Power System Control

ET2105 Electrical Power System Essentials

Prof. Lou van der Sluis
03 July 2019

Delft
University of
Technology

Electrical Power System Essentials

 Introduction (1)

• The customer expects electrical power at constant frequency and

voltage

• The system load changes continuously

• Electricity can not be stored in large quantities

• Maintaining the balance between generation and consumption

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Introduction (2)

• The active power balance is controlled by generators

• Another method is load shedding

• The reactive power balance is controlled by generators and static

components

• The synchronous generator plays an important role

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Increase of Active Power Consumption

f1 = 50 Hz (3000 RPM)

• Kinetic energy in the rotating parts of the generator and turbine

are 200 MJ

• Suddenly a 10 MW load is connected. What happens to the

frequency?
• In 1 second the load consumes 10 MJ more active power P
• The frequency will drop to 48.7 Hz

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Increase of Reactive Power
Consumption (1)
10 kV system:
P = 2 MW; cos φ = 0.9
Xgen = 3 Ω
This results in:
I = 128 A ∠-26°
Q = 969 kvar

• Suddenly the load consumes Q = 1.5 Mvar and P remains at 2 MW.

What happens?
• The power factor drops to 0.8
• The current becomes I = 146 ∠-37°
• The terminal voltage drops with 100 V

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Increase of Reactive Power
Consumption (2)

• P remains 2 MW
• Q increases from 969 kvar  1.5 Mvar
• I increases from 128 A ∠-26°  147 A ∠-37°
• V drops with 100 V

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Increase of Reactive Power
Consumption (3)

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Increase of Reactive Power
Consumption (4)

• Conclusion:
• The voltage depends on the reactive power
• The angle of transmission depends on the active power

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Some Important Conclusions

• The frequency is a common parameter throughout the system

• The voltage is controlled locally

• The control mechanism for P (rotor angle) and Q (voltage

amplitude) operate more or less separately

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 The Primary Control
• Speed governor control of a generating unit:

• Speed governor characteristics:

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 The Secondary Control or
Load Frequency Control
Power exchange between three control areas

a) The original (scheduled) situation

b) Incremental generation after losing 400 MW of generation in control
area B

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Voltage Control and Reactive Power (1)
Automatic voltage control

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Voltage Control and Reactive Power (2)
Tap-changing transformer

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Voltage Control and Reactive Power (3)
Capacitor banks

Courtesy of TenneT TSO B.V.

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Reactive Power Injection
Static Var Compensator (SVC)

Current through a Thyristor Controlled Reactor

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Controlling Active Power Flows
The Phase Shifter

Phasor diagram of the phase shifter

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Controlling Reactive Power Flows (1)
A transmission line with a series capacitor

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105
 Controlling Reactive Power Flows (2)
Thyristor-controlled series capacitor

TCSC reactance as a function of the Thyristor firing angle

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Electrical Power System Essentials ET2105