Assessment of FACTS

Requirements on the PSE&G

System
Subsynchronous Resonance Mitigation Options for
the Pennsylanvia-New J ersey-Maryland
Interconnection
TR-106463
Final Report, March 1996

Prepared by
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
1 River Road
Schenectady, NY 12345

Principal Contributors:
Ann T. Hill
Einar V. Larsen
Daniel H. Baker

PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC & GAS
80 Park Plaza
Newark, NJ 07101

Principal Contributor:
Emile Hyman

Prepared for
Electric Power Research Institute
3412 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94304
EPRI Project Manager
Rambabu Adapa

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iii
REPORT SUMMARY
Subsynchronous resonance (SSR) due to nearby generating units and capacitors has
limited the application of series capacitors to increase bulk power transfer capability.
This report investigated use of thyristor control on a portion of the series capacitor
system to mitigate SSR.
BACKGROUND
The 500-kV Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) transmission grid delivers
power from a number of jointly-owned PJM generation projects. The operating
economies of the PJM pool drive the movement of power from the most economic
generation, regardless of location or actual ownership, to the load served. As a result,
typically 5000 MW flows from west to east on the PJM system. From 1982-1993, 4200
MVARs of shunt capacitors were added to the PJM system to overcome post-
contingency voltage drop constraints that limit transfers. Studies in 1988 and 1989,
which ultimately led to the second round of shunt capacitor additions, suggested 50%
series compensation for three of the 500-kV lines: Keystone-Juniata, Conemaugh-
Juniata, and Juniata-Alburtis. SSR screening studies identified the potential for SSR at
several generators in multiple contingency scenarios of varying severity. Hence,
several studies considered thyristor control of series capacitors to prevent this SSR.
However, such control for the total series capacitor system significantly raises costs.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the benefit of using thyristor control in a portion of a series capacitor
system to mitigate SSR.
APPROACH
The analysis focused on a portion of the 500-kV transmission grid of the PJM
Interconnection. The project team performed eigenvalue analysis and time domain
simulations for the PJM 50% series compensation application. Simulations modeled the
thyristor control algorithm developed for the EPRI-sponsored Thyristor Controlled
Series Capacitor (TCSC) demonstration at Bonneville Power Administrations (BPA)
Slatt Substation, as well as special modulation controls developed by General Electric
(GE) after the Slatt installation was completed. The team also explored use of special
SSR damping controls.
iv
RESULTS
Emulating the technology and control algorithms employed in the GE/ EPRI TCSC
demonstration at BPAs Slatt Substation, this study shows that the SSR threat can be
mitigated by using TCSC for 34-44 percent of the total series compensation on the
Conemaugh-Juniata line, depending on the degree of conservatism of the TCSC design.
Using a novel modulation scheme, the range of TCSC compensation may be reduced to
24-30 percent. A passive filtering technique for SSR mitigation also merits further
consideration.
EPRI PERSPECTIVE
This study demonstrated the use of thyristor control in only a portion of the series
capacitor system to mitigate SSR and thus reduce the total cost of the series capacitor
installation. FACTS technologies are offering competitive solutions to utilities by
enabling increased power transfers, improved system damping, and better system
control (see EPRI reports EL-6943 volumes 1-2, TR-100504, TR-101784, TR-101932, TR-
101933 volumes 1-2, TR-103164, TR-103166, TR-103167, TR-103168, TR-103641, TR-
103701, and TR-103906). EPRI has planned several FACTS assessment studies and
projects to enhance device hardware through Tailored Collaboration with member
utilities.
INTEREST CATEGORIES
FACTS and substations, communication, protection and control
Transmission access evaluation
Power system operations and control

KEYWORDS
Power system stability
Power system control
Power system dynamics
Power system planning
Flexible AC transmission systems



v
ABSTRACT
The application of series capacitors has become more common as utilities attempt to
increase transfer capability over existing bulk transmission paths. Many series
capacitor applications have been limited though by the potential for subsynchronous
resonance (SSR) of nearby steam generating units with the series capacitors. This study
investigates the benefit of using thyristor control in only a portion of a series capacitor
system to mitigate SSR. This analysis utilizes a portion of the 500kV transmission grid
of the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland (PJM) Interconnection for this case study.
Previous PSE&G studies suggested 50% series capacitor compensation of the Keystone-
Juniata, Conemaugh-Junita, and Juniata-Alburtis 500kV lines to improve the prevailing
west-to-east PJM power transfer capability. SSR screening studies performed at that
time showed potential for SSR at several generators in multiple contingency scenarios.
Emulating the technology and control algorithms employed in the GE/ EPRI TCSC
demonstration at BPAs Slatt Substation, this study shows that the SSR threat could be
mitigated by utilizing TCSC for between 34% and 44% of the total series compensation
on the Conemaugh-Juniata 500kV line, depending on the degree of conservatism of the
TCSC design. Using a novel modulation scheme, the range of TCSC compensation may
be reduced to between 24% and 30% of the total series compensation of the
Conemaugh-Juniata 500kV line. A passive filtering technique for SSR mitigation is
shown to also merit further consideration. Other proposed schemes are enumerated
and briefly described.

vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to PJM for permission to use the engineering data from which this case
is drawn, and to Dennis Sobieski and Jim Hebson of PSE&G for making the
arrangements. The technical guidance and support provided by Daniel H. Baker of GE
for this project is respectfully acknowledged. GE and PSE&G also acknowledge the
support for this project provided by EPRI and Ram Adapa.

ix
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This simulation study demonstrates the potential for SSR suppression by using thyristor
control of only a portion of a series capacitor system. This approach offers the potential
of significantly lower equipment cost relative to the cost of using thyristor control of the
entire installation. Additionally, adding special modulation to the TCSC control shows
promise for further reducing the required size of the thyristor-controlled portion, and
therefore total cost. It should be noted that the study case was only one of several
contingencies with potential to cause SSR within the study system.
Eigenvalue analysis and time simulations, whose results were in essential agreement,
were performed for the PJM 50% series compensation application using special
simulation tools developed by GE. Simulations modeled the thyristor control algorithm
developed for the EPRI-sponsored TCSC demonstration at BPA's Slatt Substation, plus
special modulation controls developed by GE after the Slatt installation was completed.
Simulation results show that, without thyristor control and approximately 50%
compensation of three lines, loss of the Keystone-Conemaugh line with one Conemaugh
generator and the Conemaugh-Hunterstown line out of service produced an unstable
SSR interaction with the first torsional mode of the Conemaugh HP unit. Thyristor
control of only a portion of the Conemaugh-Juniata series compensation using the
constant-impedance control scheme of the Slatt installation sufficiently mitigated the
potential for SSR within the context of the contingency studied. Simulating a
superimposed firing modulation scheme for special SSR damping further increased the
effectiveness of the thyristor control.
While this study shows a potential for use of special SSR damping controls, adaptation
to any of a set of possible contingencies would require further study. It is possible that
the usefulness of special controls will depend on the richness of the potential SSR
interactions within a particular case or within particular contingencies of that case.
The PJM series compensation case, studied here, has illustrated a number of features for
SSR suppression by thyristor control. This case provides a useful benchmark for
studying candidate control schemes for SSR suppression in highly interconnected
systems.


xi
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1-1
2 SUBSYNCHRONOUS RESONANCE ISSUES.........................................................2-1
2.1 Analysis Method for SSR Damping.....................................................................2-1
2.2 Transient Torque Analysis Methods ...................................................................2-3
3 CONEMAUGH SSR POTENTIAL WITH CONVENTIONAL SERIES CAPACITORS3-1
4 TCSC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS.........................................................................4-1
4.1 TCSC Operating Characteristics........................................................................4-1
4.2 SSR Damping Characteristics of TCSC..............................................................4-2
4.3 Selection of Nominal X
ord
....................................................................................4-3
4.4 Special Considerations at Low Line Current.......................................................4-4
5 TCSC/CONVENTIONAL HYBRID SERIES COMPENSATION ................................5-1
5.1 TCSC Rating Selection.......................................................................................5-1
5.2 Operating Conditions..........................................................................................5-2
5.3 SSR-Mitigation Performance..............................................................................5-3
5.4 TCSC/Fixed Series Capacitor Combination........................................................5-9
5.5 Enhanced SSR Mitigation with Modulation Control ..........................................5-10
6 OTHER MITIGATION METHODS.............................................................................6-1
6.1 Series Capacitor Bypass Filters..........................................................................6-1
6.2 Discussion of Other SSR Countermeasures.......................................................6-5
7 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................7-1
8 REFERENCES..........................................................................................................8-1
A CONEMAUGH GENERATOR #1 TORSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS.................... A-1
xii



1-1
1
INTRODUCTION
PJM, the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland Interconnection, is the world's oldest power
pool. Eight member utilities coordinate the planning, operation and maintenance of
their own generation and transmission resources, import economy power from external
suppliers, and share the benefits of minute-to-minute uniform incremental cost dispatch
as though they were a single utility with 46,000 MW peak load. The pool concept
allowed PJM utilities to participate in large base load generating stations outside their
own service territories where there was advantage to doing so, sharing ownership and
risk with one or more partner utilities. Examples include the Keystone and Conemaugh
mine-mouth plants in western Pennsylvania, and the Peach Bottom, Salem, and Hope
Creek nuclear units in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
A 500 kV PJM transmission grid (Figure 1-1) evolved in the past three decades to
deliver power from a number of jointly owned PJM generation projects. This grid is
multiply connected to adjacent control areas to its south and west. These utilities join
with PJM in a regional plan for coordinated operation, and, in turn, interconnect with
the ECAR 765 kV system in the Midwest.
The operating economies of the PJM pool derive in large measure from the movement
of power from the most economic generation, regardless of location or actual
ownership, to the load served. As a result, throughout the year, there is a heavy
prevailing west-to-east flow on the PJM 500 kV system, amounting to (typically) 5000
MW. From 1982 to 1993, 4200 MVArs of shunt capacitors have been added to the PJM
system to overcome post-contingency voltage drop constraints that limit transfers.
Studies in 1988-89 [1], which ultimately led to the second round of shunt capacitor
additions, suggested 50% series capacitor compensation of three of the 500 kV circuits
shown in Figure 1-1: Keystone-Juniata; Conemaugh-Juniata; and Juniata-Alburtis.
Subsynchronous resonance (SSR) screening studies, performed as part of the 1988-89
series compensation study, showed potential for SSR at several generators in multiple
contingency scenarios of varying severity. A number of application studies have
considered thyristor control of series capacitors (TCSC) for preventing SSR. However,
thyristor control of the total series capacitor system raises the cost of an installation
significantly. Could the SSR prevention objective be achieved with thyristor control of
only a portion of the series capacitor installation?

Introduction
1-2
Paralleling a PSE&G study considering the practical limitations and enhancement
potential of the PJM 500 kV system, EPRI has funded GE to study thyristor control of a
portion of the series capacitor compensation of PJM, described above, to determine the
fraction of series capacitor installation(s) that would require thyristor control for SSR
suppression. The simulation has been designed to emulate technology and control
algorithms employed in the GE/ EPRI TCSC demonstration project at BPA's Slatt
Substation [2]. The simulation tools used for the evaluation have been validated for this
control system by comparison to both real-time simulator results [2] and to field tests.
This report descibes the results of this simulation study, specifically, with the Keystone-
Juniata, Conemaugh-Juniata, and Juniata-Alburtis circuits 50% compensated, and the
portion of series capacitor installations on the Conemaugh-Juniata circuit with thyristor
control to prevent SSR at the Conemaugh generating station. The Conemaugh units
were identified among the PJM units with a potential for SSR effects in the 1988-89
studies.

Figure 1-1. The PJM 500 kV system and interconnections.


2-1
2
SUBSYNCHRONOUS RESONANCE ISSUES
Two key aspects of series capacitor application must be addressed to ensure integrity of
turbine-generator units [3]:
1. Torsional Interaction. This aspect relates to the tendency of the series compensated ac
transmission network to act like a negative damping influence on torsional vibrations.
When this negative damping influence overcomes the inherent "mechanical" damping
of the shaft torsional system, the torsional vibrations will grow exponentially until
damage occurs. Generally such growth in shaft vibrations occurs with a rather long
time-constant, on the order of many seconds.
2. Transient Torque. This aspect relates to the tendency of series capacitors to amplify
the shaft stresses during major network transient events, over and above that which
would exist without the series capacitors. Generally, the critical aspect of this
phenomenon is the magnitudes of shaft vibrations after the electrical transients have
decayed substantially, which is on the order of one second.
SSR studies are typically done in various stages [4]. The first stage involves a screening
analysis that determines the risk for SSR from the impedance-vs-frequency
characteristics of the network. This "frequency-scanning" technique is an approximate
assessment of potential torsional interaction, and is useful to define the critical
contingencies that contribute to the overall risk of a torsional instability.
Evaluation of actual interaction potential and shaft transient-stresses requires more in-
depth analysis. This is particularly true when the network includes large power-
electronic systems, such as HVDC, SVC, or TCSC. These systems are not amenable to
impedance-scanning techniques, and the details of control action are crucial to
obtaining valid results.
General concepts and methods typically used for these detailed evaluations are
described in the following subsections.
2.1 Analysis Method for SSR Damping
The interaction between a subsynchronous mode of torsional vibration on a turbine-
generator shaft and a series compensated ac transmission line is known as
subsynchronous resonance (SSR). Small-signal torsional damping is one aspect of SSR

Subsynchronous ResonanceIssues
2-2
that can be described by the transfer function from generator speed to electrical torque.
The real portion of this transfer function represents the so-called "electrical damping"
contribution to torsional vibration decay rate.
A positive electrical damping component indicates that if the generator shaft speed
increases, then the electrical torque will also increase by an amount proportional to the
value of the damping component. This increase in electrical torque will oppose the
original perturbing force, and cause the succeeding oscillations to decay more quickly.
A negative electrical-damping component indicates that if the generator shaft speed
increases, then the electrical torque will decrease. This decrease in electrical torque will
aid the original perturbing force, and cause subsequent oscillations to have less
damping, or to become unstable.
The net damping of a torsional mode of vibration consists of the electrical component,
described in the previous two paragraphs, and the so-called mechanical component.
The mechanical damping is due to all factors other than changes in electrical torque on
the generator shaft (primarily steam flow, friction, and windage). Mechanical damping
is quite small, but it is always positive, and increases with generator load. A torsional
mode of vibration will be stable when the net damping is positive. A torsional mode
will be unstable if electrical damping at the torsional frequency is negative and larger in
magnitude than the inherent mechanical damping. Mechanical damping is minimum
when a machine is at no-load, and monotonically increases with the machine load.

Figure 2.1-1. Typical electrical damping curve.

The torsional stability concept is illustrated in Figure 2.1-1. A typical electrical damping
curve and mechanical damping values for one torsional mode are shown. The
mechanical damping values are plotted as negative values for ease of comparison with


Subsynchronous ResonanceIssues
2-3
the electrical damping curve. This is shown as a bar in the plot, where the extremes are
for no-load and full-load on the unit (-D
NL
and -D
FL
, respectively). The inherent
mechanical damping increases with load, so it is minimum at no-load and maximum at
full-load. If the electrical damping curve is below the mechanical damping point, the
mode is unstable. In Figure 2.1-1, the mode shown is unstable at no load (-D
NL
) and
stable at full load (-D
FL
).
This type of analysis is somewhat approximate for situations off resonance, since the
actual frequency of torsional vibration will vary a little due to the synchronizing effect
of the electrical network. By using such analysis to determine a worst-case electrical
damping within a certain frequency window, e.g., 1Hz, the procedure can be used for
design purposes.
2.2 Transient Torque Analysis Methods
The consequences of transient torque amplification are related to fatigue which means
an accelerated loss-of-life of the turbine-generator shaft. A complete analysis of fatigue
damage involves performing a large number of transient simulations with the complete
network, where all conceivable switching sequences and fault timings are considered in
a statistical manner. For each case, the torque responses of each shaft section are
evaluated in a nonlinear manner to estimate the fatigue loss-of-life for the event.
Such a detailed study is quite involved, and is usually performed as a final step prior to
implementing a solution. Generally, some approximations can be made based on
comparing the torsional vibration level of a few critical cases with the worst case that
would exist without series compensation. This worst case is generally a full-load
situation, where a fault is imposed near the generator and cleared in the worst timing
with respect to the particular torsional vibration mode of concern.

3-1
3
CONEMAUGH SSR POTENTIAL WITH CONVENTIONAL
SERIES CAPACITORS
The locations of the PJM series compensation used as the basis for the 1988-89 Study are
shown in Figure 3-1 and will be referred to as follows:
Xc
1
: Compensation as a percent of the Keystone-Juniata 500 kV line inductive
reactance
Xc
2
: Compensation as a percent of the Conemaugh-Juniata 500 kV line inductive
reactance. Conemaugh-Juniata 500 kV line inductive reactance will be referred
to as X
line
.
Xc
3
: Compensation as a percent of the Juniata-Alburtis 500 kV line inductive
reactance


Figure 3-1. SSR study equivalent system showing the location of PJM series compensation.

Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-2
The Conemaugh station consists of two cross-compound pairs of units. Each unit has
several torsional modes of shaft vibration. The only modes that have a potential for
interaction with the transmission network are the first mode of the HP unit, which has a
frequency of approximately 27 Hz, and the first and third modes of the LP unit (9.5 Hz
and 19Hz, respectively). Other modes have very low interaction with the ac network.
For this analysis, conservative estimates are used for no-load and full-load damping of
the torsional modes
The 1989 Screening Study evaluated the PJM system with 50% compensation values for
Xc
1
, Xc
2
, and Xc
3
. The limiting case for Conemaugh is when the 500 kV line to Keystone
is out of service. This contingency results in a small risk of torsional instability under
light unit-load conditions. A greater SSR interaction exists when one Conemaugh cross-
compound unit is radial to Juniata (i.e., Conemaugh-Keystone & Conemaugh-
Hunterstown lines and one of the Conemaugh units are out of service). This radial case
is selected for purposes of the TCSC design study.
Figures 3-2 and 3-3 illustrate the calculated electrical damping, De, versus frequency for
both the HP and LP units of Conemaugh, for a number of contingencies. Figure 3-2 is
for the pre-contingency network, with and without 50% compensation in all three
locations.

Figure 3-2. De -vs- frequency for HP and LP #1 unit of Conemaugh. Pre-contingency
network with and without 50% compensation in all three locations.


Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-3
Figure 3-3 illustrates electrical damping for the critical triple contingency case, where
one Conemaugh unit is left radial from Juniata. Only the 27 Hz mode of the HP unit is
affected. The 19 Hz and 9.5 Hz modes of the LP unit are low enough in frequency to
avoid significant SSR interaction with the transmission system resonances.

Figure 3-3. De -vs- frequency for HP and LP #1 unit of Conemaugh. Critical contingency
case where Conemaugh is radial from Juniata.
Due to the topology of this contingency network, the frequency of the critical electrical
resonance is affected mostly by the external capacitors (Xc
1
and Xc
3
). The SSR impact of
this particular resonance on Conemaugh is amplified by Xc
2
. Figure 3-4 illustrates the
sensitivity of the SSR impact to the value of Xc
1
and Xc
3
, with Xc
2
fixed at 50%. Note the
frequency of the resonance shifts significantly as the value of Xc
1
and Xc
3
are changed.

Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-4

Figure 3-4. De -vs- frequency for Conemaugh HP Unit #1. Critical contingency case where
Conemaugh Unit #1 is radial from Juniata. Variations of Xc1 & Xc3 with Xc2=50%.
The damping impact on the Conemaugh HP 27Hz torsional mode is illustrated as a
function of Xc
2
in Figure 3-5, for selected values of the external capacitors. Note that the
worst case is always with Xc
1
and Xc
3
at 48%. For the purposes of this study Xc
1
and Xc
3

were set at 48% instead of 50% to exhibit maximum interaction with the 27 Hz torsional


Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-5
mode of Conemaugh HP. These results can be used to determine the maximum level of
Xc
2
.

Figure 3-5. De -vs- series compensation XC2. Critical contingency case where Conemaugh
Unit #1 is radial from Juniata. Each curve represents a constant value for Xc1%=Xc3% series
compensation.
Two criteria can be considered, each representing different degrees of conservatism.
The most conservative approach would be to choose the point of zero electrical
damping (De = 0), which means that the inherent mechanical damping will be
maintained to guarantee stability. In this case, the maximum possible Xc2 with
Xc
1
=Xc
3
=48% would be near 15% (point A on Figure 3-5). Another approach is to select
the point where the dashed-dotted curve crosses the no-load (-D
m,light load
) damping
line, which means that any perturbation to the torsional vibrations will cause
oscillations without growth or decay. This criterion would permit Xc
2
to be as high as
25% (point B on Figure 3-5).
For the contingency that isolates Conemaugh on the line to Juniata, the HP 27 Hz
torsional mode is unstable at no load, and will be very close to a zero-margin situation
at full load on the unit. Figures 3-6 and 3-7 illustrate both situations in the time domain.


Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-6

Figure 3-6. Transient response following a trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone line leaving
Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at light load radial from Juniata.


Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-7

Figure 3-7. Transient response following a trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone line leaving
Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at full load radial from Juniata.

Conemaugh SSR Potential with Conventional Series Capacitors
3-8
These cases represent the transient response following a trip of the Conemaugh-
Keystone line. The Conemaugh breakers are assumed already in a position to isolate
one of the Conemaugh units onto the Juniata line after clearing the line to Keystone.
Note the growth of the 27 Hz oscillations in the light-load case, as predicted by the
damping curve of Figure 3-4. This is an example of an SSR torsional instability. At full
load on the unit, the inherent mechanical damping is sufficient to overcome the
negative influence caused by the series capacitor, and the 27 Hz mode continues with
nearly constant amplitude rather than growing.

4-1
4
TCSC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
This section describes basic characteristics of the TCSC, and specific aspects of design
that are important for the SSR-mitigation objective of this study.
4.1 TCSC Operating Characteristics
Figure 4-1 illustrates the power circuit of a single TCSC module. A TCSC module
consists of a series capacitor with a parallel path that includes a thyristor switch with
surge inductor. A complete TCSC system may be composed of several such modules in
series and may accompany a conventional series capacitor bank as part of an overall
project to aid system performance.
TCSC modules have three basic modes of
operation;
thyristors blocked (no gating and zero
thyristor conduction),
thyristor bypassed (continuous gating
and full thyristor conduction), and
operating in vernier mode with phase
control of gate signals and subsequent
partial thyristor conduction.
The various modes of operation are
described in depth in [5].
Since thyristor control can alter the apparent 60 Hz impedance of the module, it is
important to clarify certain terms:
X
c
= "Nominal" reactance of capacitors only (@60 Hz), ohms
I
Line
= Line current magnitude
X
ord
= Net reactance of TCSC in per unit of X
c
(@60 Hz)


Figure4-1. TCSC modulepower circuit.

TCSC Design Considerations
4-2
For example,
X
ord
= +1.0 pu means operation with no thyristor current
X
ord
= +1.5 pu means operation with thyristor firing such that the 60 Hz
component of capacitor voltage is 1.5*X
c
*I
Line
and lags current by 90
(capacitive). Or I
c
= 1.5 * I
Line

X
ord
= -0.5 pu means operation with thyristor firing such that the 60 Hz
component of capacitor voltage is 0.5*X
c
*I
Line
and leads current by 90
(inductive)
The convention used here defines positive reactance as capacitive and negative
reactance as inductive. Since we are evaluating a series capacitor, the capacitive value is
taken as positive ohms.
X
TCSC
is defined as,
X
TCSC
(ohms) = X
ord
(pu) * X
c
(ohms)
The total series compensation will be defined as:
X
C
= X
fixed
+ X
TCSC
where, X
fixed
is the inductive reactance of the fixed (conventional) portion of the series
capacitor installation.
4.2 SSR Damping Characteristics of TCSC
The natural response of a series compensated line involves an electrical mode of
oscillation between the voltage on the series capacitor and the current in the line
inductance. These oscillations are below the operating frequency, i.e., subsynchronous,
when the line is less than 100% compensated.
Proper control of a TCSC can yield a beneficial damping influence on the
subsynchronous electrical modes of oscillation. This is illustrated by the example
associated with Figure 5-1 in Reference [6]. The sample system consists of two infinite
buses connected by an inductor in series with a capacitor representing a series
compensated transmission line. If this system is stimulated by a minor disturbance, it
oscillates at its natural frequency of 15 Hz. The line current and capacitor voltage are 60
Hz modulated by the 15 Hz subsynchronous oscillations. If the series capacitor in the
line is replaced by an equivalent TCSC operating in the vernier mode, the brief


TCSC Design Considerations
4-3
conduction periods of the thyristor valve prevent the capacitor from participating in the
resonant oscillation. The TCSC looks effectively as a resistor at the subsynchronous
frequency and reduces the resonance [7]. The net response shows only 60 Hz
waveforms for capacitor voltage and line current.
There are a number of unfavorable aspects associated with these subsynchronous
oscillations. The most widely recognized, however, is the interaction with turbine-
generator torsional modes of vibration, commonly referred to as subsynchronous
resonance, or SSR. The basic constant reactance control of the TCSC inherently
provides critical damping of the subsynchronous electrical mode. The SSR performance
benefits discussed in this application are the result of a specific control algorithm. GE's
proprietary TCSC control design is used in this report to demonstrate the benefits of
TCSC for SSR damping. A compensated system that consists entirely of TCSC can be
shown to be SSR-neutral; the system will exhibit no resonances at subsynchronous
frequencies.
Recent field tests have confirmed these predicted performance characteristics [8] at the
Bonneville Power Administration's Slatt substation to demonstrate SSR mitigation
utilizing TCSC.
Further simulation of systems with only part of the compensation being TCSC suggests
that the TCSC acts similar to a resistive element in the circuit in terms of damping to
oscillations. A small portion of TCSC with a total compensation system can be effective
in preventing the otherwise lightly damped electrical oscillations from causing
undesirable behavior on the overall network.
4.3 Selection of Nominal X
ord

When designing a TCSC, one of the criteria is to meet a certain effective reactance in
nominal conditions. A degree of freedom available to the designer is how this is
achieved, in terms of X
c
and X
ord
. For example, a 10 ohm effective reactance can be
achieved with an 8 ohm X
c
designed to operate with X
ord
of 1.25, a 5 ohm X
c
with X
ord
of
2.0, or any other such combination.
For the specific case of using a small TCSC to help mitigate SSR caused by other fixed
capacitors in the network, past studies have shown that a design X
ord
between 1.5 and
2.0 is a good selection. The higher degree of vernier operation provides more dynamic
range around the nominal operating point, and is at a more stable point on the TCSC
characteristic than with operation with X
ord
below 1.5 or above 2.0.

TCSC Design Considerations
4-4
4.4 Special Considerations at Low Line Current
The TCSC is a unique application of thyristors, in that the voltage across the valve
varies substantially over the operating range. In nearly all other applications of
thyristor valves, the voltage is nearly constant, at most varying over a 2:1 range in
normal operation. With the series compensation application the voltage will be
proportional to line current, which can vary over a range exceeding 20:1. The challenge
is to design a thyristor valve that has enough insulation to withstand the high-current
extremes (while retaining normal control), and yet can ensure secure gating at a voltage
of only a few percentage of maximum. Thyristors have an inherent limit on how low a
voltage such gating can be considered secure, so there will exist a point at which the
thyristor valve must be blocked, and normal thyristor control will be lost.
This consideration leads to the operating strategy of deliberately blocking the thyristor
valves when line current falls below some predetermined level. Experience to date
suggests that the threshold for this action will be from 5% to 10% of the rated
continuous current.
When low-current blocking is active, the benefit of firing the thyristors for SSR damping
will be lost. Therefore, for applications where SSR is a concern, the bypass breaker must
also be closed when this low-current blocking action is taken to remove the series
capacitors from the power circuit. Because the SSR oscillations take several seconds to
become a problem, this bypass function can be designed to have a substantial delay.
Since speed is not required, the control can be designed for robustness. Bypassing for
extended low-current conditions should not present any problem for power system
operations, since at low current, the series compensation is not needed for its primary
purpose of improving transfer capability.

5-1
5
TCSC/CONVENTIONAL HYBRID SERIES
COMPENSATION
To reach the desired 50% total compensation on the three selected PJM lines, TCSC can
be used in some proportion to mitigate the SSR problem defined in Section 3. This
section addresses the design of a TCSC whose primary purpose is SSR mitigation.
Previous studies have shown that equipping all of the series compensation with
thyristor control will avoid the problematic resonance situation, and result in an SSR-
neutral system. For economic reasons, however, it is desirable to minimize the rating of
TCSC needed and design a hybrid system including both conventional series
compensation and TCSC. The challenge is to determine the minimum amount of TCSC
needed to meet the application needs.
The following analysis focuses on quantifying the stability aspect of the application.
The transient torque aspect is dealt with qualitatively.
5.1 TCSC Rating Selection
For each effective X
TCSC
in ohms, the nominal X
ord
[5] is a variable that can be selected
by the designer. Table 5.1-1 shows a selection of possible combinations to meet the
desired total compensation of 50% with varying fractions of TCSC and various choices
for nominal X
ord
. The X
TCSC
value in the XTCSC/ Fixed ratio is given in percent of the
Conemaugh-Juniata line inductive reactance. This percentage convention for X
TCSC
will
be used throughout the remainder of this paper.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-2
Table 5.1-1
Possible Conventional Series Capacitor and TCSC Choices for
Xc2 = 50% as a Percentage of Conemaugh-Juniata Line (76.25 ohms)

X
TCSC
/ Fixed Fixed X
TCSC
X
C
(ohms) @Nominal X
ord

(percent) (ohms) (ohms) 1.1 1.5 2.0
0/ 50 38.1 0 0 0 0
10/ 40 30.5 7.6 6.9 5.1 3.8
15/ 35 26.7 11.4 10.4 7.6 5.7
25/ 25 19.1 19.1 17.3 12.7 9.5
35/ 15 11.4 26.7 24.3 17.8 13.4
50/ 0 0 38.1 34.6 25.4 19.1

For this study, a nominal X
ord
of 1.5 is selected. The continuous rating of the series
equipment is assumed to be 2500 amps.
5.2 Operating Conditions
A large number of factors must be considered in designing the control loops for the
TCSC. Robustness must be guaranteed over a large range of operating conditions, and
attention to this aspect is required prior to any evaluation of TCSC performance for SSR
damping. A number of power system network operating configurations and power
flows through the TCSC were evaluated in this project to ensure an adequate stability
margin on the inner control loops for the TCSC options studied.
For the transient simulations subsequently presented, the post-contingency scenario is
the case where Conemaugh #1 is isolated on the line to Juniata and is near minimum
load (215 MW). In this case the line current is approximately 250 amps, which
corresponds to approximately 10% of the TCSC rating. This will be considered a level
where TCSC firing control is able to operate.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-3
5.3 SSR-Mitigation Performance
Figure 5.3-1 illustrates the benefit of TCSC in terms of small-signal damping versus
frequency curves similar to those presented in Section 2. The different curves represent
different ratios of XTCSC to conventional series capacitors. These are the same ratios as
defined in Table 4.1-1 with X
ord
constant at 1.5 pu.
These results for X
ord
at 1.5 pu are summarized in Figure 5.3-2. This shows the worst
expected damping on the critical first mode of the HP unit as a function of X
TCSC
(in
percent of the total line impedance).
Figure 5.3-3 illustrates a time-domain view of this improvement, which compares
responses with different TCSC ratios for the same fault and line clearing event as shown
in Figure 3-6. In each group of three, the top trace is for the 50% conventional series
capacitor as a reference, the middle is for the 10/ 40 case, and the bottom is for the 25/ 25
case.

TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-4
Figure 5.3-3 illustrates the important points regarding the phenomena of interest and
the performance of the TCSC. Among the key points are the following:
1. The ringdown of electrical oscillations after the fault show two important impacts of
the TCSC. These oscillations are an exchange of energy between the capacitors and
the inductance of the line, which is stimulated by the electrical disturbance. These
are most readily observed in the time period from about 0.2 to 0.7 seconds in the
plots, and are most evident in the voltage across the fixed capacitor (Fixed Capacitor,
kV) portion. Note that the frequency of these oscillations significantly reduces as the
percentage of fixed capacitance decreases -- this indicates that the line resonance is
being moved away from the torsional mode. Second, note that the decay rate
improves as the percentage of TCSC increases. This is a consequence of the TCSC
appearing as a resistive component to the line resonances.
2. As shown by the HP Generator Speed curves, the torsional vibrations experience less
stimulation as the portion of TCSC increases. This is an indication that transient
torque amplification will be attenuated by the TCSC, so a trend similar to the impact
on torsional damping can be expected.
3. As shown by the HP Generator Speed curves, the torsional vibrations are better
damped as the portion of X
TCSC
increases. This is consistent with the preceding
discussion of damping based on frequency-domain analysis. These three curves are
enlarged and shown for a longer time period in Figure 5.3-4 for closer inspection. In
the case without TCSC, note the continued subsynchronous component in the
capacitor voltage. This is evidence of significant interaction with the turbine-
generator shaft vibrations. Even a relatively small amount of X
TCSC
provides
significant attenuation to this oscillation.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-5



Figure 5.3-1. Comparison of Conemaugh HP torsional damping with various
X
TCSC
/Fixed capacitor ratios to maintain a constant Xc
2
=50%. Post-contingency system
with Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at low load and radial from Juniata. X
TCSC
at X
ord
=
1.5.

TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-6




Figure 5.3-2. Expected damping of the critical first mode of the HP unit as a function of
the X
TCSC
component of the total 50% compensation. Post-contingency system with
Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at low load and radial from Juniata.




TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-7


Figure 5.3-3. Initial transient response of selected variables. Responses follow a fault &
trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone leaving Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at light load and
radial from Juniata. Various X
TCSC
/Fixed ratios to maintain Xc
2
=50%.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-8


Figure 5.3-4. Long term transient response of HP generator speed. Response follows a
fault & trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone leaving Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at light
load and radial from Juniata. Various X
TCSC
/Fixed ratios to maintain Xc
2
=50%.



TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-9
5.4 TCSC/Fixed Series Capacitor Combination
As described in Section 3, various criteria can be applied when making a selection for
the ratio of X
TCSC
and fixed compensation. Two possible criteria noted in Section 3 are to
use zero margin on no-load damping, or zero electrical damping. From Figure 4.3-1,
this would require an X
TCSC
that was approximately 17% or 21%, respectively, of the line
impedance.
Consideration must be given to the possible need to bypass the TCSC under certain
conditions (e.g., very low line currents for extended duration). In this condition, the
remaining fixed compensation must be below the level at which SSR concerns would
exist. These have been identified in Section 2, and are summarized in Table 5.4-1. The
table also indicates the minimum portion of fixed compensation that must be bypassed
with the TCSC. Figure 5.4-1 illustrates the circuit concept.
Table 5.4-1
TCSC & Fixed Capacitor Segments

SSR Criterion
TCSC
(% of X
Line
)
XF1
(% of X
Line
)
XF2
(% of X
Line
)
Total
(% of X
Line
)
De > No-Load 17 8 25 50
De > 0 21 14 15 50


Figure 5.4-1. TCSC & Fixed Capacitor Switching Segments



TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-10
5.5 Enhanced SSR Mitigation with Modulation Control
The benefits previously described were realized with the basic "constant-reactance"
mode of TCSC control, developed for the Slatt project [2]. A limited investigation has
been undertaken here to estimate the potential benefits of augmenting the control with
a special modulation signal to enhance the damping of torsional vibrations.
Several factors are important when designing such a modulation control. One key is
that an input signal local to the TCSC be utilized, since secure transmission of a wide-
band signal from a remote location would be a significant reliability concern. For this
evaluation, the input signal is derived solely from the line current flowing through the
TCSC.
Another factor to consider is the robustness of such a control function. It must act in a
way that is at least neutral to other performance aspects of all power system operating
conditions. Important performance aspects include the impact of control on all turbine-
generator unit torsional modes of vibration in the electrical vicinity, and the impact of
ambient noise in the system on the increased sensitivity of the control system. For this
evaluation, robustness was checked for conditions with all-lines in service and for the
critical contingency. It is expected that the performance indicated in the following
discussion can be achieved while satisfying the robustness criteria, although significant
study effort is needed to finalize the control design.
Figures 5.5-1 and 5.5-2 illustrates the beneficial impact of this modulation control. The
10%/ 40% X
TCSC
/ Fixed choice for TCSC rating was selected for this illustration, since
with constant-reactance control it is too small to remedy the SSR concern with
Conemaugh.
The first trace illustrates the base case, without modulation, which is the same as
presented in Section 4.3 of this report. HP generator shaft speed is shown in Figure 5.5-
1, while TCSC firing advance angle () is shown in Figure 5.5-2. Note that the firing
angle is not constant in this base case, due to the inherent action of the control to hold a
constant-reactance effect.
The second and third plots in Figures 5.5-1 and 5.5-2 illustrate cases with modulation, at
two different gain settings. The gain in the second plot in each figure represents what is
likely to be an acceptable level for a robust control. The gain in the third plot in each
figure represents twice the expected acceptable level. Note the increased motion in
firing angle in Figure 5.5-2 as modulation gain is increased. This indicates that the
dynamic range of the TCSC control is being utilized to aid damping of the torsional
vibrations. The damping is seen in the improved decay rate of the 27Hz vibrations in
generator speed shown Figure 5.5-1.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-11

Figure 5.5-1. Beneficial impact of modulation control. Transient response of HP
generator speed following a fault and trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone leaving
Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at light load and radial from Juniata. Various modulation
gains.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-12

Figure 5.5-2. Beneficial impact of modulation control. Transient response of firing
angle advance in degrees following a fault and trip of the Conemaugh-Keystone leaving
Conemaugh Unit #1 operating at light load and radial from Juniata. Various modulation
gains.


TCSC/Conventional Hybrid Series Compensation
5-13
The expected benefit of such modulation control is summarized in Figure 5.5-3, where
the modulation gain is selected as the value which is likely to satisfy the robustness
criteria. With modulation, the size of the TCSC needed to alleviate the SSR concern is
smaller than without modulation. For the example of De>No-Load criterion, including
modulation would mean that the TCSC could be 12%, compared to the 17% needed
without modulation.

Figure 5.5-3. Expected benefit of modulation control. Electrical damping with modulation
(bold line) and without modulation (thin line).

6-1
6
OTHER MITIGATION METHODS
This section discusses other existing SSR countermeasures that are generator-based or
series capacitor bank-based. The TCSC case study system is used as a benchmark to
demonstrate the potential of a series capacitor bypass filter for mitigating SSR. Other
SSR counter measures are discussed briefly and existing applications are noted.
6.1 Series Capacitor Bypass Filters
Capacitor bypass filtering (CBF), Figure 6-1, is a passive technique to short circuit
subsynchronous capacitor voltage while blocking the bypass for synchronous capacitor
voltage through parallel resonance.

Figure 6-1. Series capacitor bypass filter.

The SSR mitigation performance of a bypass filter was demonstrated with the
Conemaugh-Juniata 500kV series compensated system. Variations were made to the
bypass filter capacitance and the filter resistance to see how they each affected the 27Hz
system resonance that occurs when the lightly loaded Conemaugh units is left radial on
the series compensated line. The relationship between capacitance, capacitance
impedance, and filter rating relative to the series capacitor are given in Table 6-1.


Other Mitigation Methods
6-2
Table 6-1
Series Capacitor Bypass Filter Elements
C
f
Capacitance Xc
f
Impedance Xc
f
Rating
(pu on C
2
) (pu on Xc
2
) (pu on Xc
2
)
0 0
.20 5 .20
.50 2 .50
1.0 1 1.0

Figure 6-2 shows how the damping characteristics change as the filter capacitance, C
f
, is
increased from 0, to 20%, to 50%, and 100%, of the line series capacitance, C
2
. The 60Hz
bypass filter reactance impedance, Xl
f
, is set equal to the 60Hz filter capacitance
impedance, Xc
f
, in each case.


Other Mitigation Methods
6-3

Figure 6-2. Series capacitor bypass filter on Conemaugh-Juniata 500kV line.
Conemaugh Unit #1, at low load, is radial on the Juniata line. Series capacitor Xc
2
is
fixed at 50% and all other external series capacitors are set to 48%. Filter resistance, R
f

= 2*Xc
2
. Vary filter capacitor impedance, Xc
f
.

The weakness in the bypass filter is in protection of the lowest subsynchronous
frequency mechanical modes, typically below 20Hz mechanical (40Hz electrical). In
Figure 6-2, the initial resonance at 27Hz (solid line) moves down to 25Hz as the filter
capacitance is increased to 20% of C
2
. The initial resonance moves even further with
increasing C
f
.
The bar labeled -DM in each right-hand plot [b] identifies the 27Hz mode damping
from no-load (-.20) to full load (-2.0) for the Conemaugh unit. Figure 6-2[b] shows that
the filter capacitance (C
f
) must be greater than half of the line series capacitance (C
2
) to
achieve marginal damping of the 27Hz mode. This can be seen by comparing the
dashed line with the dash-dotted line. The filter size (rating, costs) increase with
decreasing torsional frequency.

Other Mitigation Methods
6-4
The initial resistance was chosen as R
f
= 2*Xc
2
. Figure 6-3 shows how the damping
characteristics change as the filter resistance, R
f
, is varied from 5x, 2x, 1x, and .5x the
impedance value of the series capacitance, Xc
2
. The bypass filter capacitance
impedance, Xc
f
, was set equal to 2*Xc
2
. As show in Figure 6-3[a], fine tuning the bypass
filter moves the resonance point to less than 20Hz. Setting filter resistance equal to or
less than the impedance value of the series capacitance avoids the instability at 27Hz.
However, if there were a torsional mode near 20Hz, then the 20Hz mode would be
adversely affected by the lower values of R
f
.



Figure 6-3. Series capacitor bypass filter on Conemaugh-Juniata 500kV line.
Conemaugh Unit #1, at low load, is radial on the Juniata line. Series capacitor Xc
2
is
fixed at 50% and all other external series capacitors are set to 48%. Filter capacitance,
Xc
f
= 2*Xc
2
. Vary filter resistance, R
f
.


Other Mitigation Methods
6-5
This cursory analysis shows that this SSR mitigation scheme has potential for moving
the resonance point away from the critical frequency. An initial bypass filter design
would include the following components relative to the series capacitor Xc
2
:

Xc
f
Impedance Xc
f
Rating Xl
f
Impedance R
f
Impedance
(pu on Xc
2
) (pu on Xc
2
) (pu on Xc
2
) (pu on Xc
2
)
2 .50 2 .5

These results reflect a single system condition with the Conemaugh unit at low loading.
Stronger conclusions can be drawn only after other system configurations and
dispatches have been examined.
6.2 Discussion of Other SSR Countermeasures
Since the early 1970s there have been many technical papers published on the subject of
SSR. The IEEE Torsional Issues Working Group has recently published the fourth
supplement to A Bibliography for the Study of Subsynchronous Resonance Between
Rotating Machines and Power Systems [10]. This section provides a short description
of other SSR countermeasures. These countermeasures have been segregated by those
techniques that are unit-based and those techniques that are series capacitor-based.
The following countermeasures are installed at the unit that is at risk for SSR.
Series Blocking Filter - This is the only complete solution to the transient torque problem at
high levels of series compensation. The filter is installed in series with the generator by
placing it in the neutral end of the generator step-up (GSU) transformer high-side. This is a
tuned filter with inductance and capacitance in parallel with one filter stage for each torsional
mode. This type of filter has been in service at the Navajo Plant in Arizona for 20 years [11].
Supplementary Excitation Damping Control (SEDC) - This controller modulates generator
field voltage to add torsional damping. The SEDC control [12,13] is useful for moderate
destabilization problems or as a supplement to a Series Blocking Filter. The SEDC requires a
high response excitation system and requires measured shaft oscillations as an input signal.
This controller is in operation at the Navajo, Jim Bridger, and Coronado generating units in the
Western USA.
Synchronous Machine Frequency (SMF) Relay and Digital Pulsation Relay (DPR) - These
relays provide protection by tripping the unit for excessive torsional oscillations. Shaft
oscillations of the unit are monitored directly. These relays are used as backup protection only,

Other Mitigation Methods
6-6
not primary protection. The SMF and DPR are also used in cases where an SSR problem occurs
only after multiple contingencies. These relays are installed on many units [14,15].
Subsynchronous Oscillation (SSO) Relays - The SSO relays provide protection by tripping the
unit for excessive subsynchronous frequencies in armature current. However, it is difficult to
coordinate armature current frequency content to torsional oscillations. Therefore, these relays
are prone to false trips. Like the SMF and DPR, these relays are intended for backup protection
only, not primary protection. The SSO relays are also used in cases where an SSR problem
occurs only after multiple contingencies.
Shunt Damping Controls are known as Torsional Dynamic Stabilizers [16], Shunt Reactor
Stabilizers, and Static VAr Stabilizers. These controls are essentially a reactor installed in shunt
with the generator either on the high-side or low-side of the GSU. One dynamic stabilizer has
been in service on one unit at San Juan for about 15 years [17].
Series Damping Controls - A separate thyristor control device is placed in the high-side
neutral end of the GSU. The thyristor bridge is in series with the generator and is gated in
response to measurement of shaft oscillations. There is additional inductance in parallel with
the thyristor device. There are no known prototype or in-service applications.
Torsional Vibration Monitoring Systems (TVMS) and Torsional Stress Analayzer (TSA) -
While not strictly protection, these devices provide information on the torsional performance of
the unit and other protective devices. They can be used to provide post disturbance
information on shaft torques, shaft fatigue, and torsional damping.
The following countermeasures are installed at the series capacitor bank:
Dual or Low Gap Spark Over - These gaps remove the series capacitors during transients at
lower levels than the normal Spark Over Gap voltage thereby reducing the transient torque
problem in the generators. Low Gaps are not in service during capacitor bank insertion. A
disadvantage of this countermeasure is that it removes the series capacitors when they are most
desired. These gaps have been installed on many capacitor banks in WSCC since he mid 1970s.
Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV) Protection - MOVs in parallel with the series capacitors limit
the voltage on the capacitors during transients while the series capacitors remain in service.
Limiting the voltage reduces the transient torque problem on the generators. MOV protection
has been installed on some new series capacitor banks since the late 1980s.
Transfer Tripping / Capacitor Insertion Schemes - Several series capacitor installations in the
USA only allow the series capacitors to be inserted when line flows and/ or generation levels
require them. At Jim Bridger in Wyoming, all units on-line must be above 50% load before the
high levels of series capacitors are used. Other schemes will bypass series capacitors upon
certain line contingencies that expose the generation to SSR problems.
Capacitor Bank Filters - Different filters, with resistors and/ or inductors, for series capacitors
have been analyzed over the years for SSR stability control. These filters have also been studied


Other Mitigation Methods
6-7
with special MOV devices to provide transient torque control. None of these filters has been
installed.
Phase Unbalanced Series Capacitors - A phase unbalance in the series capacitors can be
achieved by having additional capacitors offset at 60 Hz with additional series inductance.
This scheme has been shown to reduce the peak SSR undamping. The trade-off is that the
destabilization is then spread over a broader frequency range. There have been no actual
installations.

7-1
7
CONCLUSIONS
This simulation study demonstrates the potential for SSR suppression by using thyristor
control of only a portion of a series capacitor system. This approach offers the potential
of significantly lower equipment cost relative to the cost of using thyristor control of the
entire installation. Additionally, adding special modulation to the TCSC control shows
promise for further reducing the required size of the thyristor-controlled portion, and
therefore total cost. It should be noted that the study case was only one of several
contingencies with potential to cause SSR within the study system.
Eigenvalue analysis and time simulations, whose results were in essential agreement,
were performed for the PJM 50% series compensation application using special
simulation tools developed by GE. Simulations modeled the thyristor control algorithm
developed for the EPRI-sponsored TCSC demonstration at BPA's Slatt Substation, plus
special modulation controls developed by GE after the Slatt installation was completed.
Simulation results show that, without thyristor control and approximately 50%
compensation of three lines, loss of the Keystone-Conemaugh line with one Conemaugh
generator and the Conemaugh-Hunterstown line out of service produced an unstable
SSR interaction with the first torsional of the Conemaugh HP unit. Thyristor control of
only a portion of the Conemaugh-Juniata series compensation using the constant-
impedance control scheme of the Slatt installation sufficiently mitigated the potential
for SSR within the context of the contingency studied. Simulating a superimposed
firing modulation scheme for special SSR damping further increased the effectiveness of
the thyristor control.
While this study shows a potential for use of special SSR damping controls, adaptation
to any of a set of possible contingencies would require further study. It is possible that
the usefulness of special controls will depend on the richness of the potential SSR
interactions within a particular case or within particular contingencies of that case.
An important consideration in the application of such technology to mitigate SSR is the
confidence in study results. One aspect of such a study is the ability to foresee and test
all contingencies which affect the interaction with generator shaft torsional modes. An
understanding of the key issues permits this to be accomplished with confidence.
Another key aspect is the confidence in the modeling of the power system, the
generators, and the TCSC. The former has been well established over the past two
decades, in both time-simulation and eigenvalue domains. The TCSC model can be

Conclusions
7-2
constructed from basic principles for both time-simulation and eigenvalue studies as
well, and the simulation tools used for this analysis have been proven versus results
from a real-time simulator and from the field. Thus, the basic aspects required for
confident application exist and such a concept should be considered a realistic option
for the future.
The PJM series compensation case, studied here, has illustrated a number of features for
SSR suppression by thyristor control. This case provides a useful benchmark for
studying candidate control schemes for SSR suppression in highly interconnected
systems. This report also illustrates the use of the benchmark case with a passive
filtering scheme; other known SSR suppression techniques are described briefly.

8-1
8
REFERENCES
[1] C.E.J. Bowler, M.D. Kankam, R.E. Stickle, G.E. Boukarim, H.Othman, N.
Rostamkolai, "SSR Screening Study and Torsional Test Analysis, PJM 500 kV Series
Compensation Proposal for Public Service Electric and Gas of New Jersey," Final
Report, General Electric Company, June 7, 1989.
[2] S. Nyati, C.A. Wegner, R.W. Delmerico, D.H. Baker, R.J. Piwko, A. Edris,
"Effectiveness of Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor in Enhancing Power System
Dynamics: An Analog Simulator Study," IEEE Trans. PwrDelivery, vol.9, No.2,April
1994, pp1018-1027.
[3] C.E.J. Bowler, "Series Capacitor Based SSR Mitigation Prospects," EPRI FACTS
Workshop, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 14-16, 1990.
[4] C.E.J. Bowler, M.D. Kankam, "Subsynchronous Resonance Analysis - Case Study -
A Systematic Approach to SSR Planning Study," Presented at Pennsylvania Electric
Association, System Operating Committee Meeting, Philadelphia, February 2-3,
1989.
[5] E.V. Larsen, K. Clark, S.A. Miske, Jr., J. Urbanek, "Characteristics and Rating
Considerations of Thyristor Controlled Series Compensation," IEEE Trans.
PwrDelivery, vol.9, No.2, April 1994, pp. 992-1000.
[6] E.V. Larsen, C.E.J. Bowler, B.Damsky, S.Nilsson, "Benefits of Thyristor Controlled
Series Compensation," CIGRE paper 14/ 37/ 38-04, 1992.
[7] W. Zhu, R. Spee, R.R. Mohler, G.C. Alexander, W.A. Mittelstadt, D. Maratukulam,
"An EMTP Study of SSR Mitigation Using the Thyristor Controlled Series
Capacitor," IEEE PES Paper 94-SM-477-0-PWRD. San Francisco, CA, July 1994.
[8] R.J. Piwko, C.A. Wegner, B.C. Furumasu, B.L. Damskey, J.D. Eden, The Slatt
Thyristor-Controlled Series Capacitor Project - Design, Installation,
Commissioning, and System Testing, CIGRE paper presentation at 1994 session in
Paris.

References
8-2
[9] A.T. Hill, E.V. Larsen, E. Hyman, Thyristor Control for SSR Suppression - A Case
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A-1
A
CONEMAUGH GENERATOR #1 TORSIONAL
CHARACTERISTICS
The following tables document torsional vibration modes considered in this study for
the two units of the cross-compound station. As noted in the tables, only mode 1
(27.3Hz) of the HP unit and modes 1 (9.5Hz) and 3 (19.1Hz) of the LP unit have
significant interaction with the electric transmission network.
The tables include conservative estimates of equivalent dashpots based on an amplitude
decay rates of:

NL
= -.02 sec
-1 @no load

FL
= -.2 sec
-1 @full load
These represent the lower bound of those seen from field experience over a wide range
of turbine-generator units.
Table A-1
HP Unit Torsional Modes
Base = 545MVA
Mode Frequency
(f
i
- Hz)
Modal
Inertia
(M
i
- pu)
Relative
Generator
Motion
(Q
Gi
- pu)

Q
Gi
2
_____
2 M
i

No-Load
Dashpot
(D
NLi
- pu)
Full-Load
Dashpot
(D
FLi
- pu)
1 27.3 0.344 .263 .101 .20 2.0
2 48.2 .0182 .015 .0062 3.2 32
3 55.6 .0490 .012 .0015 13 130
4 56.4 .0156 .014 .0063 3.2 32

Conemaugh Generator #1 Torsional Characteristics
A-2

Table A-2
LP Unit Torsional Modes
Base = 495MVA

Mode Frequency
(f
i
- Hz)
Modal
Inertia
(M
i
- pu)
Relative
Generator
Motion
(Q
Gi
- pu)

Q
Gi
2
_____
2 M
i

No-Load
Dashpot
(D
NLi
- pu)
Full-Load
Dashpot
(D
FLi
- pu)
1 9.5 1.04 .39 .0731 0.27 2.7
2 12.4 .014 .0051 .0009 22 220
3 19.1 5.82 .92 .0727 0.27 2.7
4 53.2 .0058 .00013 small large large
5 58.1 5.4 .083 .0006 3.3 33