Advantages of the Interconnected Power System - Arya College

 

An interconnected system in the workplace is the process of linking technological resources, manpower, and other items of capital together. It can improve efficiency and accountability throughout the organization. However, an interconnected system has both benefits and drawbacks.

The power system network is an inter-related network. In other words, all generators are connected with the grid. Therefore, if one generator is overloaded the load will automatically transferred on other generators.

Advantages of the Interconnected Power System

1. Use of Older Plants

In the power system network, there are some old and insufficient generating stations. These stations can carry short peaks of the load. But these generating stations are not sufficient to run on a continuous basis. Thus, students of Engineering Colleges in India have invented interconnected power system for electrical industry. It will connect a system with a transmission line and use these plants to meet the peak load demand. Therefore, these generating stations are used with modern plants. It helps you meet peak load demand without giving extra burden on modern plants with the help of old and insufficient generating station.

2. Economic Operation

All the generating stations are working on the similar frequency and same voltage level. This is because they share load among the power plants so that all generating stations can work continuously with high efficiency and high-power factor. The less efficient and old generating stations are not used continuously and these plants are used only at peak hours. Therefore, an interconnected system can make the economical operation of the power stations.

3. Increase the Reliability of Power Supply

In the interconnected power system, students of Electrical Engineering Colleges in India have kept all the load has more than one supply. If one supply is failed or in maintenance, then the load is supplied by another source. Thus, a major breakdown will transfer the load to other healthy power station. Hence, the load is always connected with an uninterrupted power supply and increases the reliability of the system.

4. Exchange of Peak Load

The use of inductive load like air-conditioner has been increased. Therefore, the load curve of the power station shows a peak demand. This peak demand is more than the capacity of that power system. In this condition, an extra load must be shared by other power station, otherwise, overload relay may operate and load shedding will be done to reduce the burden on a power station.

In the interconnected system, the peak load is transferred to the old generating station to make load curve flat in peak demand conditions.

5. Increase Diversity Factor

It is a ratio of the sum of the individual maximum load of various plants of the system to the maximum demand of the entire system. The load curve is different for all generating stations connected in the interconnected power system. In this way, students of best engineering colleges have reduced the maximum demand as compared to the sum of individual maximum demands on various power stations. And the diversity factor of the system is improved. Therefore, the effective capacity of plants is increased.

6. Reduce Plant Reserve Capacity

Every power plant has a standby unit for emergencies. In the interconnected system, all plants are connected in parallel. So, the reserve capacity of the system is reduced and it increases the efficiency of the system.

Disadvantages of Interconnected System

1. Problems Associated with the Interconnected system

The interconnected system has more benefits. Due to this, the actual power system is the interconnected network. But there are some problems that are related with satisfactory implementation. It includes Voltage control, Communication, frequency control, Metering and instrumentation, Shortage of reserve capacity, Synchronizing problem, etc.

2. Voltage Control

In the interconnected system, the voltage is an important parameter and it must remain constant at any point of the network. The system voltage may decrease due to high inductive load demand. In general, this problem occurs in the summer season because of the use of air-conditioners, water pumps, and fans. This problem can be solved by meeting the reactive power requirement. For this purpose, the shunt capacitance is used at the load centers.

3. Communication

The communication facility cannot provide better operation in the interconnected power system because of the available frequency spectrum is congested. This problem is occurring in the present communication technique that is the Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC) technique. To overcome this problem, students of engineering colleges can use other communication techniques like fiber optics and multiple system digital microwave system.

4. Frequency Control

The frequency is inversely proportional to the load demand. If load demand is increasing frequency is decreased and vice versa. In the case of peak load demand, the frequency is very low. The system frequency should maintain between 48.5 to 50.5 Hz.If system frequency is not in this range, then the frequency relay will operate and disconnect the load.

5. Metering and Instrumentation

At a different stage of power system network, meters and sensors placed to measure the quantities like voltage, current, frequency, active power, reactive power, etc. These meters and instruments are very costly. For load forecasting and future calculation, a record of this measurement we required. So, it is necessary to install a sequential recorder, disturbance recorder, etc.

6. Synchronizing Problem

In an interconnected power system, all the generators are connected in parallel and it must operate at the same frequency. Otherwise, any generator of the system may go to out of step condition because of the synchronization breakup. Thus, it is a necessary condition to operate all the generating stations in the synchronized manner.