Presentation on Lights Off Incident

Activity on 5th April 2100hrs - NTPC

Ramagundam
Road Map of Presentation

● Brief Description of the Event

● Preparations Done

● Post Event Analysis and Difficulties Faced

ADVISORY FOR “LIGHTS OFF” & PLAN FOR THE EVENT (From POSOCO)

1) Anticipated demand reduction : 12 GW

2) Unlike normal operation, this reduction in load of the order of 12-13 GW
would happen in 2-4 minutes and recover nine minutes later within 2-4
minutes. This sharp reduction in load and recovery, which is
unprecedented, will need to be handled through hydro and gas resources
3) Plan for managing Evening peak hours: 18:00 to 20:00Hrs: Reduction in
Hydro Generation & Rise in Thermal / Gas schedule to meet peak time
demand
4) All India grid frequency may be kept at lower side of the IEGC band i.e 49.90
Hz from 20:30 hrs onwards in view of anticipated frequency rise due to
demand reduction at 21:00 hrs.
5) By 20:55 Hrs: Thermal stations to technical minimum & Hydro to take over
the rest of the demand
ADVISORY FOR “LIGHTS OFF” & PLAN FOR THE EVENT (From POSOCO)

6) From 20:57 to 21:09 Hrs: Thermal to stay “techmin” & Hydro / Gas to ramp
down to minimum monitoring grid frequency
7) All the hydro power plants would reduce their governor droop setting from
the current level of 4-5% to 1-2% or whatever lower value feasible
8) From 21:09 Hrs: Thermal units ramp up (anticipating drop in grid frequency)
9) All India grid frequency shall be maintained on the higher side at around
21:09 hrs i.e. 50.15 Hz in view of anticipated drop in frequency due to
restoration of load.
10) Wind generators to automatically disconnect at the ISTS/intra state
transmission level when frequency is more than 50.2 Hz.
11) Grid security and frequency profile would be primary monitoring parameter
during the short time. As discussed during FOLD meeting on 4th April 2020,
DSM and merit order should not be the constraints for control.
Schedule was uncertain till 20:32 hrs
Schedule was uncertain till 20:32 hrs
Generation Flexibility Achieved from 20:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs - All India Comparison

All India All India All India All India RSTPS Grid
Total Hydro Gas Coal MW Station Frequency
Demand MW MW Exbus in Hz
in MW MW

Maximum 117898 25676 7512 81630 1910 50.25

Minimum 85799 8016 5355 67942 1159 49.71

Average 107446 18361 6827 75072 1522 50.07

(Maximum - Minimum) 32099 17660 2157 13688 751 0.53

20:30 hrs Value 117797 24261 7257 77609 1533 50.00

% Variation w.r.t 20:30

hrs state 27.25% 72.79% 29.72% 17.64% 49.01% 1.06%
Generation Flexibility Achieved from 20:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs - Ramagundam Units

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Station

Exbus

Max Generation 186 187 181 505 488 497 1910

Min Generation 110 127 136 292 300 269 1159

Average Generation 141 147 154 405 407 386 1522

(Max - Min)
76 60 45 213 188 228 751
Generation

20:30 hrs Generation 142 141 158 407 406 390 1533

% Variation w.r.t
20:30 hrs generation 53.91% 42.38% 28.38% 52.27% 46.26% 58.51% 49.01%
Observations

1. RSTPS % generation change of 49.01% during the light off

incident was much higher than all India level except hydro.

2. The technical minimum loading schedule was given only by 20:32

hrs, till then ramp up was expected for 21:00 hrs.

3. Station load was continuously changed from 16:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs.
Not even a single continuous two block loading was given for
stabilisation. 23 load changes from 16:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs!!

4. From above it is evident that Ramagundam units were used

extensively for Load Generation Balance and Demand Flexibility for
the light off incident.
Road Map of Presentation

● Brief Description of the Event

● Preparations Done

● Post Event Analysis and Difficulties Faced

Preparations Done At Station for handling
the Event

1) All DC equipment/DG set trial taken from DCS & also though hard wired push buttons
available in UCB in all units
2) MD BFP trial & Scoop operation checking
3) HFO temperature set point raised to 130 deg at FOPH
4) Oil Gun scavenging & proving one elevation (cut out taken back again at 20:15 Hrs)
5) Procedure prepared for smooth handling of the event shared with all Desk Engineers
6) Manpower Mobilization as per plan
OTHER PRECAUTIONS TAKEN PRIOR TO
THE EVENT
1) “MS Temperature very low” protection was bypassed in stage 2 units (Except in unit
5 where it is yet to be incorporated) as a precautionary measure.
2) One elevation oil guns proven in all 3 stage 2 (500 MW) units & LFO guns kept in
simulated condition (in ready to take condition) in stage 1 (200 MW) units.
3) MD BFP kept in recirculation in all 3 stage 2 units as a backup for TD BFPs
anticipating any unloading of TD BFPs in case of sudden load throw off during the
activity
4) RGMO in service ensured in all stage 2 units. (In stage 1 units it is incorporated in
turbine load control itself).
ACTIONS TAKEN PRIOR TO THE EVENT

5) 3rd CEP kept in service all 3 stage 2 units as a precaution (Anticipating any
LPBP opening during activity).
6) DG sets were kept in running condition by 20:30 Hrs in all units as a
precaution.
7) Unit loads were maintained as per the dispatched schedule monitoring grid
frequency.
8) Post lights off activity too, in the subsequent two time blocks (21:15 to
21:45 Hrs), when 1% SG up ramps were scheduled, they were complied.
Road Map of Presentation

● Brief Description of the Event

● Preparations Done

● Post Event Analysis and Difficulties Faced

RGMO ACTION DURING THE EVENT
1) Frequency raise during the activity was from 49.7 to 50.26 HZ
2) RGMO acted on two occasions in stage 2 units during the lights off activity.
3) –Ve MW correction of -18 & -28 MW acted through RGMO respectively (on each
instance of RGMO activation) in all 3 stage 2 units.
4) -15 MW & -6 MW correction took place in unit 1 & 2 respectively due to in built
frequency response (on account of sudden frequency rise during lights off).
5) No response in Unit 3 as valves were kept in wide open condition due to
frequent valve stuck up/turbine vibration issues.
 RGMO ACTION DURING THE EVENT
RGMO logic Brief:

1) Ripple filter setting is 0.03 Hz/sec & Droop of 5% ( +25 MW/ -25 Mw)
2) If Rise or Drop in frequency detected, RGMO correction signal of Max +/- 25 MW will be generated
with 1 minute hold. After 1 min delay, RGMO correction signal will be withdrawn at a rate of 5
MW/Min. Upon Detection of RGMO correction signal Delta Pr ( Pressure correction to Turbine) will
hold for 90 seconds of last value to avoid interference/ Reverse effect of RGMO response. The
same can be seen in the Fig.1(green colour). After 90 seconds ,delta P ( Pressure correction) will be
released.
3) Grid will evaluate RGMO response based on ( Unit Generation (t-2min)- Unit Generation ( t0 min).
RGMO ACTION DURING THE EVENT

MW corr LOAD
from Pr

RGMO
Corr
RGMO ACTION DURING THE EVENT

MW corr LOAD
from Pr

RGMO
Corr
DIFFICULTIES FACED
1) Continuous changes in Schedule from 19:00 to 21:00 Hrs:
Continuous changes in schedule from 20:00 Hrs till 21:00 Hrs time block, did not give any stabilization time
for units prior to lights off activity.
SG from 20:00 to 21:00 Hrs are as mentioned; 20:00 Hrs – 1660 MW, 20:15 Hrs: 1449 MW, 20:30 Hrs:
1610 MW, 20:45 Hrs: 1355 MW & 21:00 Hrs: 1127 MW. Ideally, by 21:00 Hrs, stable schedule should have
been dispatched.
SG during the time block from 20:45 to 21:00 Hrs was 1355 MW & block average frequency too was on
lower side. Immediate next block SG was 1127 MW. Hence, during the time block when lights off activity
was in progress, machines still in the process of ramp down to bring down AG at par with that of SG. This
has resulted in over injection (65 MW) during the time block 21:00 to 21:15 HRS
SG VARIATION FROM 19:00 to 21:45 Hrs
Over Injection At Tech-min during regular
ramps

Took 11 blocks for

pressure corr to nullify
Over injection during 1st tech-min block
DIFFICULTIES FACED
2) High Throttle Pressure Shoot Up & Consequent + VE MW correction from pressure nullified RGMO
action to some extent. During regular down ramps too to technical minimum, continuous over injection
on account of pressure correction takes place.

3) In unit 4 & 5, throttle pressure has gone maximum up to 175 & 177 kg/cm2 respectively during ramp
down to technical minimum (time block 21:00 to 21:15 Hrs) on account of RGMO triggering &
continuous load ramp down of higher quantum. Hence, MW correction from pressure deviation was
maintaining high during the lights off activity.
Thank
You!