A Real-Time Regulator, Turbine and Alternator Test Bench for Ensuring Generators Under Test Contribute to Whole System Stability

A new Test Bench for speed governors has been developed and successfully tested in a simulation laboratory and in a Hydro-Québec hydroelectric powerhouse. Equipped with a Real-Time Simulator, the RT-LAB BERTA Test Bench makes it possible to cause the speed governor and turbine to react as though they are operating in an islanded power system, while remaining connected to the main grid. This ensures that the generating unit under test actually contributes to the stability of the whole power system. On-site testing has demonstrated that previous speed governor settings which were thought to be very stable were in fact generating undesirable power oscillations. Through the use of the proposed Test Bench, more accurate settings can be made on-site without the need to conduct laborious analyses.