Projects:2019s2-25201 Evaluating the Capabilities of the Existing Synchronous Generators for Ancillary Services Provision in the NEM in various Renewable Penetration Scenarios

Abstract here

Introduction

Our power system is going through dramatic changes. With renewable generation resources in the grid, more synchronous generators are retiring. Traditionally, the synchronous machines were the main sources of ancillary services to compensate imbalances between generation and demand in order to keep the frequency within the acceptable range. However, renewable resources (such as photovoltaic and wind) are very uncertain, unpredictable, and representing huge up and down ramping events. In this study, we want to see if the existing synchronous generators of different types and properties (such as coal- and gas-fired and hydro power plants) are able to provide the kind of AS that is needed in different penetration levels of renewables. We use the information from AEMO to identify the existing synchronous machines, their availability for AS (eight FCAS markets), and specific characteristics related to providing AS. We also analyse the ramping requirements under various renewable (PV + wind) generation scenarios.

Project team

Project students

• Khairul Azwari Adnan
• Aina Afrina Hasram
• Wenkang Li

Supervisors

• Dr Ali Pourmousavi Kani
• David Vowles

Objectives

• Analyze the ramping requirements of under various intermittent generation scenarios.
• Study technical characteristics of existing synchronous generators available in the market.
• Quantifying the ancillary services requirements of the system under different scenarios of intermittent renewable generation.

Background

Supply & Demand

Basically, the electric supply is from renewable and non-renewable sources. Electricity demand is the electricity used by the consumers and the amount is varies. The balancing of supply and demand is very important to make sure the performance of the power system is in stable state. Frequency is one of the important parameters in the power system and it is totally depending on the balancing of supply and demand. The standard frequency limit in the power system is ±50 Hz. As the supply is higher than demand, the frequency is lower and vice versa.

Ancillary Services

Ancillary service is functioning to help in maintaining the performance of the power system. There are three types of ancillary services, Frequency Control Ancillary Service (FCAS), Network Support Control Ancillary Service (NSCAS) and System Restart Ancillary Service (SRAS). For this project, the team is focusing on the FCAS only.

Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS)

Frequency control is necessary in order to guarantee that the system frequency in the grid system is in the nominal frequency. FCAS is required to get back the frequency to its standard frequency and make sure the frequency is always in the range. Other than that, Australia has a huge number of intermittent sources such as wind and solar, that supply electricity to the power system in the grid. These intermittent sources have affected the performance of the frequency in the power system.

There are two types of FCAS services, regulation services and contingency services. Regulation services is provided by the participated generators based on the Automatic Generator Control (AGC) while contingency is provided based on the frequency deviation in the power system. From these two services, there are eight products in the FCAS market, Raise Regulation, Raise 6-Second, Raise 60-Second, Raise 5-Minute, Lower Regulation, Lower 6-Second, Lower 60-Second, and Lower 5-Minute. All these products perform a different services. Table 1 shows the description of each product in the FCAS market.

References

To be added