isochronous Vs Droop Control for Generators

4 JULY 2014

What is isochronous control? And droop control? When should you use isochronous speed control and
when droop? What is reactive droop compensation? In this post I will answer these questions.

Why should you use droop control?

Suppose that a generator is paralleled with the utility grid. If it is considered as an infinite bus, the
utility grid will determine the generator frequency (speed) and voltage. When the speed (and
frequency) set point is slightly lower, the speed governor will fully close the fuel supply in attempt to
lower the frequency. Is the set point slightly higher, the speed governor will fully open the fuel
supply? For the automatic voltage regulator and the reactive power something similar happens. To
solve these problems, we use droop controls.

Isochronous and Droop Speed Control

In the isochronous speed control mode, the speed will return to the original speed set point after a
load has been applied or rejected. However, in parallel operation this would cause instability as
explained above.
In the droop speed control mode, the speed will decrease by a fixed percentage when the generator
is loaded from no-load to full load. This provides a stable working point for each load in case of parallel
operation.

Isochronous Speed Control – speed and frequency return to speed set point after a load change.
 Droop Speed Control – speed and frequency will decrease when the load increases.

The droop slope is a fixed setting mostly between 3 and 5%. But the operator or power management
system can adjust the speed set point in order to:
 return to the rated frequency in stand-alone operation
 change the generator active power (MW) in parallel operation

Constant Voltage Control and Reactive Droop Compensation

In the constant voltage control mode, the voltage will return to the original voltage set point after a
load has been applied or rejected. However, in parallel operation this would cause instability as
explained above.
In the droop voltage control or reactive droop compensation mode the voltage will decrease by
a fixed percentage when the generator is loaded from no-load to full load. This provides a stable
working point for each load in case of parallel operation.

Constant Voltage Control – voltage returns to the voltage set point if reactive load changes.

Droop Voltage Control – voltage will decrease if the reactive load increases.

The droop slope is a fixed setting mostly between 2 and 4%. But the operator or power management
system could adjust the voltage set point in order to:
 return to the rated voltage in stand-alone operation
 change the generator reactive power (MVAr) in parallel operation