A New Technique for Connecting a Dual Excitation Synchronous Generator to the Power Grid

Abstract

Due to an increasing demand for electric power and changes in the typology of loads, stability has become a major concern in power systems. As the system stability is directly related to the response of the connected generator, recent research has focused on enhancing generators’ stability and improving their response to load variations. This study focuses on adding another excitation winding on to the q-axis, perpendicular to the conventional excitation winding on the d-axis, to control both active and reactive power. This paper studies and compares the performance of the dual excitation synchronous generator (DESG) to conventional synchronous generators. The mathematical equations are derived, and a mathematical model is then developed. The experimental tests have been conducted using a laboratory model consisting of a two-phase synchronous generator driven by a DC motor with different loads. The obtained results and radial diagrams for the different loading types are presented and evaluated. Therefore, a new approach has been designed to connect the DESG directly to the power grid without any electronic components using a special coupling that works in one direction. Two perpendicular excitation coils, d and q, were formed from the existing coils, and the tests were carried out on all loads, ensuring that the revolving angle (i.e., the stability angle φ) was fixed. The results show that the proposed method offers significant cost savings, potentially amounting to 15–20% of the unit price. The experimental results confirm that the DESG significantly improves the generator stability by maintaining a constant rotor angle δ, which requires using an automatic angle regulator (AAR) in addition to the conventional automatic voltage regulator (AVR).