Supply continuity in an industrial plant with internal generation: field measurements for the dynamic performance assessment

Field measurements of long-term dynamic phenomena inside an industrial power plant connected to the public distribution network were carried out in order to assess the performance of the power system with its internal generating units. To this end, perturbations were intentionally produced by suitable manipulation of the control variables such as boiler master control (fuel), feedwater and speed governor. The long-term dynamic is of strong interest since, even if the supply in the industrial plant survives short term transients (transient stability), then it could be unable to maintain its frequency due to the inadequacy of the boiler power response. The recorded variables were: electric active power delivered by the two generating units; frequency; steam and feedwater pressure; steam temperature; steam, feedwater and fuel flow; and boiler level. Such measurement results could later be used to validate a model of a typical industrial power plant boiler suitable for the simulation of all kinds of long-term phenomena.