Modeling and performance analysis of micro-hydro generation controls considering power system stability

The micro-hydro based interconnected power system performance in terms of stability is generally affected by the dynamic characteristic of its components during and after when it is subjected to physical disturbances such as quick change in electric load, occurrence of fault etc. These disturbances sometimes cause large variations in frequency, voltage, power flows and other system constraints; thereby, invoking the actions of processes, controls, and protections that are incompletely and inappropriately modeled in conventional stability studies. Thus, complete and precise modeling of these processes, controls and protections is essential to diagnose the system response during and after instability. However, this research work focuses on the generating unit controls of micro-hydro deployed to regulate and sustain the frequency, voltage and power output for system stability and reliability. This paper presents an approach for appropriate modeling of a micro-hydro based interconnected power system scheme and its generating unit controls using SIMULINK. Furthermore, this work also analyzes the dynamic performance of micro-hydro generation and its associated controls during and after the occurrence of transient disturbances due to load changes and fault.