Files
Abstract
The electric utility industry is undergoing a transformation to become deregulated. This transformation is similar to that of long distance phone service in the late 1980’s. This change is leading to a greater demand of electric power, yet the number of large power plants remains the same. To increase the supply of electrical power, private owners are installing small and medium sized generators to supply power during expensive, peak times of the day. An electrical generator can safely supply power back to the power grid when it is synchronized to the utility power line. Today, automated generator synchronization control algorithms are dependent on the type of prime mover and the reference bus frequency. This project will propose a generator synchronization control algorithm that can be used on most generator sets independent of the prime mover and reference bus frequency. By capturing the manual synchronization characteristics of a generator operator, these characteristics can be implemented using Fuzzy Logic control theory. The project discusses how the Fuzzy Logic control algorithm can be used on multiple generator sets regardless of the reference bus frequency, and it is compared against traditional automated generation synchronization methods. The Fuzzy Logic generator synchronization control algorithm can be implemented in standard, off of the shelf automation equipment; or it can be implemented in a stand-alone unit. Therefore, this new control methodology can be used on most generator sets allowing generator manufacturers and integrators to reduce their implementation costs.