Jake Tuttle – Taber International, LLC
Power systems across the globe are evolving rapidly. The push toward decarbonization has introduced significant amounts of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) generation sources onto power grids. While an important part of reducing GHG emissions, these variable and intermittent sources have changed the operating paradigm for dispatchable generators forever. Flexible operation of dispatchable units (primarily thermal generators) is key to enabling VREs to contribute power while ensuring a reliable and robust electric grid. Advanced controls are necessary to enable flexible generator operation while running efficiently and with minimized emissions. Through a evolving, hybrid control approach, utilizing advanced artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and expert knowledge capture from experienced site and operating experts, robust control architectures have been shown to enable greater generator flexibility (e.g., greater stability at low loads, greater ramp rates), while also improving heat rate nearly 2% on average across the load range and lowering emission rates more than 25%. The hybrid control architecture is developed within an easy-to-use and intuitive platform and implemented into the DCS through biases, keeping base system operation and safety logic in place. Ultimately, these systems improve generator performance and stability – improving grid reliability – while lowering costs & emissions, and ensuring expertise is not lost as experts retire.
