SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER MODE OPERATION OF HYDRO GENERATING UNITS OF UJVN LIMITED

BACKGROUND Hydropower generating units are basically alternators or synchronous generators which are a type of doubly excited A.C machines. Prime mover in case of a hydropower generating unit is the water turbine. D.C. excitation is provided at the rotor field which is rotated by the turbine action and the rotating e.m.f. generated in the stator gets magnetically locked to run in synchronism without any slip, hence the name synchronous machine. For the transmission of a certain amount of AC power to a load centre, a low power factor would mean greater load current. Such a current would result in greater I 2R loss in the transmission lines, transformers and alternators. As a consequence, the entire energy system would operate at a reduced efficiency. Further, a greater load current at low power factor means poor voltage regulation of the transmission lines, transformers etc. and this would result in an unsatisfactory operation of the utilization devices like induction motors, fluorescent tubes etc. Thus from the view point of efficiency, voltage regulation and better operation of the utilization devices, load power factor should be as close to unity as is economically viable. That is why; hydropower generating units are designed to operate at 0.9 power factor (lag) which means the current lags the voltage by an angle of 25.84. The power factor i.e. cos is the ratio of the active power (MW) i.e. VI cos to the apparent power (MVA) i.e.VI while the reactive power (MVAR) is VI sin. Thus under rated conditions a 100 MVA hydropower generating unit can produce 90 MW active power and 43.58 MVAR reactive power. REACTIVE POWER Reactive power is produced when the current waveform is out of phase with the voltage waveform due to inductive or capacitive loads. Current lags voltage with an inductive load and leads voltage with a capacitive load. Only the component of current in phase with voltage produces real or active power that does real work like running motors, heating etc. Current is in phase with voltage for a resistive load like an incandescent light bulb. Reactive power is necessary for producing the electric and magnetic fields in capacitors and inductors. NEED FOR REACTIVE POWER It is known that the reactive power flow or low power factor is caused by the electrical loading devices that operate on the principle of electromagnetic induction such as lighting ballasts, reactors, solenoids, lifting magnets and most notably induction motors etc. An electromagnetic device requires an additional current known as the reactive current.
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This reactive current provides only the magnetizing force required for the operation of the device. The additional reactive current must be carried by all power system components upstream of the load which increases the voltage drop and also develops additional heating. So all the power system elements such switchgears, transformers, transmission and distribution lines and even the power plant generators must be overrated. In other words, the KVA rating requirement of the system becomes higher when the power factor is lower for delivering the same kW load. The oversized power system elements also lead to more power loss in the elements. The active or real power in MW (P) and the reactive power (Q) in MVAR are like the two sides of a coin, in a power system, in which the active power (P) is associated with the system frequency and the reactive power (Q) with the voltage profile. For improving the voltage profile of the system, the common methods adopted are the introduction of LT/HT capacitor in the net work, introduction of static VAR compensation equipment and operating the generator as Synchronous Condenser.

SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER A synchronous motor, whose primary function is to improve the power factor of an electrical system and with no mechanical load / prime mover on it, is called a Synchronous Condenser. To operate hydro generating units as synchronous condensers the water supply is required to be blocked and units are run with loads of only air friction. When the synchronous generator is supplying reactive power, it has a lagging power factor and its mode of operation is referred to as over-excited. When a generator consumes reactive power, it has a leading power factor region and is under-excited. OPERATION OF HYDRO CONDENSER MODE GENERATING UNIT IN SYNCHRONOUS

For operating hydro generating unit in synchronous condenser mode, there must be an arrangement for the free running of turbine in air. The turbine blade metal temperature increases while rotating in air due to air friction which may further increase the turbine bearing temperature which is very near to the runner. Hence continuation of effective cooling arrangement of turbine in synchronous condenser mode operation is essential and a mechanism for sprinkling of cooling water in the runner blades becomes necessary. In case of axial reaction turbines such as Kaplan turbine, fully closed blades operation may reduce the machine losses and temperature rise due to lesser air friction; moreover there is no need to make special arrangements for making the runner chamber water free.
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In case of radial reaction turbine such as Francis turbine there is no option of runner blade movement and the turbine in general remains submerged in water. Thus a special arrangement is required for making the runner chamber water free for which heavy duty compressed air system is employed to depress water level in the draft tube at least below the bottom of runner. Synchronous motors/condensers can be over-exited or under-exited by varying their field current in order to generate or absorb reactive power; synchronous condensers can continuously regulate reactive power to ensure steady transmission voltage, under varying load conditions. Apart from that design changes are required to be carried out in the excitation system of the hydro generating unit especially in the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR). Sophisticated Quadrature Droop Control (QDC) scheme has to be introduced in the AVR circuit to adjust the reactive power (MVAR) of the machine during the synchronous condenser mode of operation and prevent reactive circulating current in the armature of the machine.

REACTIVE POWER CAPABILITY A generators output capabilities depend on the thermal limits of various parts o f the generator and on the system stability limits. Reactive power capability requirements are dictated by the power system and transmission line parameters. To supply reactive power, the generator must increase the magnetic field to raise the voltage it is supplying to the power system; this means increasing the current in the field windings, which is limited by the thermal properties of the metal (i.e. iron & copper) and insulation. If the generator overheats, insulation begins to degrade and over time this could result in equipment damage. Increasing reactive power output heats up the field windings and the armature. Generator capability may be extended by using better coolant in the generator. A more efficient coolant allows the generator to dissipate more heat, thereby extending thermal limits. The ability of a generator to provide reactive power depends on its real power generation which is represented in the form of generator capability curve or D curve. Figure-1 shows the combined limits on real and reactive production for a typical generator. Like most electric equipment, generators are limited by their current-carrying capability. Near rated voltage, this capability becomes an MVA limit for the armature of the generator rather than a MW limitation, shown as the armature heating limit in the Figure-1.

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Figure-1 GENERATOR CAPABILITY CURVE or D-CURVE

At the edges of the D-curve, the opportunity cost of extending generator real or reactive power supply amounts to the millions of rupees that would be needed to replace damaged generator equipment and lost revenue during repair. The characteristics of the generator step-up transformer that connects the generator to the electric transmission system, as well as operational policies of the transmission system, may impose further limits on generator output. The over excited rating of the machine is referred to as the Synchronous Condenser Capability. It is the maximum amount of reactive MVA the machine can generate when operating over excited, at rated frequency and voltage, without exceeding the rated temperature rise. Empirical formula for same is as below: MVAR (over excited) = (1.40-rated power factor) x maximum MVA output. The under exited rating of the machine is referred to as the line charging capability. It is the maximum amount of reactive kVA which the machine can absorb when operating under excited, at rated frequency and voltage, without exceeding the rated temperature rise and becoming completely unstable. Empirical formula for same is as below: kVAR (under excited)=(0.8 x (SCR) x maximum kVA)/1.15

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OTHER REACTIVE POWER COMPENSATION/CONTROL DEVICES: Apart from synchronous condenser, following options are available for reactive power compensation:

Static VAR Compensators (SVC) SVC is a combination of conventional capacitors and inductors with fast switching capability. Switching takes place in the sub cycle timeframe (i.e. in less than 1/50 of a second), providing a continuous range of control. The range can be designed to span from absorbing to generating reactive power. Advantages include fast, precise regulation of voltage and unrestricted, largely transient-free, capacitor bank switching. Voltage is regulated according to a slope (droop) characteristic. Since SVCs use capacitors they suffer from the some degradation in reactive capability as voltage drops. They also do not have the short-term overload capability of generators and synchronous condensers. SVC applications usually require harmonic filters to reduce the amount of harmonics injected into the power system by the thyristor switching. SVCs provide direct control of voltage (C.W. Taylor, 1994); this is very valuable when there is little generation in the load area. The remaining capacitive capability of an SVC is a good indication of proximity to voltage instability. SVCs provide rapid control of temporary overvoltage. But on the other hand SVCs have limited overload capability, because SVC is a capacitor bank at its boost limit. The critical or collapse voltage becomes the SVC regulated voltage and instability usually occurs once an SVC reaches its boost limit. SVCs are expensive; shunt capacitor banks should first be used to allow unity power factor operation of nearby generators.

Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) The STATCOM is a solid-state shunt device that generates or absorbs reactive power and is one member of a family of devices known as Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices. The STATCOM is similar to the SVC in response speed, control capabilities, and the use of power electronics. Rather than using conventional capacitors and inductors combined with thyristor switching, the STATCOM uses self-commutated power electronics to synthesize the reactive power output. Consequently, output capability is generally symmetric, providing as much capability for production as absorption. The solid-state nature of the STATCOM means that, similar to the SVC, the controls can be designed to provide very fast and effective voltage control (B. Kirby, 1997). While not having the short-term overload capability of generators and synchronous condensers, STATCOM capacity does not suffer as seriously as SVCs as capacitors do from degraded voltage. STATCOMs are current limited so their
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MVAR capability responds linearly to voltage as opposed to the voltage-squared relationship of SVCs and capacitors. This attribute greatly increases the usefulness of STATCOMs in preventing voltage collapse.

Series Capacitors and Reactors

Series capacitors compensation is usually applied for long transmission lines and transient stability improvement. Series compensation reduces net transmission line inductive reactance. The reactive generation I2XC compensates for the reactive consumption I2XL of the transmission line. Series capacitor reactive generation increases with the current squared, thus generating reactive power when it is most needed. This is a self-regulating nature of series capacitors. At light loads series capacitors have little effect. Shunt Capacitors

The primary purposes of transmission system shunt compensation near load areas are voltage control and load stabilization. Mechanically switched shunt capacitor banks are installed at major substations in load areas for producing reactive power and keeping voltage within required limits. For voltage stability shunt capacitor banks are very useful in allowing nearby generators to operate near unity power factor. This maximizes fast acting reactive reserve. Compared to SVCs, mechanically switched capacitor banks have the advantage of much lower cost. Switching speeds can be quite fast. Current limiting reactors are used to minimize switching transients. There are several disadvantages of mechanically switched capacitors. The reactive power output drops with the voltage squared during voltage emergencies. For transient voltage instability, the switching may not be fast enough to prevent induction motor stalling. Precise and rapid control of voltage is not possible. Like inductors, capacitor banks are discrete devices, but they are often configured with several steps to provide a limited amount of variable control. If voltage collapse results in a system, the stable parts of the system may experience damaging over voltages immediately following separation.

Shunt Reactors Shunt reactors are mainly used to keep the voltage down, by absorbing the reactive power, in the case of light load and load rejection, and to compensate the capacitive load of the line. Like shunt capacitor, for transient voltage instability the switching may not be fast enough to prevent induction motor stalling. Precise and rapid control of voltage is also not possible in this case.

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Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) A UPFC is an electrical device for providing fast power component control on highvoltage electricity transmission networks. It uses a pair of three-phase controllable bridges to produce current that is injected into a transmission line using a series transformer. The controller can control active and reactive power flows in a transmission line. The UPFC uses solid state devices, which provide functional flexibility, generally not attainable by conventional thyristor controlled systems. The UPFC is a combination of a static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) coupled via a common DC voltage link. The UPFC allows a secondary but important function such as stability control to suppress power system oscillations improving the transient stability of power system. Interline Power Flow Controller (IPFC) IPFC is a type of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) based solution for rapidly enhancing reliability and upgrading transmission capacity of a line on a longterm and cost-effective basis. It is a concept of FACTS controller for series compensation with the unique capability of power flow management among multiline of a substation.

OPERATION OF HYDRO GENERATING CONDENSER: PROS & CONS

UNITS

AS

SYNCHRONOUS

Pros: 1) Synchronous condenser can supply as well as absorb kVAR almost equal to its full rating. 2) Synchronous condenser has fine control system through AVR by virtue of which it can efficiently adjust to varying system conditions. 3) The system harmonics do not have any effect on the performance of the synchronous condenser as compared to static VAR devices. 4) The kVAR output of the synchronous condenser is not limited by the system voltage condition; it gives out its full capacity even when system voltage decreases.

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Cons: 1) Synchronous condenser are rotating machines with moving parts and auxiliary systems, hence are subject to operational wear and tear and require maintenance which is higher than that of any other static VAR device. 2) Synchronous condenser consumes real/active power equal to about 3% of the machines reactive-power rating for no-load windage losses and the auxiliary consumption (i.e. compressed air system, cooling water system etc). That is, a 50- MVAR synchronous condenser requires about 1.5 MW of real/active power for operation. 3) Synchronous condenser being a synchronous machine requires a prime mover to get synchronized with the grid and is not self starting thus the demand for reactive power with the help of synchronous condenser cannot be met instantly as compared to other static VAR devices. 4) Specially trained staff and officers are required in every shift of the powerhouse to run a hydro generating unit in synchronous condenser mode of operation. 5) The rating of the synchronous condenser is limited as per the installed capacity of the hydro generating unit and cannot be increased beyond that as and when required while the rating of static VAR devices can be enhanced as and when system requirements change by easily installing more such devices quickly. 6) Synchronous condenser mode operation of generating unit cannot be distributed throughout various locations in the grid except wherever a hydro/gas power plant is available. 7) Fault down time in synchronous condenser is much higher than other static VAR devices. 8) The basic cost of the synchronous condenser is much higher than other static VAR devices. 9) Indian Electricity Grid Code (Section 6-6.6) specifies that the VARh payment shall be at the rate of 10 paisa/kVARh w.e.f. 01.4.2010, and this will be applicable between the Regional Entity, except Generating Stations, and the regional pool account for VAR interchanges. This rate shall be escalated @ 0.05 paisa/kVARh per year, hereafter, unless and otherwise revised by the commission. UERC states the same language but does not specify the rate for VARh tariff. The tariff for the reactive power is miniscule compared to that of the active power tariff charged by the generating company. Therefore, it does not seem to be sensible to utilize hydro generating unit for generating reactive power by consuming active power from the grid instead of generating active power.
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10) A large space is required for placement of compressed air system in the already congested turbine floor which is a problem. 11) The auxiliary consumption increases multifold due to operation of the compressed air system even before operation of the machine as synchronous condenser. 12) In case of run of river HEPs, the storage capacity of the barrage is almost nil or very small and if the hydro generating units are operated in synchronous condenser mode, water may have to be spilled resulting in generation loss. 13) The overall cost of the hydro generating units will increase as the same machine will have to be designed for motoring operation and the auxiliaries such as SEE, AVR, bearings, cooling water system, protection etc. shall have to be highly sophisticated and advanced for proper operation. 14) High pressure compressed air system is required to be installed for depressing the water level in the runner chamber of the reaction turbine which is an additional auxiliary and shall result in additional capital expenditure.

CONCLUSION Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standard for Connectivity to the Grid) Regulations 2007 states that new hydro generating units having rated capacity of 50MW and above shall be capable of operating in synchronous condenser mode, where ever feasible. For existing hydro generating units above 100 MW the regulation states that AVR with two separate channels having independent inputs and automatic changeover must be installed, however, the regulation stays mum on the synchronous condenser mode of operation. Therefore, synchronous condenser mode of operation is not recommended for existing hydro generating units in perspective of UJVN Limited UJVN Ltd gets paid by UPCL for the active power being generated in its hydro generating stations. Till date no payment has been made for the reactive power generation at any of the power stations of UJVN Ltd as tariff for the reactive power has not been decided till date. During synchronous condenser mode of operation, the machines will either absorb or pump reactive power in to the grid and in turn shall consume active power to the tune of 3% of its capacity from the grid which will again result in revenue loss. As per the NRPC guidelines for grid operation, hydro stations having synchronous condenser facility shall ensure the readiness of the facility and availability of the competent staff round the clock particularly during the night shift. Therefore, fully trained and competent staff shall have to be deputed in the hydro stations whose machines are to be operated in the synchronous condenser mode of operation.

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The average active power demand in the Northern Grid is about 35,000 MW against which there is deficit of around 2,500 MW. So the primary target of the generating stations should be to meet this active power deficit instead of considering the reactive power compensation through synchronous condenser mode of operation. Looking beyond the active power deficit, considering a power factor of 0.9, the reactive power demand comes out to be approx.17,000 MVAR. Reactive power related to the reactive load is directly proportional to 2 f or 2x3.14f or 6.28f which means an increase/decrease of 1Hz in frequency results in increase/decrease of 6.28% of MVAR. Powergrid allows a variation of 4Hz in frequency from 48.5 to 52.5 Hz, which means that within an allowable limit, the net variation in frequency may result in variation from (-)9.42% to (+)15.7% in MVAR demand. In other words, the MVAR varies from 19700 MVAR to 15400 MVAR. Usually switchable reactor is available with rating of 31.2/50/63/80 MVAR. Now if we consider a switchable reactor with 50 MVAR rating, then just to meet this variation of 2700 MVAR/ 1600 MVAR on account of frequency variation, 54/32 units of such reactors need to be switched on or off as per the requirement. In this scenario when a frequency variation can play havoc in the grid, operating 66 MVA single hydro generating unit of upcoming Vyasi HEP in synchronous condenser mode cannot play the position of principal driver to save the grid from collapse.

The capital as well as the operating cost of the static reactive power compensating equipments such as reactor, capacitor banks etc. is very small as compared to the synchronous condenser, more over the operation of the static reactive power compensating equipments is also very simple as compared to the operation of the synchronous condenser therefore the option of installing static reactive power compensating equipments in the substations and the load centers must be exhausted before venturing in to synchronous condenser mode of operation of hydro generating units. Thus for getting the correct picture in context of Uttarakhand, various parameters related to the SLDC must be carefully studied and trend analysis must be conducted to know actual requirement of the reactive power in the state grid and the related action to be taken in various conditions must be judiciously chalked out before undertaking any type of reactive power compensation scheme. Likewise, information from the generation utilities having hydro generating units with synchronous condenser mode operation facility must be obtained to know the practical aspects of the synchronous condenser mode of operation of hydro generating units and the challenges in doing so.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Websites: 1. www.nldc.in, www.nldcindia.in 2. http://www.cea.nic.in 3. http://www.nrldc.org 4. www.cercind.org Meeting/Regulations/Notifications/Papers: 1. MOM of 70th Operation Coordination Committee (OCC) of NRPC dated 13.12.11. 2. State Grid Code, UERC Regulations, 2007. 3. CERC Regulations, 2010. 4. Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid, CEA Regulations, 2007. 5. Notification No: 12/X/STD (CONN)/GM/CEA (21-Feb-07) of CEA. 6. Electricity Act, 2003. 7. Reactive Power Management a resource handbook, Power System Operation Corporation Ltd (POSCO). 8. Guidelines for grid operation during winter months, NRPC. 9. Operating Procedure of Northern Region 2012-13, NRLDC. 10. Report of the task force on measures for operationalising open access in the power sector, Planning Commission, Government of India. 11. S.K. Soonee, Vineeta Agrawal, Suruchi Jain; Reactive Power and System Frequency Relationship: A Case Study. 7th International R&D Conference, 4-6 February 2009. 12. David Gerstenkorn, Morgan L. Henary, Improving transmission system efficiency using a synchronous condensor. 13. Hydro Manual, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). 14. Electrical Machinery, Dr. P.S. Bhimbhra.

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