implement due to a lack of local substation user interfaces in most of the RTU
designs.

2.5. Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)

The modern IEDs are available today for variety of applications ranging from simple
stand alone controllers and dedicated data recording systems to pretty complex integrated
devices for monitoring, control and protection of the entire substation. The main issue with
IEDs, when used for the analysis, is the open communication architecture and data recording
performance. Since the IEDs are not standardized even regarding the functions they perform,
it may be very hard to find detailed enough description that will allow generic models to be
developed and used for the analysis. Notwithstanding the limitations, the IEDs are indeed a
good addition to the data recording infrastructure needed for a comprehensive analysis to be
performed related to substation equipment operation.

2.6. Fault Locators (FLs)

The stand alone FLs are designed to provide very accurate fault location, but for that
purpose they may have to have a fairly advanced built-in data acquisition system. It works
based on the principle that cables have constant resistance per length. However, as most
modern DFRs, DPRs and even RTUs already come up with fault location calculation as an
additional functionality, the specific uses of FLs are getting restricted.

2.7. Current Transformers (CTs) and Voltage Transformers (VTs)

All this analog signal monitoring and protection equipment uses current transformers
(CTs) and voltage transformers (VTs) to get current and voltage recordings. Therefore, it is
very important to know where the CTs and VTs are placed. They proportionally transform
line voltage and current into much lower value. Usually current goes to 1A, 5A and voltage to
110V, 220V. CTs are made in various ranges of accuracy and output levels for different
functions and there are usually measuring and protection core. On normal feeders we have
CTs on the line, their star point earthed line side. This has the effect that power flowing out of
the busbar on this line during load conditions will reflect as in phase (depending on the power
factor) with the voltage. Power flowing into the busbar will be reflected as 180 out of
phase with the voltage. If there is a line reactor on the line, the CTs are most commonly
located on the line side of the reactor. VTs are usually located on all the transmission feeders.
The voltage on the line is thus reflected at both ends. If one end of the line is open, both ends
will still see full voltage.

3. COMMON-MODE INTERFACE

We have seen in section 2 that one of the main challenges in modern disturbance analysis
is having a common standard of data interface among the different instruments in the system.
The variety of sources of transient data, such as DFRs, DPRs and transient simulation
programs (e.g., EMTP (CEA Technologies 1998)) from different manufacturers using
proprietary or different standard formats, made it necessary to introduce the IEEE Standard
for Common Format for Transient Data Exchange (COMTRADE) for power systems as
specified by the IEEE STANDARD C37.111-1991 (IEEE 1991).
The standard files should be ASCII files. Each event should have three types of files
associated with it. Each of the three types carries a different class of information: header
(*.HDR), configuration (*.CFG) and data (*.DAT).
The intent of the header (*.HDR) is to provide supplementary information in a narrative
form for the user to better understand the conditions of the transient record. The header file is
not intended to be manipulated by an applications program. The following elements should be
included in the header file:

Description of the power system prior to disturbance
Name of the station
Abhisek Ukil 232
Identity of the line, transformer, reactor, capacitor or circuit breaker that experienced
the transient
Length of the faulted line
Positive and zero sequence resistances and reactances
Capacitances
Mutual coupling between parallel lines
Locations and ratings of shunt reactors and series capacitors
Nominal voltage ratings of transformer windings
Transformer power ratings and windings connections
Positive and zero sequence impedance of the source
Description of how the data was obtained
Description of the anti-aliasing filters used
Description of analog mimic circuitry
Number of discs on which the case data is stored
The format in which the data is recorded
The headings of the columns of the data table.

The intent of the configuration file (*.CFG) is to provide the information necessary for a
computer program to read and interpret the data values in the associated data files. Since
configuration file is in a predefined, fixed format, a computer program does not have to be
customized for each configuration file. The content consists of the following elements:

Station name and identification
Number and type of channels
Channel names, units and conversion factors
Line frequency
Sample rate and number of samples at this rate
Date and time of first data value
Date and time of trigger point
File type.

Figure 1. Probability of occurrence of different faults.
The data file (*.DAT) contains the data values in rows and columns where each row
consists of a set of data values preceded by a sequence number and the time for that set of
data values. No other information is contained in the data file. The first column contains the
sample number of the data set in that row. The second column gives the time of the data in
microseconds from the beginning of the record. The third and remaining columns contain the
data values that represent voltages, currents and status information.

4. POWER SYSTEMS DISTURBANCES

4.1. Faults

The analysis of faults and disturbances (Nagrath & Kothari 1998) during abnormal
conditions in power network can provide valuable information regarding the disturbances and
the remedies. Fault classification is an important topic in disturbance and fault analysis to
differentiate various types of faults. Typically faults are either symmetrical (three phase short-
circuit or three phase-to-ground faults) or nonsymmetrical (single phase-to-ground or double
phase short-circuit or double phase-to-ground faults). Typical probability of occurrence of
different types of faults is shown in Figure 1.
The faults considered in Figure 1 are three-phase short-circuit (L-L-L), three phase-to-
ground (L-L-L-G), line-to-line short-circuit (L-L), single line-to-ground (L-G) and double
line-to-ground (L-L-G) faults, where the terms L and G refer to Line and Ground
respectively. The probabilities associated with a fault type depend upon the operating voltage
and can vary from system to system.

Figure 2. Typical power systems oscillation (voltage profile).

Abhisek Ukil 234
4.2. Power Systems Oscillation

Power systems oscillation is an important phenomenon in the power systems disturbance
analysis. Power systems under steady-state conditions operate typically close to their nominal
frequency. A balance between the generated and the consumed active and reactive powers
exists during steady-state operating conditions and the sending and the receiving end voltages
are within limit (typically 5%). Power system transient events, like, faults, line switching,
generator disconnection, and large load change result in sudden changes to electrical power,
whereas the mechanical power input to the generators remains relatively constant. These
system disturbances cause oscillations in machine rotor angles and can result in severe power
flow swings. Depending on the severity of the disturbance and the actions of power system
controls, the system may remain stable and return to a new equilibrium state experiencing
what is referred to as a stable power oscillation. Severe system disturbances, on the other
hand, could cause large separation of generator rotor angles, large swings of power flows,
large fluctuations of voltages and currents, and eventual loss of synchronism between groups
of generators or between neighboring utility systems. Large power swings, stable or unstable,
can cause unwanted relay operations at different network locations, which can aggravate
further the power-system disturbance and possibly lead to cascading outages and power
blackouts (Kundur 1994; Taylor 1993). Figure 2 shows the voltage profile in a typical power
systems oscillation.

4.3. Power Quality

Power quality is the degradation of the power systems signals: voltage and current (more
prominent) due to distortion. The distortions are caused by many a reason. These are
mentioned briefly below.

Voltage sag. Voltage sag is one of the prime elements causing the power quality
problem. A voltage sag is a short-term reduction in, or complete loss of, root mean
square (RMS) voltage. It is specified in terms of duration and retained voltage,
usually expressed as the percentage of nominal RMS voltage remaining at the lowest
point during the dip. Voltage sags are typically the result of what is known as a fault
condition, large motor starting, or due to interaction between motor operation, faults
and also due to system overloading conditions. Figure 3 shows a typical voltage sag
profile due to motor starting.
Harmonic frequencies. These are integral multiples of the fundamental supply
frequency, i.e. for a fundamental of 50 Hz, the third harmonic would be 150 Hz and
the fifth harmonic would be 250 Hz. Harmonic distorted waveform is clearly not a
sine wave and that means that normal measurement equipment, such as average
reading RMS-calibrated multimeters, will give inaccurate readings.
Transients, surges. A transient can be a unidirectional impulse of either polarity or a
damped oscillatory wave with the first peak occurring in either polarity. Transients
and surges are typically caused by switching or lightning strikes on the network and
switching of reactive loads on the consumers site or on sites on the same circuit,
voltage flickers resulting from switching, short-circuits and load changing.
Unbalance. A three-phase power system is called balanced or symmetrical if the
three-phase voltages and currents have the same amplitude and are phase shifted by
120 with respect to each other. If either or both of these conditions are not met, the
system is called unbalanced or asymmetrical. Voltage unbalance oftentimes results in
voltage dips or sags which in turn causes problem in the power quality.
Interruptions. Caused by the interruptions in supply voltage for short, medium or
long period.
Earthing and EMC. Improper earthing of equipments and EMC incompatibility as
upper IEC 61000 series also causes power quality problems.

Figure 3. Voltage sag due to induction motor starting.

Figure 4. Schematic oscillating circuit diagram of the reactor ring down phenomenon.
Abhisek Ukil 236

Figure 5. Segmented voltage recording during a reactor ring down.
4.4. Reactor Ring Down

When a line reactor is connected to a line and the circuit-breakers are opened at both
ends, the voltage does not disappear. Instead, an oscillating voltage waveform can be found
which slowly reduces in magnitude. This phenomenon is called reactor ring down (Ukil &
Zivanovic 2007). It is a result of the interaction between the reactor and the capacitance of the
line. This forms an oscillatory circuit as depicted in Figure 4.
Figure 5 shows the segmented voltage recording during a rector ring down incident. The
segmentations are shown as vertical dashed lines.
Usually, many segments for the oscillating signals are recorded during the reactor ring
down phenomenon as indicated in Figure 5. Comparison of the signal parameter values of the
segments B, C, D, E and F in Figure 5 indicates that the signal is oscillating and slowly
decreasing in magnitude (Ukil & Zivanovic 2007).

4.5. Magnetizing Inrush Current

Energizing of a transformer often goes hand in hand with high magnetizing inrush
currents. Transformer protection must be set so that the transformer does not trip for this
inrush current. This high current is the result of the remnant flux in the transformer core when
it was switched out, and depends where on the sine wave the transformer is switched back in.
The segmented current recording for the energizing of a transformer is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. High magnetizing inrush currents associated with the energizing of a transformer.
In Figure 6, the current signal is segmented into two segments, A and B, that is, before
and after the transformer is energized. A closer look at segment B reveals the fact of high
magnetizing current inrush (Ukil & Zivanovic 2007).

5. AUTOMATED DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

5.1. Introduction

The first disturbance recording systems in electrical power systems were based on elec-
tromechanical and analogue technology (Barth et al. 2003). The measurements were recorded
on metallic or photosensitive papers or magnetic tapes. The accuracy, the number of signals,
the recording time and the number of data records per paper roll or magnetic tape were highly
restricted. Data handling and interpretation were also extremely complex processes.
With the introduction of the digital recording technology, nowadays, engineers in power
utilities have more data than can be processed and assimilated in the time available.
Therefore, automated disturbance analysis (Kezunovic et al. 2001) is inevitable. Users of
knowledge extracted from recorded data are engineers and technicians working in operations,
maintenance and protection departments.
It is the task of operating personnel to return to service as much of the electric system as
practical in the shortest time possible. The following questions (Ukil 2005) concern them:
Where and what is the problem? Did the line reclose and stay in operation? What equipment
was operating? Was everything working correctly? If so, can it be returned to service? If not,
Abhisek Ukil 238
what needs to be isolated? A complete analysis should be available for use within five
minutes after the conclusion of the event. Maintenance personnel are charged with repairing
and returning outage equipments to service. They require information on what is damaged or
operating outside the normal parameters. The time requirement to notify the maintenance per-
sonnel is in the region of two hours or less. Protection personnel are responsible for the final
assessment of the correctness of any electrical system response to a given disturbance con-
dition. Normally the protection engineer is given adequate time to collect all the data nec-
essary for a complete evaluation of a disturbance. Key questions that need to be answered are:
Did the right thing respond in the right way? Did the wrong thing respond in the wrong way?
Did the right thing respond in the wrong way? The thing in these questions might be a
relay, relaying system, circuit breaker, or switch.

5.2. Analysis Implementation, Requirements

The automated analysis can be broadly grouped as follows:

fault clearing analysis
power swing condition
undervoltage conditions
fault location information
underfrequency condition
dynamic conditions on generators
data for relay testing.

To provide data necessary for quick analysis, the following quantities (Spasojevic 2004)
should be available:

A) Bus phase voltages: Depending upon the station configuration, bus and/or line
voltages (phase to ground) should be monitored. A minimum of three phases per
voltage class should be provided.
B) Bus residual voltage (derived from phase quantities): This is necessary for the
analysis of potential polarized relaying schemes.
C) Line phase voltages: These are necessary for the analysis of re-closing schemes and
relay operations.
D) Line phase currents: Currents from all three phases on each line monitored.
E) Line residual current (derived from phase quantities): These quantities are absolutely
necessary to analyze any type of disturbance on a power system. Most faults can be
analyzed by using this quantity and the three phase-to-ground voltages.
F) Pilot channel data: The data should include both transmitter and receiver status on all
power line carriers, fibber optic, audio tone, pilot wire, and microwave circuits.
G) Breaker, station tripping, and blocking status data: Auxiliary contacts show when
status points changed state. Breaker position, lockout relays position (differential and
breaker failure) and pilot channel blocking all aid in the assessment of both correct
and incorrect operations.
H) Control contact performance: Trip and close contact information is a must. Trip and
close initiation helps to better define what happened and why (i.e. which relays
initiated the trip or close).
I) Alarm contacts: If possible an alarm contacts such as relay failure, breaker air and/or
gas pressure and transformer temperature and cooling should be included whenever
possible, in order to allow a more complete analysis.
J ) Relay target data: Presently, outputs with this information are not available from all
relaying systems. However, any system that is to perform automated power system
analysis should include target data. Microprocessor relays and relaying systems
provide ASCII and contact output of target data. It would be extremely beneficial if
these targets can be included in the analysis.
K) Time code information: Time should be accurate to a minimum of one millisecond
and it should be possible to determine the time for each data sample. This accuracy is
necessary when comparing fault data from different sources. If data from different
sources are to be merged to make calculations such as phase angle between sources it
is necessary that time information have an accuracy of 50 microseconds or better. All
data from the Sequence of Events solution and the DFR can be synchronized to one
millisecond. For the SCADA solution there presently exist two different types of
time data. Older SCADA systems only report time to the second, with some time
tagging after receipt at the SCADA master. Some newer systems time tag to the
millisecond at the RTU and should be considered as a sequence of events
implementation for that reason.
L) Fault duration: Used in analyzing relay and breaker performance.
M) Clearing time (all phases): Used in determining pole openings of breakers and fault
clearings.
N) Magnitude of the fault current: Magnitude use for fault locations and determining
which relays should have operated.
O) Type of fault (single phase, multiphase, evolving): The analysis of faults depends on
knowing how faults evolved.
P) Phases involved in the fault: Useful in fault locating and relay system analysis.

Table 1 shows the availability of the different information from different equipments
typically used for automated disturbance analysis.

Table 1. Required data availability by different devices

X Data available.
- Data not available.
+ Partial Data may be available in some form.

Abhisek Ukil 240
6. SIGNAL PROCESSING: FOURIER TRANSFORM-BASED ANALYSIS

6.1. Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)

Fourier transform (Rabiner & Gold 1975; Oppenheim et al. 1996, 2001) has a key role to
play in signal processing as well as power systems disturbance analysis. Originally, the
Fourier transform was postulated in 1822 by French mathematician and physicist J acques
Fourier to represent any continuous periodic signal as a sum of (in general infinite number) of
sinusoids.
The Fourier transform for a signal ) (t f is defined as

= dt e t f F
t j
) ( ) (
, (1)

where, j is the complex operator defined as 1 = j .

For all kinds of discrete-time sequences, the version of the Fourier transform is called the
Discrete-Time Fourier Transform (DTFT) (Rabiner & Gold 1975; Oppenheim et al. 1996,
2001) which uses the complex exponential. DTFT for a sequence [ ] n x is defined as

[ ] [ ]
n j
n
e n x j X

=
. (2)

However, DTFT is a continuous function of . Therefore, it is function of continuous
variables. Moreover, as evident from (2), DTFT is defined for infinite length sequences.
Hence, DTFT is not numerically computable algorithm. From the Fourier analysis we know
that a periodic function (or sequence) can always be represented by a linear combination of
harmonically related complex exponentials. This is the Discrete Fourier Series (DFS). We can
then extend the DFS to the finite-duration sequences which lead us to a new transform, the
Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) (Oppenheim et al. 1996, 2001). DFT can actually be
obtained by sampling the DTFT in the frequency domain.
DFT of a sequence
[ ] n x
is defined as

[ ] [ ] K , 2 , 1 , 0 ,
2
1
0
= =

n e n x k X
n k
N
j
N
n
. (3)

Comparing this with the DTFT (see (2)), we see the relationship between the DFT and
the DTFT as

N
k DTFT DFT
2
=
=
. (4)

6.2. Full and Half-cycle DFT in Power System

In the case of sampled data ) (
k k
t y y = , obtained from the signal y(t) over a period that
corresponds to the fundamental frequency of the signal (N samples taken over one period),
the fundamental frequency component of DFT is equal to

Im Re
1
0
) exp(
2
jY Y k j y
N
Y
N
k
k
= =

=
, (5)

where,

=
=
1
0
Re
) cos(
2
N
k
k
k y
N
Y , (6)

=
=
1
0
Im
) sin(
2
N
k
k
k y
N
Y , (7)

N
2
= . (8)

A fundamental frequency component of DFT and fundamental frequency phasor are
related as follows

Y
j
Y
2
= . (9)

When the above equations are combined we obtained the estimates for Y and from DFT
components
Re
Y and
Im
Y , as follows

2
Im
2
Re
2
1
Y Y Y + = . (10)

=
Im
Re
arctan
Y
Y
. (11)

Abhisek Ukil 242
Note that the sampling frequency is
0
N , and thus the input signal y(t) must be band-
limited to 2 /
0
N in order to avoid aliasing (Oppenheim et al. 1996, 2001) errors. It can be
shown that in the presence of normally distributed noise, the fundamental frequency
component of DFT is a least squares estimate of the fundamental frequency phasor. The sine
and cosine factors used in the calculation of
Re
Y and
Im
Y can be pre-calculated and stored in
memory to speed-up the calculation.
When N is the number of samples in the half of the fundamental frequency period, we use
the same algorithm as for the full-cycle DFT with different sampling angle
N
= .
The half cycle DFT only rejects odd harmonics because of the shorter window. It has
faster response compared to the full cycle DFT.

6.3. Phasor Computation

Phasor is a quantity, usually a complex number, with magnitude and phase, measured
with respect to a fixed reference. Phasors have a lot of utilizations in the power systems as
they simplify computations involving the sinusoids. Figure 7 shows a simplified phasor
diagram.
The estimation of the fundamental frequency phasor consists of calculating first the DFT
component using (3) over a data window of N samples, and scaling it by (2 / N). The real and
imaginary components can be calculated separately using (6) and (7) respectively.

6.4.Uses of Phasor in Disturbance Analysis

Phasor values can be used to derive useful information from which graphs may be drawn.
Examples of these are impedance- and power plots.

Figure 7. Simplified phasor diagram.
6.4.1. Impedance Plots
Impedance plots are very useful when investigating line impedance protection relay
operations since it displays what the relay observed during the power system disturbance
event.
All line impedance protection relays have two types of measuring elements, those
measuring from line to ground and those measuring from line to line. Normally there are at
least six measuring elements in a line impedance protection relay. The elements respectively
measure the following quantities.
For line to ground measuring elements:

N N LG
LG
I K I
V
Z
+
= , (12)

where, values setting protection is Z and Z and ) 1 (
3
1
1 o
1
=
Z
Z
K
o
N
, and the neutral
current is

B W R
I I I I + + =
N
. (13)

For line to line measuring elements:

2 1
2 1
LL LL
LL LL
I I
V V
Z
= . (14)

All above phasor quantities refers to measured values.

6.4.2. Power Plots for Dynamic System Study
Dynamic studies are aimed at tuning of the dynamic circuits in power systems. This can
not be done without the help of power plots.
For dynamic studies, root mean square (RMS) values are of more concern instead of the
measured quantities. The power transmitted in a single phase is also not used frequently and
the total power transmitted is rather used. However, both formulas used are as follows.
For power in a single phase circuit:
*
VI = S , (15)

] [
2
) cos(
) cos(
2 2
) cos(
RMS
LG LG LG LG
LG LG
W
I V I V
I V = P

= = , (16)

] [
2
) sin(
) sin(
2 2
) sin(
RMS
LG LG LG LG
LG LG
W
I V I V
I V = Q

= = . (17)

Abhisek Ukil 244

Figure 8. Basis functions for Fourier transform (sine wave) and wavelet transform (db10).
For total power:

BG WG RG TOTAL
S S S = S + + , (18)

where,

etc. ] [MVA )
2
) sin(
(
2
) cos(
RMS

RG RG RG RG
RG RG RG
I V
j
I V
jQ P S + = + =
(19)

All measured values are divided by the square root of 2 to convert it to RMS values.

7. WAVELET TRANSFORM-BASED ANALYSIS

The Wavelet transform (WT) is a mathematical tool, like Fourier transform for signal
analysis. A wavelet is an oscillatory waveform of effectively limited duration that has an av-
erage value of zero. Fourier analysis consists of breaking up a signal into sine waves of
various frequencies. Similarly, wavelet analysis is the breaking up of a signal into shifted and
scaled versions of the original (or mother) wavelet. Figure 8 shows the basis functions for
Fourier transform (the sine wave) and WT (db10: Daubechies 10 (Daubechies 1992) mother
wavelet).
Fourier analysis does not provide good results for nonstationary signals, unlike the
stationary signal, where the signal parameters change over the time, because in transforming
the complete signal to the frequency domain, the time information is lost in Fourier analysis.
This deficiency in Fourier analysis can be overcome to some extent by analyzing a small
section of the signal at a time - a technique called windowing the signal. This leads to an
analysis technique called Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT). But the drawback in STFT
is that the size of the time-window is same for all frequencies. Wavelet analysis overcomes
this deficiency by allowing a windowing technique with variable-sized regions, in other
words, wavelet analysis allows the use of long time intervals where we want more precise
low-frequency information, and shorter regions where we want high-frequency information.
Figure 9 (Ukil 2005; Ukil & Zivanovic 2006) shows the time-based (Shannon), frequency-
based (Fourier), STFT (Gabor) and wavelet views of signal analysis. Detailed mathematical
descriptions of WT can be referred to in the seminal works of Ingrid Daubechies (Daubechies
1992) and Stephane Mallat (Mallat 1998).

7.1.Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT)

The Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) is defined as the sum over all time of the sig-
nal multiplied by scaled and shifted versions of the wavelet function . Let R be the set of
real numbers. The CWT of a signal x(t) is defined as

dt t t x b a CWT
b a
) ( ) ( ) , (
*
,

= , (20)

where

( ) a b t a t
b a
/ ) ( ) (
2 / 1
,
=

. (21)

Figure 9. Time, frequency, STFT and wavelet views of signal analysis.

Abhisek Ukil 246
) (t is the mother wavelet, the asterisk in (20) denotes a complex conjugate, and
, 0 R a and R b respectively are the dilation (mathematicians use the term dilation
to refer to both compression and expansion) and translation parameters respectively. The
term
2 / 1
| |

a in (21) is the normalization value of ) (
,
t
b a
so that if ) (t has a unit length,
then its scaled version ) (
,
t
b a
also has a unit length.

7.2. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)

Instead of continuous scaling (dilation) and shifting (translation), the mother
wavelet may be scaled and shifted discretely by choosing kT t b na b a a
m m
= = = , ,
0 0 0
in
(20) and (21), where 0 . 1 = T and , , , Z n m k (Z is the set of positive integers). The Discrete
Wavelet Transform (DWT) is thus given by

( )
=

] / ) ( [ ] [ ) , (
0 0 0
* 2 /
0
m m m
a b na k k x a n m DWT . (22)

By careful selection of
0
a and
0
b , the family of scaled and shifted mother wavelets
constitutes an orthonormal basis. An orthonormal basis comprises a set of vectors S such that
0 = u.v (dot product) for each distinct pair of S v u , . We can choose 2
0
= a and 1
0
= b
to constitute the orthonormal basis to have the WT referred to as a dyadic-orthonormal WT.
The implications of the dyadic-orthonormal WT is that because of the orthonormal properties
there will be no information redundancy in the decomposed signals. Also, with this choice of
0
a and
0
b , there exists a novel algorithm, known as the multiresolution signal decomposition
(Mallat 1989) technique, to decompose a signal into scales with different time and frequency
resolution.

7.3. Multiresolution Signal Decomposition and Quadrature Mirror Filter

The Multiresolution Signal Decomposition (MSD) (Mallat 1989) technique decomposes
a given signal into its detailed and smoothed versions. Let x[n] be a discrete-time signal. Then
the MSD technique decomposes the signal in the form of WT coefficients at scale 1 into c
1
[n]
and d
1
[n], where c
1
[n] is the smoothed version of the original signal, and d
1
[n] is the detailed
version of the original signal x[n]. These are defined as

=
k
k x n k h n c ] [ ] 2 [ ] [
1
, (23)

=
k
k x n k g n d ] [ ] 2 [ ] [
1
, (24)

Figure 10. Multiresolution signal decomposition realized by quadrature mirror filter banks.
where h[n] and g[n] are the associated filter coefficients that decompose x[n] into c
1
[n] and
d
1
[n] respectively. Downsampling is done in the process of decomposition so that the re-
sulting c
1
[n] and d
1
[n] are each n/2 point signals. Thus, for the original n point signal x[n],
after the decomposition we have n point signal together with c
1
[n] and d
1
[n], not 2n point.
The next higher scale decomposition will be based on c
1
[n]. Thus, the decomposition
process can be iterated, with successive approximations being decomposed in turn, so that the
original signal is broken down into many lower resolution components. This is called the
wavelet decomposition tree (Mallat 1998).
The MSD technique can be realized with the cascaded Quadrature Mirror Filter (QMF)
(Mallat 1998) banks. A QMF pair consists of two finite impulse response filters, one being a
lowpass filter (LPF) and the other a highpass filter (HPF). The QMF pair divides the input
signal into low-frequency and high-frequency components at the dividing point, halfway
between zero Hz and half the data sampling frequency. The output of the lowpass filter is the
smoothed version of the input signal and is used as the next QMF pairs input. The output of
the highpass filter is the detailed version of the original signal. Thus cascaded QMF pairs
realize the MSD technique. Detail description about QMF can be found in the book by Strang
and Nguyen (Strang & Nguyen 1996). Figure 10 shows the MSD technique and QMF pair.

7.4. Uses of Wavelets in Fault Analysis

Figure 11 shows an example of use of wavelets in power systems fault analysis (Ukil &
Zivanovic 2006). In Figure 11, the original DFR recording, from the power transmission
network of South Africa, for the voltage during a phase-to-ground fault in the BLUE-Phase,
sampled at a frequency of 2.5 kHz (Ukil & Zivanovic 2006), is shown in the plot (i); wavelet
coefficients for this fault signal and the universal threshold (dashed) are shown in the plot (ii)
and the change time-instants as unit impulses computed using the threshold checking (plot ii)
followed by the smoothing filtering (Ukil 2005; Ukil & Zivanovic 2006) are shown in the plot
(iii). The time-instants of the changes in the signal characteristics in the plot (iii) in Figure 11
indicate the different signal segments owing to the different events during the fault, e.g.,
Abhisek Ukil 248
segment A indicates the pre-fault section and the fault-inception, segment B the fault,
segment C opening of the circuit-breaker and segment D auto-reclosing of the circuit-breaker
and system restore (Ukil & Zivanovic 2006).

Figure 11. Wavelet transform-based analysis of voltage recording during a phase-to-ground fault.

7.5. Other Uses of Wavelet

The wavelet transform is particularly suitable for the power system disturbance and fault
signals which may not be periodic and may contain both sinusoidal and impulse components.
In addition, time-frequency resolution is needed for the power system fault analysis. This is
another reason for using the wavelet transform because it provides a local representation
(both in time and frequency) of a given signal, unlike the Fourier transform which provides a
global representation of a signal. In particular, the ability of the wavelets to focus on short
intervals for high-frequency components and long intervals for low-frequency components
improves the decomposition of the fault signals into finer and detailed scales, facilitating
further effective signal processing and analysis.
In the past ten years, the application of the wavelet transform in the field of power
systems has received particular attention. In power systems signal analysis, time-frequency
resolution is needed, which states the reason for using the wavelet transform because it
provides a local representation (both in time and frequency) of a given signal. It is different
from the Fourier transform which provides a global representation of a signal.
Examples of the use of the wavelet transform in power systems can be found in the works
of Robertson, Camps and Mayer (Robertson et al. 1994), Robertson, Camps, Mayer et al.
(Robertson et al. 1996), Wilkinson and Cox (Wilkinson & Cox 1996). Santoso, Powers and
Grady (1994) and Santoso, Powers, Grady et al. (1996) used the wavelet transform for power
quality assessment. Ribeiro (1994) proposed the use of the wavelet transform for analyzing
the harmonics in power systems. Pillay and Bhattacharjee (1996) used the wavelet transform
to model short-term power system disturbances.

8. CONCLUSION

Disturbance analysis plays a crucial role in a secure and reliable electrical power supply.
With the advent of new digital technology, the quantity and quality of fault and disturbance
data have increased considerably. We have encountered in this chapter basics about power
systems disturbance analysis: its importance, relevance and procedures. Relevant digital
equipments used in modern power distribution systems for disturbance data acquisition and
analysis, are discussed in details. This is followed by discussion of different types of power
systems disturbance like faults, oscillation, transients, power quality, etc. With the huge
amount of available disturbance data, automated disturbance analysis is inevitable and of
great importance for utilities worldwide. Idea and requirements of the automated disturbance
analysis has been introduced in this chapter. This is followed by two important signal
processing techniques commonly used in power systems disturbance analysis: Fourier
transform and the wavelet transform.

9. REFERENCES

Anderson PM (1999) Power system protection. New York, McGraw-Hill.
Barth P, Ludwig A, Schegner P (2003) Development of the fault and disturbance data andling
in the German HV-network. In Proc. CIGRE SC-34 Colloquium, Sydney.
CEA Technologies Inc.(CEATI), Electromagnetic Transient Program EMTP-RV, 1998.
Available: http://www.emtp.com
Daubechies I (1992) Ten Lectures on Wavelets. Philadelphia: Society for Industrial and
Applied Mathematics.
Grigsby LL (editor) (2007) The electric power engineering handbook, 2nd Ed., five vol.
Florida: CRC Publication.
IEEE (1991) IEEE Standard Common Format for Transient Data Exchange. Standard 37.111-
1991, version 1.8.
Kezunovic M, Chen-Ching L, McDonald J R, Smith L (2001) IEEE tutorial on automated
fault analysis.
Abhisek Ukil 250
Kundur P (1994) Power system stability and control. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Mallat S (1989) A theory for multiresolution signal decomposition: the wavelet
representation. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 11 (7)
674 693.
Mallat S (1998) A wavelet tour of signal processing. New York: Academic Press.
Nagrath J, Kothari DP (1998) Power system engineering. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill
Publications.
Pillay P, Bhattacharjee A (1996) Application of wavelets to model short-term power system
disturbances. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 11 (4) 2031 2037.
Rabiner LR, Gold B (1975) Theory and Application of Digital Signal Processing. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ : Prentice Hall.
Ribeiro PF (1994) Wavelet transform: an advanced tool for analysing non-stationary
harmonic distortions in power systems. In Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Harmonics in
Power Systems, Bologna, Italy.
Robertson D, Camps OI, Mayer J S (1994) Wavelets and power system transients: Feature
detection and classification. In Proc. SPIE Int. Symp. on Optical Engg. in Aerospace
Sensing, pp. 474 487.
Robertson D, Camps OI, Mayer J S, Gish WB (1996) Wavelets and electromagnetic power
system transients. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery 11 (2) 1050 1056.
Santoso S, Powers EJ , Grady WM (1994) Electric power quality disturbance detection using
wavelet transform analysis. In Proc. IEEE-SP Int. Symp. on Time-Frequency and Time-
Scale Analysis, Philadelphia. pp. 166 169.
Santoso S, Powers EJ , Grady WM, Hoffman P (1996) Power quality assessment via wavelet
transform analysis. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery 11 (2) 924 930.
Spasojevic P (2004) Analysis of digital fault recording. M.Sc. dissertation, Dept. Electrical
Engineering, Tshwane University Technoloy, Pretoria, South Africa.
Strang G, Nguyen T (1996) Wavelets and filter banks. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley-Cambridge
Press.
Taylor CW (1993) Power system voltage stability. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Ukil A (2005) Abrupt change detection in automatic disturbance recognition in electrical
power systems. Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Math. Tech., Tshwane University Technoloy,
Pretoria, South Africa.
Ukil A, Zivanovic R (2006) Abrupt change detection in power system fault analysis using
adaptive whitening filter and wavelet transform. Electric Power Systems Research, 76
(910) 815823.
Ukil A, Zivanovic R (2007) Application of abrupt change detection in power systems
disturbance analysis and relay performance monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Power
Delivery 22 (1) 5966.
Wilkinson WA, Cox MD (1996) Discrete wavelet analysis of power system transients. IEEE
Transactions on Power Systems 11 (4) 2038 2044.


Chapter 8

ARCING AND FUSION PROCESS OF EXPLODING
WIRES IN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

C. S. Psomopoulos
1,*
and C. G. Karagiannopoulos
2,

1
Technological and Education Institute of Piraeus, Dep. of Electrical Engineering,
High Voltage Laboratory, 250 Thivon & P. Rali str., GR-12244 Athens, Greece
2
National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, 9, Iroon Polytechniou St., GR-157-80 Athens, Greece

ABSTRACT

The fusible wires and electrically exploded conductors are frequently used in fuses
that protect the electrical installations of the low and medium voltage distribution
network and in a wide variety of power applications. They generally operate either under
a minus value of their nominal current or momentarily under excess or sort-circuit
currents. Despite a wide variety of experimental work, there remains much that is not
understood about the electrical explosion of conductors. Furthermore the surrounding
medium has a significant role in the fusion process. Most of the experimental work is
focused in air and some in SiO
2
due to use as the most common surrounding material in
industrial fuses. Recently the fusion process in capillaries presented also interest among
researchers. The power supplies used in these experimental works were pulses mostly,
produced by typical L-C circuits.
This chapter will investigate the fusion process of exploding wires using common
industrial power supply directly feed from the network of 50Hz. The measured
magnitudes were the voltage drop and the current waveforms during the current
interruption process and the total duration of the fusion. Experiments performed for
several diameters and lengths and different current densities. The resistance and the
I=f(V) waveforms during fusion process were directly calculated from the experimental
curves.

*
E-mail: c-psomop@ath.forthnet.gr
E-mail: ckarag@central.ntua.gr
C. S. Psomopoulos and C. G. Karagiannopoulos 252
In this chapter, measurements better than before through fast digital oscilloscopes
connected with PC are presented and the observed phenomena are investigated.
Measurements of the total time duration of the fusion process are presented and analysed.
The presented measurements are compared with existing ones (taken with the use of A/D
converters) and the differences are evaluated. In the related literature the experiments are
carried out usually with pulse voltages or currents, as it is mentioned above. The
measurements presented here were performed in random position of the supply voltage
curve. These measurements give the possibility to investigate the physicochemical
process during the fusion process further, and especially the arcing behavior.
The obtained experimental results are investigated and evaluated with the use of
analytical and statistical methods, and are compared with other relevant ones in literature.
The analysis of the results is focused on the fusion duration and the arcs formation for a
variety of parameters (current density, geometric characteristics, etc) because of their
importance in the protection of networks during short circuit.
The digital measurements with PCs, can provide a more accurate approximation and
understanding of the phenomena during the fusion of exploding wire. Another parameter
that contributes to the above is the use of common industrial voltage source and random
sinus values in the experiments, because provide a more accurate simulation of the actual
conditions.

INTRODUCTION

The fusible wires and electrically exploded conductors are frequently used in fuses that
protect the electrical installations of the low and medium voltage distribution network and in
a wide variety of power applications. They generally operate either under a minus value of
their nominal current or momentarily under excess or sort-circuit currents. During the
operation under nominal current or less the J oule heating produced on fuse element dissipates
to the surrounding area of the element and thermal equilibrium is attained after a time period
[1,2,3,4].
For the case of the operation under excess or heavy fault currents the design of fuses is
based on the well known fundamental principle, that they must interrupt those currents in a
very sort time period. The phenomena developed are in brief as follows. The increase of the
fuse elements resistance causes the temperature to rise rapidly, until the melting point is
reached. The latent heat of fusion is produced gradually by the current during the melting
time until the material is completely vaporized [2,3,5]. When the material of the element
vaporizes, electric arcs struck between the remaining solid parts of the element. This dynamic
process gives rise to a rapid temperature increase, while the current decreases rapidly until its
flow is interrupted. The fundamental fuse operation has been described extensively in the
relevant literature [113]. The understanding of this operation relies mainly on work on
exploding wires and sand fuses mostly performed from 1960s to 1990s [313].
Several theories have been developed to explain the disruption of fuse elements, but no
conclusive proof has been found in favour of one of them. Hence new ideas on the exploding
wires phenomenon and the sand fuse operation often appear [13, 1317].
Present research activities are focused mostly in the arcing period and a number of
models have been developed to simulate the fundamental operation. This operation is well
Arcing and Fusion Process of Exploding Wires in Industrial Applications 253
understood in general, but all the physicochemical processes during the arcing period seem
not to be completely known [1215]. However some models have been developed which can
simulate fuses operation under fault current during the arcing period [1,6,1215, 18]. During
the electrical explosion of a wire under certain conditions, the wire fragments and current is
diverted around condensed fragments, through a plasma sheath surrounding the fragments,
due to arcing process there. Initially, the plasma is seen as bright spots along the wire length,
in many experimental results. These plasma spots develop along the wire, expanding axially
into other spots until the entire wire is seen to become covered in plasma. Experimental
results using X-radiography reveals significant, continuous lengths of condensed (liquid) wire
beneath the plasma [19,20,21]. The reasons for the current diversion are a matter of debate,
and various models have been put forward to explain these phenomena [1922]. Another
interesting question regarding the wire fragmentation during fusion process is whether the
wire is in the solid or liquid phase during fragmentation. Experiments and modelling have
been conducted for many decades showing that solid phase fragmentation of exploding wires
can occur [2326].
In this work, measurements of the voltage drop across fuse elements and the current,
using fast digital oscilloscopes connected with PC are presented. The fusion total duration is
measured for a variety of thin wire elements lengths and different current densities. To our
knowledge there are no similar measurements in the related bibliography especially
considering the method used here were the fusion process was measured using actual
industrial voltage (230V, 50Hz), which is simulating actual conditions for the circuit and the
exposed fusible wire. In the related literature the experiments are carried out usually with
pulse voltages or currents. The measurements in this work were performed in random position
of the supply voltage curve. These measurements give the possibility to investigate the
physicochemical process during the pre-arcing and arcing periods. An identification of the
existing knowledge in the measurements performed, and a further interpretation of the
phenomena during sort-circuit is attempted.

EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP AND MEASUREMENTS RESULTS

Figure 1 shows the simplified schematic diagram of the experimental set-up, for the
estimation of the voltage drop across a fuse element under sort-circuit conditions. Thin wires
simulating the fuse elements, were connected to the circuit using appropriate terminals. A
typical ohmic load of 0,5kW, connected in parallel with an open switch was used to simulate
the nominal current operation and sort-circuit conditions respectively. A measuring resistance
Rm was used to estimate the current through the fuse element. The material used for the
measuring resistance had zero value coefficient of variation of resistivity with temperature (
0). The variable resistance R was of a similar material as Rm and used to determine the
peak current value during sort-circuit.


Figure 1. Simplified schematic diagram of the used experimental set-up.
1) Thin-wire element,
2) R: variable resistance for determine the current peak value,
3) Digital oscilloscope with an RS-232 connection to the PC,
R
U1
, R
U2
voltage divider for the voltage across the element,
R
1
, R
2
and R
m
voltage divider and measuring resistance for the current through the element.
The measurements were performed through a digital oscilloscope with high sampling
frequency up to 100MHz per channel and maximum voltage of 40V pick to pick (5V/div).
The sampling frequency was 0,1MHz. The oscilloscope was directly connected to PC, via an
RS232 port, for direct transfer of the measurements. The two voltage dividers were used in
order to reduce the voltage peak value provided to the oscilloscope. The software of the
interconnection could transfer the values and the curves in excel sheets (generally a
spreadsheet software) directly with spreadsheet software format, and the measurement on the
oscilloscope screen, as image independently inserted in the spreadsheet with common bmp
format.
The maximum absolute measuring error was 2.5mV as the measurements were performed
in 2.5V scale. Any possible capacitance of the experimental setup (coaxial cables, etc.)
could not affect the measurements accuracy due to the high sampling frequency used. Also,
all the resistances were checked in order to verify that their impedance was zero.
Measurements were performed on conductors stretched in air. The conductors were thin
cylindrical copper wires (99,9% Cu), with several diameters. Figures 2 and 3 show the
voltage drop, the current and the resistance waveforms during the current interruption process
in fuse elements with diameter of 0,14mm and 0,16mm and length which was varied between
35mm to 100mm with a step of 5mm. The current density was changed through the variable
resistance (R) of the circuit.


Figure 2a. Typical measurements of the fusion process in thin copper wire elements. Channel 1 is the
voltage drop across the element (the sinus waveform), channel 2 is the current during fusion process
(rapidly decreases to zero while voltage remains). The calculated maximum current density was
4543A/mm
2
. The thin wire element had length 60mm, diameter 0.14mm.

Figure 2b. Typical measurements of the fusion process in thin copper wire elements. The calculated
maximum current density was 3303A/mm
2
. The thin wire element had length 90mm, diameter 0.14mm.


j=f(t) , u=f(t)
-400
-350
-300
-250
-200
-150
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
t (ms)
u
(
V
)

J

(
x
1
0
A
/
m
m
2
)
V (Volt)
J (x10A/mm2)

Figure 3a. Typical measurements and the respective actual values calculated from experimental set up
characteristics, of the fusion process in thin copper wire elements. The waveform of the of the fusion
process R=f(t) is also presented. Channel 1 is the voltage drop across the element (the sinus waveform),
channel 2 is the current during fusion process (rapidly decreases to zero while voltage remains). The
calculated maximum current density is 4543A/mm
2
. The thin wire element has a length 40mm,
diameter 0.14mm.
INTERPRETATIONS REGARDING THE ARCING AND FUSION PROCESS
IN EXPLODING WIRES

In figures 2, 3 and 4, which present actual measurements from the oscilloscopes screen,
it can be clearly seen the sort-circuits duration, the voltage drop across the element, the
current value (impulse and continuous sort-circuit currents). From the waveforms presented in
this figures it can be notice that they follow the form of the ones in literature, and similar
characteristics can be observed. Here the difference that exists is that the measurements
presented in this work were taken in random positions of the sinus curve of the voltage
source.
Another difference concerned the voltage source, which was a common industrial sinus
sapped waveform exactly the same one with the one that the equipment it is supplied, and not
a laboratory produced voltage. With these two mentioned here basic conditions the fusible
wire is exposed to the actual conditions of a network and thus the phenomena observed are
closer to the actual ones in practical applications.
General, the waveforms observed in the literature can be divided in two basic areas
known as pre-arcing period and arcing period. In the measurements presented here the
following can be observed: In the beginning of the pre-arcing period it can be seen the peak
value of the sort-circuit current (impulse current). After few sec, the current is almost
stabilized (continuous sort-circuit current). The voltage across the elements edges, after a
very fast rising period was also almost stabilized. This value was lower than the source peak
value (310V).

R=f(t)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
t (ms)
R

(
)

Figure 3b. The waveform of the of the fusion process resistance R=f(t) of the measurement 3a.

-300
-250
-200
-150
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
t (ms)
V
(
V
)
-
I
(
A
)
V (volt)
I (ampere)

R=f(t)
-25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
325
350
375
400
425
450
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
t (ms)
R

(
)

Figure 4. The calculated by the measuring system characteristics actual time resolved spectrum of the
voltage across the element and the current flow through the exploding wire, for the measurement
presented in Figure 2b. The waveform of the of the fusion process resistance R=f(t) of the measurement
is also presented.
During this period and after the first 0,51msec the waveforms presented the following
behavior: The voltage drop was almost stabilized with increasing tense while the current
although it was almost stabilized showed decreasing tense. These can be explained by the
increasing of the specific resistance due to overheating. The graduated increase of the wires
specific resistance follows the well known relation ) 1 (
2
0
+ + = b a and considering
the sort-circuit conditions and the above mentioned, seems to give an explanation to the
measured high voltage drop in the elements edges [8,13].
At the end of the prearcing period it can be observed a sinking of the voltage drop and the
current for a sort time duration (0,25-0,75ms). This sinking may be explained from the
accelerated temperature rise until the melting point of the fuse wires material, and the
changes from solid to liquid conditions (the wire starts to liquefy in the inner parts). After
reaching the melting point, the wire starts to liquefy. In general the inner parts of the cross
section are hotter than the outer parts and fuse first (Figure 5). Then the melting zone spreads
out until it reaches the periphery. At melting temperature the resistivity of the fused material
is much higher than that of solid material, and increases with progressive melting. (Some data
for the specific resistivity of the copper are: when solid at melting point 10,210
-6
Ohm-cm,
when liquid at melting point 21,310
-6
Ohm-cm and in melting state 13,810
-6
Ohm-cm)
[3,6,10,13,17]. During the sort times here in question and the surface tension, the
gravitational forces do not play any role according to literature and thus the liquid wire
material will remain in place and be heated further to the temperature of vaporization. At
some instant before the material is completely vaporized, the metallic coherence within the
fuse wire is interrupted and an arc is formed. [3,7,13]. However, it is doubtful whether this
phenomenon will occur in a regular way or whether the liquid cylinder will explode under the
mechanical action of the vapor pressure. [3,7,8,13].
According to the literature there is another action that could lead to arcs formation in
fusible wires. A cylindrical wire completely melted by an electric current flowing through it,
experiences a pressure in connection with the surface energy and a magnetic pressure created
by the electric current. If the diameter of the melted wire shows small variations the magnetic
pressure is largest at the smallest diameter. As a consequence of the surface tension and the
magnetic pressure, a cylindrical current-carrying liquid conductor stretched in air will deform
into a number of globules (undoloids). If the source voltage of the circuit is sufficiently high,
small arcs arise between these globules. This phenomenon is referred as multiple arcing and
it has been observed [1,2,3,7,17].

Figure 5. The cross-section of a fusible element during melting.
With the volatilization and interruption of the metallic coherence, electric arcs are formed
(arcing period) between the remaining solid parts of the conducting material, in an
Solid metal
Liquid metal
environment of metal vapors. In this complex environment, as the arcs expand produce both
elevated temperature and pressure within the plasma and hence an active environment. In
these conditions thermal ionization can be expected. There is a rapid change in arc
dimensions, which is a function of the rate of burn-back of the metallic parts (arc elongation).
This dynamic process gives rise to rapid increase in the electric resistance of the arc and its
eventual extinction [1,2,3,6,13].
The metal vapor column, which arises during the evaporation process of a fusing wire
surrounded by air, expands very rapidly due to the high pressure in this vapor, as has been
made visible with cylindrical wires in the past [7]. The theoretical and experimental
investigation concerning the exploding wires showed that fuse elements, after reaching the
evaporation temperature under atmospheric conditions, could become highly superheated in
the liquid state [9,11,12,18]. At the actual evaporation temperatures the metal vapor column
possesses a resistance which is much larger than that of the fuse element at the same
temperature, but in liquid state. The fuse resistance in these circumstances is determined by
the cross-section of the metal vapor column, the length of this column and the specific
resistance of the ionised metal vapor. Experiments showed that the cross-section of the metal
vapor column depends on the current [1,2,7,18].
In this metal vapor column the arcs (which are characterized as a self-sustained electric
discharge in which the plasma occurs at high temperature, high pressure and the surrounding
is in local thermodynamic equilibrium) are formed. The most important feature of the arc
seems to be its temperature [1,2,3,7,18]. In these conditions, to sustain a high electron
density, a small electric field strength is needed and there is a small electrode fall (~1050V)
[13,18]. Figure 6 illustrates the main regions of the arc, which are the electrodes with the fall
regions and the main plasma column. The main column is known as the thermal plasma or
thermal layer in which most of the energy transfer takes place due to collisional process
involving free electrons and heavy ionized particles. Under these conditions the collisions can
be considered as elastic and most energy is used to heat the colliding ions.
The rapid changes in arcs dimensions and the expansion of the metal vapor column,
which increase rapidly the arc resistance, as well as the decreasing of the voltage drop across
the fuse edges (caused by the source voltage that is in the falling part of the positive semi-
period) cause the current interruption.

Figure 6. The main regions of an arc.


Figure 7. Plasma spot formation prior to voltage peak. Image taken by M.J . Taylor and J . Dunnet [21].
The development of the wire fragmentation in exploding wires and the plasma formation
in experiments above mentioned, have been observed, and described also in M.J . Taylors
recent research works [19,20,21]. During his experiments he used mainly capacitor based
pulsed power supply and he also performed time-resolved measurements of the voltage across
the wire and the current flowing through the wire. The wire material he used was also high
purity (99,9%) copper with higher geometric characteristics (1,0mm diameter, length varied
between 150-180mm). These experimental results presented the resistance change and the
plasma formation and expansion through x-radiological image, photographic study and
measurement of the current and voltage waveforms of the used pulses [19,20,21]. In these
experiments the development of the plasma spots has been closely studied using photographic
images. According to them the development in the radial direction of the spots was
characterized by a sudden expansion to between 5 and 12 mm, followed often by a pause and
then a slower expansion to higher lengths [19,20,21]. A typical photographic image of M.J
Taylors experiments regarding plasma spot formation is presented below in Figure 7.
According also to these experiments, it is feasible to be produced local boiling by
introduced local thermal gradients as the forming vapor bubble is free to expand rapidly but
constrained longitudinally, due to the existence of the remaining solid parts of the wire
[1,2,3,6,7,13,21]. The axial development of the plasma spots follows the typical procedure
during the abovementioned multiple arcing.
However, discharge conditions are typically longer (relatively steady state) with lower
current densities than those employed in similar research experiments regarding with
electrothermal chemical (ETC) gun [19,20,21,22]. During their experimental results
Molokov and Allen [24] reported that, solid phase fragmentation due to thermal stress waves
is likely to occur during the current loading, for current densities in the range 10
8
10
9
A m
-2
.
Results of similar to those of Molovcov et al [24] proposed that thermally induced stress or
other wave phenomena cause the fragmentation, possibly while the wire is still in the solid
phase [24,26,27]. Graneau [23] showed that it is possible for the wire to fragment whilst still
in the solid phase. Microscopic examination of the wire in these experiments [23,24] showed
little evidence of melting in, but in all cases the wire length was rather high and wit greater
diameter than those used in this work.
Lukyanov and Molokov [25] proceeded further the experimental and theoretical research
as to predict the number of fragments expected by this process. Current densities in the work
presented here are somewhat higher at peak current, but may pass through this range while
the wire is still solid, especially during low current densities experiments. Whether there is
sufficient time for solid phase fragmentation to occur is debatable and especially when the
wire length is rather small compared to the one used in the above experiments. [19,20, 23,24]
Considering the findings and proposal of researchers regarding the flexural vibrations and
fragmentation of wire elements stressed under high current densities [23,24,25] the theory of
multiple arcing seem to be supported further. Assuming that the heat stress of the wire is
increased and results expansion of the wire element longitudinally the element shaped
changes and presents an S-formation instead of the initially straight line. This was
photographically proved in recent literature [19,20], and it was expected theoretically
[8,10,13,14]. The S-type form presents higher elasticity and lower mechanical strength due to
higher mobility in the molecules inside the metallic bonds [13,14,28]. The proven flexural
vibrations [23,24,25] stresses further the wire and enhanced the explosion especially in the
boiling spots reported above, were globules are formed. This stress increases the mobility of
the volatilized wire and enhances the interruption process of the metallic coherence, and
consequently the electric arcs formation between the remaining solid parts of the conducting
material, in an environment of metal vapors. Experimental work in literature where the
multiple fragmentation and arcing was proven [19,20,21] support these assumptions. The
same experimental work proved that during the multiple arcing that the solid parts remain in
place until the complete evaporation as was stated before. This also supports the assumption
that the electric field developed during arcing between the electrodes even though is rather
small supports and enhances the procedures.
Focusing in a typical part with small time duration the I=f(V) plots can provide more
information for these physicochemical process. Figure 8 represents the I=f(V) characteristic
of the exploding wires measurement of Figure 2b and 4 for the time intervals between
3.25ms up to 4.75ms and between 13.0ms up to 16.15ms, respectively. These intervals
correspond to a pick rise in the voltage drop (with the respective drop in current) along the
metal vapour column and to the ending of the fusion process until the arcs extinguished and
the current flow reduced rapidly to zero. In the first interval it can be clearly seen the
continuous formation of N-type negative differential resistance (NDR) while in the second
interval and especially during arcs extinction, the S-type NDR is formed. The observation of
NDR existence during the fusion process supports the abovementioned assumptions.
Figures 9 and 10 represent the total time duration of the fusion process in thin wire
elements exposed in open air. It can be easily observed that the smallest is the length of the
wire the higher is the time duration of the fusion process. This seems to explained by the high
volume of the metal structure that supports the element which operates as a heat dissipater
and since the wire has small length the supporting absorbs a significant amount of the
produced heat in the element [3,4,10,13,14]. Further more to this explanation, as it is
mentioned above, during the interruption of the metallic coherence of the wire is followed by
an electric arc. Thus the ionised metal vapor column has smaller length so its elongation is
very small considering higher lengths, and at the same time the current density presents high
values (see Figure 3). During this process, the heavily ionised surrounding air is considered
that is operating in the smaller gap (smaller length) [1,5,7,10,11,16,17].
I = f (V) t [3.25, 4.75]ms
-50
-48
-46
-44
-42
-40
-38
-36
-250 -245 -240 -235 -230 -225 -220 -215 -210 -205 -200 -195 -190 -185
V (volt)
I

(
A
)

I = f(V) t [13,16.15] ms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400 410
V (volt)
I

(
A
)

Figure 9. Fusibles wire I=f(V) plots during the interruption process. Focus on two small intervals of
Figure 2b and 4, in the time periods between 3.25ms up to 4.75ms and between 13.0ms up to 16.15ms,
measuring from the short circuit starting.


Figure 9. Waveforms of the average mean value of the fusion process duration in relation with the wire
length. The parameter of the current density is also presented. The copper fusible wire has a diameter of
0,14mm.
Considering Figs. 3b and 4, we can clarify how the resistance of a fuse element during
short circuit comes into existence and by which factors it is determined. The pre-arcing and
arcing periods can be clearly seen, and short circuit duration can be determined with
considerable accuracy. The time period where impulse short circuit current is in progress is
represented in Figs. 3b and 4 by an area where the resistance is not stabilized. This time
period, according to these plots, seems depend from the current density and instant in the
sinus power supply voltage in which the short-circuit occurred. After this period the
resistance is almost stabilized, with an increasing tense. This may be explained by the
increase of the specific resistance due to overheating of the thin fusible element, as it has been
explained above in detail. The end of the pre-arcing period is marked by instabilities of the
resistance presented to a time instant of few ms after short circuits initiation. Instabilities
result from the sinking of the voltage drop, which is a consequence of the progressive and
finally complete liquefaction of the element. The phenomena presented could be explained
adequately from the above mentioned.
Regarding Figs. 3b and 4, it can be notice that resistance during arcing period seems to
present two distinctive behaviours (areas). In the first area, the resistance has a rather
moderate increasing tense. In the second area, which lasts until the interruption of the current
occurs (respectively marked by infinite resistance), fast oscillations groups with
corresponding peaks are presented. Those oscillations present a duration (period) of
approximately 230 s each and cannot be explained by classical arc theory, as established to
date. According to this theory, a metal vapour column sustains electric discharges in which
plasma occurs at high pressure and temperature in local thermodynamic equilibrium. It would
lead one to expect, as the burnback procedure is in progress, that the vapour column extends
lengthwise (arcs elongation) with respective reduction of its cross-section. This normally
results in a progressive rapid increase of the arcs resistance. The rapid changes in the arcs
dimensions and the expansion of the metal vapour column (which rapidly increases the arc
resistance), as well as the possible decrease of the voltage drop across the fuse edges (caused
by the source sinusoidal voltage), lead to the arcs eventual extinction.
Interpretations regarding the fast oscillations of the resistance presented in Figs. 3b and 4
seem to involve fluctuation of the arcs current density due to the collisional process
involving heavy ionized particles and free electrons. It is unlikely that the phenomenon of
multiple arcing, caused by globule formation, contributes to the oscillations of the resistance
value. A possible explanation of the phenomena could be as follows.
The inductance presented in any circuit in practice generally dictates a variation of
current. The time constant =L/R of the circuit and the rise time of the fuse resistance during
current interruption precise the voltage variation to the end-cups of the fuse. At the moment
of the current interruption, overvoltage appears between the still-remaining solid parts of the
fuse element. This is reasonable, as the current interruption process is fast.

Figure 10. Waveforms of the average mean value of the fusion process duration in relation with the
wire length. The parameter of the current density is also presented. The copper fusible wire has a
diameter of 0,16mm.
Therefore, it can be assumed that there is ignition of a new arc, which cannot be sustained
for long, as the overvoltage to the solid parts of the fuse element no longer exists. This
procedure, if repeated, leads to ignition and extinguishment of arcs. Figures 3b and 4support
the aforementioned. The final extinguishment of arcs could be owed to an incidental event or
to the elongated distance of the two remaining solid parts of the fuse element.
The resistance waveform in figure 3b and 4 present significant similarities with the ones
in literature and especially with the ones of M.J . Taylor [19,20] even though the experimental
procedures were completely different. The differences exist in the waveforms can be easily
attribute to the different geometric characteristics and different waveforms. But the
similarities provide strong evidence for the plasma formation and disruptions of the electrical
coherence occur due to similar physicochemical procedures in both experiments.
In figures 8 and 9 also it is observed that the higher the current density is the lower the
fusion duration is. This could be easily explained from the above mentioned, since the
produced heating power is analog to the term j
2
, where j is the current density (J oule relation)
[3,4,10,17,28].
In these figures it can be easily observed also that in lower current densities the smaller
the length is (lower than a threshold value) the higher is the duration of the fusion process.
This seems that can be explained from the following assumptions: The heat from the
produced Joule energy is lower per time interval. At the same time the energy that is
transferred from the thin wire through the end tags is almost stable per time interval and
depends from the materials and the volumes. Thus the energy used for melting and arc
ignition is lower per time interval, and as a consequence the required time is rising
[8,13,18,28]. Furthermore the lower current densities produced lower magnetic pressure
values and thus the thin wire seems not to be exploded. In this smaller gap between the
electrodes (smaller distance between the end tags, when the wire has smaller length) the metal
vapour expands [7]. Here it must be notice that in small lengths of the gap between the end
tags, the electric field is higher as it can be easily concluded from the abovementioned
[13,18,28]. Thus it seems that the metal vapours which are ionized expand not as rapidly as
it has been observed in cylindrical wires with higher lengths where the field is lower and the
metal vapours do not remain constrained [7]. These assumptions explain also the differences
up 25% that can be observed in the total short circuit duration, in higher lengths of the wire
elements and low current densities.
Observations concerning the short circuit duration and the measured resistance values in
relation to the different geometric characteristics of the fusible elements seem to present a
normality, as the different wire diameters imply different resistance and consequently current
densities. The corresponding energy to melt is obviously analogous to the diameter of the
fusible element. Important role in the fusion duration seems to have the time instant in which
this occurs regarding the value of the source voltage. The lower was the source voltage in the
starting of the sort-circuit the longer was the duration. This can be explained from the resulted
small current density in the beginning of the phenomenon which results a greater pre-arcing
period, according to the aforementioned. Of course, differences existed because of the
different geometric characteristics of the fusible elements.
Those differences, as it can be easily presumed are the consequences of [8,12,14,28]:

Different wires volumes which require different energy values to melt.
Different wires resistance and thus different current densities in the elements.
The higher current densities have as a consequence smaller affect of the length in the
fusion duration.

CONCLUSION

The measurements through fast digital oscilloscopes combined with PCs, can provide a
more accurate approximation and understanding of the phenomena during the operation of the
fuse elements. Another parameter that contributes to the above is the use of common
industrial voltage source and random sinus values in the experiments. The resistance
measurements combined with the voltage drop and current densities measurements can
provide a more accurate approximation and understanding of the phenomena involved.
Overvoltages during current interruption process, due to circuits inductance, provide a
possible explanation to the phenomena. The I=f(V) plots supports these assumptions, with the
observed continuous NDR formation. The observed fast oscillations for different wire lengths
and current densities provided useful information concerning the fusion process duration and
thus for short-circuit, which fuse the thin wire. The fusible elements geometric
characteristics affect only the fusions process duration and the values of the measured
magnitudes, for small current densities. The results could be useful in understanding the
fusion process.

REFERENCES

[1] Barrow, D.R.; Howe A.F.; Cook N. IEE Proc. A. 1991, 138(1), 83-88.
[2] Cheim L.A.V.; Howe A.F. IEE Proc. Sci. Meas. Technol. 1994, 141(2), 123-128.
[3] Wright A.; Newbery P.G. Electric fuses (2
nd
Edition); IEE-Peter Peregrinus Ltd:
London, 1995; pp 1-52, pp 112-117
[4] Leach J .G.; Newbery P.G.; Wright A. IEE Proc. 1973, 120(9), 987-993.
[5] Narancic V.N.; Fecteau G. Ibid., 236-251.
[6] Chicata T.; Ueda Y.; Murai Y. ; Miyamoto T. Proc. of Inter. Conf. on Electric Fuses
and their Applications 1976, 114-121.
[7] Vermij L. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sc. 1980, PS-8(4), 460-468.
[8] Morgan V.T. Proc. IEE 1971, 118(3/4), 555-570.
[9] Lebedev D.V. Sov. Phys. JETP, 1957, 5(2), 243-252.
[10] Psomopoulos C.S.; Karagiannopoulos C.G. Electric Power Systems Research, 2002,
61, 161-167.
[11] Vitkovitsky I.M.; Scherrer V.E. J. Appl. Phys 1981, 52(4), 3012-3015.
[12] Berger T.L. IEEE Trans. Plasma Scien. 1980, PS-8(3), 213-216.
[13] Rdenberg R. Transient Performance of Electric Power Systems, M.I.T. Press: 1970,
p.p.431-453.
[14] Chapman A.J . Heat Transfer, 4
th
Edition, Maxwell Macmillan International: New
York, NY, 1989.
[15] Saqib M.A.; Stokes A.D. Thin Solid Films 1999, 345, 151-155.
[16] Bussire W.; Bezborodko P. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 1999, 32, 1693-1701.
[17] Psomopoulos C.S.; Karagiannopoulos C.G. Measurement Journal of the International
Measurement Confederation 2002, 32, 15-22.
[18] Raizer Y.P. Gas Discharge Physics, Springer-Verlang: Heidelberg, Germany, 1991; pp
128-161, pp 245-288, pp288-291.
[19] Taylor M.J. J. Phys. D.: Appl. Phys. 2002, 35, 700-709.
[20] Taylor M.J . Proc. of 7nth Inter. Conf. on Electric Fuses and their Applications 2003,
1-9.
[21] Taylor M.J.; Dunnet J . IEEE Trans. Megnetics 2003, 39(1), 269-274.
[22] Powell J .D. Thornhill L.D. IEEE Trans. Mag. 2001, 37(1), 183-187
[23] Graneau P. Phys. Lett. 1987, 120A, 77-79.
[24] Molokov S.; Allen J.E. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 1997, 30, 3131-3141.
[25] Lukyanov A.; Molokov S. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 2001, 34, 1543-1552.
[26] Me-Bar Y.; Harel R. J. App. Phys.1996, 79(4), 18641868.
[27] Coffman M.L. Exploding Wires; W.G. Chace and H.K. Moore: New York, NY, 1964,
vol 3, pp 89102
[28] Karagiannopoulos C.G. International Journal of Power and Energy Systems 2002,
22(3), 142-145.


Chapter 9

WIDE-AREA MONITORING OF POWER SYSTEM
OSCILLATIONS IN THAILAND POWER NETWORK
USING SYNCHRONIZED PHASOR MEASUREMENT
UNITS VIA DEMAND SIDE OUTLETS

Issarachai Ngamroo
1,*
and Yasunori Mitani
2,

1
Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
King Mongkuts Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
2
Department of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering
Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka 804-8550, J apan

ABSTRACT

The longitudinal structure of the tie-line interconnection between central and
southern areas of Thailand power system causes the dynamic stability problem due to the
inter-area oscillation with poor damping. To detect the dominant inter-area oscillation
mode, a sophisticated wide-area dynamic stability monitoring system based on the phasor
measurement units (PMUs) is proposed. The main feature of the presented system is the
convenient installation of PMU at 220 V level. PMUs are located at two universities
representing both areas. The single-phase phasor voltage data measured by PMUs at both
sites are synchronized by global positioning system. The phase voltage difference data
are used to analyze the dynamic characteristic of the inter-area oscillation based on signal
processing techniques. The proposed monitoring system provides vital information of
wide-area dynamic stability.

Keywords: Synchronized phasor measurement units, Wide-area monitoring, Power system
dynamic stability, Inter-area oscillation, Signal processing

*
Email: knissara@kmitl.ac.th

Email: mitani@ele.kyutech.ac.jp
Issarachai Ngamroo and Yasunori Mitani 270
INTRODUCTION

The interconnection between central and southern areas by 230 kV tie-line in Thailand 50
Hz electric power system establishes a longitudinal structure. This configuration causes the
problem of inter-area oscillations. Especially, the dominant inter-area oscillations with poor
damping can deteriorate the dynamic stability of the system. However, such inter-area
oscillations between both areas have never been observed and analyzed before. The practical
monitoring system as a sophisticated energy management system is highly expected.
Recently, the phasor measurement units (PMUs) which are synchronized based on the
time stamp of the global positioning system (GPS) [1,2] have been applied to power systems
such as monitoring of power system dynamics [3,4], analysis of power system events [5,6],
detection of transient power swing [7], wide-area stabilizing control [8] etc. In these works,
synchronized phasor measurement systems have been established at a high-voltage
transmission level. To increase the feasibility of the wide-area monitoring of power system
oscillations, a new monitoring system with convenient installation at a distribution level, high
accuracy of the measured data, Internet based data transmission, and cost-effective is highly
expected. To achieve these requirements, the Internet based GPS synchronized wide area
frequency monitoring network (FNET) developed at the 110-V distribution level has been
established in US system [9]. The objective of FNET is to create an extremely low cost and
quickly deployable wide-area frequency measurement system. Moreover, the power system
frequency can be accurately measured and synchronized at 110-V typical demand side outlet.
Many applications of FNET are described in [9].
In this paper, a wide-area dynamic stability monitoring system developed in Thailand
power network is proposed. The monitoring system is established by GPS-synchronized
PMUs. The salient feature of the monitoring system is the convenient installation of PMUs at
220 V domestic outlets. Besides, the initial installation cost is very low. In our system, PMUs
are located at two universities which represent central and southern areas of Thailand power
system. The PMU data transmission between both universities is performed via the Internet.
The phase difference between two universities can be calculated from phasor voltages
collected by PMUs. By using the phase difference data, the physical characteristics of power
oscillations can be analyzed by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and discrete wavelet
decomposition. In addition, the 2
nd
order model of the equivalent two-machine system is
employed to establish the mathematical model of the interconnection areas embedded with
the dominant oscillation mode. Then, the least-squares regression is applied for system
identification. Consequently, the eigenvalue corresponding to the oscillation mode can be
determined. Monitoring of variation of eigenvalue not merely clarifies the oscillatory
behavior, but also provides applicable information of the wide-area dynamic stability.
The organization of this paper is as follows. First, the proposed monitoring system is
overviewed. Next, the noise elimination, the analyzed results using FFT and discrete wavelet
decomposition are carried out. Subsequently, system identification studies by least-square
error technique are provided. Lastly, a conclusion is given.

Wide-Area Monitoring of Power System Oscillations in Thailand Power Network 271
PMU-BASED MONITORING SYSTEM

An overview of the Thailand power system is delineated in Figure 1. The Electricity
Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is responsible for generation and transmission
grids of high voltage levels. Central and southern areas are connected by 230 kV tie-line with
800 km long. This interconnection establishes a longitudinal structure between both areas
which may cause an inter-area oscillation. To monitor the inter-area mode between both
areas, PMUs are located at King Mongkuts Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL),
Bangkok and Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Songkla, which represent central and
southern areas, respectively.

Figure 1. Location of PMUs.
P PM MU U
2 22 20 0 V V O Ou ut tl le et t

Figure 2. PMU based monitoring system via 220 V outlet.
Figure 2 shows the proposed PMU-based monitoring system via conventional power
outlets. The phasor measurement system employs a manufactured PMU as a commercial
product, which is a Network Computing Terminal Type-A, NCT2000 of Toshiba [10,11]. The
PMU can measure a single-phase instantaneous voltage at 220 V outlet, with correcting its
clock based on the time stamps of GPS. As the PMU uses the time stamps of GPS for its
clock correction, the time synchronization between two PMUs located at distant places is
easily accomplished by keeping their internal clocks synchronous with the time stamps of
GPS. As given in [10,11], the phasor voltage is computed by

1 1
2
sin cos
N N
k k
k k
V V k j V k
N
= =

= +

(1)

where, V
&
is the phasor voltage,
k
V is a sequential data of the instantaneous voltage of 220 V
outlet sampled by an A/D converter, N is the sampling number of the voltage and is the
sampling angle. For this apparatus, N =96 and 2 N = =3.75deg.
Based on (1), the phase angle can be calculated by

( ) ( )
1
tan Im Re V V

=

& &
(2)

where, Re( ) V
&
and Im( ) V
&
are the real part and the imaginary part of the phasor voltage V
&
,
respectively. The phase angle is accumulated in the PMU as the time sequential data.
Calculation in (2) provides phase angle referred to the GPS time. The PMU records the
calculated phasor voltages every 40 ms (2 cycles) and measures at the domestic outlets for 20
minutes twice an hour, for example, 0.20-0.40 a.m. and 0.50-1.10 a.m. etc. Hence, there are
30,000 data of phasor voltages for 20 minutes. The measured phasor voltages at PSU are
transmitted via the Internet to a server at KMITL.

EVALUATION OF PMU DATA

Generally, the phase difference between two interconnected areas reflects the active
power flow in tie-lines between both areas. In this part, the variations of phase difference
between KMITL and PSU in two periods are considered. The average value of phase
differences for 20 minutes twice an hour in each day is calculated. Thus, there are 48 average
phase difference data per day. Figure 3 shows the variations of the average phase difference
between KMITL and PSU from J une 1 to 7, 2005. The variation of the average phase
difference on each day is significantly different. There are both positive and negative values.
The positive average phase difference implies that the active power flows from the central
area to the southern area and vice versa. To verify the validity of the measured data of PMU
during steady-state conditions, the average phase difference is compared to the actual power
flow data of 230 kV tie-lines between central and southern areas of EGAT from J une 1 to 7,
2005, as demonstrated in Figure 4. Because the power flow data of EGAT are measured at
every half hour, there are also 48 data per day same as a number of average phase difference
data of PMU. Obviously, the average phase difference changes in the same fashion as the
actual power flow. Besides, the direction of power flow is consistent with the sign of the
average phase difference. Figures 5 and 6 depict the average phase difference between
KMITL and PSU measured by PMU and the actual tie-line power flow of EGAT from J uly 4
to 10, 2005, respectively. The same variations of the average phase difference and the actual
power flow are also obtained in this period. These comparison results signify that the
variation of the actual tie-line power flow can be conveniently observed by the variation of
the average phase difference between KMITL and PSU measured by PMUs via demand side
outlets.

Figure 3. Average phase differences between KMITL and PSU, J une 1 7, 2005.

Figure 4. Actual tie-line power flow from EGAT, J une 1 - 7, 2005.

Figure 5. Average phase differences between KMITL and PSU, J uly 4 - 10, 2005.


Figure 6. Actual tie-line power flow from EGAT, J uly 4 - 10, 2005.

Figure 7. Least-squares linear equation, J une 1 7, 2005.

Figure 8. Least-squares linear equation, J uly 4 10, 2005.
The correlation between the actual power flow data of EGAT ( )
12
P and the average phase
difference data between KMITL and PSU measured by PMU ( ) is evaluated by a least-
squares regression. The linear equation
12 12
P K c = + with two variables is used as a
regression model. The resulted least-square linear equations of the actual power flow and the
average phase difference from J une 1 to 7, 2005 and from J uly 4 to 10, 2005 can be
delineated in Figures 7 and 8, respectively.
To evaluate the fitness of data, the correlation coefficient between two variable is
calculated by

( ) ( )( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2 2
2 2
n xy x y
R
n x x n y y

=

(3)

where x is average phase difference data, y is actual power flow data, and n is the number
of data. The correlation coefficient
2
R indicates the fitness of data. If
2
R is close to unity,
then the power flow strongly correlates with the average phase difference. If not, the
correlation is weak. As given in Figs 7 and 8, the correlation coefficients of two variables in
both periods are nearly equal to one. The phase difference data measured by PMUs strongly
correlates with the actual power flow data of EGAT during steady-state conditions. The
correlation equations of Figures 7 and 8 have very different parameters
12
K and c . This is
because the measurement is taken at 220 V distribution level. The phase shifts of distribution
transformers significantly affect the correlation. Additionally, the correlation is also a
function of the local loads through the distribution network.

(a) 2.20 a.m. - 2.40 a.m.

(b) 8.20 a.m. - 8.40 a.m.
Figure 9. (Continued)

(c) 2.20 p.m. - 2.40 p.m.

(d) 8.20 p.m. - 8.40 p.m.
Figure 9. Phase differences between Bangkok and Songkla.

SIGNAL PROCESSING FOR DETECTION OF OSCILLATION MODES

In the proposed monitoring system, the phase angles of single-phase voltages at both
locations are measured simultaneously. Because, the time derivative of phase angle
corresponds to the deviations of system frequency, the frequency deviation data at any
location can be generated. After applying Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) [12] to phase angle
or frequency deviation at the single location as well as phase difference between two
locations, it is found that using phase difference is much easier to observe the dominant
power oscillation mode. Accordingly, the phase difference is used to analyze the power
oscillation mode.

Figure 10. FFT results of phase difference before noise elimination.
Figure 9 depicts waveforms of phase difference between Bangkok and Songkla every six
hours from 2.20 a.m. to 2.40 a.m., 8.20 a.m. to 8.40 a.m., 2.20 p.m. to 2.40 p.m. and 8.20 p.m.
to 8.40 p.m. on J une 4, Saturday, 2005. Positive and negative phase differences imply the
opposite direction of the tie-line power flow. It can be seen that the phase difference signals
are composed of many oscillatory components with different frequencies. However, in the
phase difference signals, it is possible to contain noises caused by the switching of different
loads. In general, noises due to such loads occur at high frequencies which are beyond the
frequency of power system oscillations. Thus, the noises elimination technique is carried out
prior to the detection of power oscillation modes. Figure 10 shows the FFT result of phase
difference signal from 8.20 p.m. to 8.40 p.m. It can be observed that the phase difference
signal contains noises at high frequencies. To eliminate noises, the discrete wavelet
decomposition [13,14] is employed to decompose the original phase difference signal into
signals with different frequencies. Figure 11 illustrates wavelet decomposition results of
phase difference from 8.20 p.m. to 8.40 p.m. by Symlet wavelet functions with 12 levels. By
applying FFT to each wavelet element (d1-d12) in Figure 11, the frequency range of each
element can be determined as in Table 1. It is well known that power system oscillations such
as inter-area oscillations and local generator oscillations occur at frequencies below 2 Hz
[15]. As shown in Table 1, the d1, d2, and d3 signals are at high frequencies. These signals
are noises which do not contain power oscillations. Accordingly, d1, d2, and d3 signals are
isolated from the original phase difference signal, in order to eliminate any effects of the
switching loads. As a result, the original phase difference signal can be decomposed into
signals containing mainly power oscillations. Figure 12 demonstrates the FFT result of the
phase difference signal after noises elimination. Explicitly, the noises at high frequency are
absolutely eliminated. Figure 13 shows the FFT results of phase differences between
Bangkok and Songkla after noises elimination every six hours from 2.20 a.m. to 2.40 a.m.,
8.20 a.m. to 8.40 a.m., 2.20 p.m. to 2.40 p.m. and 8.20 p.m. to 8.40 p.m. on J une 4, Saturday,
2005. The FFT results signify that the dominant power oscillations at each elapsed time are
observed at a frequency around 0.4 - 0.6 Hz, which is in the vicinity of the inter-area
oscillation mode (0.2 0.8 Hz) [15]. In addition, the oscillation frequency of the inter-area
mode varies with the elapsed time. This is due to the variation of power demands in each
elapsed time.

Table 1. Frequency range of each wavelet element

Wavelet level Frequency (Hz)
d1 >4
d2 1.5 10.2
d3 1.3 4.52
d4 0.52 2.32
d5 0.2 1.23
d6 0.11 0.52
d7 0.05 0. 19
d8 0.03 0.15
d9 0.01 0.08
d10 0.01 0.04
d11 0.005 0.03
d12 0.001 0.01





Figure 11. Wavelet decomposition results of phase differences.


Figure 12. FFT results of phase difference after noise elimination.

(a) 2.20 a.m. - 2.40 a.m.

(b) 8.20 a.m. - 8.40 a.m.

(c) 2.20 p.m. - 2.40 p.m.

(d) 8.20 p.m. - 8.40 p.m.
Figure 13. FFT results of phase differences.

IDENTIFICATION OF INTER-AREA OSCILLATION MODE

Figure 14. Enlarged view of the amplitude of the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements.

Figure 15. FFT of the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements.
As provided in Table 1, frequencies of d1-d3 and d7-d12 elements are not in the vicinity
of the inter-area oscillation mode. Frequencies of the remaining d4, d5 and d6 elements are in
the range of interest. Accordingly, the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements (d4+d5+d6) is
justified to be the signal containing the inter-area oscillation mode. Figure 14 outlines the
enlarged view of the amplitude in degree of the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements of
phase difference between 310 and 330 seconds from 8.20 to 8.40 p.m. Clearly, the oscillation
period is about 2.0 second. Figure 15 shows the FFT result of the combination of d4, d5 and
d6 elements. The dominant frequency occurs at a frequency around 0.4 - 0.6 Hz.
To identify power oscillation mode from phase difference data, the multi-variable
regression method is applied. It is assumed that the central and southern areas are represented
by an equivalent two-machine system. The swing equation is given by

( ) ( ) ( )
1 2 1 2 1 2
0 M D K + + =
&& && & &
(4)

where M is an inertia constant, D is a damping coefficient, K is a synchronizing power
coefficient,
1
and
2
are phase angles at Bangkok and Songkla, respectively,
1
&
and
2
&
are
the first derivative of phase angles at Bangkok and Songkla, respectively and
1
&&
and
2
&&
are
the second derivative of phase angles at Bangkok and Songkla, respectively. Rewriting (4) as

( ) ( )
1 2 1 2 1 2
D K
M M
=
&& && & &
(5)
By applying the wavelet decomposition to measured data
1
,
2
,
1
&
,
2
&
,
1
&&
and
2
&&
,
extracting the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements of each variable and substituting in (5),
the coefficients D M and K M can be estimated by a multi-variable regression method.
Based on this identification technique, the steady state phasor fluctuations can be used to
model the system dynamics. In other words, a large disturbance like a line fault is not
necessary.
As an example, the phase difference from 8.20 p.m. to 8.40 p.m. on J une 4, 2005 is used
to identify the two-machine system. As a result, the estimated values of D M and K M are
equal to 0.3617 and 8.9480, respectively. To evaluate the regression results, the combination
of d4, d5 and d6 elements of the
1
&&
and
2
&&
are substituted in the left side of (5), while the
estimated D M , K M and the combination of d4, d5 and d6 elements of
1
,
2
,
1
&
,
2
&
are
replaced in the right side of (4). Figure 16 shows the comparison results of measured values
(left side of (5)) and estimated values (right side of (5)). Clearly, both measured and estimated
values are almost the same.
Since (4) is a second-order system, the characteristic equation can be represented by

2 2
2 0
n n
s s + + = (6)

Accordingly, the undamped natural frequency ( )
n
and the damping ratio ( ) are
determined by

n
K
M
= (7)

2
n
D
M
= (8)

The undamped natural frequency and the damping ratio lead to the calculation of the
eigenvalues. Suppose that the eigenvalues corresponding to the oscillation mode are
d
j , the real part ( ) and the imaginary part ( )
d
of the eigenvalues can be
determined by

n
= (9)

2
1
d n
= (10)

As a result, the eigenvalues corresponding to the oscillation mode from 8.20 p.m. to 8.40
p.m. on J une 4, 2005 are 0.1808 2.9858 j . The oscillation frequency is 2.9858 rad/sec
(0.4752 Hz) and the damping ratio is 0.0605.


Figure 16. Comparison of measured and estimated values.

Figure 17. Variation of real parts of eigenvalues, J une 1 7, 2005.

Figure 18. Variation of imaginary parts of eigenvalues, J une 1 7, 2005.

Figure 19. Variation of real part of eigenvalue, J uly 4 - 10, 2005.


Figure 20. Variation of imaginary part of eigenvalue, J uly 4 - 10, 2005.
Figures 17 and 18 indicate the variations of real part and imaginary part of eigenvalues
from J une 1 to 7, 2005, respectively. The variation of the real part in each day has almost the
same pattern. In the nighttime, the oscillation mode is more stable than that in the daytime.
This is due to large electric power demand in the daytime which deteriorates the system
stability. For the imaginary part which is the oscillation frequency, it also varies with the
power demand in each day. The more the power demand increases, the lower the oscillation
frequency is. In the daytime, the participation of synchronous generator in the power system
increases. This is equivalent to a larger system inertia which leads to the longer oscillation
period and the lower oscillation frequency. On the other hand, the oscillation frequency
becomes higher due to low power demand in the nighttime. Figures 19 and 20 depict the
variations of real part and imaginary part of eigenvalues from J uly 4 to 10, 2005, respectively.
The oscillatory behavior can be described as in the former period. These results exhibit that
the dynamic stability of the power system based on eigenvalue analysis can be conveniently
monitored via home power outlets.

CONCLUSION

This paper proposes a wide-area dynamic stability monitoring based on synchronized
PMUs. The aim of the presented system is to monitor the inter-area oscillation in the 230 kV
tie-line interconnection between central and southern areas of Thailand power system. The
proposed system has many advantages such as a convenient installation at a 220 V home
outlet level, an Internet based data transmission, an easy access for university researchers and
a low capital cost. Signal processing techniques based on Fast Fourier Transform and Discrete
Wavelet Decomposition have been applied to eliminate noises in the measured signal and
analyze physical behavior of inter-area oscillation. System identification using least-square
error has been applied to calculate the eigenvalue corresponding to the dominant inter-area
mode. Consequently, the investigation of system dynamic stability can be easily achieved by
monitoring the variation of the dominant inter-area mode in any time period. The proposed
monitoring system directly provides applicable information of wide-area power oscillations
for power system researchers, energy managers, system operators, and university students. It
leads to the high feasibility of wide-area monitoring and stability analysis for the future
electrical power systems.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Thailand Research Fund under Research Career
Development Grant No. RSA4780015.

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INDEX

A
absorbents, 84, 93, 94
abundance, vii, 4
AC, 64, 67, 156, 169, 172, 175
access, x, 209, 211, 229, 230, 292
accuracy, 105, 106, 108, 109, 112, 113, 116, 119,
124, 126, 150, 157, 215, 231, 237, 239, 254, 264,
270
achievement, 12
acid, 2, 64, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73, 75
activation, 66
adjustment, 213
adsorption, 94, 96
AEA, 43
aerospace, 224
Africa, 43
ageing, 162, 163
agent, 13
air pollution, 179
air quality, 54
algorithm, 107, 142, 223, 224, 240, 242, 246
alternative, 4, 6, 19, 26, 28, 29, 37, 40, 42, 51, 115,
135, 157, 179, 188, 191
alternatives, 22, 40, 139, 142
aluminium, 28
ambient air, 84, 86
ammonia, 86, 87, 89, 188, 190
amortization, 140
amplitude, 160, 161, 162, 167, 168, 235, 287, 288
AN, 172
antimony, 67
arsenic, 67
artificial intelligence, 215
ash, viii, 1, 4, 12, 13, 14, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 37, 38,
39, 40, 44
aspect ratio, 11
aspiration, 25
assessment, 37, 44, 99, 152, 211, 212, 213, 218, 238,
249, 250
assignment, 135
assumptions, 121, 123, 124, 130, 131, 133, 168, 262,
266, 267
Athens, 152, 153, 155, 174, 251
atmospheric pressure, 106, 157
atoms, 68
attention, 21, 51, 215, 249
automobiles, 75
availability, vii, x, 1, 2, 4, 6, 18, 19, 21, 26, 28, 29,
32, 37, 38, 39, 41, 56, 94, 106, 120, 209, 211,
212, 216, 217, 227, 239
avoidance, 12
B
banks, 247, 250
barriers, viii, 1, 20, 40, 69
batteries, 56, 64
behavior, ix, x, xi, 10, 12, 14, 22, 29, 59, 155, 209,
211, 227, 228, 252, 259, 270, 292, 293
Belgium, 21
benefits, 2, 8, 18, 20, 96, 98, 119, 120, 121, 138,
199, 219, 220
bias, 111, 122, 125, 133
biodegradable, 20
biofuel, 43
biofuels, 40, 43, 53, 56, 58
bio-fuels, viii, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 32, 34, 35, 38
bio-fuels, 41
bio-fuels, 42
bio-fuels, 42
bio-fuels, 42
biological activity, 11
Index 296
biomass, vii, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29,
32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 179
biomass materials, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 18, 19, 21, 30, 35, 40
blackouts, 51, 97, 210, 218, 222, 234
boilers, 2, 3, 13, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40,
41, 43, 44, 83
boils, 86
bonds, 164, 262
branching, 164
breakdown, 173, 174
Britain, 17, 41
Bromide, 88
burn, 22, 31, 42, 44, 260
burning, 12, 13, 15, 59, 62
burnout, 13, 25
by-products, 13, 14, 40
C
C++, 175
cables, 231, 254
calcium, 13, 39, 94
calibration, 12
California, 99
campaigns, 20
Canada, 210, 222
candidates, ix, 67, 178, 179, 188
capacitance, 164, 170, 236, 254
capital cost, 20, 36, 42, 53, 55, 58, 59, 62, 90, 98, 99,
190, 293
capital expenditure, 4, 9, 20, 35, 37
carbon, 8, 12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 26, 28, 64, 70, 71, 72,
73, 74, 75
carbon dioxide, 8, 64, 70, 71, 74, 75
carbon monoxide, 70, 71
carbonyl groups, 164
carrier, 75, 163
case study, 35, 36, 37, 43, 99
catalyst, 14, 53, 64, 67, 71, 72, 77
catalysts, 74
categorization, 167
category b, 161
cell, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 78
Central Europe, 21
ceramic, 70, 71, 73, 173, 175
cereals, 2
certainty, 210
certificate, 42
channels, 94, 157, 232
chemical composition, 13
chemical energy, 78
chloride, 93, 94
chlorine, 13, 25, 26, 27
classes, 166, 167
classification, ix, 31, 38, 79, 138, 155, 166, 167, 168,
173, 188, 191, 192, 233, 250
cleaning, 31, 173
closure, 121, 124
clusters, viii, 56, 103
CO2, 2, 13, 15, 16, 21, 26, 29, 32, 34, 35, 38, 41, 42,
67, 74, 179
coal, vii, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 49
coal particle, 22, 32
coefficient of variation, 253
coherence, 259, 262, 266
cohesion, 10
collaboration, ix, 25, 155
collisions, 260
combustion, 3, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27,
28, 29, 31, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 55, 56,
58, 59, 62, 71, 77, 78, 79, 82, 95
combustion chamber, 39
communication, 230
compatibility, 179
compensation, 138, 143, 214
competition, 210
complexity, 98, 210, 213
components, viii, 4, 14, 39, 41, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53,
58, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 78, 79, 83, 84, 86, 96, 98,
158, 180, 181, 241, 242, 247, 248, 279
composition, 5, 14, 27, 42
compost, 34
compounds, 13, 14, 188
computation, 106, 108, 114, 119, 150, 213
computing, 211, 219, 221
concentration, 14, 22, 26, 39, 42, 66, 67, 87, 94, 164
concrete, 15, 25
condensation, 55, 79, 84, 86, 157
conditioning, 48, 71, 79, 86, 87, 91, 94
conduction, 164, 174
conductivity, 69, 156, 157, 159, 161, 162, 163, 164,
169, 174, 187
conductor, 259
configuration, ix, 14, 25, 58, 89, 94, 98, 177, 180,
185, 199, 202, 231, 232, 238, 270
Congress, 207
connectivity, 99
conservation, 8
constraints, vii, 1, 3, 13, 30, 37, 78, 113, 116, 135,
138, 139, 142, 144, 213, 214, 218, 219, 223
construction, 3, 8, 12, 15, 28, 38, 63, 67, 71, 74, 223,
229
Index 297
consulting, 43
consumers, vii, 119
consumption, 12, 13, 29, 35, 51, 179
contaminants, 94, 156, 162
contamination, 156, 163, 164, 166, 171, 172, 173,
215
contingency, x, 134, 209, 211, 218, 224
continuity, 10
control, viii, 9, 10, 11, 12, 24, 31, 37, 40, 43, 69, 71,
84, 92, 103, 104, 105, 134, 137, 138, 139, 140,
142, 143, 146, 150, 151, 181, 182, 210, 211, 212,
213, 214, 215, 219, 220, 222, 223, 225, 229, 230,
250, 270, 293
convergence, 142, 167
conversion, 11, 13, 21, 30, 31, 40, 49, 53, 62, 63, 64,
66, 69, 78, 158, 207, 232
conversion rate, 13, 158
cooling, viii, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 62,
74, 76, 78, 84, 91, 92, 93, 96, 98, 179, 208, 215,
239
cooling process, 91, 96
Copenhagen, 151
copper, 254, 255, 256, 259, 261, 264, 265
corona discharge, 165
correlation, 27, 108, 156, 276
correlation coefficient, 276
corrosion, 8, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 40, 41, 62,
75, 90, 179
cost benefit analysis, 220
cost of power, vii
cost saving, 96
cost-benefit analysis, 212
costs, 6, 8, 10, 18, 19, 20, 30, 32, 37, 40, 41, 42, 51,
54, 55, 57, 58, 62, 64, 65, 67, 69, 71, 76, 78, 89,
96, 97, 99, 104, 123, 124, 129, 139, 140
coupling, 41, 89, 232
covering, 40, 207
creep, 169
Crete, 175
crops, 2, 4, 21, 36
customers, 49, 105, 120, 210
cycles, 15, 179, 180, 207, 272
D
damping, xi, 269, 270, 288, 289
data availability, 239
data base, 230
data set, 233
data transfer, 158
database, 230
dating, 51
DD, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142,
143, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
decay, 164
decision making, 8, 100, 229
decisions, 116
decomposition, 31, 246, 247, 248, 250, 270, 279,
284, 289
defects, 164
deficiency, 244
deficit, 119
definition, 228
degradation, 90, 234
delivery, vii, 12, 14, 20, 32, 49
demand, 10, 26, 44, 56, 98, 99, 116, 146, 151, 214,
270, 273, 292
Denmark, 3, 21, 24, 41, 116, 118, 151, 152, 293
density, xi, 12, 25, 28, 126, 156, 159, 164, 174, 252,
254, 255, 256, 262, 264, 265, 266
Department of Defense, 100
Department of Energy, 100, 210
deposition, viii, 1, 25, 44, 159
deposits, 11, 13, 26, 28, 39, 161
deregulation, viii, 47
designers, 206
desire, 76
destruction, 28
detection, 28, 250, 270, 279
deviation, 111, 112, 121, 211, 217, 278
devolatilization, 11
DFT, 240, 241, 242
diamonds, 131
dielectrics, 163, 164, 173, 174
diesel engines, 179, 207
diesel fuel, 53
dilation, 246
diodes, 174
dioxin, 38
discharges, ix, 155, 156, 159, 161, 162, 163, 165,
168, 169, 170, 171, 173, 174, 265
discrete variable, 142
discrimination, 159
discs, 232
distortions, 234, 250
distribution, vii, x, 32, 49, 51, 112, 114, 126, 128,
134, 137, 166, 219, 223, 229, 249, 251, 252, 270,
277
district heating, 21, 44, 83
division, 158
domestic markets, 101
drying, 9, 11, 31, 34, 39
duplication, 12
durability, 63
Index 298
duration, x, xi, 159, 162, 168, 170, 171, 234, 239,
240, 244, 251, 252, 253, 257, 259, 262, 264, 266,
267
E
economic losses, viii, 103, 104, 137
economics, vii, 2, 6, 19, 20, 37, 42, 43, 44, 69
Education, 251
EIA, 98
eigenvalue, 270, 291, 292, 293
elasticity, 10, 262
electric arc, 252, 259, 262
electric circuit, 66
electric current, 259
electric energy, 84, 104
electric field, 161, 163, 164, 174, 260, 262, 266
electric power, vii, viii, ix, 49, 50, 52, 54, 61, 62, 78,
103, 177, 179, 180, 183, 186, 190, 196, 197, 198,
199, 201, 202, 203, 205, 210, 216, 249, 270, 292
electric power production, vii, ix, 177
electric utilities, viii, 47
electrical conductivity, 14
electrical power, vii, viii, x, 37, 47, 48, 49, 51, 53,
64, 78, 98, 99, 180, 210, 222, 227, 234, 237, 249,
250, 293
electrical system, 134, 228, 238
electricity, vii, viii, 2, 10, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 35, 37,
40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 65, 67, 69, 71,
73, 74, 76, 78, 97, 99, 103, 104, 105, 119, 120,
121, 128, 129, 150, 153, 179, 210, 228
electricity system, 40
electrocatalyst, 72
electrodes, 69, 164, 260, 262, 266
electrolyte, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75
electromagnetic, 158, 163, 250
electron, 164, 174, 260
electron density, 260
electrons, ix, 65, 66, 68, 70, 73, 74, 155, 163, 164,
260, 265
elongation, 260, 262, 265
emission, ix, 13, 14, 16, 21, 30, 31, 32, 35, 155, 174,
179
endurance, 73
end-users, 228
energy, viii, ix, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21,
24, 34, 35, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 49, 50, 51,
52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 64, 65, 69, 75, 77, 78,
79, 84, 88, 92, 95, 96, 97, 99, 103, 104, 105, 119,
120, 121, 125, 128, 129, 131, 150, 151, 153, 155,
163, 164, 165, 179, 181, 182, 184, 207, 210, 212,
217, 218, 222, 260, 266, 270, 293
energy consumption, 48, 49, 96, 210
energy density, 6, 10, 11, 19, 41, 77
energy management system, 270
energy markets, 210
energy recovery, 207
energy supply, 42
energy transfer, 260
England, 60, 152
enlargement, 40
entanglements, 164
entropy, 66, 181, 185, 187, 188, 206
environment, x, 2, 15, 31, 32, 71, 84, 86, 156, 157,
159, 179, 209, 210, 211, 214, 218, 225, 260, 262
environmental impact, 37
environmental issues, vii, 1, 2, 13, 14, 20, 38, 51
environmental regulations, 134
environmental threats, 15
epoxy, 165
equality, 141
equilibrium, 170, 234, 252
equipment, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 20, 24, 31, 37, 38, 42,
52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 65, 78, 92, 94, 96, 179, 188,
210, 211, 214, 221, 228, 229, 230, 231, 234, 237,
257
erosion, 13, 168, 215
error detection, 218
estimating, 105
ethanol, 188, 190
ethylene, 94
ethylene glycol, 94
EU, 15, 16, 30, 38, 40, 43
eucalyptus, 4
Europe, vii, 1, 3, 4, 40, 41, 42, 60, 101, 119, 222
European Commission, 42, 43, 45, 71
European Community, 2
evacuation, 116
evaporation, 79, 170, 260, 262
evidence, 13, 261, 266
excitation, 174
exothermic, 65
expenditures, 42, 48
expertise, 210
exploitation, 37, 40
exposure, 156
extinction, 165, 174, 260, 262, 265
F
fabrication, 71, 73
failure, 210, 217, 228, 238, 239
family, 108, 246
farm efficiency, 107
farms, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 113, 114, 116, 119,
134, 136, 137, 138, 139, 141, 142, 150
Index 299
fatigue, 153
fault analysis, x, 175, 227, 233, 247, 248, 249, 250
feet, 94
FFT, 270, 278, 279, 285, 287, 288
fibers, 30
filters, 94, 118, 232
finite impulse response filters, 247
Finland, 21, 100
fire hazard, 35
fire suppression, 10
fires, 16, 32
first generation, 72
fitness, 276
flame, 11, 14, 22, 28, 38, 39, 41
flammability, 179
flexibility, 3, 9, 57, 60, 65, 66, 97
float, 83
flood, 69
fluctuations, 104, 161, 163, 165, 167, 234, 289
flue gas, 13, 14, 24, 27, 29, 42, 83
fluid, ix, 62, 63, 79, 80, 83, 89, 177, 179, 180, 181,
182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192,
194, 198, 199, 203, 205, 206, 207
fluidized bed, 83
focusing, viii, 1, 24
food, 4
food production, 4
forecasting, 119, 123, 165, 170, 175, 215
fossil, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 26, 29, 34, 40,
41, 42, 43, 44, 57, 179
fossil fuels, 3, 4, 14, 15, 21, 26, 40, 41, 42, 43, 179
fouling, viii, 1, 8, 12, 13, 22, 24, 26, 30, 39, 43, 179
Fourier, x, 227, 240, 244, 248, 249, 270, 278, 293
Fourier analysis, 240, 244
fragmentation, 253, 261, 262
France, 17, 43, 152, 153, 224
free energy, 66
freezing, 87
frequency distribution, 126, 128
frequency resolution, 246, 248, 249
frost, 170
fruits, 5
fuel, vii, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42,
44, 49, 51, 52, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 62, 64, 65, 66,
67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 95,
97, 99, 179, 210, 212, 215, 217
fuel cell, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75,
76, 77, 78, 95, 97, 99
fuel type, 2, 10, 12, 21, 55
funding, 20
furan, 38
fusion, x, xi, 159, 251, 252, 253, 255, 256, 257, 258,
262, 264, 265, 266, 267
G
gas diffusion, 69
gas turbine, 3, 59, 76
gases, 2, 3, 53, 54, 57, 58, 61, 62, 64, 68, 78, 79, 83,
89
gasification, 3
gasoline, 53
gel, 93
generation, vii, viii, 10, 14, 18, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,
47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 54, 56, 60, 61, 75, 76, 78, 83,
88, 95, 103, 104, 105, 116, 123, 133, 134, 135,
137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 146, 147, 149, 150, 151,
156, 180, 186, 212, 213, 214, 217, 224, 271
Geneva, 175
Georgia, 99, 101
Germany, 21, 26, 30, 118, 119, 153, 268
Gibbs free energy, 66, 71
glass, 91, 159
goals, 42
government, 21, 29, 38, 76
GPS, 270, 272
grains, 5, 90, 91
gravitational force, 259
Great Britain, 101
Greece, 1, 4, 6, 19, 37, 38, 44, 152, 153, 155, 173,
175, 251
greenhouse gas, 8, 16, 31, 41
greenhouse gases, 8
Grid connectivity, 99
grids, 51, 99, 103, 104, 105, 119, 150, 210, 271
grounding, 12
groups, 113, 116, 138, 234, 264
growth, 90, 92, 113
guidelines, 43
H
halogen, 94
harvesting, 37, 49
hazards, 73
HD, 293
health, 90, 92
heat, viii, ix, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27,
29, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 39, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,
53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 69, 71,
72, 74, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88,
89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 168, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182,
Index 300
183, 185, 187, 190, 192, 194, 199, 201, 202, 203,
205, 206, 207, 215, 252, 260, 262, 266
heat exchangers, viii, 47, 48, 59, 78, 79, 80, 82, 83
heat loss, 13, 62
heat release, 168
heat transfer, 13, 22, 26, 30, 79, 80, 82, 83, 86, 181,
182, 185, 201, 202
heating, viii, 11, 13, 18, 25, 29, 38, 47, 48, 50, 52,
53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 71, 72, 74, 78, 79, 83, 84, 215,
252, 266
heating rate, 11
heavy metals, 14, 30
high power density, 78
higher quality, 48, 97
histogram, 165
homogeneity, 39, 162, 163
hospitals, 76, 90, 98
hot water, viii, 47, 48, 53, 54, 55, 62, 71, 74, 75, 76,
78, 88, 89
hotels, 57, 90
households, 48, 51
housing, 11
hub, 49
human resources, x, 227, 228
humidity, 10, 11, 39, 69, 84, 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, 156,
157, 159, 163, 170
hybrid, 57
hydrocarbons, 67
hydrogen, 10, 56, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73,
74, 75, 188, 190
hydrogen bonds, 10, 188
hydrogen gas, 65
hysteresis, 164
I
identification, 165, 224, 232, 253, 270, 289, 293
IEDs, 229, 230
images, 119, 165, 261
imbalances, viii, 103, 105, 122, 125, 128, 131, 150
implementation, x, 3, 4, 8, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 35, 37,
40, 42, 209, 216, 220, 221, 229, 239, 293
imports, 2
in situ, 134
incentives, 16, 18, 41, 139, 149
incidence, 164
inclusion, 98, 99
income, 16, 18, 35, 51, 105, 123, 125
incompatibility, 235
independent variable, 123
indication, 66, 228
indices, 211, 218, 220
indigenous, 19, 21, 35
induction, 138, 151, 158, 235
industrial application, 75, 83
industrialized countries, 52
industry, vii, viii, ix, 1, 15, 18, 35, 38, 42, 47, 51,
177, 179, 210, 212
inertia, 69, 114, 288, 292
infinite, 179, 188, 240, 264
information sharing, x, 209, 211
infrastructure, 20, 21, 29, 38, 54, 99, 230
initiation, 162, 239, 264
injections, 134
innovation, 101
insight, x, 113, 133, 227, 228
inspections, 55
institutions, 7, 41
instruments, 157, 229, 230, 231
insulators, ix, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 162, 164,
165, 166, 168, 170, 171, 172, 173, 175
integrated waste management, 42
integration, 105, 150, 153, 229
integrity, 15
intensity, ix, 20, 146, 155, 159, 164, 170
interaction, 164, 175, 234, 236
interface, 230, 231
interference, 9, 32, 156, 158, 172
internal clock, 272
internal combustion, 54, 55, 59
Internet, 270, 272, 292
interpretation, 175, 237, 253
interval, 126, 129, 142, 144, 146, 149, 157, 168, 262,
266
intrinsic value, 18
investment, vii, 1, 2, 8, 10, 30, 32, 34, 37
ionization, 164, 260
ions, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 73, 74, 75, 161, 260
isobutane, 198, 199, 208
Italy, 38, 151, 153, 222, 250
J
J apan, 269
jobs, 38
judgment, 217
L
labor, 6, 20
laminar, 94
landfill gas, 54, 57, 75
lanthanum, 70
laws, 181, 205
layering, 12
Index 301
leaching, 29
leakage, ix, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162,
163, 166, 167, 168, 170, 172, 173, 175
learning, 166, 167
legislation, 15, 16, 28, 40, 42, 135
life cycle, 2
lifespan, 8
lifetime, 164
limitation, 16, 116, 213
linear programming, 213, 214, 223, 225
liquefaction, 264
liquid phase, 253
liquids, 78, 79, 84, 93
literature, xi, 13, 107, 252, 253, 257, 259, 262, 266
lithium, 73, 86, 88, 89, 94
loans, 20
location, 20, 35, 40, 54, 213, 228, 230, 231, 238, 278
location information, 238
logic programming, 152
logistics, 6, 40
long distance, vii, 18, 26
low cost, vii, 21, 41, 43, 270
low temperatures, 67
lubricating oil, 58, 187
lying, 19
M
magnetic field, 158
maize, 25
Malaysia, 206
management, ix, x, 69, 71, 104, 105, 106, 139, 150,
151, 209, 211, 216, 218, 219, 220, 222
manufacturer, 62, 67
manufacturing, 94
mapping, 166
market, viii, ix, 2, 8, 15, 16, 18, 19, 40, 41, 43, 47,
48, 49, 51, 52, 58, 69, 71, 73, 76, 97, 98, 99, 103,
105, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 128, 129,
130, 134, 138, 139, 149, 150, 209, 210, 211, 212,
217, 219
market prices, 122, 123, 124, 130, 139
market trends, viii, 47
market value, 18, 19, 69
marketing, 54
markets, viii, 2, 42, 43, 51, 75, 97, 104, 105, 116,
119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 128, 129, 130,
131, 133, 150, 153
Marx, 189, 207
Maryland, 100
matrix, 73
measurement, ix, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 168, 211,
221, 229, 234, 254, 257, 258, 261, 262, 270, 277,
293
measures, 9, 109, 115, 157, 272
media, 86, 188
Mediterranean, 4, 19, 37, 44
Mediterranean countries, 4, 37
melt, 73, 266
melting, 13, 39, 252, 259, 261, 266
melting temperature, 13, 259
memory, 98, 157, 214, 242
mercury, 27
metals, 13, 14, 39
methane, 67, 70
methanol, 67
microwave, 24, 238
microwaves, ix, 155, 165
minerals, 13
mixing, 3, 9, 11, 12, 22, 26, 29, 35, 80, 86
mobility, 73, 161, 262
model reduction, 217
modeling, 36, 165, 171, 175, 211, 222
models, 54, 60, 106, 107, 108, 114, 115, 116, 118,
119, 150, 153, 169, 170, 175, 180, 188, 230, 252
modernization, 8
modules, 108
moisture, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25, 26, 31, 35, 41,
90, 91, 93, 94, 96
moisture content, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 24, 25, 26, 31,
35, 41, 91
mole, 74, 189
molecular oxygen, 164
molecular structure, 162
molecules, 70, 93, 188, 190, 262
motels, 57
motion, 59
motivation, 49
moulding, 11
multiples, 234
N
NaCl, 161
natural gas, 29, 49, 53, 56, 69, 71, 73, 74, 76, 89
natural resources, 37
neglect, 56
Netherlands, 21, 29, 44, 69, 71
network, vii, x, 137, 138, 142, 151, 166, 167, 210,
214, 217, 218, 219, 225, 233, 234, 247, 249, 251,
252, 257, 270, 277, 293
neural network, ix, 108, 155, 165, 166, 167, 168,
173, 174, 175, 223, 224
neural networks, 108, 165, 166, 175, 224
Index 302
neurons, 166, 167
New J ersey, 175
New York, 99, 100, 101, 153, 174, 206, 207, 222,
223, 249, 250, 267, 268
next generation, 188
nickel, 70, 71, 74
nitrogen, 5, 14, 41
nitrogen compounds, 41
nodes, 134, 135, 214
noise, 54, 57, 59, 62, 78, 97, 242, 270, 279, 285
North America, 210, 222, 224
nuts, 36
O
observations, 162, 167
oil, 54, 55, 58, 75, 83
operator, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 116, 151, 217, 220, 228, 240
Operators, viii, 103, 105, 128
optimal performance, 108
optimization, viii, 39, 103, 142, 144, 146, 149, 150,
207, 213, 215, 216, 217, 219, 223, 225
optimization method, 216, 219
organic compounds, 207
organization, 107, 120, 270
organizations, 210
oscillation, xi, 233, 234, 249, 269, 270, 271, 279,
288, 289, 292
overhead power transmission lines, vii
oxides, 28
oxygen, 28, 37, 41, 64, 65, 67, 68, 70, 73, 74
ozone, 179, 188
P
parameter, xi, 41, 115, 123, 124, 194, 236, 252, 264,
265, 267
Pareto, 212
Paris, 153
particles, 10, 11, 12, 22, 26, 30, 32, 34, 35, 38, 39,
72, 83, 260, 265
partnership, 76
payback period, 69, 89
penalties, 122, 125
perception, 20
percolation, 174
performance, ix, x, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20, 22, 24,
25, 32, 36, 37, 42, 63, 64, 66, 72, 73, 75, 82, 87,
94, 96, 98, 104, 106, 107, 108, 115, 133, 152,
171, 172, 177, 179, 180, 187, 188, 191, 194, 198,
205, 206, 211, 215, 227, 228, 229, 230, 239, 250
Periodic Table, 67
permit, 16, 20
phase shifts, 277
phasor measurement, xi, 269, 270, 272, 293
phosphorous, 67
phosphorus, 39
planning, 159, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 222
plants, vii, 1, 2, 7, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 26, 29, 35,
37, 39, 40, 42, 49, 51, 54, 62, 79, 179
plasma, 253, 260, 261, 265, 266
platinum, 67, 72
PM, 249
polarity, 234
polarization, 66
pollutants, 6, 15, 16, 37, 42
pollution, viii, ix, 15, 47, 49, 78, 156, 157, 159, 161,
163, 169, 170, 172, 173, 174, 175, 177, 179
polymer, 67, 69
poor, xi, 10, 12, 98, 269, 270
portfolio, 112, 114, 116
Portugal, 40
potassium, 13, 26, 39, 73
poultry, 34
power generation, viii, 4, 20, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49,
51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 59, 60, 62, 65, 69, 75, 76, 78,
79, 97, 137, 138, 139, 142, 146, 149, 179, 188,
214
power plant, vii, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 18, 22, 34,
35, 37, 40, 41, 49, 51
power plants, vii, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40,
41, 42, 43, 44, 49, 51, 61, 63, 207, 210
precipitation, 156
prediction, viii, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109,
110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120,
121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131,
133, 136, 150, 152, 153
prediction models, 108, 152
predictors, 115, 116
pressure, 12, 35, 54, 55, 56, 62, 74, 76, 84, 86, 88,
93, 180, 182, 187, 191, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198,
199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 210, 239, 259, 260, 265,
266
Pretoria, 250
prevention, x, 227
price taker, 123
prices, 19, 123, 129, 130, 131, 133, 138, 139, 140,
143, 145, 215, 217
probability, 114, 125, 126, 128, 129, 156, 164, 233
probability density function, 125, 126, 129
probability distribution, 114, 128
process duration, 264, 265, 267
Index 303
producers, viii, 47, 103, 104, 129, 134, 135, 137,
138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147,
149, 150
production, 4, 15, 21, 26, 29, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 49,
54, 60, 63, 73, 76, 79, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107,
108, 109, 113, 114, 116, 118, 119, 120, 123, 125,
126, 128, 129, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 141,
142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 149, 150, 153, 157, 163,
164, 210, 214
production costs, 60, 63, 76
profit, 107, 225
profits, 18
program, 24, 28, 76, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 113,
116, 121, 123, 125, 128, 150, 219, 229, 231, 232
programming, 142, 144, 151, 214, 225
promote, 15, 80
propagation, 166, 169
propane, 53, 56, 75, 191, 192, 194, 197, 208
Proteins, 5
protocol, 16
protocols, 230
proton exchange membrane, 64, 67
prototype, 89
pruning, 5
PTFE, 67
pulse, xi, 157, 167, 170, 252, 253
pulses, x, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 166, 167,
168, 171, 173, 251, 261
pumps, 53, 84
purification, 27
Q
quality control, 25
quantization, 166
quantum mechanics, 164
R
radar, 119
radiation, ix, 13, 54, 82, 155, 157, 163, 164, 165
Radiation, 162, 173
radio, ix, 155, 156, 165, 172
radiography, 253
radius, 18, 40
rain, 157
rainfall, 156, 157, 159
range, 4, 9, 10, 12, 19, 21, 40, 42, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59,
61, 62, 70, 71, 75, 76, 79, 87, 88, 125, 126, 128,
129, 165, 166, 168, 171, 191, 194, 195, 199, 203,
206, 261, 279, 280, 288
ratings, 232
reactants, 66
reactivity, 26
reading, 234
real numbers, 245
real time, ix, x, 105, 106, 108, 114, 115, 116, 126,
209, 210, 211, 212, 217, 218, 219, 220
reception, 11, 20, 31, 35
recognition, 250
recombination, 164
recovery, 40, 53, 55, 57, 58, 59, 63, 78, 79, 82, 83,
179, 190, 207
recycling, 28
reduction, 2, 8, 9, 14, 16, 21, 26, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35,
38, 39, 40, 84, 121, 123, 124, 125, 134, 135, 136,
137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 143, 146, 149, 150, 162,
220, 234, 265
redundancy, 11, 246
regenerate, 96
regeneration, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96
regional, 107, 119, 120, 134, 135, 212
regression, 270, 276, 288, 289
regression method, 288, 289
regulation, 19, 116, 134, 139, 215
regulations, viii, 30, 38, 47
regulatory framework, 13, 120
rejection, 180, 182
relationship, 240
relaxation, 142
relevance, 15, 249
reliability, x, 12, 53, 57, 58, 62, 69, 77, 78, 89, 104,
150, 151, 209, 210, 211, 212, 214, 216, 218, 219,
220
renewable energy, 2, 15, 21, 29, 43, 49, 134
representative samples, 171
reserves, 120
residential buildings, 90
residuals, 40
residues, 2, 4, 18, 19, 21, 28, 29, 32, 34, 36, 37, 40,
42, 43, 44
resistance, ix, x, 143, 155, 157, 158, 169, 170, 171,
231, 251, 252, 253, 254, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261,
262, 264, 265, 266, 267
resolution, 106, 107, 114, 116, 119, 247
resources, 2, 4, 6, 8, 19, 21, 26, 40, 42, 54, 99, 212
response time, 75
restaurants, 57
restructuring, viii, ix, 47, 209, 211, 212
retail, 57, 90
revenue, 8, 20, 121, 122, 124, 125, 129, 133, 139,
151
rewards, 150
risk, 2, 8, 12, 20, 37, 41, 175, 220
rolling, 123, 124
Index 304
roughness, 106, 107, 112, 118
routing, 9
rural areas, 101
S
SA, 153, 206, 207, 222
safety, 6, 98, 179, 187, 216
sales, 58
salinity, 156, 159
salt, ix, 93, 155, 156, 159, 163, 171, 172
salts, 73
sample, 131, 229, 233, 239
sampling, ix, 155, 157, 158, 168, 229, 230, 240, 242,
247, 254, 272
satellite, 119
saturation, 94, 179, 188, 191, 203
savings, 20, 26, 220, 229
sawdust, 4, 10, 21, 22, 35, 36
scaling, 242, 246
scheduling, 105, 113, 116, 212, 224
search, 151, 188
seasonal variations, 115
security, viii, x, 35, 51, 97, 103, 135, 136, 209, 210,
211, 212, 213, 214, 217, 218, 219, 220, 223, 224,
225
seed, 25
selecting, 67
selenium, 67
semiconductors, 164
sensitivity, 135, 220, 222, 229
sensors, 156, 157
separation, 11, 31, 234
series, 8, 9, 39, 79, 99, 100, 131, 132, 143, 156, 158,
232, 235
set theory, 214
severity, 10, 234
sewage, 2, 32
shape, 11, 79, 126, 161
shares, viii, 1, 28, 40, 41, 42
sharing, 137
shortage, 19, 214
side effects, 22
sign, 163, 273
signals, ix, 209, 211, 229, 230, 234, 236, 237, 244,
246, 247, 248, 279
silicon, 32, 39
simulation, ix, xi, 118, 155, 169, 170, 171, 175, 231,
252
sine wave, 234, 236, 244
Singapore, 223
sinus, xi, 252, 255, 256, 257, 264, 267
SiO2, x, 251
sites, xi, 31, 164, 214, 235, 269
skewness, 112
slag, 26
sludge, 2, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36
smoke, 22
smoothing, 247
society, 151, 214
sodium, 39, 73
software, x, 58, 119, 140, 158, 188, 209, 211, 254
solar energy, 59
solid phase, 253, 261, 262
solid state, 70
solid waste, 28
sorption, 94
sorption process, 94
sorting, 28
South Africa, 247, 250
Spain, 45, 103, 113, 114, 116, 118, 119, 134, 135,
151, 152, 173
species, 8
specific heat, 206
spectrum, 161, 163, 213, 258
speed, 24, 106, 107, 114, 116, 151, 156, 157, 159,
213, 214, 242
spot market, 121
stability, vii, xi, 22, 39, 72, 94, 104, 134, 162, 179,
211, 214, 218, 219, 220, 250, 269, 270, 292
stages, 11, 28, 88, 89
standard deviation, 111
standardization, 7, 38
standards, 26, 38, 54, 71, 99, 100
statistics, 108, 118
steel, 74
storage, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 20, 29, 31, 32, 35, 37, 57,
58, 71, 99, 157, 158
strain, 162
strategies, viii, 103, 104, 138, 146, 150, 211, 212
strength, 163, 210, 260, 262
stress, 170, 261, 262
strikes, 234
subsidy, 104
substation, vii, 49, 229, 230
substitution, 24, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38
successive approximations, 247
suffering, 173
sulfur, 13, 67
sulfuric acid, 94
sulphur, 14, 22, 37
supervision, 166
suppliers, 3, 6, 17, 19, 20, 26, 37, 76
supply, viii, x, xi, 1, 7, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 30, 35, 38,
40, 41, 44, 62, 66, 75, 78, 89, 210, 214, 219, 227,
234, 235, 249, 251, 252, 253, 261, 264
Index 305
supply chain, 7
suppression, 10, 12, 224
surface area, 32, 94
surface energy, 259
surface tension, 259
surfactants, 15
surplus, 16
Sweden, 21, 151, 152
switching, 15, 29, 104, 138, 230, 234, 279
Switzerland, 43, 44, 152, 227
synchronization, 272
synthesis, 150
system analysis, 150, 239
systems, viii, ix, x, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20, 21, 31, 37, 39,
41, 43, 47, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 61, 62,
69, 71, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84, 86, 88, 89, 91, 93, 94,
95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105, 131, 156,
157, 158, 159, 165, 175, 180, 188, 190, 207, 209,
210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 218, 220, 221, 223,
225, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 233, 234, 237, 239,
240, 242, 243, 247, 249, 250, 270, 293
T
targets, 2, 16, 21, 42, 239
tariff, 120
tax incentive, 21
TBP, 206
technology, vii, viii, x, 1, 8, 15, 20, 22, 25, 36, 42,
43, 44, 47, 48, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 62,
65, 69, 71, 72, 78, 97, 98, 134, 137, 138, 207,
217, 227, 229, 237, 249, 293
tellurium, 67
temperature, ix, 11, 12, 14, 25, 30, 32, 39, 52, 54, 55,
58, 59, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77,
78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94,
95, 96, 106, 156, 157, 159, 162, 163, 164, 170,
174, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 185, 186, 187,
188, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198,
203, 204, 205, 206, 239, 252, 253, 259, 260, 265
tension, 187
terminals, 253
Thailand, xi, 269, 270, 271, 292, 293
theory, 162, 163, 213, 215, 218, 250, 262, 264
thermal energy, 26, 51, 53, 63, 79, 83, 84, 86, 95, 96
thermal stability, 187
thermodynamic cycle, 62
thermodynamic equilibrium, 260, 265
thermodynamic properties, 188, 207, 208
thermodynamics, 205
thinking, viii, 47, 214
threat, x, 11, 227
threshold, ix, 107, 155, 157, 163, 164, 170, 247, 266
thresholds, 55
TID, 125
time, vii, ix, x, xi, 1, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 29, 35, 48, 49,
59, 69, 72, 75, 98, 99, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109,
111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123,
124, 125, 126, 129, 155, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161,
163, 166, 168, 170, 171, 209, 210, 211, 214, 215,
216, 217, 219, 220, 223, 224, 227, 228, 230, 232,
233, 237, 239, 240, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249,
252, 258, 259, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 270,
272, 278, 280, 293
time factors, 9
time frame, ix, 155
time lags, 126
time periods, 29, 263
time series, 107, 108, 114, 115, 116
topology, 218, 224
total energy, 29, 119
total product, 136, 137
toxicity, 86, 87, 179, 188
trace elements, 14, 27
tracking, 165
trade, 17, 119
tradeable permits, 17
trading, 42, 119, 124, 150, 212
training, 58, 166, 167
transactions, 212, 219
transducer, 157
transition, 51, 218
translation, 246
transmission, vii, 49, 51, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139,
141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 148, 163, 172, 210,
211, 212, 217, 218, 219, 222, 223, 231, 247, 270,
271, 292
transmission path, vii
transport, 11, 18, 19, 24, 26, 67, 163
transport costs, 18, 19, 26
transportation, 6, 18, 28, 29, 41, 49, 57, 76, 224
trend, vii, 1, 111, 119, 120, 133, 191, 192, 195, 197,
198, 203
trial, 37, 64
triggers, 229
tunneling, 164
U
UK, 3, 4, 6, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 35, 36, 43, 44, 119
uncertainty, viii, 51, 103, 104, 125, 126, 128, 129,
150, 153, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217,
218, 222
uniform, 181
unit cost, 54, 90
United States, 51, 98, 99, 100, 217, 222
Index 306
universities, xi, 76, 269, 270
university students, 293
updating, 105, 115, 121, 130
users, 26, 41, 116, 119, 151
V
vacuum, 164, 174
validity, 273
values, viii, ix, xi, 11, 16, 22, 29, 38, 56, 96, 103,
104, 114, 122, 123, 124, 126, 128, 130, 131, 133,
135, 141, 142, 143, 155, 157, 158, 160, 164, 165,
166, 167, 171, 195, 212, 213, 215, 217, 219, 232,
233, 236, 242, 243, 244, 252, 254, 256, 262, 266,
267, 273, 289, 290
vapor, 53, 56, 71, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 93, 179, 180,
187, 188, 259, 260, 261, 262
variability, 42, 104, 120
variable, 20, 125, 134, 141, 166, 244, 253, 254, 276,
288, 289
variables, ix, 117, 164, 209, 211, 212, 213, 214, 219,
240, 276
variance, 109, 126, 128, 213
variation, 41, 146, 159, 162, 168, 191, 192, 194, 197,
198, 199, 201, 203, 205, 265, 270, 273, 280, 292,
293
vector, 166
vehicles, 6, 57, 60
velocity, 25, 83
ventilation, 71, 87
vibration, 62
Virginia, 100
viscosity, 187
visualization, 211, 212, 220
volatility, x, 72, 209, 211
volatilization, 259
voltage management, vii
W
warm air, viii, 47, 48, 83
Warsaw, 207
waste treatment, 26
water absorption, 87
water heater, 83, 180, 184
water vapor, 56, 71, 87, 90, 93, 94
wavelet, x, 227, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250,
270, 279, 280, 289, 294
wavelet analysis, 244, 250, 294
wear, 39
wells, 49
wetting, 96, 156
wind, viii, 99, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109,
110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120,
121, 123, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131, 134, 135,
136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145,
146, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 159
wind farm, viii, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109,
110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121,
123, 125, 126, 128, 129, 131, 134, 136, 137, 138,
139, 141, 142, 143, 146, 149, 150
wind generators, viii, 103, 104, 119, 120
wind turbines, 106, 107, 120, 140, 151
windows, 123, 124
winning, 166
wires, x, 251, 252, 253, 254, 259, 260, 261, 266
wood, 2, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31,
32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 42, 44
wood species, 44
working conditions, 180
Y
yield, 39, 89, 128, 194
Z
zeolites, 94
zirconia, 70

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ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH TRENDS

ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH TRENDS

from the unloading area was first

in parts of the transportation parts and some layers from

was to be blamed for the first problem, while

in the wet bottom ash was negligible

was kept to the level of 2% of the thermal capacity and doubled to 4%

fluctuated from 21 to 24 tn per hour at the first thermal share and 40 to 46 at

. The existing infrastructure

co-firing tests. The measurements were

mode-. The mixing of the

in the ash was found. Though, HCl concentrations were

). Therefore, the Decrease Rate

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