DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS USING INCONGRUENT LOAD IMBALANCE RESPONSE
A method of controlling operation of a first power plant in response to changing power grid conditions can comprise: receiving a power-plant-specific power assignment from an operator of a grid system, monitoring an operating frequency of the power grid relative to a control frequency, operating at least one power generator of the first power plant at the control frequency to provide a local power output to meet the power-plant-specific power assignment under steady state conditions, detecting a load imbalance from the power grid wherein the operating frequency and the control frequency are different, and operating the at least one power generator to provide a power-plant-specific imbalance response wherein the local power output is adjusted based on a power-plant-specific-trait of the first power plant relative to a second power plant working with the operator.
1 . A method of controlling an imbalance response in a power grid comprising a first power plant and a second power plant, the method comprising:
monitoring operation of the first power plant while operating at a first level to provide a first power output;
monitoring operation of the second power plant while operating at a second level to provide a second power output;
monitoring load demand from the power grid operating at a steady state condition;
detecting a load imbalance on the power grid that causes a deviation from the steady state condition; and
issuing incongruent load imbalance instructions to the first power plant and the second power plant to provide a load imbalance response to change the first power output and the second power output to reduce the deviation from the steady state condition depending on a power-plant-specific trait of each of the first power plant and the second power plant.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the steady state condition comprises a control frequency;
the first power plant and the second power plant are configured to operate at the control frequency in the steady state condition; and
the load imbalance comprises a deviation from the control frequency.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises adjusting at least one of the first power output and the second power output to reduce the deviation.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises changing a droop response of at least one of the first power plant and the second power plant to accommodate the load imbalance.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a total grid demand percentage of each power plant, and the first power plant has a first grid demand percentage and the second power plant has a second grid demand percentage.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises:
increasing a droop response percentage for a power plant having a larger of the first grid demand percentage and the second grid demand percentage in a power outage condition.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises:
maintaining a droop response percentage for a power plant having a smaller of the first grid demand percentage and the second grid demand percentage in the power outage condition.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises:
increasing a droop response percentage for a power plant having a smaller of the first grid demand percentage and the second grid demand percentage in a power outage condition.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a location of each power plant, and the first power plant has a first location located a first distance from power consumers of the power grid and the second power plant has a second location located a second distance from the power consumers of the power grid.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises:
increasing a droop response percentage of a power plant having a larger of the first distance and the second distance in a power outage condition.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a capacity type of each power plant, and the first power plant has a first capacity type with a first responsiveness and the second power plant has a second capacity type with a second responsiveness.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the load imbalance response comprises:
decreasing a droop response percentage for a power plant having a larger of the first responsiveness and the second responsiveness in a power outage condition.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the power-plant-specific trait comprises a repair state of each power plant;
the load imbalance response comprises:
comparing the repair state of the first power plant and the repair state of the second power plant; and
reducing a droop response percentage for the power plant having the repair state that indicates a reduced capacity to respond to the imbalance.
14 . A method of controlling operation of a first power plant in response to changing power grid conditions, the method comprising:
receiving a power-plant-specific power assignment from an operator of a grid system;
monitoring an operating frequency of the power grid relative to a control frequency;
operating at least one power generator of the first power plant at the control frequency to provide a local power output to meet the power-plant-specific power assignment under steady state conditions;
detecting a load imbalance from the power grid wherein the operating frequency and the control frequency are different; and
operating the at least one power generator to provide a power-plant-specific imbalance response wherein the local power output is adjusted based on a power-plant-specific-trait of the first power plant relative to a second power plant working with the operator.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a percentage of a total power demand of the grid system contributed by the local power output.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the power-plant-specific imbalance response comprises increasing a droop response percentage of the first power plant when a percentage of the total power demand of the first power plant is greater than a percentage of the total power demand of the second power plant.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a distance of the first power plant from power consumers of the grid system.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the power-plant-specific imbalance response comprises increasing a droop response percentage of the first power plant when a distance of the first power plant from the power consumers is greater than a distance of the second power plant from the power consumers.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a responsiveness of the at least one power generator of the first power plant.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the power-plant-specific imbalance response comprises decreasing a droop response percentage of the first power plant when a responsiveness of the at least one power generator of the first power plant is greater than a responsiveness of a generator of the second power plant.
21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the power-plant-specific trait comprises a repair state of the first power plant.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the power-plant-specific imbalance response comprises reducing a droop response percentage of the first power plant when the first power plant has less capacity down for repair than the second power plant.
23 . A control system for operating a power plant, the control system comprising:
a power plant controller for controlling at least one power generator at a facility, the power plant controller comprising:
a power generator interface for providing control input signals to the at least one power generator to control output of at least one electrical generator;
a grid interface for receiving a control frequency at which a power grid is to be operated, and a current operating frequency of the power grid; and
memory having stored therein power-plant-specific data for the power plant relative to other power plants of the power grid;
wherein the power plant controller is configured to adjust a droop response of the power plant incongruently relative to the other power plants based on the power-plant-specific data in response to the current operating frequency deviating from the control frequency.
24 . The control system of claim 23 , wherein the power-plant-specific data is provided by a power system controller for the power grid.
25 . The control system of claim 23 , wherein the power-plant-specific data is generated by the power plant controller.
26 . The control system of claim 23 , wherein the power-plant-specific data comprises location data of the power plant relative to power consumers of the power grid.
27 . The control system of claim 23 , wherein the power-plant-specific data comprises a percentage of total grid power demand supplied by the power plant.
28 . The control system of claim 23 , wherein the power-plant-specific data comprises a responsiveness of the at least one electrical generator of the power plant.