Implementation and Evaluation of a Complex Pumped-Storage Hydropower Plant with Four Units, Common Penstock, and Surge Tank in a Real-Time Digital Simulator

Hasan Akbari (), Juan I. Pérez-Díaz, José-Ignacio Sarasúa and Robert Schürhuber
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Hasan Akbari: Institute of Electrical Power Systems, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 18/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
Juan I. Pérez-Díaz: Department of Hydraulic Energy and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, c/Profesor Aranguren 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain
José-Ignacio Sarasúa: Department of Hydraulic Energy and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, c/Profesor Aranguren 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Robert Schürhuber: Institute of Electrical Power Systems, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 18/1, 8010 Graz, Austria

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: The demand for energy storage systems is rising together with the proportion of renewable energy sources (RES) in power systems. The highest capacity among the various energy storage systems in power systems is provided by pumped-storage hydropower (PSH). In this paper, the ability of the real-time digital simulator (RTDS), e.g., dSpace–SCALEXIO, to emulate a complex pumped-storage hydropower plant with four units, two common penstocks, a surge tank, and a long headrace tunnel is investigated. The RTDS is the smart brain of an advanced lab setup called power hardware in the loop (PHIL), which is an extremely safe and useful lab system for electrical power system research and testing hardware and methods under various conditions. In this research, the capability of an RTDS to emulate the behavior of a pumped-storage hydropower plant including four Francis pump-turbines, four short penstocks, two common penstocks, a surge tank, and a long headrace tunnel is evaluated. Francis pump-turbines are modelled based on the hill chart-based interpolation and waterways including penstocks and headrace tunnel are modelled based on the polynomial approximation of a hyperbolic function. Finally, the results from the RTDS are presented and discussed. According to the results of the paper, we confirm that the RTDS can accurately emulate the hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical transients of a pumped-storage hydropower plant with a complex configuration.

Keywords: pumped-storage hydropower; power hardware in the loop; real-time digital simulator; Francis turbine; surge tank; penstock (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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