Enhanced power system operation by application of adjustable speed hydro machines

Abstract

This paper presents the adjustable speed hydro (ASH) machine concept as an alternative for obtaining better utilisation of power networks. Transmission lines appearing as bottlenecks with respect to power demand may increase their transfer capacity as ASH machines are introduced in the network. The paper has given a quantification of how much the power export out of the region can be increased due to the ASH machine introduction. This is valuable not only for the power producer but also for the system operator and for community due to an improved utilisation of the network infrastructure. In turn, this may lead to a postponement of high investments associated with new overhead lines.