Abstract
The Plains End Power Station located in Colorado, USA, is one of the largest power plants with reciprocating engines as prime movers. In two units of this power plant there are totally 34 engine-generator sets driven by Wartsila reciprocating engines. Total installed capacity of the plant is ca. 230 MW. Plains End Power Station serves a source of peakload power and grid-stability plant, which is particularly important in an area with high wind power capacity. Features of the used engines like their high operational flexibility and very short start-up time, combined with the layout of multiple parallel gensets of relatively small outputs, greatly facilitates this type of operations, allowing to quickly and reliably supply amount of power currently needed for grid balancing. The paper presents operational experience and specific operational conditions of a peakload and grid-stability plant using gas reciprocating engines.
Highlights
The Plains End Power Station located in Colorado, USA, is one of the largest power plants with reciprocating engines as prime movers
Reliable operation of the power grid requires constant availability of a certain reserve power output which can quickly come into operation in case of any distortions in the grid
Each system had to deal with a possibility of a trip of any connected power unit or break down of a transmission line
Summary
Reliable operation of the power grid requires constant availability of a certain reserve power output which can quickly come into operation in case of any distortions in the grid. Reserve capacity had to be adapted to the grid topography and outputs of individual power units in a given area. The reserve capacity is intended to assure balancing power within the system in case of distortions and to allow keeping constant parameters in the grid (voltage, frequency). The most effective method is to utilize hydro power. It can achieve its nominal output in approximately one minute from start-up command. Spinning reserve seems to be the easiest method of assuring reserve power. It requires operating some of the power units at partial loads.
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