Slip power optimisation in turbine-generator systems for variable speed distributed microhydel power generation

Microhydel power plants are gaining importance in recent years due to the limited availability of fossil fuels and the increasing concerns about the environmental impact due to their use. Large hydro-power sources have almost been fully tapped, and there are concerns about adverse effects on the environment that stand in the way of commissioning of new large scale projects. As the contribution from microhydel sources increase, one needs to consider the economics of generation too. This paper highlights the contributory factors to the generation cost and the ways to minimize them so that microhydel power generation gains wider acceptability. Variable speed generation can lead to increased reliability and reduced costs. Reducing the control power by optimizing the slip power in such a generator by proper selection of synchronous speed has also been discussed in this paper.