LAUSR

Abstract This paper aims to study the stability for primary frequency regulation of hydro-turbine governing system with surge tank. Firstly, a novel nonlinear mathematical model of hydro-turbine governing system considering the nonlinear characteristic of penstock head loss is introduced. The nonlinear state equations under opening control mode and power control mode are derived. Then, the nonlinear dynamic performance of nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system is investigated based on the stable domain for primary frequency regulation. New feature of the nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system caused by the nonlinear characteristic of penstock head loss is described by comparing with a linear model, and the effect mechanism of nonlinear characteristic of penstock head loss is revealed. Finally, the concept of critical stable sectional area of surge tank for primary frequency regulation is proposed and the analytical solution is derived. The combined tuning and optimization method of governor parameters and sectional area of surge tank is proposed. The results indicate that for the primary frequency regulation under opening control mode and power control mode, the nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system is absolutely stable and conditionally stable, respectively. The stability of the nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system and linear hydro-turbine governing system is the same under opening control model and different under power control model. The nonlinear characteristic of penstock head loss mainly affects the initial stage of dynamic response process of power output, and then changes the stability of the nonlinear system. The critical stable sectional area of surge tank makes the system reach critical stable state. The governor parameters and critical stable sectional area of surge tank jointly determine the distributions of stability states.