1

Automatic Generation Control of the Caruachi

Hydroelectric Power Plant
D. J. Garcia, and J. L. Loreto

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE CARUACHI HYDROELECTRIC POWER

PLANT

The Caruachi hydroelectric power plant represents the third

Index Terms—Automatic Generation Control – Control
Systems – Control – Generation – Power – Operation.
I. INTRODUCTION
project developed by CVG EDELCA in the low Caroní,
oriented to fortify the social and productive sectors of the
country through the generation of electrical energy. The
infrastructure necessary to achieve these objectives consists of
a power house with twelve (12) generating units, each one
with a capacity of generation of 180 MW for a total
production of energy of 11,300 million kilowatts hours per
year; which are transmitted by means of the 400 kV Caruachi
substation.
The configuration of the generation units is of two
machines by each transformer with a relation of
transformation of 13.8/13.8/400 kV.
For the supervision and control of so significant
contribution of energy to the power system, the power plant
has a computer control system that allows conducting the safe
and reliable operations fortifying the national electrical
provision.
In Fig. 1 is shown a panoramic view of the Caruachi
Hydroelectric Power Plant.

T HIS document provides the main characteristics of the

Automatic Generation Control (AGC), which is the one in
charge to maintain the generation of the Caruachi´s units
within its operation limits satisfying the requirements of the
National Power System.
In a interconnected system like the one of CVG EDELCA
it is important to maintain the programmed interchange of
active power, and that the frequency of the system stays
constant in a value of 60 Hertz. The changes in the frequency
of the power system occur because the system load varies
randomly, this unbalance between the generated active power
and the load demand give as a result the variation of the
frequency, for such reason to eliminate this error it is
necessary a program like the Automatic Generation Control.
1
For understanding of this paper, the followings points have
been considered: Description of the Caruachi Hydroelectric
Power Plant, Caruachi Control Center System and finally to
present the relevant characteristics of the AGC.
Fig. 1. Caruachi hydroelectric power plant.
D. J. Garcia is with the Department of Generation Control Center, CVG
EDELCA, Guayana City, 8050 VENEZUELA (e-mail:
dhgarcia@edelca.com.ve). III. DESCRIPTION OF CARUACHI CONTROL CENTER SYSTEM
J. L. Loreto is with the Department of Generation Control Center, CVG
EDELCA, Guayana City, 8050 VENEZUELA (e-mail: A. SCCC Master Station Configuration
jloreto@edelca.com.ve).
The master station of the Caruachi Control Center System
1-4244-0288-3/06/$20.00 ©2006 IEEE
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(SCCC) is an integrated system constituted by servers of high 6) Training system:

performance, workstations and programs which allow to make This server emulates the dynamic conditions of the power
all the functions of supervision and control of the Caruachi system and the power plant and it is used for the training of
Hydroelectric Power Plant, in addition it counts with a the operators of the power plant before they go to operate the
redundant process network (optical fiber) which allows to system in real time.
maintain communication between the different servers. In Fig.
2 is shown in a schematic way the configuration of the 7) Operation consoles:
Caruachi Control Center System. They are workstations where the operators supervise and
control the Caruachi Hydroelectric Power Plant.
HISTORIAN DATA
MAINTENANCE WEB
SERVERS PROCESSING
SERVER SERVER 8) Web Server:
ICCP
SERVERS
It is the server that contains the documentation and
schematics of the system.
PROCESS NETWORK

B. SCCC on line Applications

OPERATION CONSOLES TRAINING SYSTEM
CONFIGURATION In the master station of the SCCC there are integrated on
SERVER line application programs used by the operator of the power
plant with the purpose of supervise and control the generation
of the units, the voltage of the bars of 400 kV switchyard and
the spill gates of the Caruachi power plant. These programs
are the Automatic Generation Control (AGC), Automatic
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL
Voltage Control (AVC) and the Automatic Spill gates Control
(SGC).

Fig. 2. SCCC Configuration.
1) Data Processing Server:
They are the servers who are in charge to process all the
information coming from distributed control, that is to say,
from all the control boards that contain all the information of
the generation units, the switchyard and the Caruachi spill
gates. Besides in these servers, the on line application
programs such as: the Automatic Generation Control (AGC),
Automatic Voltage Control (AVC) and Automatic Spill gates
Control (SGC), run in real time.
The AGC is the one that is in charge of automatically
adjust the generation of the units of the Power Plant, with the
intention of fulfilling the requirements of generation of CVG
EDELCA. The AVC makes a real time dispatch of the reactive
power of the Power Plant and maintains the voltage in the
generators and in the switchyard, its objective will be to
maintain the voltage in the 400 kV bars in the required level
while the balance of the load of reactive power of each unit is
maintain. Finally, the SGC is in charge to maintain the
volume of the river and the level the dam by means of
adjustments of the Spill gates.

2) Maintenance Servers: IV. AUTOMATIC GENERATION CONTROL

They are the Controcad servers in where the maintenance
jobs are made, such as, modifications to the data base of the
entire system.
3) Historian Servers:
They are the servers in charge of the storage of all the real
time data of the system that have been defined to be store in
historical tables.
4) ICCP Servers:
They are the servers in charge of the data interchange
between the SCCC and the control center of CVG EDELCA
(SCCE) from the System Operations Center (COS). This
communication is made through the communication protocol
ICCP (Inter Control Center Protocol).
5) Configuration Server:
It is the server through which the entire system data base is
generated and loaded, additionally; it is the one that contains
the configuration of all the servers of the SCCC.
A. Definition
The Automatic Generation Control (AGC) of the SCCC is
an application function, that controls the generation units
belong to the Caruachi Hydroelectric Power Plant, in response
to frequency changes in the power system, deviations of time
or a combination of these and in addition to satisfy the
requirements of active power that are received from the
System Operations Center or those that are established by the
operator of the power plant.
B. Generation Control Error Calculation
The variable that determines when the power plant must
increase or diminish the generation, according to the
regulation of the system, is the Generation Control Error
(GCE); it represents the deviation of the total generation of the
power plant with respect to the desired total generation.
C. Automatic Generation Control Objectives
1) To vary the power output of the generators that is in
control to reunite the requirements of active power of CVG
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EDELCA. The adjustment of the generation can be received
from the System Operations Center, obtained from forecast
values or manually introduced by the operator of the power
plant.
2) To maintain the system frequency as close as possible to
the reference frequency.
4) Active Power and Frequency:
In this mode of control the AGC calculates the
requirements of generation of the power plant, or GCE, taking
into account for it the variation of active power (programmed
minus actual) and the variation of frequency (programmed
minus actual) and the respective frequency polarization
constant.

D. Control Modes 5) Active Power, Frequency and Time Error Correction:

1) Active:
In this mode the AGC collects data and automatically
builds the setpoint for the units that are in automatic mode and
in addition the operator can send the setpoint to the close loop
controls of active power of the units that are in the control
mode Base Load without Regulation and Base Load with
Regulation.
2) Inactive:
In this mode the AGC collects data but it does not transmit
any control to the close loop controls of active power of the
units.
E. Operation Level
1) Caruachi:
The generation of active power of the power plant is
controlled from the control room of the power plant.
The requirements of generation of the power plant are
calculated taking into account the variation from active power
and the variation of frequency but now considering the time
deviation.
G. .Capture Mode of Active Power
1) Setpoint:
In this mode the operator of the control room can introduce
the setpoint of active power, which will be processed by the
AGC to control power plant active power; this setpoint also
can be received from the System Operations Center.
2) Forecast:
In this mode the setpoint of active power can be read from
a table of programmed values or forecast values.
In Fig. 3, Operation of the AGC, can be seen the fields of
the Control Modes, Operation Levels, Processing Modes
among other relevant parameters of the AGC of the SCCC.

2) Dispatch:
The generation of active power of the power plant is
controlled from the System Operations Center .

F. Processing Modes

1) Active Power:
The requirements of generation of the power plant that will
be used by the AGC for the control of the active power of the
power plant, are assigned manually by the operator of the
power plant as a base value which previously is coordinated
with the System Operations Center, additionally, they can be
received from the System Operations Center through the ICCP
link between control centers or be obtained from a table of
forecast values. In this mode the GCE is calculated as the
difference between the actual generation minus the desired
Fig. 3. Operation of the AGC.
generation.
H .Control Modes of the Generation Units
2) Frequency:
In this case the requirements of generation of the power 1) Automatic:
plant are calculated by the AGC, but taking into account only The Unit participates completely to satisfy the variations of
the component from the frequency of the system (programmed active power generation of the power plant.
minus actual) and the respective frequency polarization
constant for the calculation of the GCE. 2) Base load without regulation:
The unit does not participate within the regulation of the
3) Time Error Correction: system, to satisfy the variations of the power plant generation,
The requirements of generation of the power plant are remaining with a fixed generation established by the operator.
calculated taking into account the time deviation.
3) Base load with regulation:

The unit participates to satisfy the variations of power
generation of the power plant, in a limited form within a
regulation rank.
4) Forecast:
The unit does not participate to satisfy the variations of
power generation of the power plant, since its setpoint comes
from a table of programmed values or forecast values.
5) Manual:
The unit does not participate to satisfy the variations of
power generation of the power plant, that is to say, the AGC
does not send setpoint control to the unit.
In Fig. 4 the unit control display is shown from which the
operator can change the different control modes of the unit at
the same time that he supervises the relevant parameters for its
operation.
Fig. 4. Unit Control in the AGC.
I. Capacity of the Active Power of the Units.
1) Minimum Active Power:
It is a value in the data base, which corresponds to the
minimum value of active power that is taken in the starting of
a unit and that represents the smaller value of power in which
the unit can be operated safely.
2) Maximum Active Power:
It is a value determined through a calculation based on the
net head and the position of the limiter of opening of the
wicket gate of a unit. This calculation is sustained by the
relations between the position of wicket gate and the opening
of the blades of the unit.
3) Minimum Regulation:
It is equal to the minimum active power of a unit plus a
rank of regulation determined by the operator, due to
restrictions of operations or temporary conditions of the unit.
4) Maximum Regulation:
4
It is equal to the maximum active power of a unit minus a
rank of regulation determined by the operator, also due to
restrictions of operations or temporary conditions of the unit.
In Fig. 5 the maximum and minimum regulation areas of a
unit are shown graphically.
Maximum Active Power
Reserved Regulation Rank (Upper)
Maximum Regulation
Total Regulation Rank
Minimum Regulation
Reserved Regulation Rank (Lower)
Minimum Active Power
Fig. 5. Capacity of the Active Power of the Units.
J .Capacity of the Active Power of the Power Plant
1) Minimum Active Power:
It is the sum of the values of active power of the units that
are in manual, in base load without regulation and in forecast
control modes plus the minimum regulation of active power of
the units that are in base load with regulation and in automatic
control modes.
2) Maximum Active Power:
It is the sum of the values of active power of the units that
are in manual, in base load without regulation and in forecast
control modes plus the maximum regulation of the units in
base load with regulation and in automatic control modes.
K. Reserve Monitor of the Units
1) Spinning Reserve:
It is the difference between the maximum active power of
the unit and the value of actual active power of the unit.
2) Raise Regulation Margin:
It is the difference between the maximum regulation of the
unit and the value of actual active power of the unit.
3) Lower Regulation Margin:
It is the difference between the value of actual active power
of the unit and the minimum regulation of the unit.
L. Reserve Monitor of the Power Plant
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1) Spinning Reserve:
It is sum of the spinning reserve of all the units. ACUMULATED TIME
ERROR ACTUAL FREQUENCY ACTUAL ACTIVE ACTIVE POWER
MANUAL ENTRY

FREQUENCY SETPOINT POWER SETPOINT

FORECAST

TIME ERROR + - + - DISPATCH

2) Maximum Regulation Reserve: CORRECTION
FACTOR

It is the sum of the raise regulation margin of all the units BIAS

that are in automatic control mode or in base load with +

+
regulation control mode. ECG =100 * Bt *TE + ECG =10 * B * Δ F ECG = Pa - Pset PI
CONTROLLER

ACTIVE POWER REQUIRED + ACTIVE POWER

OBJETIVE
3) Minimum Regulation Reserve: PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION
-
It is the sum of the lower regulation margin of all the units FACTOR
UNIT 01
FACTOR
UNIT 02
FACTOR
UNIT i
+
that are in automatic control mode or in base load with
+ + +
regulation control mode + +
+ +

+ BASE VALUE BASE VALUE BASE VALUE

4) Available Reserve: UNIT 01 UNIT 02 UNIT i

SETPOINT SETPOINT SETPOINT

It is the sum of the capacities of generation of all the units UNIT 01 UNIT 02 UNIT i

that are out of line and available, that is to say, that is not in
maintenance. Fig. 6. Active Power Setpoint Distribution.

M. Forbidden Zones of the Units

The forbidden zones in the AGC are those regions within
the allowed ranks of regulation, where the AGC does not
assign setpoint control to the generation units, that is to say,
those ranks of operation where occurs vibration and cavitation
of the units. There are two forbidden zones in the AGC of the
SCCC, whose values are established by the operator of the
power plant.
N. Active Power Setpoint Distribution
The requirement of active power of the power plant
distributes the AGC to those units of generation in automatic
control mode and if it is necessary in the units in base load
with regulation control mode. The AGC verifies that the
setpoint of the units are outside of the prohibited zones, if not
the AGC will calculate a new setpoint value.
Equation (1) is the objective of the active power for the
generation units in automatic control mode. where P(u) is
equal to the base value of the unit VB(u) plus the objective of
the active power required POBj multiplied by the rank of
regulation of the unit Rreg(u) divided by the sum of the rank
of regulation of all the units in automatic control mode,
Rreg(i):
Rreg (u )
P(u ) = VB (u ) + POBj ∗ (1)
Rreg (i )
Where the rank of regulation is the difference between the
maximum regulation of a unit and the minimum regulation of
active power of the same unit. All this calculation is made
taking in account the capacities of active power of all the
generation units (maximum and minimum active power) and
the respective forbidden zones.
The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 represents the treatment that
takes the generation control error to be assigned to the
generation units.
V. CONCLUSIONS
CVG EDELCA up to the vanguard technology counts with
control centers in all their hydroelectric power plants of the
Caroní river, being the Caruachi Control Center System
(SCCC) their latest development; which arranges in his
configuration diverse software tools which allow the control
of the electric energy in a safe and reliable way.
Among the main programs of the SCCC is the Automatic
Generation Control function, which is the one in charge to
maintain the generation of the units within its operation limits
satisfying the requirements of the national power system.
In an interconnected system like the one of CVG EDELCA
it is important to maintain the programmed interchange of
active power, in order that the frequency of the system stays
constant in a value of 60 Hertz. The changes in the frequency
of the power system occur because the system load varies
randomly, this unbalance between the generated active power
and the load demand give as a result the variation of the
frequency, for such reason to eliminate this error it is
necessary that a program like the Automatic Generation
Control exists with the objective of recovering the
programmed or desired generation and thus to obtain that the
frequency of the system reaches the desired value that
normally it is 60 Hertz
The AGC of the SCCC, maintains the fundamental
concepts of an automatic control, nevertheless, its
development and implantation carried out altogether with the
contractor in charge of the SCCC´s project, is oriented to
satisfy necessities that are belong to the characteristics of the
Caruachi Hydroelectric Power Plant, obtaining with it to fulfill
the requirements of generation in the quality levels of world-
wide power systems networks. In this sense, the AGC of the
SCCC is a very useful tool for the safe and reliable operations
of the Power Plant.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] ALSTOM Power Hydraulique. “Estación Maestra Software de
Aplicación Documento de Especificación”. November 2004.
[2] J. L. Lujan and J. L. Loreto. “Funcionalidades del Control Automático
de Generación de la Central Hidroeléctrica Raul Leoni (GURI)”.
Caracas, Septiembre 2004.
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VIII. BIOGRAPHIES

Dhilegdys Garcia was born in Bolivar Venezuela, on

September 11, 1972. She Graduated of Electrical
Engineer at Antonio José de Sucre University
(UNEXPO) on 1996.
Since 1998, is assigned as Supervisory and
Control Systems Maintenance Engineer on CVG
Edelca.

José Loreto was born in Valle de la Pascua

Venezuela, on July 27, 1972. He Graduated of
Electrical Engineer at Antonio José de Sucre
University (UNEXPO) on 1996.
Since 1997, is assigned as Supervisory and
Control Systems Maintenance Engineer on CVG
Edelca.