Power Plant Equipment
Lecture No.2
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2.1 Active Power(P) / Frequency and Reactive Powe (Q ) / Volatge magnitude tie-up in Power system
Change in active power in a power system mainly affects the frequency of the system, it does
not affect the magnitude of system voltage. Whereas, change in reactive power mainly affects
the magnitude of system voltage, it does not affect the system frequency.
The above facts can justify as follow:
Fig.2.1 P-f and Q-V control loops of a generating unit
Fig.2.1 shows a generating unit with synchronous generator driven by water turbine equipped
with speed governor (P-f loop) and voltage controller AVR (Q-V loop). The generator is
supplying power to the load which is mixture of active power and reactive power. The load
current lags the terminal voltage (V) by an angle of ϕ as shown in Fig.2.2
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Fig.2.2 Phasor diagram and waveform of V and IL for inductive load.
The three phase currents IL(abc)
produces rotating magnetic poles in the
stator core. The active components (IX)
of IL(abc) produces south-pole of the
rotating magnetic field in the stator
core gets magnetically lock-up
(Magnetic Tie-UP) with the north-pole
of the rotor as shown in Fig.2.3. Both
of these poles are rotating at
synchronous speed. This magnetic tie-
up acts as opposing force to the turbine
and turbine produces driving torque
against this opposing force and energy
conversion take place.
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When active power of the load increases, the active component of IL= IX = ILcosϕ increases.
Therefore, magnetic tie-up between stator pole and rotor pole increases and speed decreases.
The speed is sensed and compared with the ref-speed, the error so obtained is passed through
the controller. The controller gives command to the valve and water flow increases and speed
comes back to pre-set value. It will take some time to come back the speed to pre-set value.
This time is known as transient period.
Fig.2.4 shows the speed response of a
generating unit with isochronous speed
governor. Up to t1, the generating unit is
running at constant speed and giving
constant frequency (f0) of generated
voltage. At t1, a step load is increased by ∆P
and frequency (speed) decreases and comes
backs to f0 at t2 again due to the action of
speed governor. If the governor has PI Fig.2.4 frequency response of generating unit with change in load
controller, the speed comes to f0 with zero
steady state error. During the transient
period, the magnitude of voltage also
decreases due to the decrease in speed.
However after transient period, the voltage
magnitude also comes back to normal
value.
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When reactive power of the load increases, the reactive component of IL = IL sinϕ = IY
increases. The rotating magnetic poles produced by 900 lagging currents (IY(abc)) lags by 900
with compared to rotating pole produced by in-phase currents (IX(abc)) as shown in Fig.2.5.
Fig.2.5 Magnetic tie-up between stator pole and rotor pole due 90 0 lagging current IY
Since, stator pole and rotor poles are 900 apart, there will be no magnetic tie-up. Therefore there
will be no stress to turbine due to increase in 900 lagging current. Hence, speed does not
decreases due to the increase in reactive load. However, stator current magnitude increases and
it will cause more voltage drop in the stator winding impedance and terminal voltage decreases.
The voltage is sensed and compared with the ref-voltage, the error so obtained is passed through
the controller (AVR). The controller increases the excitation current If and emf induce increases
and terminal voltage increases to pre-set value.
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In case of transmission system also, the voltage drop due to increase in active power is
negligible and voltage drop due to the increase in reactive power is very significant. This
facts can be illustrates as follow:
Fig.2.6 Transmission line model Fig.2.7 Phasor diagram
Fig.2.6 shows the circuit model of a transmission line. Here, the shunt capacitance has been
neglected to simplify the illustration. Fig.2.7 shows the phasor diagram of the transmission
line with inductive load at receiving end.
Here, |VR| = OA
|VS| = OE, Neglecting a small length of DE,
|VS| ≈ OD = OA + AC + CD OR |VS| = |VR| + AC + CD
OR |VS| - |VR| = AC + CD OR Magnitude of voltage drop in the line = AC +GH
From the right angle triangle ∆ ACG, AC = (IR R) Cosϕ
From the right angle triangle ∆ GHF, GH = (IR X) Sinϕ
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Therefore, Magnitude of voltage drop in the line
= (IR R) Cosϕ + (IR X) Sinϕ
(V . I Cos )R (V .I Sin ) X
(P.R )
(Q.X )
R R R R
V V
V R R
R
= Voltage drop due to Active power + Voltage drop due to reactive power
For a practical transmission line, R << X
Therefore, Voltage drop due to Active power << Voltage drop due to reactive power
Hence, Total voltage drop in the line is mainly affected by Reactive power.
(Q.X )
Hence, |VR| ≈ | VS| -
V
R
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2.2 Pump Storage Hydro Power Plant
This is an unique type of peak load power plant , whose turbine –generator set will be used as
pump during the light load period to pump back the water collected at tail race dam to upper
storage pond so that it can generate energy during peak load period. In fact, it is just like a
storage of energy during light load period and releasing out during peak load period. Fig.2.7
shows the schematic layout of such power plant.
During the light load period when there is
excess power in the grid, the un-utilized
energy of the grid is used to drive the turbine-
generator set as pump in reverse direction to
pump back the water at lower storage pond to
upper storage pump. During this period, valve
V1 is open and valve V2 is closed. Francis
turbine is used in such a plant as it can used a
pump in reverse direction and synchronous
generator is used in such a plant as it can be
used as motor to drive the pump. Fig.2.7 Schematic layout of pump storage hydropower plant.
During peak load period, the water stored in the upper storage pump is allowed to flow down to
operate the plant in generating mode. Thus the same water is used again and again and some
extra water is required only to take care of evaporation and seepage. Hence, such plant even
can be installed at load centre, where there is no natural resources of water.
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The efficiency of such power plant is only 60% to 70%. Therefore such power plant is only
economical only if there is un-utilized energy available during light load period and not enough
energy during peak load period. Such power plant is economically feasible when integrated
with thermal power plant ( such as steam power plant , nuclear power plant) dominated grid.
The steam and nuclear power plants operates with better efficiency when they are operated at
full load. If such plant is closed during light load period , it takes longer time to re-start it again
and energy loss in starting process will be high. Therefore the thermal power plant can be
operated nearly at full load even during light load period by using the excess of energy to pump
back the water in pump storage power plant. It has been estimated that the a pump storage
power plant can be set up at a half cost of a nuclear power plant of same capacity.
The followings are some of the distinct advantages of the pump storage hydro power plant:
•Peak load can be supplied at a lower cost with compare to that supplied by thermal power
plant.
•The steam and nuclear power plants can be operated at almost unity load factor which ensures
the better efficiency of the thermal power plant.
•Pump storage plant need very less starting time. It needs only 2-3 seconds to start and can be
fully loaded in about 15 seconds. This will reduce spinning reserve requirement in the system.
•In the event of extra demand coming up suddenly on the system, such plant can be
immediately switched on to meet the load demand.
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Fig.2.8 illustrate the example of utilization of pump storage hydro power plant.
Let us consider a power system in which daily load demand
varies from 100 MW to 160 MW as shown in Fig.2.8(a)
One of the option to meet this load demand is to have a
base load plant(steam power plant) of 100MW and 60 MW
peaking plant (Diesel generator) as shown in Fig.2.8(b). The
hatched area represents the energy supplied by the peaking
plant and the blank area below the hatch area represents
energy supplied by base load plant (i.e. steam power plant).
Another option is to install little larger base load plant
(Steam power plant) of 130 MW and smaller 30 MW of
pump storage power plant as shown in Fig.2.8(c). During
the light load periods ( t0 to t1, t2 to t3 and t4 to t5), the load
demand is less than the capacity of steam power plant. The
surplus power from steam power plant can be utilized to
pump up the water in pump storage plant. The lower
hatched area in Fig.2.8(c) represents the energy consumed
the pump storage plant from the grid. During the peak load
periods ( t1 to t2, and t3 to t4), the load demand is more than
the capacity of steam power plant. Pump storage plant can
generate power during these period to make power balance.
The upper hatched area in Fig.2.8(c) represents the energy
supplied by the pump storage plant to the grid.
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The above scheme with pump storage plant as peak load plant has following advantages:
•The base power plant (Steam power plant ) is larger and consequently it is more efficient.
•The peak load plant (diesel generator) in Fig.2.8(b) has higher operating cost. The pump
storage plant is smaller than diesel power plant and its operating cost is less.
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