Defence of generating units and power systems against system disturbance of the black-out type

The National power system connected to other European countries power systems provides electric power supply of high reliability. However as the last system breakdowns have shown it is not 100% reliable. Loss of power supply by customers as well as connection to the network by generating units may constitute a serious hazard for them.

Our specialists for many years have been participating in projects aimed at protection of power systems in power plants, heat and power generating plants and industrial plants with their own generating units in the event of a system disturbance of the black-out type. The activities connected with the above mentioned problem can be divided into four stages:

• in the first stage a detailed analysis of the power system and the devices supplied by this system is carried out in order to assess the possibility of island operation of the system, without connection to the National power system, and search for weak points that determine the possibility of island operation;
• in the second stage remedies are drawn up (technical and organizational) that should be implemented in order to eliminate the system weak points and to adapt the power system to operation without connection to National power system;
• the third stage concerns participation in the execution of tasks worked out in the second stage;
• in the fourth stage the tests are carried out on the site with a view to confirming the possibility of island operation of the power system and to conduct an essential training of the operating staff; the results of the tests constitute the ground for drawing essential manuals up

The team also organizes and carries out acceptance tests, periodic verifying tests and system trials according to the requirements of the Instruction of Transmission System Operation and Maintenance (PSE-Operator S.A.) the aim of which is to verify the ability of generating unit to participate in the process of defense and restoration of the National power system.