Dynamic Capability of Hydro Power Plants for Primary Load-Frequency Control

This paper presents the methodology used by EDF to evaluate the active power response of hydro power plants due to a grid frequency deviation. With knowledge of turbine and hydro circuit characteristics, it is possible to classify the plants: in one hand, units which can participate to Load-Frequency Control without constraints; on the other hand, units that are limited due to hydraulic transients. For these plants, further simulations are needed. The two tools (classification criteria and simulator) share a model based on a hydro-electrical analogy.