Hydro-turbine governor control: theory, techniques and limitations

With the entry of Tasmania into the national electricity market, equipment upgrades are required in many parts of the existing power system. This presents an opportunity to embrace new technology, in order to enhance the current efficiency and productivity of the system. One area is that of hydro-turbine speed governors, an integral part of maintaining the frequency of the output. This paper analyses the current standard control algorithm for turbine governors, the PID controller. It illustrates the processes involved, tuning and their limitations. Finally, alternative control systems are discussed.