Generator power plant protection system and method

1. A power plant comprising:

a plurality of generators;

at least one load;

at least one bus interconnecting said generators with said at least one load;

said plant being operated in an uncorrected droop configuration for speed control and voltage control;

wherein:

said plant further includes a monitoring module for monitoring at least one of a plurality of signals; a calculating module for calculating a fault based on a comparison of predefined values for frequency versus kilowatts and voltage versus kilovar expected from normal droop operation with respect to monitored values obtained from said monitored signals; and a control module for providing an order to bring additional generating capacity on line, for tripping a generator if a fault has been identified with respect to a single generator or for tripping a tie breaker to provide bus to bus isolation if an identified fault cannot be isolated to a single generator.

2. A plant according to claim 1 , characterized in that said monitoring module is operatively connected to a bus measuring transducer, and in that said predefined values are based on constants for rated power and droop, and wherein said monitored values are speed and real power where a deviation from predefined expected values is indicative of a fault with the speed control function for an associated generator prime mover.

3. A plant according to claim 1 , characterized in that said monitoring module is operatively connected to a voltage controller, and in that said predefined values are based on constants for rated reactive power or reactive current and droop, and wherein said monitored values are voltage and reactive power or reactive current where a deviation from predefined expected values is indicative of a fault with the voltage control function for the associated generator.

4. A plant according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said loads is further provided with a monitoring apparatus, said monitoring apparatus being operatively connected with said at least one load and operatively connected to said at least one bus, said monitoring apparatus monitoring frequency and voltage on said at least one bus and comparing said monitored frequency and voltage with predetermined levels expected from normal droop operation, and for modifying a contribution of said load to said plant as monitored frequency or voltage or a combination thereof approach boundary conditions for either of frequency and voltage.

5. A plant according to claim 1 , wherein the operating mode utilizes uncorrected droop and wherein control elements within the system are able to determine the health of the measured values based on the droop curve for speed and voltage control.

6. A plant according to claim 1 wherein the operating mode utilizes uncorrected droop and wherein control elements within the system measure frequency and voltage, and are able carry out power management control functions based on the calculation of percent load based on the droop curves for real and reactive power only.

7. A power plant comprising:

a plurality of generators;

at least one load;

at least one bus interconnecting said generators with said at least one load;

said plant being operated on an uncorrected droop configuration for speed control and voltage control;

wherein at least one of said loads is further provided with a monitoring apparatus, said monitoring apparatus being operatively connected with said at least one load and operatively connected to said at least one bus, said monitoring apparatus monitoring frequency and voltage on said at least one bus and comparing said monitored frequency and voltage with predetermined levels expected from normal droop operation, and for modifying a contribution of said load to said plant as monitored frequency or voltage or a combination thereof approach boundary conditions for either of frequency as it relates to percentage kilowatt load and voltage as it relates to percentage kilovar load.

8. A plant according to claim 7 , wherein modifying said contribution of said load to said plant includes:

reducing real or reactive power consumption through internal control algorithms resulting in a corresponding reduction in machine output;

reducing regenerated power applied to the bus to prevent a load from overpowering the bus when conditions are approaching the upper limit of the load droop curve; and

measuring the percentage of real and reactive load by reactive load compensation equipment to allow correction and system operation at optimal levels.

9. A method for controlling the operation of a power plant comprising a plurality of generators; at least one load; at least one bus interconnecting said generators with said at least one load;

wherein said method comprises the steps of:

operating said plant in an uncorrected droop configuration for speed control and voltage control;

monitoring at least one of a plurality of signals;

calculating a fault based on a comparison of predefined values for frequency versus kilowatts and voltage versus kilovar expected from normal droop operation with respect to monitored values obtained from said monitored signals; and

providing an order to bring additional generating capacity on line, for tripping a generator if a fault has been identified with respect to a single generator or for tripping a tie breaker to provide bus to bus isolation if an identified fault cannot be isolated to a single generator.