EVALUATION OF DIESEL-DRIVEN GENERATORS FOR STARTING AN ISOLATED
SYSTEM OF MOTOR-DRIVEN EQUIPMENT
John D. Plaxco Charles S. Myers
Southern Services, Inc. Westinghouse Electric Corporation
Birmingham, Alabama Atlanta, Georgia
Abstract-Careful analysis of diesel generator voltage characteristics is
becoming an important aspect in the selection of units for use in
nuclear power plants. This paper will describe a dynamic stability
analysis of an emergency power system, containing a number of large
induction motors, supplied by a diesel driven generator unit.
INTRODUCTION
Engineers involved in the licensing and design of nuclear power
plants are well aware of the importance of the electrical system required
for the safe shutdown of the reactors. The emergency service portion of
the station service auxiliary system must be able to start and supply the
emergency safeguard loads during an accident condition, start and
supply those required to safely shutdown the reactor, as well as main-
tain the shutdown condition and operate all auxiliaries necessary for
plant safety.
At a nuclear plant, the critical engineered safeguard loads are so
divided among several busses that the failure of any one bus would not
prevent a safe shutdown. Each bus is usually supplied from either of
two independent offsite sources. On loss of both offsite sources, each
emergency bus would be energized from a diesel driven generator.
Since the protection of equipment and the safety of life is de-
pendent on the emergency power supplies, the diesel units for a nuclear
plant should be selected with great care. The units must have high re-
liability, fast starting capability, sufficient capacity to carry the speci-
fied loads for long lengths of time and have the voltage capability to
accelerate motors quickly and provide for a stable system. To insure
that a diesel unit has this capability, it is essential that an indepth
study be made. Such a study is described and the results shown in this
paper, using a digital dynamics stability program.
Induction Motor Starting Studies
In any induction motor application two questions always arise:
Will the motor start and, if so, how long does it take to reach rated
speed under various load conditions? The first question is always im-
portant. The second is important when there are limitations on the
length of the starting period. The answers to both questions are largely
dictated by the electrical source from which the motors must be started.
If the source is infinite and the motor torque is greater than load
torque at standstill and remains so until motor rated speed is reached,
the motor will start and accelerate at a rate dependent upon fhe differ-
ence between motor and load torques. The entire analysis can be
carried out with a desk calculator using a simple step-by-step pro-
cedure. Other running motors on the starting bus will not affect start-
ing performance nor will they themselves be affected by the starting
motor since the source is infinite.
If, however, the source is weak, the analysis of motor starting
performance becomes much more complicated. The induction motor
characteristics presented in Fig. 1 indicate the cause of this difficulty.
The starting current drawn from the source by a starting motor which
does not have any starting current limiting devices can be as high as
7 times rated motor current and have a power factor as low as 0.25.
Such high reactive currents depress the source voltage to a degree de-
Paper T 72 583-3, recommended and approved by the Power Generation
Committee of the IEEE Power Engineering Society for presentation at the IEEE
PES Summer Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., July 9-14, 1972. Manuscript submitted
February 15, 1972; made available for printing May 16, 1972.
330
Thomas M. McCauley
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
pendent on its short circuit capacity. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the
high currents and, consequently, low voltages will continue until the
motor has accelerated close to rated speed. But since motor torque is
proportional to the square of its terminal voltage, the acceleration
period is lengthened thus prolonging the low voltage condition. Further-
more, while the motor is still accelerating there is the possibility that
the load torque and motor torque become equal long before rated speed
is reached. If this happens, the motor will run at this low speed and
continue to draw extremely high currents from a source whose voltage
is severely depressed.
3.0
R_U. MOTOR CURRENT 6.0
o 2-0
RU. MOTOR TORQUE 4 w
c
1.0
2JD a:
P. U. LOAD 1TOROU
0.0 0.5 1.0
R U. SPEED
Fig. 1. Typical induction motor characteristics.
The analysis is further complicated if there are other running
motors connected to the starting bus. Their torques will also be re-
duced during the low voltage period which, if it continues for sufficient
time, will result in their deceleration. Fig. 1 shows that as they slow
down they will start to draw high currents from the source further
aggravating the low voltage condition.
Source voltage regulating devices, motor reactances and inertia all
interact during this starting period in a nonlinear manner that defies
fast accurate analysis of starting performance by hand methods. In
fact, the only methods which can be used successfully to analyze this
problem require the use of either analogue or digital computers. In the
former case the system is modeled electronically and may be cumber-
some if several machines and associated controls are involved.
Digital computer dynamic stability programs are well suited to the
analysis of induction motor performance since in addition to model-
ling the motors themselves, such programs can accurately represent
system generators, voltage regulating devices, governors and sys-
tem loads.
The system studied in this paper involves a weak source and is
analyzed by means of a digital computer dynamic stability program.
The system, machine models and special computational requirements
are treated in the following sections.
System and Machine Models
The System. Fig. 2 shows the emergency power system in a nuclear
power station. It consists of a diesel driven generator of about 4 MVA
 0.0089 + jO. 0089 I @M MOTOR I
1.09 MVA
TABLE II. GENERATOR, EXCITATION SYSTEM
AND GOVERNOR DATA
GENERATOR DATA
STARTING 0.0084 + jQ0088 _M MOTOR 2 A B C
GENERATOR 0.863 MVA
I XD 1.320 1.140 1. 820

X 0.746 0. 658 1.100

0.0084+ jO.0088 Q
eM MOTOR 3
0.61 MVA Xi 0.235 0.135 0.480
D
Xi 0. 746 0. 658 1.100
0.01 + jO.0108 MOTOR 4 Q
1.0 p. u.
I 1.09 MVA 0.130 0.085 0. 320

0.130 0. 085 0.640

IMPEDANCES ON 4 MVA BASE. Q
Motors 2 and 4 do not operate simultaneously. X 0. 077 0.050 0. 173
L
Fig. 2. Emergency power system. X 0.260 0.210 0. 357
p

and four induction motors whose ratings range from 0.6 MVA to RG 0. 012 0. 010 0. 009
1.09 MVA. The generator is required to start the motors according to T I
4. 780 4. 080 4.340
the sequence of Table I. Three different generator designs and two DO
different exciter ceiling voltages are being considered. TD 0. 090 0.080 0. 030
DO
0.290 0.390 0. 034
TABLE I. STARTING SEQUENCE
H 1.6 2.5 0. 9
Time Load
S* 0.08 0.14 0.08
1
0.0 sec. start motor 1, 1250 hp
10. 0 sec. start motor 2, 1000 hp S ** 0.28 0.33 0.31
20.0 sec. start motor 3, 700 hp 2
10. 0 min. stop motor 2, 1000 hp MVA BASE 4. 063 4. 063 3.56
12.0 min. start motor 4, 1250 hp
SI is saturation at rated voltage
*

** S2 is saturation at 120% of rated voltage

Generator Representation
EXCITATION SYSTEM DATA
Each of the three generators under consideration is represented in A B C
as detailed a manner as the available data permits. Transient and sub- 200 200
transient circuits are represented on the direct axis and subtransient KA 200 200
circuits are modeled on the quadrature axis. Generator saturation is 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.08
also taken into account. This degree of detail is necessary because it is TA
important for the correct reproduction of motor terminal conditions 5.0 5.0 6.0
to take account of the generator flux variations due to the interaction VFMAX 5.0
between the heavily demagnetizing motor starting current and the flux 0.18
forcing action of the voltage regulator. Modelling of saturation is also VFMIN 0.25 0.25 0.18
important because it limits generator flux, attenuates the corrective KF 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05
action of the voltage regulator and hence affects generator internal
voltage which directly influences the power transfer capability between TF 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
the generator and the motor. Table II lists the data for each of the
three generators.
GOVERNOR DATA
A B C
Excitation System 0. 053 0. 053 0. 053
K1
Both generators A and B are equipped with high speed static 0.150 0. 150 0.150
exciters with ceilings of 5.0 per unit. Two static exciters are considered
for generator C with ceilings of 5.00 and 6.00 per unit respectively. 0.0 0.0 0. 0
The exciters are modeled according to the block diagram of Fig. 3 P0
which is consistent with IEEE recommendations for stability studies [ 1] . 4.36 4.36 4.36
Table II lists the exciter data for each generator. MAX
331
Speed Governor
RI iX XB XA
The simple speed governor representation of Fig. 3 is employed
merely to permit the generator to pick up the load of each starting
motor. The correct adjustment of the governor is not critical to success- ET1, XM S s
S

ful starting and no attempt is made here to optimize its performance.

However, without some sort of governor the generator speed would (a)
decay rather rapidly and lead to incorrect results. Table II lists the
governor data. RI XI XEO

VREF ETI Dh XM I REO

VT EFD (b)
Fig. 4. Induction motor equivalent circuits.

Motor electrical torque is dependent on terminal voltage and the

parameters of the equivalent circuit. Using the equivalent circuit of
Fig. 4(b), one form in which the torque equation can be written is
EXCITATION SYSTEM
TE = XM ( SRIRI ,ISiIRR) (1)

where ISR and ISI are the real and imaginary components of the stator
P current in per unit, and IRR and IRI are the corresponding components
of rotor current.
GOV. V Load torque is usually speed dependent and it will be assumed to
have the form:

GOVERNOR
Fig. 3. Excitation system and governor block diagrams.
Induction Motor Representation
The rotor slot design of most induction motors is such that there
is significant dependence of rotor resistance and leakage reactance on
speed. This effect must be accounted for in any motor model intended
for use over the entire speed range. The equivalent circuit of Fig. 4(a)
permits, by an appropriate choice of parameters, the adequate repre-
sentation of a variety of motor designs [2]. These parameters will be
provided by the motor designer who will, also, usually supply torque-
speed and current speed curves for rated voltage similar to those shown
in Fig. 1. To complete the motor model, the combined inertia constant
for the motor and its load, and the load torque-speed curve are re-
quired. Comparison of the load torque-speed and motor torque-speed
curves indicates the accelerating torque available from standstill to
rated speed if rated motor voltage is assumed.
It is worthwhile to have an auxiliary computer program which
can develop curves of motor torque and current as functions of speed
from the motor constants supplied. Such a program is available to the
authors and its use revealed that the motor constants supplied were in-
compatible with the torque and current curves supplied. Further work
with this program allowed the authors to develop motor constants
which fitted these curves with reasonable accuracy.
The equivalent circuit of Fig. 4(a) can be reduced to the more
familiar form of Fig. 4(b) if the two rotor circuits of Fig. 4(a) are re-
placed by one whose parameters, REQ and XEQ, are functions of both
the original values and speed.
Induction motor simulation in a digital computer dynamic stability
program requires the numerical solution of three basic equations: the
motor electrical torque equation, the load torque equation and the
motor accelerating equation.
332
T
M
=A+BW+CW2 (2)
where is per unit motor speed and A, B, and C are chosen to fit the
load characteristics.
Motor acceleration is given by the following differential equation:
2H dW-T
dt E
-T M
(3)
where H is the combined inertia constant of the motor and its load.
Table III lists the inertia constants, the parameters for the equiva-
lent circuit of Fig. 4(a), and the coefficients A, B, and C in equation 2
for each of the four motors.
To simulate induction motors by these equations, certain com-
putational requirements, which will be discussed in the next section,
must be met.
Special Computing Requirements for Induction Motor Studies
Stability studies require load flow and integration calculations,
and the accuracy of simulation depends on computing methods, con-
vergence tolerances, and real time intervals for both load flow and
integration. Induction motor studies generally impose the need for
extra care in performing calculations. An examination of the systems in
which induction motors are usually installed and the motor character-
istics will make this clear.
Typically, induction motors are installed in systems where feeder
lengths are measured in hundreds of feet rather than miles, so that net-
work impedances tend to be much smaller than machine impedances.
For example, in the system studied here, the parallel impedance from
the generator terminal bus toward the motor buses is approximately
0.0043 on the generator base, while the largest generator Xj is 0.480
on the same base. In many situations, the ratio of machine impedance
to network impedance at machine terminal buses may be several orders
of magnitude. Tkis results in very slow convergence for nodal-iterative
load flow methods, and convergence criteria based on incremental bus
 TABLE III. INDUCTION MOTOR, AND LOAD TORQUE DATA Test Cases and Results
MOTOR DATA Table I shows that Motor 4 is to be started about 12 minutes after
the other motors have started and 2 minutes after Motor 2 has been
MOTOR 1 MOTOR 2 MOTOR 3 MOTOR 4 stopped. This suggests that for study purposes the starting operation
can be broken into two sequences. The first of these will span the time
R1 0.011' 0.011 0. 011 0.011 required to start Motors 1, 2, and 3 and the second will start at 12
minutes and continue until Motor 4 has started. Furthermore, estimates
x1 0. 079 0.083 0. 083 0.079 of the motor starting times (less than 2 seconds) indicates that a 5
second interval between starts in the first sequence would be adequate.
XM 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 Each of the three generators under consideration was required to
carry out two starting sequences to allow a decision to be made on the
x 0. 052 0.052 0.052 0. 052 final choice of machine and excitation system. The load torque of each
B
motor as a function of speed is given by equation 3 and the appropriate
R 0.043 0. 043 0. 043 0. 043 constants in Table II.
B
In the first sequence the generator is required to start motor 1 at
x 0. 071 0.071 0. 071 .0.071 t = 0.0 and at 5 second intervals motors 2 and 3. Fig. 5 summarizes the
A
R 0.011 0.011 0. 011 0. 011
A SECONDS
15
H 0.6 0.682 0. 682 0. 6
w 1.4
0
MVA 1.09 0.863 0.61 1.09
BASE
Coefficients for load-torque equation -J
4
z
i
A 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05
0:
B - 0.13 - 0. 13 - 0. 13 - 0. 13
4
w
C 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.09 z
w
0

All values in per unit on motor base.

0.5

voltage change may cause significant errors. The problem may be re- 1.0
lieved by combining buses, but on large systems this may require con-
siderable additional data preparation effort. More importantly, branch MOTOR J
flows may not be available when buses are combined. The use of
Newton-Raphson techniques for load balance in the stability program 0o0
virtually eliminates this problem even when very small convergence LO

tolerances are used. a

A second factor requiring attention is that many motors and their :

U) / M OTOR 2
loads have relatively small mechanical time constants. This is due to the 0.0
w
fact that inertia constants are small, and the rate-of-change of torque 0

is high. A formula for estimating the minimum mechanical time con- 1.0
stant, which occurs for a running motor ait zero slip, is derived in n:
Appendix A and is: MOTOR 3 y -

T = 2H R
TMECH. EQ
where H is the inertia constant of combined motor and its load and
REQ is the equivalent rotor resistance at zero slip, both on a common
mva base. Motor inertia constants are frequently in the neighborhood
of 0.5 (compared to 3 which is typical of turbine-generators) and REQ
is typically 0.01 for low slip motors. Thus the mechanical time con-
stant may be about 10 milliseconds. For this study, a numerical integra-
tion interval of one millisecond and a load flow interval of two milli-
seconds were used.
From these considerations it is evident that the successful applica-
tion of digital computer dynamic stability programs in induction motor
studies requires that a fine tolerance Newton-Raphson load flow solu-
tion technique be employed and that account be taken of motor charac-
teristics in specifying load flow interval and integration step size.
Ideally, programs should contain checks to ensure that these values are
compatible with motor characteristics.
0.0 L
0 5 to 15
SECONDS
Fig. 5. Performances of the starting motors with each of the generators
in the first starting sequence.
results of this sequence for each generator. It is evident that both
generators A and B with exciter ceilings of 5.0 p.u. successfully com-
plete the starting sequence, while generator C with a ceiling of 6.0 does
not. Generator C is unable to start motor 3 quickly enough and con-
sequently the depressed voltage conditions indicated in Fig. 5 persist
long enough to cause motors 2 and 3 to slow down. The voltage
excursions experienced by the system are most severe when generator
C is used. Of the two generators which successfully completed the
starting sequence, generator B produces the smallest voltage fluctuation
14.0% compared to 22% for generator A. Generator B also starts
the motors slightly faster than does A.
Irt the second sequence motors 1 and 3 are assumed to be running
at rated load and speed, and motor 4, which is the same size as 1, is to

333
be started. Fig. 6 presents the results of this sequence for each of the SECONDS
generators. Once again generators A and B successfully start motor 4. 9 5I I
Generator C with either a 5.0 p.u. or 6.0 p.u. exciter ceiling does not.
In this case also, the running motors slow down when generator C is LO -

used. The relationship between voltage fluctuations is about the same as a

LId 0.9
t'

in the first starting sequence with generator B giving the least. IL i

Fig. 7 shows a comparison of the performance of one of the run- 0.8 -

ning motors when generator C is used as opposed to A or B. When a.

'l< ----
0.7-
either A or B is used the motor starts quickly, the terminal voltage,
after an initial drop and an almost equal overshoot at pull-in, returns to 0.6-
normal, the reactive power requirements of the starting motor, after an 0.5- III
initial 4-5 MVAR demand, returns to normal on startup and neither the I*-<-***-*--------v-----@-@
__,_
speed nor the reactive requirements of the running motors vary signifi- -- v-

cantly. By contrast when generator C is used and the motor fails to start
1.2
quickly the slip and reactive demands of the running motors increase
greatly both reaching values comparable to those of the starting motor. 0 1.0 I

g 0.8
0
SECONDS
a:
0 CL6 -

9 5 10
0 \,.& ..
L
0.4 -

LO Q2- - GEN A (VFM. 5.0)

Id
C'
Id as QO GEN B (VFMAX 5.0)
0.
(0 _- GEN C (VFMAX 5.0)
0.6 ..... GEN
0 . C (VFMAX =6.0)
I-
0L 0.4 1.5
0.2 O
z
4
0.0
a 1.0*
----
a
........

. 1-

1.2
-1I
I 1.0 2 Q
0
0 / _ _ _ _

b 08
0 0 10
> 0.6- SECON DS
--.

I-0.4 -
Fig. 7. Performance of Motor 3, when Motor 4 is being started with
i 0.2 each of the generators in the second starting sequence.
GEN A (VFMAX 5.0)
GEN B (VFMAX '5.0)
This study demonstrates the capability of a properly applied
dynamic stability program to analyze induction motor problems in
2 --- GEN C tVFL= z 5.0)
a industrial systems.
.GEN C (VF MAX -6.0)
a 5.0-
z REFERENCES
4.0 - &(II
:1
7-
[11 IEEE Committee Report, "Computer Representation of Excitation
Systems," IEEE Transactions Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol.
i:1
a: Cc 3.0 PAS-87, No. 6, 1460-1464 (1968) June.
4 @-.-
2 2.0- I [2] Alger, P. L., "The Nature of Polyphase Induction Machines,"
....II (book) p. 253, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York, 1951.
R.0 1. I III
APPENDIX A
022.0
0 5 10 Estimate of Induction Motor Mechanical Time Constant
SECONDS
The acceleration equation for an induction motor is:
Fig. 6. Performance of the starting motor, Motor 4, with each of the 2HpW =T (A-1)
generators in the second starting sequence. r a

CONCLUSIONS where H is the inertia constant of motor and load, p is the differential
operator, wr is per unit rotor speed, and Ta is per unit accelerating
Based on the test results generator B gives the best starting per- torque. Neglecting the magnetizing path, per unit power delivered to
formance for both sequences in terms of lowest voltage fluctuations the rotor resistance is approximately
and fastest motor starting. 2
The difference between the three generators' abilities to start the E S Rr (A-2)
motors successfully seems to lie in the difference in their impedances 2
R +S
and inertias rather than in the exciter ceilings used.
334
where S is slip, Rr is per unit rotor resistance, and X is the combined For a conservative estimate of mechanical time constant, assume rated
stator and rotor leakage reactance. The developed rotor torque is voltage and neglect load torque except for inertial effects. Then
given by: E2 SR r Ta = Tr and equation (A-1) may be written
T = 1 - Wr
r(l -S) (Rr2 S2 X2) (A-3)
2HpWr= r R
Rr
(A-5)

In the vicinity of zero slip, the rate-of-change of developed torque with or

(A-6)
respect to slip is greatest and motor torque may be approximated:
2 rp) Wrr I
(I1+2HR =r
TMC
T =E S (A4) Thus
r Rr MECH r (A-7)

335