CASE STUDY : Power System Studies for

Steel Plant
CLIENT : A multinational company who is a project supplier for the Steel Manufacturer

PROJECT TITLE : Power System Studies for a Steel Plant

INTRODUCTION

The client is multinational company who was acting as a project supplier for a steel manufacturer in Middle East Asia.
The requirement was to do power system studies including load flow analysis, protection studies, and harmonic analysis.
The system had an Electric Arc Furnace, a Ladle furnace, an SVC, 6.6 kV Motors, Oxygen Plant and several 415 volts
switch boards supplying LT loads. The required power system studies were done by Kalkitech’s power system analysis
software- PowerApps. The final studies and reports were submitted successfully to the client.

KALKITECH Scope of Work

Power system studies included

 Load Flow Analysis
 Short Circuit Analysis
 Motor Starting Studies
 Harmonic Analysis
 Protection studies
 Relay Setting Calculations

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SOLUTIONS

The network architecture of the diagram is shown below:

Network Architecture Diagram

Load Flow Studies

Load flow calculations provided active and reactive power flows and bus voltage magnitude and their phase angle at all
the buses for specified power system operating conditions. It is subject to the regulating capability of generators,
synchronous condensers, static var compensator, HVDC controls, FACTS controllers, tap changing under load
transformers and specified net interchange between individual operating systems (utilities). This information was
essential for the continuous evaluation of the current performance of the power system and for analyzing the
effectiveness of alternative plans for system expansion to meet increased load demand.

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Short-Circuit Studies
Short-circuit studies helped to determine fault levels at various buses. This was useful in determining post fault bus
voltages in the entire system, post fault network currents in the entire system as well as negative and zero sequence
currents in various electrical network elements. These calculations also helped to provide the bulk of the information
needed for protection system design, protection setting calculations and relay coordination. These studies were carried
out for various operating scenarios of the plant with existing earthing system and the performance of the plant was
reviewed and remedies were suggested.

Motor Starting Studies

The starting current of most ac motors is several times normal full load current, when starting them directly on line at full
rated voltage. The starting torque varies directly as the square of the applied voltage. Excessive starting current results in
drop in terminal voltage and may result in the following:
 Failure of motor starting due to low starting torques.
 Unnecessary operation of under voltage relays.
 Stalling of other running motors connected to the network.
 Voltage dips at the power sources and consequent flicker in the lighting system.

Motor starting studies helped in the selection of best method of starting, the proper motor design and proper system
design for minimizing the impact of the motor starting.

Harmonic Analysis
Harmonics in power systems can result in undesirable influence such as Capacitor heating/failure, Telephone
interference, Rotating equipment heating, Relay mis-operation, Transformer heating, Switchgear failure, Fuse blowing.
The main sources of harmonics in power system are static power converters, arc furnaces, discharge lighting and any
other load that requires non-sinusoidal current. In order to limit the harmonic current propagation in to the network,
harmonic filters are placed close to the source of the harmonic currents

A four step approach was followed

1. Existing and functional networks harmonic current measurements were performed at selected points to identify
the harmonic currents injected into the network by the harmonic sources. These measurements reflect harmonic
currents for one operating configuration and the loads prevailing at the time of measurements only.
2. The measurement information of the first step was used along with design data of harmonics (where available)
from non-linear loads generating harmonic currents. A computer network model was prepared as per IEEE
standards and the effects of various harmonic sources at various harmonic orders were examined. Various
harmonic distortion factors were computed as outlined in relevant IEEE standards. The advantage of computer
model and simulation is that it took care of large number of operating configurations and conservative estimates
of harmonic currents, which cannot be covered by field measurements. Field measurements of the first step
were however used to validate the computer model developed.
3. Harmonic driving point impedances of all buses of interest were generated at various harmonic orders and plots
of the driving point impedances were generated with respect to a range of harmonic orders [orders 1 through 50].
These plots indicated series and parallel resonance conditions in network.
4. Analyses of results of the first 3 steps were carried out and solutions needed to solve any harmonic related
problems will be obtained. These solutions are verified by using the computer model developed. The problems
that arose were excessive harmonic distortion factors beyond relevant IEEE specified standards, existence of
resonance conditions close to an exciting harmonic frequency. Where these problems were encountered,
harmonic filters were designed and introduced.

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Relay Coordination Studies
The relays must be able to distinguish between the normal operating currents including short time overcurrents that may
appear due to certain equipment normal operation (example: Motor starting currents, Transformer inrush currents) and
sustained overcurrent due to fault conditions. During fault conditions, these relays were made to operate quickly,
isolating the faulted section of the network only and allowing for continued operation of the healthy circuits. In the event
of failure of primary relays meant for isolating the fault within its primary zone of protection, backup relays were tested to
operate after providing sufficient time discrimination for the operation of primary relays. Hence, the operation of backup
relays was coordinated with those of the operation of the primary relays. The flexible settings of the relays (namely plug
or tap setting, the time dial setting and possibly selection of suitable time-current operating characteristics), was set to
achieve the objectives stated in this section.

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Time Current Characteristics

References
EFERENCES
1. www.kalkitech.com/offerings/solutions-powerapps
2. www.powerapps.org

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