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Together with the dump loads connected to it, an ELC Especially for small capacity systems, a synchronous
serves as an automatic, electrical brake that controls generator is more expensive than an induction motor
frequency of electricity produced by the generator. It + capacitors. But with a synchronous generator with
measures frequency and, depending on whether this ELC, frequency is more accurately controlled and
frequency is above or below nominal frequency, such systems can produce the large starting current
diverts more or less power to the dump loads that are required by electrical motors. This makes that
connected to it. To a large extend, mechanical power synchronous generators become attractive when:
required to drive a generator, is determined by total 1. Capacity is rather high.
electrical load connected to it. Mechanical power 2. When it should power electrical motors (e.g. for
produced by the turbine is nearly constant so when productive end-uses).
more power is diverted to dump loads, generator 3. When it should power expensive, sensitive
demands more mechanical power than the turbine can appliances that need a well-regulated electricity
deliver, causing turbine and generator to slow down. supply.
With a synchronous generator, electrical frequency is Using dump loads is an energy-inefficient way of
related directly to its mechanical speed, so then regulating as usually, more than half of electricity
frequency will drop also. Inversely, turbine and produced, will be wasted in dump loads. It is like
generator will accelerate and frequency will increase driving a car with a brick on the accelerator causing
when less power is diverted to dump loads. This way, the motor to continuously run at full throttle, and then
the ELC controls electrical frequency and, with this, regulating its speed by using the brake: Imagine what
speed of generator and turbine. It prevents the fuel consumption will be with this driving style.
generator from overspeeding when total power
demand of user load appliances that are switched on, From efficiency point of view, using a governor that
is less than capacity of the system. steers a flow control valve on the turbine, would be
much better. But then energy is saved by reducing
With synchronous generators, no special measures are water consumption of the turbine so it only makes
needed to control voltage of the electricity produced sense if water can be stored in a reservoir for future
(see also annex Error: Reference source not found): use. Usually Micro Hydro systems do not have such
With generators with an `Automatic Voltage large reservoirs: They are `run of river’ systems and
Regulator' (AVR), this device will keep voltage in any water that is not used right away, gets lost in an
check under a wide range of operating conditions. overflow. Nowadays only Mini Hydro or full-scale
With `compound' type generators, there is a strong hydro systems have governors as these often have
relation between generator speed and output large reservoirs so that water that is saved, can be
voltage. Then in effect, the ELC also controls stored.
voltage by controlling generator speed.
With this type of generators, output voltage will Governors are expensive and require careful
rise dramatically if anything goes wrong with the maintenance, making the M.H. system more
ELC or dump loads. To protect user appliances expensive and less reliable. Older Micro Hydro
and dump loads, there is the `overvoltage' systems often had governors, but that was because
protection feature that will switch these off in case building affordable ELC’s and IGC’s only became
of overvoltage. possible using modern power electronics.
An IGC with dump loads also acts as an electrical There are M.H. systems that run quite satisfactorily
brake. The main difference with an ELC is that it without an ELC, IGC or governor. Then a flow
reacts to generator voltage rather than frequency. So control valve on the turbine is adjusted manually.
in the first place, it keeps generator voltage in check. This way of regulating is only feasible if most user
With an induction generator, speed and voltage are loads are connected permanently, so if they can not
be switched off by users. Also, sensitive appliances
that might get destroyed by large voltage or
frequency variations, can not be used. Which type of
system is best for a specific Micro Hydro system
depends on many factors, see e.g. HARVEY, 1993
and SMITH, 1994.