Analysis of hydropower automation
Abstract
This study is intended as one of the possible bases (and that is its purpose) for all future work related to the further construction of the automation system of individual facilities and the Senj HPP as a whole. Accordingly, the collection and analysis of all possible experiences regarding the automation of hydroelectric power plants (HP) in general, and the HPP of the Senj hydropower system in particular, imposed itself as the main goal of the study. When preparing the study, already completed studies and conceptual designs were used in which issues concerning individual facilities of the Senj hydropower system were analyzed from various bases, and for the structuring of the material itself, a similar study was used that was conducted in 2005 for hydroelectric power plants in the Cetina River basin. The study is focused on the area of automation in the function of the monitoring and control system of hydroelectric power plants and other facilities of the Senj hydropower system, either individually or from a future center. Based on the author’s personal experiences and knowledge, as well as the transmitted experiences and knowledge of others in Croatia and the world, the study indicates some basic elements that should be taken into account during the reconstruction and further construction of the HE automation system and its raising to a higher level by introducing new technologies. The material is divided into two parts. In the first part, topics related to identification and are usually specific to a specific hydroelectric power plant are covered, and in the second part, those topics that are common to all hydroelectric power plants. The first part of the book, which includes the first five chapters, deals with the identification of objects, plants and processes, as well as automation systems at the level of individual power plants and connection systems at the level of HES Senj. The term hydroelectric power plant automation means the unity of two systems. First, it is a management, signalling, protection, measurement and regulation system (USZMR) and, secondly, it is a process information system (PROCIS). The USZMR and PROCIS systems include secondary equipment for monitoring and controlling hydromechanical and primary equipment. Primary equipment includes: production units, switchgear, own consumption and auxiliary plants. The equipment in the USZMR system is directly connected to the primary equipment, and consists of measuring elements, protective devices, measuring and signaling devices, executive elements, local control units and regulation units. USZMR enables local monitoring and manual control, local automatic control and regulation and an interface to the superior level. PROCIS is an upgrade of USZMR at a higher hierarchical level that enables: individual control of functional groups, group control and remote control from a superior center. Identification was carried out in three ways: (1) by reviewing and analyzing available technical documentation, which was done in cooperation with operating personnel, (2) by interviewing operating personnel in cases where documentation was insufficient and (3) by visiting and inspecting the plant. In this way, a huge amount of data was collected, which is presented in special tables. Although the identification was done for the needs of the study, i.e. with less detail than is necessary when it comes to the actual implementation of the HPP automation system, it required enormous effort and time because most of the data and information required verification on the ground. In the second, common part of the study, an analysis of the automation system is given in function of the operating mode of individual HPPs (Chapter 6), and an assessment of the state of the art and technology in the field of HPP automation (Chapter 7). In this second part of the book, according to its scope and content, Chapter 6 is dominant, where a detailed analysis of the control and regulation functions that are already appearing or will increasingly appear in HPP Senj is given. Among other things, secondary frequency and exchange power regulation, secondary voltage and reactive power regulation, and group control of the hydropower plant are analyzed. Some elementary theoretical issues were also addressed, which seemed necessary given the fact that there is almost no experience in the field of group control and secondary voltage and reactive power regulation in our country. Some attention was also paid to the relationship between the operation of a hydroelectric power plant and the control functions that need to be automated, and a brief analysis of the approach to the reconstruction of the HPP automation system was also given.
Božo Terzić
Full Professor | Department of Electrical Drives and Industrial Control
Full professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split, with significant contributions in the field of industrial development projects including the design of prototypes of electronic converters used in industrial plants around the world. His research interests are focused on the application of electronic converters in electric drives and renewable energy sources.
