Clicking "Download" will only navigate to the article page. To access the full article or download the PDF using your institute or individual membership, please click here for detailed instructions.
Author(s): Dariusz Borkowski
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Control structures; flow control; hydraulic models; hydraulics of renewable energy systems; water pipelines
Abstract: This paper presents an application of a small hydropower plant (SHP) embedded in a hydraulic system with a surge tank of a relatively low water volume. To maintain a stable surge tank water level the author used a precisely designed PI-type controller. The analytical design method, the so-called root locus, was used in this work. A new identification method that uses the step response to identify the parameters of a real system is described. The proposed method, analytical models of hydraulic system and turbine as well as water level controller were implemented and tested in a real 55 kW grid connected SHP utilizing treated water from a wastewater treatment plant. The results of the tests conducted under substantial variations of the water flow confirmed the stable operation of the controller at the maximum water level fluctuations of ±5 cm during a normal operation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2016.1252800
Year: 2017