Abstract :
Over the past decade, automatic power plant monitoring and supervisory instrumentation, area load - frequency, and transmission control of interconnected power systems have developed into sophisticated online analog - digital computer and telemetering centers that may be the keyfactors in the establishment of a future firm national grid. Computer-controlled power plants, despite the sizable costs of the initial investment in analog and digital equipment, have achieved noteworthy economics in both power generation and plant maintenance. And the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages. Reports from private and public power groups throughout the United States and abroad indicate an accelerating trend toward at least supervisory control and monitoring of boiler-turbine-generator units within individual steam-electric generating plants. Many of the large utility combines, with extensive and complex interconnections, have already expanded the concept to elaborate load dispatch area control systems that include analog - digital computers in online operation with microwave and telephone channel communications networks.
