Characterization of surge superposition following 2-stage load rejection in hydroelectric power plant

摘要

When calculating the maximum upsurge in surge tank due to load rejection in a hydroelectric power plant, it has been natural and customary to believe that the maximum surge amplitude occurs in simultaneous load rejection of all units at 100% load. As 2-stage load rejection (2-stage LR), involving a step-wise reduction in load, is not considered since it is assumed to produce less severe surge conditions. This study formulates the surge superposition associated with 2-stage LR and shows, surprisingly but significantly, that such 2-stage LR sometimes produces more severe surge conditions than simultaneous and complete load rejection (SCLR). The results indicate that this unexpected phenomenon is ascribable to the resistant effect of throttled surge tank, whose increase will lead to a greater difference in the maximum upsurges between 2-stage LR and SCLR conditions. Different time intervals during 2-stage LR correspond to different maximum upsurges. The analytical formula predicting the worst interval time is derived exactly and verified with two numerical cases.