I have two facilities. One has three 800kV generators connected as SDSs configured as N+1+1. The other facility has two similar make and rating generators also connected as SDSs and configured as N+1. The distance between both facilities is approx. 450 Mtrs.
My question is can we couple generator sets between both facilities providing additional redundancy? If yes, what design changes have to be made? If no, why?
Yes, likely possible.
Design Changes? Yes, plenty. Certainly a lot of copper between the sites. And certainly a lot of control conductors (or PLC coax) between the sites.
Feasibility Study worth undertaking? Probably
I would interview the owners/stakeholders and get a clear picture of what they want, expect, and the money available. These are the keys to any job. And the owners are not alway clear - which is okay, that's why they pay us engineers.
One thing you will have to figure out is the expected operating modes. This will have a major impact on the control complexity.
Second, make up a preliminary design spec, listing all you know about the expectations.
As bean said, you are going to need to hire outside engineering with specific experience. Take your preliminary spec to an engineering firm and ask for an estimate
for the study only. The installation cost estimate will come later.
QUOTE=copper chopper;1460590]I have just recently done this, if they are not the same make and model, then this will get very costly, you have to add parts, pull more wires and software. The trick is both generators have to be in sync, all phases have to be aligned. 1 generator is designated as primary or #1 and comes online asap, the other generator may start as soon as the other one does but will not go online untill all phases are in sync.This all has to be engineered and load bank tested.If there 2 different manufactures of generator ( good luck).[/QUOTE]
chopper has some good points, but none are that difficult:
If the gens are different, it will be a matter of winding pitch. It will have to be modeled, but generally, it will be a matter of circulating currents reducing available power -
generally not a show stopper.
I'm not sure what "phases aligned" means. One has to keep track of phases and rotation during construction - but that is not difficult.
Syncing should not be an issue. Different mfgs, mechanical/electronic governors doesn't matter, equipment is available to provide interface for sync signals. Eventually it will come down to expected operating modes. Eventually someone has to write a Detailed Design Spec.
The outcome from the feasibility study could be just a price to write the Detail Design Spec.
We know very little about your system. For example, we don't know:
existing generator controls (Sync, regulation (F and V, Auto-start, Auto-sync, are just a few)
preferred operating modes - (Vdroop, Fdroop, Isoc, base load, KVar share, KW share are just a few)
One-line - You made an interesting comment about all being SDS. So I am guessing grounded-Wye and 4 pole generator disconnects. If so, odd/unusual but interesting.
As bean said, this is way too complex for a forum discussion. With the information given, there is no way for anyone here to have anything more than minor inklings.
As for the 450 meter distance. It really doesn't matter. That is just part of the economics - eventually the copper and installation get more expensive that buying another generator.
Overall Feasibility: Well, yes - but a large part of what I do involves coercing generators to play nice together. Five 800KW generators is non-trivial, but certainly not complex.
It is an interesting job. Let us know where it goes.
ice
snapped the turbine/generator coupling shaft, the owner:rant:hired me to install a sync check relay.