Turbo-generators are used in power plants to generate electric power. Together with the electrical power networks connecting the generators to loads, the system becomes nonlinear and non-stationary. Nevertheless, such systems are equipped with numerous local linear controllers. Traditional linear controllers perform best at only one operating condition of the nonlinear system, and degrade elsewhere. Traditionally large safety margins have therefore been built into the operation of power networks because of the uncertainty in the system’s dynamic and transient response to disturbances. However, the constant push towards more power through existing power networks with traditional linear controllers has gradually decreased the safety margins, leading to incidents such as the 2003 north-eastern power blackout.

This invention is an intelligent power system stabilizer (PSS), which will provide a supplementary control signal (SCS) to the existing excitation controller of one or more generators in a power network. The performance benefits of this invention will come from increased damping, thus reducing the oscillations in the speeds of generators and in low frequency power inter-area oscillations in nearby transmission lines after a disturbance, providing overall improved damping. This will allow power companies to operate the power network with smaller safety margins and still remain stable. The improved damping will occur at many different operating conditions, even when parts of the network topology changes, such as when loads and other generators turn on and off. All this will be possible without requiring a mathematical model of the network or apriori values of any network parameters or values of the system’s state variables.

File Number: 10MST032 

Web site: http://ecodevo.mst.edu/

Other Information:

Patent Status: Provisional patent filed

Case Manager: Eric Anderson (ericwa@mst.edu)