Electrical Damping Assessment and Stability Considerations for a Highly Electrified Liquefied Natural Gas Plant

Lorenzo Bongini, Rosa Anna Mastromauro, Daniele Sgrò and Fabrizio Malvaldi
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Lorenzo Bongini: Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Rosa Anna Mastromauro: Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Daniele Sgrò: Baker Hughes, 50127 Florence, Italy
Fabrizio Malvaldi: Baker Hughes, 50127 Florence, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-27

Abstract: In recent years, the Oil & Gas industry has been subjected to a progressive electrification process aiming to comply with global environmental requirements on CO 2 emissions reduction. High-power electric motors fed by Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) have replaced gas turbines as drivers for gas compression applications. In Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, unexpected downturns could be experienced in case of high torsional vibrations of power generations units. These torsional vibrations derive from the interaction among turbine-generator (TG) units and VFDs and are known as Sub-Synchronous Torsional Interactions (SSTIs). SSTIs can lead to instability when the overall electromechanical system lacks sufficient damping. In this scenario, electrical damping assessment is fundamental in order to ensure stability and reliable operation of an LNG plant. Negative electrical damping is strictly related to the negative incremental resistance behavior of the power converters and it is influenced by the converter’s control system. In this paper, a real case study based on Thyristor Variable Frequency Drives (TVFDs) is considered. Ad hoc dynamic models of the power converters and of the TG unit are developed and combined in order to provide an accurate estimation of the electrical damping. It is demonstrated that the electrical damping is affected by variations of the main control system parameters and how the use of a simplified model instead of an ad hoc model can impact the stability evaluation.

Keywords: thyristor variable frequency drives; electrical generators; LNG plants; small-signal modeling; stability analysis; electrical damping estimation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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