Combined Power Plant Controller for Grid Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal power plants struggle to reliably deliver power to the grid in response to demand signals with steep rising and falling edges, especially with the increasing integration of regenerative energy sources that introduce unpredictable fluctuations, as they have slow response rates and cannot compensate for short-term energy gaps or overshoots.
Innovation Solution
A combined electrical power plant comprising a thermal power generation facility and an energy storage facility, electrically coupled to provide a combined power output to the grid, with a plant controller generating control signals to optimize power delivery based on demand signals, utilizing the fast response rate of the energy storage facility to minimize power differences and compensate for thermal power generation limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional thermal power plants are used to supply power to the grid, then reliable power supply can be achieved, but the response rate is too slow to compensate for short-term fluctuations of regenerative energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a thermal power plant with a regenerative energy power plant into a hybrid power generation system. The thermal power plant provides reliable base load power while the regenerative power plant supplements with clean energy. This merging allows the system to achieve both reliability from thermal generation and environmental benefits from regenerative sources, resolving the contradiction between reliable supply and response rate limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of the thermal power plant's output based on real-time regenerative energy availability and grid demand. The control system continuously adjusts the thermal plant's generation level, enabling it to respond dynamically to fluctuations in regenerative sources while maintaining overall supply reliability. This dynamic operation resolves the static limitation of thermal plants by making their output adaptable to changing conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the amount of regenerative energy supplied to the grid is increased, then environmental benefits are achieved, but the predictable supply capacity of conventional power plants decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors regenerative energy output and grid demand, then adjusts thermal power plant operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that as regenerative energy supply increases, the thermal plant's output is dynamically adjusted to maintain predictable total supply capacity. The system automatically compensates for regenerative variability, preserving reliability while accommodating increased renewable penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs preliminary adjustments to thermal power plant operation based on forecasted regenerative energy availability and demand predictions. By anticipating fluctuations in regenerative sources, the system proactively adjusts thermal generation to maintain stable total output, preventing reliability issues before they occur and enabling smoother integration of higher regenerative energy supplies.
3Speed
If conventional power plants operate with adapted turbines and steam reservoirs, then response time is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control system as an intermediary between the thermal power plant and the grid, which manages the plant's output without requiring physical modifications to the turbine or steam reservoir. This control intermediary coordinates thermal plant operation with regenerative energy input and grid demand, achieving improved response time through intelligent control rather than complex mechanical adaptations, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A combined electrical power plant is provided to supply power to a grid and a method to operate such a combined electrical power plant comprising a thermal power generation facility and an energy storage facility with a suitable energy storage capacity being able to supply additional electrical power to the grid and to receive and store electrical power from the thermal power generation facility or from the grid. Both facilities are electrically coupled to providing a combined power output to the grid and further comprise a plant controller to process the demand signal and to generate at least a first control signal and a second control signal from the demand signal, where the first control signal is a smoothened function of time of the demand signal resulting from a smoothening process executed by the plant controller taking into account operational characteristics of the thermal power generation facility.