Water level control of a small hydropower plant with a surge tank. Issue 2 (4th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Borkowski, Dariusz
• Is Part Of: Journal of hydraulic research. Volume 55:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 284
• Page End: 291
• Publication Date: 2017-03-04
• Subjects: Control structures -- flow control -- hydraulic models -- hydraulics of renewable energy systems -- water pipelines; Hydraulics -- Research -- Periodicals; Hydraulic engineering -- Periodicals; Hydraulic engineering; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.2
• DOI: 10.1080/00221686.2016.1252800
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1686

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an application of a small hydropower plant (SHP) embedded in a hydraulic system with a surge tank of a relatively low water volume. To maintain a stable surge tank water level the author used a precisely designed PI-type controller. The analytical design method, the so-called root locus, was used in this work. A new identification method that uses the step response to identify the parameters of a real system is described. The proposed method, analytical models of hydraulic system and turbine as well as water level controller were implemented and tested in a real 55 kW grid connected SHP utilizing treated water from a wastewater treatment plant. The results of the tests conducted under substantial variations of the water flow confirmed the stable operation of the controller at the maximum water level fluctuations of ±5 cm during a normal operation.