The variability of renewable power means that flexible grid-support plants are increasingly needed to balance power fluctuations. Together with the current development towards real-time energy markets, this evolution implies changed operational profiles for generators. In this new environment generators have to cater for frequent starts and stops, and rapid load cycling.
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A typical set of requirements could include multiple starts and stops per day, rapid readiness for synchronization, and continuous load cycling. This involves the need to ramp up from standstill to full load in a few minutes and ramp down from full load to stop in even less time.
Generator designs have to be modified to ensure that these tough new requirements are met. Based on experience with alternators and motors in applications with similar operating profiles, the key factor that must be taken into account is the increased number of thermal and speed loading cycles. This is confirmed by studies of real-life loading cycles in grid support duty.