Micro hydro power plant with three-phase induction generator feeding single-phase consumers

This paper investigates the effectiveness of a phase balancing solution based on a power electronics converter with special control applied to a stand-alone micro hydro with three-phase induction generator (IG) supplying single-phase loads. The proposed control topology relies on a combination between a voltage source inverter (VSI) and a dump load (DL). The VSI imposes the system frequency and performs the unbalances compensation, while the DL deals with the voltage regulation. The analysis, sustained by simulations and experimental tests, focuses on how the VSI modifies its internal power circulation to balance the generator currents.