Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Carl A Wegner

Einar Vaughn Larsen

Kara Clark

Richard J Piwko

J Kenneth Hooker

An overload management system is provided, including a method and an apparatus, for controlling the operation of electrical equipment in a short-term overload region above the equipment's continuous capability operation curve, without suffering significant loss of equipment life. This overload management system is particularly beneficial for use with equipment having load management capability, such as a modular thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC) system using phase controlled firing based on monitored capacitor voltage and line current. For vernier operation, the system predicts an upcoming firing angle for switching a switching device to govern the current received by the electrical device, such as to bypass line current around a series capacitor of the TCSC system. The overload management system may serve as one of several higher-level controllers providing input to a vernier controller for accommodating competing objectives of various system demands.

Overload management system

A modular thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC) system, including a method and apparatus, uses phase controlled firing based on monitored capacitor voltage and line current. For vernier operation, the TCSC system predicts an upcoming firing angle for switching a thyristor controlled commutating circuit to bypass line current around a series capacitor. Each bypass current pulse changes the capacitor voltage proportionally to the integrated value of the current pulse. The TCSC system promptly responds to an offset command from a higher-level controller to control bypass thyristor duty to minimize thyristor damage, and to prevent capacitor voltage drift during line current disturbances. In a multi-module TCSC system, the higher level controller accommodates competing objectives of various system demands, including minimizing losses in scheduling control, stabilizing transients, damping subsynchronous resonance (SSR) oscillations, damping direct current (DC) offset, and damping power-swings.

Growing community of inventors

Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Carl A Wegner