Improving Methods for Synchronizing Generators

Synchronization is a process that correctly turns on synchronous generators for parallel operation with the rest of the electric power system. During synchronization, the regime parameters of the synchronous machine (voltage and its phase, frequency) are changed in a certain way to equalize them with similar parameters of the equivalent network generator. Today synchronization is carried out manually by personnel or automatically. Synchronization process may have consequences depending on the selected synchronization method. At present two traditional synchronization methods exist: ideal synchronization, self-synchronization. Each of the traditional methods has its drawbacks – the ideal synchronization method is very time-consuming, and the self-synchronization method leads to large equalizing currents, which causes thermic and dynamic effects on the aggregate. In order to eliminate the disadvantages and improve the traditional methods of synchronization, it is proposed to develop a new method. The method is called accelerated because it allows you to switching on the faster than with ideal synchronization. The method is can be used when equipment is connected to the network in emergency and post-emergency modes (for example, when there is an imbalance of active power in the electrical network). The experiments carried out on the physical model confirm that the use of the accelerated method makes it possible to reduce the process execution time by two times compared to the exact synchronization method. The average duration of the developed method is 40 seconds, while the exact synchronization method is more than 83 seconds.