A Micro-hydro Electronic Load Controller (ELC) for the Developing World

Shoan Mbabazi

Overview
Aims and Objectives Electronic Load Controllers (ELCs) Existing ELC Designs Proposed Design Simulation Results Conclusion Continuing the Project

Project Outline
Mini-project 1 MiniJon and Shoan Micro-hydro Background Research Micro-hydro System Analysis Analysis of Existing ELC Designs Alternative ELC Design Proposal Proposed ELC Design Simulations Circuit Design 0 4 8 Week 12 16 Mini-project 2 MiniShoan

Aims and Objectives

To design and construct an alternative Electronic Load Controller (ELC) for use in developing countries, with particular emphasis on:
Simplicity of Design Ease of Manufacture Robustness Ease of Maintenance Affordability

What is an ELC?

(RENERCONSYS, 2010)

What does an ELC do?

Power in = Power out {(VinIincosin)in} ={(VoutIoutcosout)out}
V Voltage, I Current, Cos Power Factor, - Efficiency

(Ludens, 2010)

Existing ELC Designs

Existing ELC Design

Binary load regulation. Phase angle regulation. Pulse width regulation. Controlled bridge rectifier. Uncontrolled rectifier with a chopper.

Binary Load Regulation

Advantages Disadvantages
Fixed dump load sizes Requires large number of dump loads Effectiveness limited by number of dump loads
(Henderson, 1998) (Portegijs, 2000)

Minimal harmonics

Phase Angle Regulation

Advantages
Can use any number/size combination of dump loads
(Portegijs, 2000) (Portegijs, 2000)

Disadvantages
Harmonics Effectiveness limited by timing accuracy of trigger pulse

Proposed ELC Design

The proposed ELC uses the combination of binary load and phase angle regulation methods.
Minimising the disadvantages presented by each used on its own

Proposed ELC Operation Principle

Advantages of the Proposed ELC

Less Dump loads can be used to cover a large spectrum on load variations. Generator runs at a desired speed at all times. Minimal harmonics are injected into the system at steady state Minimal power distortion at transient switching periods

Simulations
The simulations have been undertaken using a computer simulation package MATLAB Simulink. A standalone micro-hydro system rated at 25kw, 230V 50Hz with, an ELC comprising of five binary dump loads (1kw, 2kw, 4kw, 8kw, 16kw) and a single 1kw variable dump load

Simulink Model

Example 1
User Load Pwr 12000 62 System Frequency

10000

60

8000 58 Pwr (kW) 6000 Frequency (Hz)

56

4000

54 2000 52 0 50 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Time (s/10000) 7000 8000 9000 10000

User Load power 10kW + Binary Load power 15kW= Generated Power 25kw Variable Load power = 0W System frequency = 50Hz Binary Load selection of 8kW, 4kW, 2kW, 1kW

-2000

1000

2000

3000

4000 5000 6000 Time (s/10000)

7000

8000

9000 10000

2.5

x 10

Binary Dump Load Power

0.08 0.07 0.06

Variable Load Power

1.5
0.05

Pwr (kW)

Pwr (W)

0.04 0.03

0.5
0.02

0
0.01

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 Time s/10000 12000 14000 16000 18000

-0.5

1000

2000

3000

4000 5000 6000 Time (s/10000)

7000

8000

9000 10000

Example 2
User Load Power 12000

10000

8000

User Load power 10.4kW + Binary Load power 14kW= 24.4kW Surplus Power 600W System frequency = 61Hz

Pwr (W)

6000

4000

System Frequency 62

2000

60
0

58
-2000 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Time 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 x 10 2
4

Frequency (Hz)

56

2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 Pwr (kW) 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0

x 10

Binary Load Dump Power

54

52

50

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 Time

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8 x 10

2
4

Binary Load selection of 8kW, 4kW, 2kW

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 Time

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8 x 10

2
4

Example 3
User Load Power 12000 62 System Frequency

10000

60

8000 58 6000 Frequency (Hz)

56

4000

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Time (s/10000)
Variable Load Power

User Load power 10.4kW + Binary Load power 14kW= 24.4kW Surplus Power 600W Variable Load power = 600W System frequency = 50Hz

Pwr (W)

54 2000 52 0 50 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Time 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 x 10 2
4

-2000

7000

8000

9000 10000

2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 Pwr (kW) 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0

x 10

Binary Load Dump Power

700

600

500

Pwr (W)

400

300

200

100

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Time 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 x 10 2

4

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 Time

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8 x 10

2
4

Binary Load selection of 8kW, 4kW, 2kW

Proposed ELC Design Specification

Maintains constant frequency/Voltage. Robust and Affordable. Digital Minimal components Easy to install Synchronous/asynchronous 50/60 Hz Single/3-phase

Conclusion
The proposed ELC is:
Simple Reliable Injects fewer harmonics than phase angle alone. Less dump loads are required compared to Binary regulation alone. Improves system efficiency. Higher the efficiency reduces energy prices.

Continuing the Project

Questions....?

References
[1] A. Harvey, Micro-hydro Design Manual. Rugby: Intermediate Technology Publications, 2006. [2] H. Ludens. (2010, Electronic Load Controller for microhydro system. Available: http://ludens.cl/ [3] J. Portegijs. (2000, 6 December ). The `Humming Bird' Electronic Load Controller / Induction Generator Controller. [4] Renerconsys, "Digital Load Controller for Synchronous Generator: Manual Instruction," 2010. [5] D. Henderson, "An Advanced Electronic Load Governor for Control of Micro Hydroelectric Generation, 1998 [6] Spirax Sarco, Basic Control Theory, 2010. Available: www.spiraxsarco.com