STG Modes of

Operation & Power

System Stability
Basic Principle of a Power Plant
Basic Principle of a Steam Generator
 Speed Governor
The load on the turbo-generator does not remain
constant but vary as per the Grid demand
requirements which results into variations in
frequency and necessitates a continuous
adjustment of generation at the turbo-generators.
If not, the speed / frequency will be oscillating.

The governing system provides for this

regulation /adjustment by controlling the steam
inflow to the turbine
The governing system is a closed loop control
system which processes speed error, power
error and pressure error to operate the steam
control valves.
 STG Modes of Operation

Isochronous or frequency control mode: the

energy being admitted to the prime mover
is regulated very tightly in response to
changes in load which would tend to cause
changes in frequency (speed). Used with
generator in grid isolated mode
An integral controller resulting in constant speed
 Q: What are the other Control Actions?

Proportional control action

Integral control action

Derivative control action

PID control action

 Q:
What if Generator is in Iso mode & connected to
Grid ?
Droop Control:
The governor is not attempting to control the
frequency. The energy being admitted to the
prime mover is controlled in response to the
difference between a speed setpoint and the
actual speed of the prime mover. So, the actual
speed is being allowed to "droop" below its
setpoint.

Droop causes the governor speed reference to

decrease as load increases .
Power out put will change as per load reference.
Out put will also change as per droop
characteristics with change in frequency i.e will
reduce power output if frequency increases &
vice versa
 Q-
 If STG is running in droop mode with Tie
breaker ON , how much would be the change
in output if speed reference or frequency is
changed by X?

 If STG is running isolated in droop mode with

Tie breaker ON, What will be the change in
rpm and frequency if load is changed by X ?
Q:
What will be the mode of operation if two
Generators are running in parallel without
grid?

a) Both in Iso ?
b) Both in Droop ?
c) One in Iso & another in Droop ?
 Types of Governor Control
Proportional control
Actuating signal proportional to the error signal
error signal is difference between the reference
input signal and the feedback signal
 reduces the rise time
 increases the overshoot but finite steady state
error
 large values of K lead to small steady-state
error , faster, less damped responses but high
overshoot.
 PD Control

Effect of adding damping to a system thus

has a stabilizing influence on the system
response
 Reduced both the overshoot and the settling
time , but has steady-state error
 Large value of Kd decrease steady-state error
but also decreases the response times of the
system and can make it susceptible to noise
 PI control

Rate of change of o/p is proportional to error

 makes steady-state error zero due to basic nature of
rate of change of o/p
 Good speed of response but slower than P-control
 increases the system settling time
 Attempt to decrease settling time by controlling Ki
will increase overshoot
PID Controller
• removes steady-state error
• decreases system settling times
• maintaining a reasonable transient response
• Attempt to decrease settling time by controlling
Ki will increase overshoot
 Summary of control actions
 A proportional control (Kp) will have the
effect of reducing the rise time, but never
eliminate, the steady-state error
 An integral control (Ki) will have the effect of
eliminating the steady-state error, but it may
make the transient response worse
 A derivative control (Kd) will have the effect
of increasing the stability of the system,
reducing the overshoot, and improving the
transient response but little effect on rise
time
 A PD Controller adds damping to a system,
but the steady-state error is not eliminated
 A PI Controller improves relative stability and
eliminate steady state error at the same time,
but the settling time is increased(System
response sluggish)
 A PID controller removes steady-state
error and decreases system settling times
while maintaining a reasonable transient
response

 A general rule is to add proportional control

to get the desired rise time, add derivative
control to get the desired overshoot, and
then add integral control to eliminate the
steady-state error
 Generator Control Loops

Before synchronizing -Speed control loop during

turbine acceleration up to rated speed, PI
controller

After synchronizing -Just after synchronization,

an initial load is instantaneously increased to
avoid the generator reverse power, speed
control loop with PD controller
Normal Operation- Power control loop or MSP
control loop (Turbine follow mode loop),
Condenser Vacuum Limiter control loop,
Control valve (CV) position control loop, Back
Pressure Control loop etc.

Shutdown Operation- Unloading up to the

minimum load by the power control loop &
then Speed control loop with PI control
EHTC BLOCK DIAGRAM
 EHTC Functions
1. Rolling /Warm UP

Required as Rotor expands faster tan casing due

to mass difference. Warm up ensures that both
expands parallel & clearances are maintained &
rubbing of parts is avoided.

Depending upon the shutdown duration, types of

turbine starts are-
Cold start
Warm Start
Hot start
TG is then rolled using speed control loop
(Droop) in PI mode

a) Warm up of valve chest, b) Speeding up to

rated speed, c) Loading up to rated load
 2. Synchronisation

As soon as GCB closes, EHTC mode changes to

Speed control loop-PD & controller output in
increased by some amount (~ 10 % of rated) to
avoid tripping on reverse power.
 3. Load Control
EHTC sets the load ref. to the running load & it’s
output is set to the value of speed controller
output
 4. Islanding
When the Tie status is lost, one TG goes to Iso
mode.
 Effect of Step load on two droop generators in
parallel

Generator
speeds

Power
output
 voltages

One
generator
with
integral
control
(zero
droop ) -
Power
One generator with integral control (zero
droop ) - Speed
 AVR modes of operation
1. Voltage droop compensation mode or Voltage mode or AVR mode
2. PF control mode
3. MVA control mode
 Need of excitation control:

Pf- If a generator is operating at some load and

the generator is unloaded, then the generator
pf will decrease in the lagging direction & Vice-
Versa.
Hence it is necessary to change excitation with
change in generation in order to keep pf
constant.
2. Voltage-
As the amperes flowing in the generator stator
increase as the fuel flow-rate to the turbine
increases, magnetic field associated with the
generator stator increases, it "reacts" with
rotor field, weakening, the generator rotor field
strength & causes the generator terminal
voltage to decrease .
That's why it's required to increase excitation as
the generator is loaded to maintain something
near rated generator terminal voltage
 Which control the AVR should be during
island operation ?

Parallel with grid

AVR Modes Island operation

Voltage Control Yes Yes

Pf control Yes No

MVAR control Yes No

Thus when islanding from grid , pf or MVAr

control should be changed to voltage control.
Different Modes of operation of a
Synchronous generator
 Generator operations
Stand alone generator :
 More / less fuel will raise / lower the frequency (Hz)

 More / less excitation will raise / lower the voltage

(kV)
 Total load determines the generator output power
(MW, MVAr)
 Engine fuel control options: Isochronous , Droop

 Excitation control options: Voltage control

 Generator Sync With grid
 More / less fuel will raise / lower the generator
active power (MW)

 More / less excitation will raise / lower the generator

reactive power (MVAr)

 Grid determines the frequency (Hz), speed (rpm) and

voltage (kV)

 Engine fuel control options: droop speed control

 Excitation control options: voltage control, VAR

control, PF control
 Islanded condition with multiple generators
all in droop
 More / less fuel will raise / lower generator
active power and the bus frequency (MW, Hz)
 More / less excitation will raise / lower the
generator reactive power and the bus voltage
(MVAr, kV)

 Total plant load determines the sum of the

power of all generators (MW, MVAr)

 Engine fuel control options: droop speed

control
 Excitation current control options: voltage
control
 Islanded condition with multiple
generators- all in droop except one in Iso
 More / less fuel will raise / lower generator
active power and the bus frequency (only for
Iso generator)

 More / less excitation will raise / lower the

generator reactive power and the bus voltage
(MVAr, kV)

 Total plant load determines the sum of the

power of all generators (MW, MVAr)
 Excitation current control options: voltage
control
 Two or more Generators in parallel &
islanded condition
 Load sharing:

 Total power supplied by the two generators

together equal the amount consumed by the
load.
 To adjust the real power sharing between
generators without changing fsys,
simultaneously increase the governor set
points on one generator while decreasing the
governor set points on the other. The machine
whose governor set point was increased will
assume more of the load.
 To adjust fsys without changing the real power
sharing, simultaneously increase or decrease
both generator’s governor set points.
 Reactive power sharing:

 To adjust the reactive power sharing between

generators without changing VT,
simultaneously increase the field current on
one generator while decreasing the field
current on the other. The machine whose field
current was increased will assume more of the
reactive load.

 To adjust VT without changing the reactive

power sharing, simultaneously increase or
decrease both generator’s field currents.
 Load Angle of a Generator
In a synchronous generator, stator field lags the
rotor field . The power developed by the generator
is directly proportional to sine of this angle.

Pe= (Ef* Vt* Sinδ)/Xd

If the turbine power increases slightly , this causes

rotor to speed up very slightly. As a result, the rotor
moves a little ahead of the stator field, and the
angle between the two fields increases. In turn, the
electrical power delivered to the alternator
increases. In the new balance condition, the rotor
goes back to synchronous speed but at an increased
angle
If either the mechanical power increases by a
relatively large amount or the electrical load fall
suddenly, the rotor angle will oscillate before
stabilizing. If the angle goes beyond 90º, the
generator becomes unstable & will go out of
synchronism.

Load angle δ is kept between 20° to 30° to

provide a safety margin and stability to the
power system
The generator instability is one of reason for massive blackout
in case of major fault occurs in transmission line.
 Active & Reactive power control
The real and reactive power flowing through a line is

or

So power angle depends heavily on the real power

and the voltage difference depends on reactive
power.
This leads to common droop control equations-
An increase of system load by PL (at nominal
frequency) results in

 a generation increase of PG due to governor

action, and

 a load reduction of PD due to load

characteristic
 Power system Stability
Ability of a power system to develop restoring
forces equal to greater than the disturbing
forces to maintain the state of equilibrium.
 Rotor Angle stability

Rotor angle instability occurs due to angular swings of

some generators leading to their loss of synchronism
with other generators.

At equilibrium, Input mechanical torque equals output

electromagnetic torque of each generator. In case of
any disturbance the above equality doesn’t hold leading
to acceleration/ deceleration of rotors of machines.
a) Small disturbance stability: It is the ability of
the system to remain in synchronism when
subjected to small disturbances e.g. load
changes like switching of small loads, line
tripping, small generators tripping etc.

b) Large disturbance or Transient or Dynamic

stability : Disturbance on the system is quite
severe and sudden . Large disturbances can be
faults, switching of large loads, large generators
tripping etc which lead to large excursions of
generator rotor angles.
 The time domain of large-disturbance as well as
small-disturbance angle stability is any where
between 0.1- 10 s. Due to this reason small and
large-disturbance angle stability are considered
to be short term phenomenon
Stable operating point: Sudden change in
load or generation
Stable operating point: Fault in transmission line-
Equal area criteria

When A2 ≥ A1, load angle does not cross

δm , system is stable
 Improving Transient Stability

•High Speed fault clearing within 2cycles

•Reduction of transmission system reactance
•Improving voltage profile
•Dynamic braking of generator during fault
•CB Single pole switching during fault
•Fast operation of control valve
•Selective tripping of generators
•Using damping controllers – PSS
•Using HVDC link
 Voltage stability

Ability of the system to maintain steady

state voltages at all the system buses
when subjected to a disturbance .

If the disturbance is large then it is called

as large-disturbance voltage stability and
if the disturbance is small it is called as
small-disturbance voltage stability.
The time frame for short term stability is
in the range of 10-20 s ( voltage
fluctuations due to fast acting devices like
induction motors, power electronic drive,
HVDC etc) & for long term it is 1 minute to
several minutes ( voltage variations are due
to slow change in load, over loading of lines,
generators hitting reactive power limits,
tap changing transformers etc).
 The main difference between voltage stability
and angle stability is that voltage stability
depends on the balance of reactive power
demand and generation in the system where
as the angle stability mainly depends on the
balance between real power generation and
demand.

Also voltage drops in the line impedances when

active and reactive powers flow through it. As
a result, the capability of the transmission
network for power transfer and voltage
support reduces.
 Reactive Power flow should be reduced
otherwise voltage profile is poor. Hence voltages
are usually control by local injection/absorption
of reactive power.

 The driving force for voltage instability is usually

the loads

 Voltage collapses usually occur on power system

which are heavily loaded or faulted or have
shortage of reactive power
Current, Voltage & Power profile on a transmission line

Q:Considering Zl= 406 m ohms for Pata, in

which reason operating point will fall?
 PV & QV Curves

Thus for stability

i.e. reactive power compensation w.r.t voltage

change should be done at local level
 Frequency stability

The ability of a power system to maintain

steady frequency following a severe
disturbance between generation and load.

Frequency instability may lead to sustained

frequency swings leading to tripping of
generating units or loads.
During frequency excursions, the times of the
processes and devices that are activated will
range from fraction of seconds like under
frequency control to several minutes, such as
prime mover control and hence frequency
stability may be a short-term phenomenon or a
long-term phenomenon.

 In India prime mover control for large

generators (>200MW) is restricted by RGMO
(No reduction of generation in case of improvement of
grid frequency below 50.2 HZ )
All the three types of stability need not be
independent isolated events. A voltage collapse
at a bus can lead to large excursions in rotor
angle and frequency. Similarly, large frequency
deviations can lead to large changes in voltage
magnitude.
 Reactive Power

Q. During power feeding from PC-2 to PC-1

through Tr-23, TR-21 & Tr-22 without grid,
voltage at S/Y was 170 KV instead of 220KV.
Why?

 When current lags or leads voltage of a device,

it consumes or absorbs reactive power
respectively

 The reactive power oscillates between the

source and the load at a frequency equal to
twice the rated value.
 Reactive loads dissipate zero power yet they drop
voltage and draw current giving the deceptive
impression that they actually dissipated power
 Real power accomplishes useful work (e.g., runs
motors and lights lamps). Reactive power
supports the voltages that must be controlled
for system reliability. In AC power networks,
while active power corresponds to useful work,
reactive power supports voltage magnitudes
that are controlled for system reliability, voltage
stability, and operational acceptability.
 Reactive power is associated with systems
having a non-linear inductive/capacitive element

 Reactive loads such as inductors and capacitors

dissipate zero power, yet they drop voltage and
draw current giving the deceptive impression
that they actually dissipated power

 Without reactive power none of the motors,

transformers, transmission lines and most of
the loads will not work
•In the induction motor reactive power causes
the flux that makes the motor turn

•An induction generator needs reactive power

to maintain its magnetizing field

•In absence of reactive power, Transformers

will be unable to maintain voltages necessary
for the generation of electromagnetic fields.

•But the reactive current of certain types of

lighting (for example) is just an unavoidable
nuisance
 Reactive power is difficult to transmit, since the
reactance of transmission lines is often 4 to 10
times higher than the resistance of the lines.

 When there is not enough reactive power, the

voltage sags down and it is not possible to push
the power demanded by loads through the
transmission lines. Reactive power supply is
necessary in the reliable operation of AC power
systems.
 In a stable network, if the generated reactive
power is more than the consumed one, then the
voltage levels go up and vice versa

 If the two are equal, then the voltage profile

becomes flat

 Most of the loads require significant amount of

lagging reactive power. If this lagging reactive
power is supplied by the generator from the
sending end, all equipment starting from the
sending-end may be over loaded thereby causing
low receiving end voltage. It also increases losses
thereby reducing transmission efficiency.
 Devices which store energy by virtue of a
magnetic field produced by a flow of current are
said to absorb reactive power (viz.
transformers, Reactors) and those which store
energy by virtue of electric fields are said to
generate reactive power (viz. Capacitors).

 Its not a matter of choice whether one wants

reactive component of current or not, rather its
the necessity as in whether the machine needs
electric field or not.
THANKS