A user´s perspective: Design considerations for Power Management Systems at Islanded facilities - Part 1

When designing a Power Management System (PMS) for an islanded power system, various factors should be taken into account. Consideration of these factors early in a PMS specification process will lead to a facility power system that is fit-for-purpose, user-friendly, flexible, and reliable. This paper presents a user´s perspective of PMS and is based on the authors´ experiences in operating, maintaining, and modifying power management systems. It offers advice for designers and focuses on optimizing PMS at oil and gas production and processing facilities, both onshore and offshore, at which the power system is islanded (i. e. all electricity is self-generated and there is no external source of supply). This first-part paper provides design considerations focused on PMS interaction with generators themselves. More specifically, topics are covered such as frequency control, voltage control, active power sharing, reactive power sharing, waste heat recovery, engine driver reliability, distributed generation, sub-island management, and engine control interface. Not all these factors will apply in every situation, but this paper will provide a practical list of design factors to consider when planning and determining performance specifications for new power management systems. (A future second-part paper is anticipated which will provide design considerations for PMS functions that are not related to generator management.)