Isolated 3-phase self-excited induction generator in pico-hydro power plant using water pump load in remote mountainous region of Himalayas

This paper presents the performance of isolated 3-phase self-excited induction generator (SEIG) in micro-hydro power plant using water pump as load. The daily electrical load profile in remote mountainous region of Himalayas shows vast difference in minimum and maximum load on the generator operated in isolated mode. Induction generators are most suitable types of generators for renewable energy conversion systems due to their advantages over conventional generators. The load on these generators has to be kept constant to maintain the voltage and frequency under permissible limits. Therefore under off-load conditions, the extra energy available can be utilized for other purposes such as operating water pump and other need based applications rather than wasting the energy in resistive dump load. In this paper, the potential benefits of using water pump as load under light/off-load conditions have been explored. The performance characteristics of isolated 3-φ SEIG are obtained using MATLAB-Simulink facility and the simulation model is based on the electrical loading pattern in mountainous terrain of Himalayas.