Power System Control
By
Prof. E. Matlotse
Introduction
• Power system control involves control of
active and reactive power in order to keep the
system in steady-state.
• Aim of the control strategy is to generate and
deliver power in an interconnected system as
economically and reliably as possible while
maintaining voltage and frequency within
permissible limits.
Introduction
• Changes in real power affect mainly system
frequency while reactive power is less sensitive to
variations in frequency and is mainly dependent
on variations in voltage magnitude.
• In this regard, real and reactive powers may be
controlled separately.
• Load frequency control (LFC) loop controls the
real power and frequency and the automatic
voltage regulator (AVR) loop regulates the
reactive power and voltage magnitude.
Introduction
• LFC has gained usage with the growth of
interconnected systems and has made the
operation of interconnected systems possible.
• Methods developed for control of individual
generators and, eventually, control of large
interconnections, play an important role in
modern energy control centers (ECC).
• Modern ECC are equipped with on-line
computers performing all signal processing
through remote acquisition systems known as
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).
Load Frequency Control
• Operation aims of LFC are to maintain uniform
frequency, to divide load between generators and
to control tie-line interchange schedules.
• Change in frequency and tie-line real power are
sensed, which is a measure of change in rotor
angle δ (i.e. error Δδ to be corrected).
• Error signal i.e. Δf and ΔPtie are amplified, mixed
and transformed into real power command
signal ΔPv, which is sent to prime mover to call for
an increment in the torque.
Load Frequency Control
• Prime mover, brings change in the generator
output by an amount ΔPg which will change the
values of Δf and ΔPtie within specified tolerance.
• 1st step in analysis and design of a control system
is mathematical modelling of the system.
• Two most common methods are the transfer
function method and the state variable approach.
Load Frequency Control
• State variable approach can be
applied to show linear as well as
nonlinear systems.
• In order to utilise the transfer
function and linear state equations,
system must first be linearized.
Reactive Power and Voltage Control
• Generator excitation system maintains generator
voltage and controls reactive power flow.
• Generator excitation of older systems may be
provided through slip rings and brushes by dc
generators mounted on the same shaft as the
rotor of the synchronous machine.
• However, modern excitation systems generally
employ ac generators with rotating rectifiers and
are called brushless excitation.
Reactive Power and Voltage Control
• Sources of reactive power are generators,
capacitors and reactors.
• Generator reactive powers are controlled by
field excitation.
• Other additional methods of improving
voltage profile on electric transmission
systems are transformer load-tap changers,
switched capacitors, step-voltage regulators
and static VAr control equipment.
Reactive Power and Voltage Control
• Primary means of generator reactive power
control is generator excitation control using
AVR.
• AVR is used to hold terminal voltage
magnitude of a synchronous generator at a
specified level.
• An increase in reactive power load of the
generator is accompanied by a drop in the
terminal voltage magnitude.
Reactive Power and Voltage Control
• Voltage magnitude is sensed through a potential
transformer on one phase.
• This voltage is rectified and compared to a dc set
point signal.
• Amplified error signal controls the exciter field
and increases the exciter terminal voltage.
• Thus, generator field current is increased, which
results in an increase in the generated emf.
• VAr generation is increased to a new equilibrium
raising the terminal voltage to the desired value.
