Systems and Methods for Performing Islanding Operations

• US 20130054038A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Varillas, Gerardo, Karaca, Erhan, Holt, Joel, Fischer, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing islanding operations are usable to monitor and collect plant loads and turbine loads of a power plant. Such monitoring and collecting can be used to preemptively determine islanding configurations. According to one embodiment of the invention, a system can be provided. The system can be operable to receive power generation unit information, receive power plant information of the power plant, determine an islanding configuration for the power plant, transmit the islanding configuration to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant, receive breaker status information of at least one breaker coupled to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant and for all breakers connecting power plant to an external grid, and control at least one power generation unit of the power plant.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one power generation unit associated with a power plant;

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive power generation unit information from the at least one power generation unit;

receive power plant information of the power plant;

determine, based at least in part on the power generation unit information and the power plant information, an islanding configuration for the power plant;

transmit the islanding configuration to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant;

receive breaker status information of at least one breaker coupled to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant and for all breakers connecting power plant to an external grid/load source; and

control, based at least in part on the islanding configuration and the breaker status information, at least one power generation units of the power plant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to control a power plant electrical system, and wherein power plant electrical system provides power to at least one of the power plant or at least one power generation unit auxiliary load.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to provide a power plant management system, to provide a power plant operator console, or to control at least one power generation unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to transmit alarm information about the islanding configuration to at least one operator console of the power plant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the breaker status information is coupled to a plant management system, a power generation unit controller, and a power plant operator console.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one power generation unit comprises a steam turbine, a gas turbine, or a gas turbine and a steam turbine coupled as a combined cycle unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the power plant information comprises power plant operating conditions including at least one of a power generation unit auxiliary load, a power plant total auxiliary load, or distribution of power plant auxiliary load information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power generation unit information comprises power generation unit operation conditions including at least one of fuel type information or output information from the at least one power generation unit

9. A method, comprising:

receiving power generation unit information from the at least one power generation unit and storing the power generation unit information in at least one memory;

receiving power plant information of the power plant and storing the power plant information of the power plant in at least one memory;

determining, based at least in part on the power generation unit information and the power plant information, an islanding configuration for the power plant;

transmitting the islanding configuration to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant;

receiving breaker status information of at least one breaker coupled to the at least one power generation unit of the power plant and for all breakers connecting power plant to an external grid/load source; and

controlling, based at least in part on the islanding configuration and the breaker status information, at least one power generation units of the power plant.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the power generation unit information comprises power generation unit operating conditions including at least one of fuel type information or output information from the at least one power generation unit.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the power plant information comprises power plant operating conditions including at least one of power generation unit auxiliary load information, power plant total auxiliary load information, or power plant auxiliary load distribution information.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising iteratively determining a power plant islanding capability or iteratively determining a power plant islanding configuration based at least in part on at least one of power generation unit information or power plant information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating a power plant total auxiliary load by adding all individual power generation unit auxiliary loads and any additional auxiliary loads, and wherein the power plant total and additional auxiliary loads are classified as essential or non-essential based at least in part on predetermined criteria.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the power plant islanding capability is determined based at least in part by comparing a power plant total auxiliary load information to a predetermined load setpoint when none of the power generation units are online.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the power plant islanding capability is further determined based at least in part on power generation unit operating fuel selection, and wherein the power plant islanding configuration is further determined by overriding a selection of an islanding unit based at least in part on power generation unit operator fuel selection criteria when there are no other power generation units satisfying the selection criteria.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the power plant islanding configuration is further determined by comparing at least one power generation unit output to a total power plant auxiliary load comprising selecting a power generation unit for islanding and instructing a remainder of the power generation units to an offline or to a no load operating point;

(1) based at least in part on an output of the power generation unit for islanding being closest to and above a power plant total auxiliary load, (2) based on the output of the power generation unit for islanding being closest to a power plant auxiliary load when a particular islanding power generation unit output is within a predetermined range to the power plant total auxiliary load and there are no power generation units with outputs higher than the power plant total auxiliary load, or (3) based on the output of the power generation unit for islanding being outside of the predetermined range and closest to the power plant auxiliary load and by eliminating power plant non-essential auxiliary loads by opening a feed breaker to the power plant non-essential auxiliary loads.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the plant islanding configuration is transmitted continuously to all power generation units and the at least one power plant operator console is communicated the power plant islanding capability including alarm information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a selected power generation unit is communicated instructions to be a power generation unit for islanding and an islanding target output and a remainder of operating power generation units are instructed to trip offline or to operate at no load operating point.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein each at least one power generation unit is communicated corresponding individual power generation unit auxiliary load as individual power generation unit islanding target load.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein plant islanding configuration instructions are executed by all power generation units upon receiving breaker status information for each of at least one breaker coupled to each at least one power generation unit of the power plant and for all breakers connecting power plant to an external grid/load source.