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EEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, Vol. 10, No. 4,December 1995

Use of a Static Frequency Converter for Rapid Load Response in Pumped-Storage Plants

Greg Magsaysay Member, E E E Harza Engineering Co. Chicago, Illinois

Thomas Schuette ABB Power Generation, Inc. Littleton, Colorado

Russ J. Fostiak Senior Member, IEEE Harza Engineering Co. Chicago, Illinois

Abstract-Most pumped-storage plants have the capability to operate as synchronous condensers. As such, they can be brought on line very quickly to support system load requirements. However, one of the effects of making a rapid transition from synchronous condenser operation to turbine/governor operation is an initial reverse power flow into the machine. This reverse power flow can be very undesirable at a time when the system is calling for load support. On weak or isolated systems, this reverse power flow can lead to objectionable voltage and frequency dips in the system. With the proper utilization of a static frequency converter (SFC) and its associated controls and a u f i a r y switchgear systems, the reverse power flow resulting from a transition from synchronous condenser operation can be eliminated. This paper will describe the method by which an SFC system can be used to make this rapid b a d response in pumped-storage plants without incurring a reverse power flow and to provide additional instant.as short term power to support the grid. Key Words: Pumped-Storage, Static Frequency Converter, Synchronous Condenser
I. INTRODUCTION

requhements. To accomplish this, the machines must be capable of quick transition from synchronous condenser operation to operation as a generator. While the shift from synchronous condenser to.generator operation is within the capability of existing technology, there is a problem o transient reverse power flow that can impact system fiquency during this transition. When the unit is operating as a synchronous condenser in the genemm direction, the wicket gates are closed and the m n e r chamber is filled with air at high pressure. Water is available to enter the runner chamber as soon as the air is evacuated and wicket gates are open. The moment that the tail water rushes into the runner chamber and the wicket gates are opened, the initial surge of water striking the turbine runner acts as a decelerating torque on the pump-turbine, causing a change i the electrical load angle. To compensate for this n change in load angle, a reverse power flow is seen from the system into the machine; the unit is momentarily driven as a motor. This phenomenon can be graphically represented as shown in Figure 1. When the unit is operating as a synchronous condenser (t < tl), it is at synchronous speed (ns) with power being taken from the system to satisfy the unit losses (-Pa. At the moment the wicket gates start to open (tJ, the decelerating torque on the turbine causes the unit to operate as a motor and consequently, it demands more power from the grid After the wicket gates attain a certain opening (WJ, the decelerating torque is balanced by the force of the water flowing through the gates and the unit power will be virtually zero. From this time (tJ on, the unit is loaded to full capacity (4) in the customary manner.
At Ihe Dinorwig Pumped-Storage Plant (Figure 4), the duration of this reverse power flow (h-tl) into the 330 MVA motor-generators has been observed to be approximately 2.7 seconds with a maximum magnitude (-PM) approximately 40 of M 111. The t t l energy provided by the power system can W oa be calculated with:

Pumped-storage motor-generatorunits are traditionally used as synchronous condensers to provide reactive power for voltage support and regulation, However, they can also be used to provide rapid load response to support system load
95 SM 479-6 EC A paper recommended and approved by

by the IEEE Electric machinery committee of the IEEE

Power Engineering Society farpresentation at t h e 1995 IEEE/PES Summer Meeting, July 23-27, 1995, Portland, OR. Manuscript submitted July 29, 1994; made available for printing April 27, 1995.

0885-8969/95/$04.000 1995 B E E

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within milliseconds. A serious consequence is the impact of a frequency transient on the operation of a base load nuclear unit, and the possibility of a forced outage unit trip. One method that is available to eliminate this problem is the use of the Static Frequency Converter (SFC) as an asynchronous tie to the system during the transition period. The principal of operation is to allow the rotating speed of the machine to drop below its synchronous speed during the transition period thereby eliminating the need for reverse power to compensate for the apparent retarding force. Because currently designed Pumped StoragePlants usually have an SFC for accelerating the units and synchronizing them to the connected system during pumping operation, the use of an SFC to prevent reverse power flow can be applied to existing or new projects at minimal cost.

Fig. 1. Typical Unit Behavior During Transition from Synchronous Condenser to Generation Operation

The energy supplied by the system to the Dinonvig units can be derived from Figure 4 as 55.1 MW s. At the Ohkawachi Power Plant of Kansai Electric Power Company, the same phenomenon has been observed to occur for the 325 MW motor-generators. The duration of the reverse power flow can be as long as 60 seconds with a maximum magnitude reaching 60 MW. On a large interconnected bulk power system with a large inertia, this transient is not considered to be a serious drawback, and remedial measures are not required. However, on an isolated system in which the pumped-storage unit MVA rating is a significant proportion of the interconnected system capacity, the transient can have serious consequences. The effect of the reverse power flow will be voltage and frequency dips. Voltage will be corrected within milliseconds by the voltage regulator. The speed control governor system will respond to correct for the dip in speed, but the response time of the electromechanical system is slow. That is, resuonse time of the speed control system is in seconds while the imuact on the power system with a resulting frequency drop occurs

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'3

11. STATIC FREQUENCY CONVERTERS

While SFC's utilizing thyristor converters were introduced for industrial drive applications more than 30 years ago, they have only been in use in hydro-power applications since 1971. Numerous SFC's for al kinds of applications run under the l most critical conditions all over the world, demonstrating their high quality and long-term reliability; few technologies have reached such an advanced level of development. The world's largest SFC for a hydro-power application is rated 60 MW [2], while SFC's with ratings of even several hundred megawatts are used in other applications. Since many technical papers are available that explain the principles and design of load commutated inverter (LCI) type SFC's in detail [3,4,5], following is a general overview of the SFC technology and operation. In principle, the SFC consists of two three-phase thyristor bridges and a dc reactor. One three-phase thyristor bridge is connected to the local power system and the other is connected to the generator stator winding. Each three-phase thyristor bridge is capable of converting ac power of varying voltage and frequency into dc power, or of converting dc power into ac power of varying voltage and frequency. By connecting both three-phase bridges in series and decoupling them by means of the dc reactor, the SFC becomes an electrical asynchronous link between the generator and the local power system. Thus, one three-phase bridge in the SFC converts the variable frequency and voltage power output of a generator, operating "off" synchronous speed into dc power. The second three-phase thyristor bridge converts the dc power to the synchronous frequency and voltage which matches the local power system. This configuration allows the generator frequency and voltage to vary from zero to nominal ratings, and even higher.

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TO SYSTM

--

Fig. 2. System Diagram of a.Static Frequency Converter

The same SFC can be used in reverse, taking the constant frequency and voltage of the local power system and converting first to dc power and then to ac power of variable frequency and voltage.
A thyristor is a semiconductor which operates like a switch. As long as it is notfired by the gate control circuits, the switch remains open and prohibits any current to flow. But, when receiving a firing pulse the switch closes and the current is permitted to flow. In general, the amount and direction of power flow through the SFC will be adjusted by means of precise allocation of the firing pulses to all the thyristors of a particular string and in the three-phase bridges on the generator side and the line side.

When the necessity for transition from condenser operation to generating mode is signalled (refer to Figure 3), unit circuit breaker 52U wl be tripped immediately (time & The circuit il t breaker lripping time will usually be on the order of 50 ms. As soon as the auxiliary contact of the circuit breaker indicates its trip position, the SFC control system will release the pulses for the SFC to build up nominal SFC current flow. From this time on, the SFC will operate as an asynchronous link between the generator and the supply system, thus allowing the generator to run at any speed and voltage.
Depending on the configuration, the SFC will need approximately 10 to 15 milliseconds to stabilize rated power flow from the generator. Thus, the SFC will be capable of providing additional instantaneous power flow (pspcpL1x) into the power system within approximately 70 milliseconds (t,) after detection of a transition signal by utilizing the spinning reserve capability of the rotating energy of the mbine/generamr set. The SFC transfers the stored mechanical energy via the electrical asynchronous link into the power system. This SFC operation will induce an additional braking effect on the mbinefgenerator set.

Iir. PREVENTION

OF REVERSE POWER FLOW USING AN SFC

When the unit is running in the synchronous condenser mode providing reactive power to the local power system, the SFC remains in a hot standby configuration, which can be described as follows (See Figure 2): Breakers 52F and 52s are closed and nominal voltage is applied to the SFC. The SFC control system prohibits SFC operation by simply blocking the f i g pulses. With this configuration, the power requirements to the SFC are negligible, but the SFC is ready to provide instantaneous power flow at any time (and in any direction) as soon as the firing pulses are released.

When the unit circuit breaker is tripped, the wicket gates are opened to initiate the generating mode. The first effect on the turbine blades is the previously discussed retarding force due to the initial water surge striking the turbine. The SFC supplies an additional constant braking torque to the turbine/generator set by keeping the current flow from the generator to the power system constant. Therefore the

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f

stator current-inducedbraking torque. A variation of the stator current between zero and nominal SFC rated current can be achieved within 10 to 15 milliseconds. Thus, the SFC acts as a highly dynamic and efficient generator brake, enabling the generator to match the synchronizing conditions of the power system within a very short time. As soon as the synchronizing conditions are matched, the unit circuit breaker will receive the close command (time t,) sent out by the SFC's synchronizing equipment. Meanwhile, the SFC continues to control the generator speed in order to maintain synchronizing conditions. When the unit circuit breaker is closed, the SFC will operate in a 'short circuit' configuration for a few milliseconds. However, this 'short circuit' operation is a very common SFC capability and doesn't require special consideration since the current will be fully controlled and limited at any time. With respect to a possible phase difference between the generator side and the line side three-phase system before synchronization time, the SFC control system will shift the phase angles of the firing pulses for the machine side converter into a 'save' direction. This feature will enable an uninterrupted SFC operation even during the moment when the unit circuit breaker closes. It usually takes between 40 to 80 milliseconds until the auxiliary contact of the unit circuit breaker signals its actual closed position. This indicates that the generator is connected to the power system. Now the wicket gates will be fully opened in order to provide maximum unit output power (time tJ. At the same time, the SFC control system decreases the current flow to zero, blocks the F i g pulses and finally brings the SFC back into the hot standby configuration. When necessary, the above described sequences can be repeated by connecting the SFC to one of the remaining turbine generatodsets by using the appropriate electrical switching. The overall time required for this operation (4-6) will depend on the machine response and wicket gate opening rate. However, it is expected that for those cases in which a unit can make a full-load transition from synchronous condenser to generator mode in 15 seconds (t3-tl),a similar transition time (64,) using SFC control by eliminating the reverse power flow and providing instantaneous emergency power will be on the order of 35 to 60 seconds, depending on the time needed for synchronizing.

cz

Fig. 3. Unit Behavior with SFC Application During T m s i tion from Synchronous Condenser to Generation Opetation

turbine/generator set will initially decelerate at a greater rate than it would without the additional power flow into the grid. After a few seconds, the water flow provides sufficient accelerating torque to the turbine blades and the generator finally reaches its nominal synchronous speed. At this time (tJ, the speed governor system reduces the gate setting in such a way that the maximum possible braking torque which is applied by the SFC-induced stator current exceeds the maximum accelerating torque for that specific, preselected wicket gate setting. The SFC will then adjust unit speed by controlling the

Iv. PREVENTION OF REVERSE POWER FLOW - EXAMPLE

During the transition time, the reverse power flow causes the unit to decelerate, so (1) must show that the energy is now taken out of the spinning reserve energy of the unit:

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During deceleration, the SFC will apply an additional braking force through the transfer of energy to the system:
w.rstemJPc

(t)

= Jot PSPcpax(t)rm,t~t

(3)

With "J", the inertia of the unit, the total energy loss and resulting speed reduction are determined by:

A.w(t)rot,sses=.w~,em,(t>+Wreverse(6 = 2

1 JminC--J m W 2

(4)

The maximum speed losses for the Dinorwig unit (330 MVA, 50 Hz, 500 rpm, 12 poles) appear at t = 4s and can be calculated as follows (a constant power flow of 20 MW from the SFC is assumed).

I:!
13 .

I 61 66 63 . .
TlME (SEC)

10

ENERGY Loss DUE TO REMRSE POWER FLOW

REQUIRED TO COMPENSATE FOR SmEM E " Y ENERGY LOSS DUE TO REYWSE POWER FLOW

SYSTEM ENERGY REWIRED TO COMPENSATE FOR POWER Row THROUGH SFC

This speed corresponds to a frequency of 47.59 Hz. Figure 4 shows that after approximately t=4s, power flow into the system from the unit is established. However, in order to bring the unit back to synchronizing speed, the unit has to compensate for the speed losses caused by the revme power flow and the additional energy reduction due to the power flow through the SFC. It also shows that the energy lost due to the reverse power flow is compensatedfor at approximately t=5.5s. The energy required to compensatefor the SFC induced speed reduction is an additional 0.8s (at t=6.3s) for a 20 M W raied SFC. When the unit is accelerated to 50 Hz,the SFC changes from generating mode to synchronizing mode and varies accelerating/braking torque of the unit by adjusting the stator current in order to achieve synchronization with the connected system. It is expected that synchronization can be accomplished within a few seconds due to the high dynamic effect of the SFC on the machine torque.

Fig. 4 Dinorwig Unit Behavlor During Transition from Synchronous Condenser to Generation Operation

mbine/generamr diagnostics. In starting applications,one SFC is switched from unit to unit to control the start-up process of the entire plant, including automatic acceleration and synchronization to the power system. When used for starting applications in pumped storage plants, the SFC is usually designed for approximately 5% of the nominal generator rating to give a start-up time of 5 to 7 min. -Howevkr,when system stability is important and a higher instantanedus power supply is desired, the SFC rating can be increased as needed. This would also contribute towards a faster nbrmal pump start-up time as well as faster synchronization during the trhsition process. Most SFC's used for pump skt-up are LCI-type SFC's. These systems tend to increase reactive load at lower s However, since the SFC rating is smdU compared to that generator and it operates close to unity power factor at synchronous speed, the effect of reactive loading induced by an LCI-type SFC on the power system during the transition period will be negligible.

v.

SFCRATING

As previously discussed, power flow through the SFC is possible in both directions. Thus, the same SFC can be used for a soft-start application and for operating the turbine/generator set at any speed required for convenient

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VI. CONCLUSION
Utilizing an SFC as an asynchronous link between the generator and the power system eliminates the negative impact of reverse power flow. In addition, the SFC will feed instantaneous short-term power into a weak power system within milliseconds by providing an electrical asynchronous link between the rotating masses of the turbine/generator set and power system. Although the above described SFC application is new, each operation involved is based on a wellproven technology and the experience gained in similar applications. VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Messrs. Brian Stalker and Derek Lumb of National Grid for their assistance with the preparation of this paper.

Greg Magsaysay was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1966. He graduated from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in May, 1989, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
He joined Harza Engineering Company in 1989 as a design engineer in the Power Systems Department. He has worked in the areas of distribution, control, and communications on several projects and is currently assisting in the startup activities of a large pumped-storage project.

Mr. Magsaysay is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Illinois.

Thomas Schuette was born in Essen/Germany in 1964. He graduated from the University of Bochum/Germany in 1988 with a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and in 1990 with a Masters Degree in Business Administration,
He joined ABB Industrie AG/Switzerland as a Project Engineer in 1991. He creates hardware and software solutions for large AC drive applications and performs troubleshooting on AC drive converters. From 1986 to 1990, he was employed with the University of Bochum's faculty for power electronics where he designed control systems for self-commutated adjustable speed drives and received his diploma for this work. Later, he assisted in applying this control system in Switzerland with ABB Traction.

"Dinonvig Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant - the Perfect Complement to Britain's Nuclear Power", Modern Power Systems, May 1984, pp. 64-77 H. Voegele and K.M. Weber, "The Pan Jia Kou pumped storage station (pump-turbines operated with two speeds and with variable speed)," Part 11: Electrical equipment, Fourth ASME International Hydro Power Fluid Machinery Symposium, Anaheim California, December 1986.
T. Peterson and K. Frank, "Starting of large synchronous motor using static frequency converter," IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus ana' Systems, PAS 91,1, January/February 1972, pp. 172-179.

Russ J. Fostiak w s born in Chicago, Illinois in 1951. He a graduated from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in October, 1972, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
He joined Harza Engineering Company in 1972 and has served in various positions on major power projects in the Power Systems Department. In 1986, he was appointed Head of a Design Engineering Section and presently directs the work of several engineers and technicians.

B. Mueller, B. Spinager, and D. Wallstein, "Static variable frequency starting and drive system for large synchronous motors," Conference Record IEEE Industrial Applications Society Annual Meeting, 1979, pp. 429-438 J.M.D. Murphy, F.G. Tumbull, Power Electronic Control of AC Motors. Oxford: Pergamon Press, pp. 162, 362.

Mr. Fostiak is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Illinois and Georgia.