Droop speed control

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In electrical power generation, Droop Speed Control is a speed control mode of

a prime mover driving a synchronous generator connected to an electrical grid. This
mode allows synchronous generators to run in parallel, so that loads are shared among
generators in proportion to their power rating.
The frequency of a synchronous generator is given by

where
F = Frequency (in Hz),
P = number of poles,
N = Speed of generator (in RPM)

The frequency (F) of a synchronous generator is directly proportional to its speed (N).
When multiple synchronous generators are connected in parallel to electrical grid, the
frequency is fixed by the grid, since individual power output of each generator will be
small compared to the load on a large grid, and thus all the synchronous generators
run at the same speed (N).
A speed reference as percentage of actual speed is set in this mode. As the generator is
loaded from no load to base load, the actual speed of the prime mover tend to
decrease. In order to increase the power output in this mode, the prime mover speed
reference is increased. Because the actual prime mover speed is fixed by the grid, this
difference in speed reference and actual speed of the prime mover is used to increase
the flow of working fluid (fuel, steam, etc.) to the prime mover, and hence power
output is increased. The reverse will be true for decreasing power output. The prime
mover speed reference is always greater than actual speed of the prime mover. The
actual speed of the prime mover is allowed to "droop" or decrease with respect to the
reference, and so the name.
For example, if the turbine is rated at 3000 rpm, and the machine speed reduces from
3000 rpm to 2880 rpm when it is loaded from no load to base load, then the droop %
is given by

=(3000 3120) / 3000

= 4%
= (3000 2880) / 3000
= 4%
In this case, speed reference will be 104% and actual speed will be 100%. For every
1% change in the turbine speed reference, the power output of the turbine will change
by 25% of rated for a unit with a 4% droop setting.
Droop is therefore expressed as the percentage change in (design) speed required for
100% governor action.
For example, how fuel flow is increased or decreased in a GE-design heavy duty gas
turbine can be given by the formula,
FSRN = (FSKRN2 (TNR-TNH))

+ FSKRN1

Where,
FSRN
TNR
TNH
FSKRN2
FSKRN1

=
=
=
=
=

Fuel Stroke Reference (Fuel supplied to Gas Turbine) for droop mode
Turbine Speed Reference
Actual Turbine Speed
Constant
Constant

As frequency is fixed on the grid, and so actual turbine speed is also fixed, the
increase in turbine speed reference will increase the error between reference and
actual speed. As the difference increases, fuel flow is increased to increase power
output, and vice versa. This type of control is referred to as "straight proportional"
control. If the entire grid tends to be overloaded, the grid frequency and hence actual
speed of generator will decrease. All units will see an increase in the speed error, and
so increase fuel flow to their prime movers and power output. In this way droop speed
control mode also helps to hold a stable grid frequency. The amount of power
produced is strictly proportional to the error between the actual turbine speed and
speed reference. The above formula is nothing but the equation of a straight line (y =
mx + b).
Multiple synchronous generators having equal % droop setting connected to a grid
will share the change in grid load in proportion of their base load.
For stable operation of the electrical grid of North America, power plants typically
operate with a four or five percent speed droop. [1] With 5% droop the full-load speed is
100% and the no-load speed is 105%. This is required for the stable operation of the

net without hunting and dropouts of power plants. Normally the changes in speed are
minor due to inertia of the total rotating mass of all generators and motors running in
the net.[2] Adjustments in power output are made by slowly raising the droop curve by
increasing the spring pressure on a centrifugal governor or by an engine control
unit adjustment. Generally this is a basic system requirement for all power plants
because the older and newer plants have to be compatible in response to the
instantaneous changes in frequency without depending on outside communication.
Voltage control of several power sources is not practical because there would not be
any independent feedback, resulting in the total load being put on one power plant. [3]

Contiguous United States power transmission grid consists of 300,000 km of lines operated by 500 companies.

It can be mathematically shown that if all machines synchronized to a system have the
same droop speed control, they will share load proportionate to the machine ratings. [4]
The thousands of AC generators are running synchronously with the power grid which
acts like an infinite sink. Next to the inertia given by the parallel operation of
synchronous generators,[5] the frequency speed droop is the primary instantaneous
parameter in control of an individual power plant's power output (kW).[6]

S is the ratio of frequency deviation when comparing the load versus the nominal
frequency.

Notes
1.
2.
3.

Jump up^ http://www.control.com/thread/1026221805

Jump up^ http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Data/Realtime/Frequency/Freq60.htm
Jump up^ Speed Droop and Power Generation. Application Note 01302. 2. Woodward.
Speed

4.

Jump up^ William D. Stevenson, Jr. Elements of Power System Analysis Third
Edition,McGraw-Hill, New York (1975) ISBN 0-07-061285-4 page 378-379
5.
Jump up^ VSYNC-Project
6.
Jump up^ Whitaker, Jerry C. (2006). AC power systems handbook. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor
and Francis. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8493-4034-5.

See also

Electric power transmission

Wide area synchronous grid
Dynamic demand (electric power)

Further reading

Alfred Engler: Applicability of droops in low voltage grids. International

Journal of Distributed Energy Resources, Vol 1, No 1, 2005.

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