Electrical Performance Characteristics of a New Micro-Turbine Generator

M. Etezadi-Amoli, Senior Member, IEEE

Electrical Engineering Department k UNversity of Nevx Reno Reno, Nevada 89557

K. Choma, Member, IEEE

Abstract This paper presenta the nxxdts of an investigation regarding the electrical performance characteristics of a new, three-phase, 480 volt (L-L), 30 kW, micro-turbine generator and its suitability as an electrical power source for applications at the electrical power distribution voltage level. This unit is tiled by naturrd gas and may be used as a dispersed generation source. The unit was purchased by the local utility company and given to the University of Nevada, Reno for the investigation. The Electical Machine and the Power System Laboratory was used to perform the study. Testing was performed at several load set-point levels. For each level, the micro-turbine speedj exit temperature, inlet temperature and pressure, inverter currents, inverter phase to neutral voltages, inverter single phase and three-phase power were recorded. Also, results of noise, pollutio~ etliciency, and harmonic measurements for the micro-turbime are presented. The investigation includes the turbine behavior under a weak system that consists of the micro-turbine, a variable three-phase load, and a three-phase 15 kVA synchronous machine in the laboratory. The speed of this machine is controlled by a fbzzy logic algorithm. Conclusions are made regarding the suitability of the unit as a distributed generation source. Keywords: micro-turbine, voltage and cummt harmonics, low voltage power geuerationj distribution systems.

If the performance characteristics and the price of these units are acceptable, then electric utility companies will have a powerful new tool to help them meet the increasing Utility companies will be able to energy demand. ctmatruct small distribution stations in regions that demand more power by combining seveml of these micro-turbines. It is imperative that the installation of these new devices will not affect the performance or safety of the power systems already in place. II. DESCRIPTION OF TESTING PROCEDURE The alternating current (at) output of the turbine is rectified to direct current (de) and then inverted back to ac using a puke-width modulation inverter [3] [6]. The inverter control system limits the current output to prevent damage to the solid state switching devices. The maximum continuous current output is 54 A with 200 A possible for 10 microseconds. A. Typical Configuration The micro-turbine generator was installed in the Electrical Machinery Laborato~ at the University of Nw* Reno. A separate, 4-wire, wye supply was used to connect the turbine to the SPPCO system. Appropriate fuel supply, electrical connection and ventilation system were provided for the unit. This arrangement would represent the typical configuration for connecting the micro-turbine to the utility system. B. Load Setpoints For the typical configuration, testing was performed at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 kW load settings. However, due to turbine tripping measurements at 1 and 5 kW were diflicult to obtain. For each level, the micro-turbine speed, exit temperatuna inlet temperature and pressure, inverter currents, inverter phase to neutral voltages, inverter single phase and three phase power were recorded. Given the altitude of the test location (approximately 4,500 f=t), the unit was only able to supply a maximum of 22 kW, even though its nameplate rating is 30 kW.

I. INTRODUCTION The ever increasing demand for energy is forcing electric utility companies to generate more electricity every year. From 1980 to 1996, the annual growth rate for electricity generated in the U.S. was approximately 1.9 percent [1]. In 1990, the total U.S. generating capacity was 735 GW. In 2000, this figure is projected to reach 817 GW [2]. Because of increasing costs and more stringent environmental regulation the construction of large power plants to meet rising energy demands is economically unfeasible in many regions. Subsequently, there is an incentive for the utility companies as well as other investors and small businesses to develop small power production and co-generation facilities. A recent announcement regarding the development of a 30 kW, compact micro-turbine generator has brought forth new possibilities regarding the appl@tion of dispersed generation at the distribution voltage level. Many utility companies, including the Sierra Pacific Power Company (SPPCO) in Reno, Neva@ have become extremely interested in the potential contributions of these genemtors.

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C. Noise Measurements Noise measurements were taken with the turbine operating at 23 kW. These measurements were taken directly in front of the turbine and at a distance of 10 meters. Noise level in front of the turbine is approximately 85 dB. Although tolerable, this somewhat high pitch turbine noise would not provide a comfortable working environment. Noise level 10 meters in front of the turbine is approximately 64 dB. Note tha~ because the turbine is designed for outside use, we do not see the noise as a big problem for its use. It is interesting to mention that per our conversation with the manufacturer, noise level for future turbines will be significantly lower. D, Pollution Measurements A gas analyzer was used for pollution measurements. With the unit rmming at 22 kW, the sampling probe was placed at approximately 4 to 6 inches from the exhaust outlet. The analyzer measured 20.3 Yo oxygen and 6 parts per million carbon monoxide. E. Efficiency Measurements Turbine efficiency was calculated using the following procedure:
Svmbols used: * Pwj. Total (overall efficiency)

Calculations: ~ = PW~*/PWi. PWin=HV*rn HVS/fi*?h

=W,/p. Ideal gas law

*Q*p=Ws

*Q) *(P@

(1)

P = @?T, where T and P are absolute temperature

and pressure, respectively. Then using,

P = @T, Ps = pJ?T,

and knowing R is constant one can obtaim p/p, = PT=/P=T Substituting (2) into (1) gives:
PWj=~~ Assumptions: *Q) *(P/P$ *(T./T) (2)

For the calculations given below, the following are assumed: The specified heating value for the natural gm (lIV, = 1042 Btu/ft?), is at standard pressure and temperature. Also,
T== 20 C P= = 14. 7psi

Input Data (Natural Gas = NG): HVs, heating value of NG (Btu/ft3) Q, volume flow rate of NG (ft3/hr) T, temperature of NG ( K) P, pressure of NG (psi) PWti, power out (kW) P,, standard pressure (psi) T,, standard temperature (K) Efllciency Calculation:
p/p,, 1042

Power in (Energy/time)

PWW* Power out (Energy/time) P P= T T. Hv w=

Natural gas pressure Standard pressure Natuml gas temperature Standard temperature Heating value of the natural gas (energy/mass) Heating value of the natural gas at standard tempemture and pressure (enerj@volume)

291 273 + O 14.7 + 5.4 19.986 14.7 273 +20

densitylstandard density PWrn,power in (Btu/hr) PWrn,power in (kW=kJ/s) w, total (overall) efficiency

1.468 444984.009 130.414

15.325(Yo)

R P
p.

Gas constant of the natural gas Natural gas density Natuml gas density at sta&iard temperature and pressure
Natural

Our sample calculation for turbine-genemtor eficiency is below the values given by the efficiency curves that were provided by the manufacturer. As demonstrated in

Q m

gas volume flow rate

Natural gas mass flow rate

the efficiency computation calculation of the efficiency is dependent on many factors including the temperature of the natural gas. Better accuracy can be achieved by using the average of the pressures at the inlet and outlet of the volume flow rate measuring device. Also, a mass flow

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measuring device can be used to achieve a more accurate results. F. Harmonic Measurements With the micro-turbine directly comected to the SPPCo system, a recording poly phase power meter and three current sensors were used to measure voltage and current harmonics of each phase at various load levels. Voltage, current and power waveforms were also recorded. The summary of measurements for turbine loads of 5, 10, 15 and 22 kW are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1.

I Summarv of VoltwzeHarmonic Meaaurementa at the Micro-turbhe Bus I During Initial Cti@ation the
LoAD (kW) 5
5 5 10 10 10 15 15

As shown in Table 1, the maximum total harmonic distortion (IHD) for the voltage is 2.7 % for these measurements. This distortion limit is not dependent on the load output setpoint. However, as shown in Table 2, the maximum THD for the current is 66.7/0 for a turbine output setpoint of 5 kW. The THD is definitely dependent on the load output setpoint. As the load output setpoint for the turbine is inthe THD for the current decreases. Still, at the maximum load output of 22 kW, the minimum THD for the current is 10,5 %. Clearly, the rather high level of voltage and cument harmonics for this turbine may not be acceptable to some customers [7]. Because conversion of the dc waveform to a 60 Hz ac waveform is accomplished through the use of power electronics, we believe that an improved conversion mechanism would provide a more acceptable output. G. Alternate Configuration In order to better evaluate the behavior of the microturbine when it is not directly connected to the utility system, two commercial grade, three phase tmnsformers were used to connect the turbine to the 3 phase, 208 volt grounded wye supply that exists in the electrical machinery kborato~. The first transformer is rated at 480 The second volt grounded wye to 480 volt delta. transformer converts 480 volt delta into 208 volt grounded This configumtion provided the flexibility for wye. measuring the turbine output parameters at various locations. Additionally, this scheme is suitable for investigating the behavior of the turbine when excited by a weak power system. This weak system essentially consists of a 3 phase supply provided by the 15 kVA synchronous machine in the laboratory. With the micro-turbine connected to the utility through the two local transformers, harmonic measurements and waveforms were recorded at multiple locations again for comparison purposes. The results are very similar to those outlined in Tables 1 and 2. H. Turbine Behavior with a Weak System Since the unit cannot operate without a three-phase supply system attempts were made to operate the microturbine with a 15 kVA synchronous machine as the reference source. The speed of this machine is controlled This was to allow by a fhzzy logic algorithm. measurement of operating parameters without the influence of the utility system. Multiple attempts were made to achieve a small power system consisting of the micro-turbine, the laboratory 15 kVA machine and a variable load bank however, none were successful. During the initial trials, the micro-turbine was to start using the 15 kVA machine as the source, as the microturbine only uses 2 to 3 kW during startup. Using this procedure, the micro-turbine would not fully start as the

PHASE
A-N B-N C-N A-N B-N C-N A-N

VOLTS RMs
276.9 276.7 276.6 277.4 277.6 276.1 278.2

THD 90
2.3 2.6 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.4

3m %
0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sm %
0 0 1 0 1, 1 1

7 %
1 1 2 1 1 1 1

9m %
1 0 1 0 0 1 1

Ilm %
0 1 1 1 1 1 1

B-N C-N A-N B-N

C-N

278.6 278.4 279.1 278.9 278.8

2.4 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.6

0 0 0 0 0

0 1
1

i 1
1 1

1 1
0 1

1 1
0 1

15 22 22
22

1 0

Table 2. Summary of Cumnt Harmonic Measurements at the Micro-turbine Bus During the Initial Conjuration LoAD I PHASE I AMPS I THD I 3d I 5m 71 9~ 1lm (kW) 0/0 % 90 0/0 RMs 0/0 ?/0 5 A 7.48 46.2 7. 17 33 5 11 5 5 10 10 10 15 15 15 22
22

B c A B c A B c A
B

7.30 4.20 12.60 12.45 12.70 19.01 18.98 18.85 27.17

26.89

49.3 66.7 24.7 22.3 26.2 16.4 17.9 18.9 11.3 10.5 12.1

7 15 1 1 3 2 2 5 3 3 3

18 28 6 6 7 1 3 5 1 1 2

40 43 20 17 22 14 15 16 9 8 10

4 4 3 4 1 2 1 2 1 1 1

10 20 1 3 4 2 2 2
2

1 2

22

26.69

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voltage and /or the tlequency was not stable enough for its protective device settings. Even with the settable protection as liberal as possible, a successtid start did not occur because some of the protection settings, such as Af / At is not adjustable from the user keypad. The next sequence of tests had the 15 kVA machine synchronized with the utility during the micro-turbine st@ to provide sufficient capacity and stability. Following the successful starL a load slightly greater than the output of the micro-turbine was applied to the power system. Following tha~ the utility connection was opened. In all attemp@ the micro-turbine would enter a shutdown mode. As the voltage would drop as soon as the utility breaker was open~ a variable, three-phase capacitor back was installed on the bus of this small power system, to provide voltage support during the transition from the utility. Aga@ the micro-turbine would not stay on line. I. Load Following

not correspond to syste& with 30 kVA micro-turbines. For the 30 kVA case, because the load is generally greater than the generation capacity, the voltage quickly drops to below the nominal voltage. Disconnecting the load in this case increases the over-voltage to approximately 1.5 per unit. Regarding the switching over-voltage study, the microturbines will not have any significant impact on the voltage level for the distribution feeders due to their small size. If there is a reduction in the fders load, the DGS system will not cause an over-voltage to the system if the main source is still connected. On the other hand over-voltage conditions may be exhibited if an island is formed with the micro-turbines. The system response depends on the DGS size, removed loads, and the location of the loads removed. III. CONCLUSIONS The following conclusions are made regarding the 30 kVA micro-turbine:
q

While the micro-turbine was connected in the alternate configuration, the load following capability was tested using a variable resistive load bank and a pulse output power meter. The output of a specific power meter, when connected to the micro-turbine, should contiol the load setpoint and power output of the unit. he meter was connected to the variable load bank. During all attempts, the micro-turbine output power climbed to full output regardless of the load bank setting. Discussions with the manufacturer confirmed that this unit was not equipped wi~ the load following option. This option is apparently implemented in the units that were manufactured at a later stage. J. Computer Simulation Computer simulations were pefiormed to investigate ferroresonant and switching over-voltages of the SPPCO Steamboat feeder #268 in the presence of dispersed generation systems (DGS), which will represent these micro-turbines. Two utility grade software packages were used for this purpose. Regarding the ferroresonance study, several different parameters were varied in order to find the DGS combination that resulted in the highest ferroresonance over-voltage. The ferroresonance condition was initiated by a single line to ground fault which results in the tripping of the SPPCO supply system. A small subsystem consisting of the DGS units, their associated transfonnem, a capacitor bank, and some feeder load is then created. As a result a resonant circuit will form between the transformers magnetizing impedance and the capacitor banks shunt capacitance. The highest over-voltage did

The final connection between the micro-turbine and the electrical distribution system is through a solid-state inverter using pulse width modulation to convert the power to the correct voltage and frequency of alternating current. The micro-turbine, which we tested, cannot run without a reference source present. As such, it cannot operate as a stand-alone source for an isolated or emergency system. During start-ups, the three-phase micro-turbine acts as a motor load by drawing power from the Once the desired operating utility system. conditions are reached, the device becomes a genemtor. As such synchronization with the utility system is automatically achieved. Since the generated power by the micro-turbine is dependent on the turbine the machine is happier at higher outputs. The micro-turbine is equipped with various protective devices that can be adjusted. We made every effort to make the turbine part of an alternate configuration as described earlier. The objective of the alternate configuration was to run the turbine under an island consisting of the three-phase, 15 kV4 synchronous machine and the variable three-phase load in the electrical machinery hihoratory. Although we opened up the baud for various protective devices as much as possible, the hard wiring of the micro-turbine will trip the machine under transient conditions. In our opinioq this is a very desirable feature if the

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turbines are to be installed on distribution systems by the utility companies. . Since power electronics are used to genemte the final output power, the tested micro-turbine produces a significant amount of voltage and current harmonics. However, an improved dc to ac conversion scheme could easily eliminate this problem. Ferroresonance and switching over-voltages which are generally produced for an islanded system are literally non-existent because the sensitive hard-wired setting of the micro-turbines trips the unit immediately when the supply system is lost.

[7]

IEEE Recommended Pmetiees and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power Systems, IEEE Std. 519-1992.

VI. BIOGRAPHIES
Mehdi Etezadi-Amoli received the BSEE in 1970. MSEE in 1972 and Ph.D. degree in 1974 from New Mexico State University. From 19751979, he worked as so assistant professor of Electrical Engineering at New Mexico State and the University of New Mexico. From 1979-1983, he worked as a Senior protection Engineer at Arizona Public Service Company in PhoeniL AZ. In 1983, he joined the fmlty of the Electrical Engineering Depmtment et the University of Neva4 Reno where he is responsible for the power system program. Hk present interest is in power system protection, large-scale systernsj neural networks and fuzzy control applications. Dr. Etezadi is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Nevada end New Mexico. Kent N. Choma was born in kketoq Canadaj in 1967. He obtained his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberia in 1990. He has worked for utility and consulting organizations in tbe power industry. He is presently working for Ektro-Test in Reno, Nevada and is a graduate student in Electrical Engineering et the University of Nev~ Reno where his main focus is in power systems. Areas of interest include power system modeling and power apparatus maintenance. Kent is a Registered professional Engineer in the State of Nevada and the Province of Alberta.

Overall, we are delighted with the state-of-the-at technology that this micro-turbine represents and believe that it delivers the fimctions that it is designed for. The micro-turbine that we tested was one of the very early models that was manufactured As we understand the newer models exhibit much-improved characteristics. Given their small size and versatile fuel capabilities, the improved versions of these micro-turbines can be installed in any area of a power distribution system. Also, the small size of the micro-turbine makes the new stand-alone models of the micro-turbines ideal for bachp units for facilities such as hospitals, casinos, shopping centers, banks, and schools. In the event of a power outage, facilities could use a micro-turbine to maintain power for their security systems, computers, cash registers, elevators, life support systems, etc. IV. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank Sierra Pacific Power Company for the support of the project. V. REFERENCES
[1] Annual Energy Review Information &trninistration,

1996, Published by

En~

JuIY 1996.

[2]

Glover, J. end M. Sarma, Power System Aoalysis and Desi~ PWS Publishing Company, 1994. J. Holtq Tulsewidth Modulation A survey, IEEE Trans. Ind. Elect., vol. 39,no. 5,1990, pp. 410-420.
Introduction to Mo&m A. M. Trzynadowski, Electronics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998. power

[3]

[4]

[5]

J. Holtz, P. Larnrn@ end W. Lotzl@, High-speed drive system with ultrasonic MOSFET PWM in,verter and singlechip microprocessor control, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA23, no. 6,1987, pp. 1010-1015.

[6]

A. M. Trzynadlowski, .4n Overview of Modem PWM Tectiiques for Three-Phase, Voltage-Controlle4 Voltage Source Invertcrs Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Eletionics, June 1996.

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