Mousa Sattouf Int.

Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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OPEN ACCESS

Simulation Model of Hydro Power Plant Using Matlab/Simulink

Mousa Sattouf*
*(Department of Electrical Power Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic)

ABSTRACT
Hydropower has now become the best source of electricity on earth. It is produced due to the energy provided by
moving or falling water. History proves that the cost of this electricity remains constant over the year. Because
of the many advantages, most of the countries now have hydropower as the source of major electricity producer.
The most important advantage of hydropower is that t is green energy, which mean that no air or water pollutants
are produced, also no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are produced which makes this source of energy
environment-friendly. It prevents us from the danger of global warming. This paper describes a generalized
model which can be used to simulate a hydro power plant using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The plant consists of
hydro turbine connected to synchronous generator, which is connected to public grid. Simulation of hydro
turbine and synchronous generator can be done using various simulation tools, In this work,
SIMULINK/MATLAB is favored over other tools in modeling the dynamics of a hydro turbine and synchronous
machine. The SIMULINK program in MATLAB is used to obtain a schematic model of the hydro plant by
means of basic function blocks. This approach is pedagogically better than using a compilation of program code
as in other software programs .The library of SIMULINK software programs includes function blocks which can
be linked and edited to model. The main objectives of this model are aimed to achieve some operating modes of
the hydro plant and some operating tests.
Keywords Hydro power plant, Synchronous machine, Hydro Turbine, Excitation.

I.

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes the dynamic model of

the two main components of hydro power plants, the
synchronous generator and the hydro turbine
governor.
The synchronous machines dynamic model
equations in the Laplace domain can be created by
connecting appropriate function blocks. In order to
simulate the detailed transient analysis of the
synchronous machine, addition of new sub-models
is needed to model the operation of various control
functions. These sub-models are used in the
calculation of various values related to the
synchronous machine such as the steady state,
exciter loop, turbine governor model and the
currents.
Detailed mathematical representation of the
hydraulic turbine-penstock also presented in this
paper.. The dynamic performance of the hydraulic
system is studied using time domain and frequency
domain methods. The introduced mathematical
representation of a hydraulic system is including
both turbine-penstock and the governing system.
The primary source for the electrical power
provided by utilities is the kinetic energy of water
which is converted into mechanical energy by the
prime movers. The electrical energy to be supplied
to the end users is then transformed from
mechanical energy by the synchronous generators.
The speed governing system adjusts the generator
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speed based on the input signals of the deviations of

both system frequency and interchanged power with
respect to the reference settings. This is to ensure
that the generator operates at or near nominal speed
at all times.
Simulation of the three-phase synchronous
machine and hydro turbines is well documented in
the literature and a digital computer solution can be
performed using various methods. This paper
discusses the use of SIMULINK software of
MATLAB, in the dynamic modeling of the hydro
plant components. The main advantage of
SIMULINK over other programming software is
that, instead of compilation of program code, the
simulation model is built up systematically by
means of basic function blocks. To be able to model
the dynamics of the hydro power plant, dynamic
behavior or differential equations of the
synchronous machine as well as hydro turbine need
to be considered.

II.

SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE MODEL

This section describes a generalized model

which can be used to simulate a three-phase. P-pole,
symmetrical synchronous machine in rotating qd
reference frame.
2.1 THE DQ MODEL OF SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE
A model of synchronous generator in q-d
rotating reference frame was developed. The main
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Mousa Sattouf Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301

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aim of the dq model is to eliminate the dependence

of inductances on rotor position. To do so, the
system of coordinates should be attached to the
machine part that has magnetic saliency- the rotor
for synchronous generators.[1]
The dq model should express both stator
and rotor equations in rotor coordinates, aligned to
rotor d and q axes because, at least in the absence of
magnetic saturation, there is no coupling between
the two axes. The rotor windings f, D, Q are already
aligned along d and q axes.
It is only the stator voltages, VA, VB, VC,
currents IA, IB, IC, and flux linkages A, B, C
that have to be transformed to rotor orthogonal
coordinates. The transformation of coordinates ABC
to dq-0, known also as the Park transform, valid for
voltages, currents, and flux linkages as well, it is as
follows:
Fig.1 d and q axises of synchronous machine

(1)
Then will be:

2.2 VOLTAGE EQUATIONS OF THE SYNCHRONOUS

MACHINE
We shall next show the Voltage Equations
of a threephase, P-pole, symmetrical synchronous
machine in the rotating qd reference frame. Figure 2
showes the equivelant circuit of synchronous
machine in qd axises. The following sets of
equations
(6),(7),(8),(9),(10),(11),(12),(13),(14)
describe the general model of synchronous
generator:[3]

(2)

(6)
(7)
(8)

(3)

(9)

(4)
The phase quantites, as phase currents IA, IB, IC are
recovered from Id, Iq, I0 by:[2]

(10)

(11)
(5)
the q and d axis for The dq model of synchronous
machine are shown in Fig. 1[1]

(12)

(13)

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Mousa Sattouf Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301

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(16)
(14)
The resistances and inductances are
illustrated in the q and d equivalent circuits of
synchronous machine. in Fig.2.

Where P is poles number.

III.

HYDRO TURBINE MODEL

Power system performance is a acted by

dynamic characteristics of hydraulic governorturbines during and following any disturbance, such
as occurrence of a fault, loss of a transmission line
or a rapid change of load. Accurate modeling of
hydraulic governor-turbines is essential to
characterize and diagnose the system response
during an emergency. Simple hydraulic systems
governed by proportional-integral-derivative and
proportional-integral controllers are modeled. This
model examines their transient responses to
disturbances
through
simulation
in
Matlab/Simulink.[4]

Fig.3 block diagram of the hydraulic governorturbine system

Fig.2 The q and d equivalent circuits of synchronous
machine
Where:
,
flux linkages among d and q axes.
,
mutual flux linkages among d and q axes
,
d and q currents.

2.3 TORQUE EQUATION

The equation of motion of the rotor is
obtained by equating the inertia torque to the
accelerating torque, that is:

Fig.3 shows a block diagram of the

hydraulic governor-turbine system connected to a
power system network. The primary source for the
electrical power provided by utilities is the kinetic
energy of water which is converted into mechanical
energy by the prime movers. The electrical energy
to be supplied to the end users is then transformed
from mechanical energy by the synchronous
generators. The speed governing system adjusts the
generator speed based on the input signals of the
deviations of both system frequency and
interchanged power with respect to the reference
settings. This is to ensure that the generator operates
at or near nominal speed at all times. The hydraulic
unit characteristic of a single penstock is:

(15)

(17)

Where J is the inertia torque of the rotor,

is the
electromagnetic torque,
is the externallyapplied torque in the direction of the rotor speed and

(18)

,
flux linkages of damper coils among d and
q axes
,
currents of damper coils among a and q axes

is the damping torque in the direction

opposite to rotation. The value of
will be
negative for the motoring condition.[1]
The electromagnetic torque is given by (16) as:

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Where q is turbine flow,

is initial
steady-state head, h is hydraulic head at gate,
is
head losses due to friction in the conduit,
is gravity acceleration, A ispenstock cross section
area, L is conduit length,
is ideal gate opening
based on the change from the no load to full load
being equal to 1 per unit.[5]
The terms for the physical design of the
plant describe the water starting time constant for
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Mousa Sattouf Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301
rated conditions when last equation is normalized
using the per unit system as:
(19)

Where:
(20)
The turbine representation is based on
steady state measurements related to output power
and water flow. The output power is:
(21)
where turbine gain
is a proportionality factor
and is assumed to be constant, that is:
(22)

Fig.4 shows the block model of the turbine.[4]

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The principal input to this model is the

output, , from the terminal voltage transducer and
load compensator model. At the summing junction,
terminal voltage transducer output, , is subtracted
from the set point reference,
. The stabilizing
feedback,
, is subtracted, and the power system
stabilizing signal,
, is added to produce an error
voltage. In the steady-state, these last two signals
are zero, leaving only the terminal voltage error
signal. The resulting signal is amplied in the
regulator. The major time constant,
, and gain,
, associated with the voltage regulator, These
voltage regulators utilize power sources that are
essentially unaffected by brief transients on the
synchronous machine or auxiliaries buses. The time
constants,
and
may be used to model
equivalent time constants inherent in the voltage
regulator; but these time constants are frequently
small enough to be neglected, and provision should
be made for zero input data.[6]
The voltage regulator output,
, is used to
control the exciter, The exciter is represented by the
following transfer function between the exciter
voltage
and the regulator's output
:[6]

(23)
A signal derived from field voltage is normally used
to provide excitation system stabilization,
, via
the rate feedback with gain,
, and time constant,
.

V.
Fig.4 Hydraulic turbine block diagram

IV.

EXCITATION SYSTEM MODEL

An excitation system model is described.

Type DC excitation systems without the exciter's
saturation, which utilize a direct current generator
with a comutmator as the source of excitation
system power.
This model, described by the block
diagram of Fig 4, is used to represent field
controlled dc commutator exciters with continuously
acting voltage regulators.

SIMULATION RESULTS

According to the previous voltages and

torque equations, which are presented in
synchronous machine model section, a simulation
model of three-phase P-poles synchronous machine
can be built up, using SIMULINK/MATLAB, as
shown in Fig.5

Fig. 4 Excitation system block diagram

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301

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The headings and subheadings, starting

with "1. Introduction", appear in upper and lower
case letters and should be set in bold and aligned
flush left. All headings from the Introduction to
Acknowledgements are numbered sequentially
using 1, 2, 3, etc. Subheadings are numbered 1.1,
1.2, etc. If a subsection must be further divided, the
numbers 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc.
The font size for heading is 11 points bold
face
Table 2 shows turbine parameters, while Table 2
shows excitation system parameters.
Table 2 hydro turbine model parameters

Table 3 excitation system parameters

Fig.5 Synchronous machine model

Using this model with hydraulic turbine
model and excitation system model, which are
presented previously in this paper, using those
models we can easily simulate hydro power plant.
Table 1 shows the synchronous machine parameters
used in simulation.
Table 1 Synchronous machine parameters

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The following figures show the simulation

results of normal operation mode, where Fig.6
shows stator currents and voltages and excitation
voltage, while Fig.7 shows rotation speed and output
mechanical power of the turbine. All quantities are
per unit, and the horizontal axis is always the time in
second.

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301

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Fig.8 stator voltage Va, stator currents Iabc

Fig.6 per unit stator currents Iabc, stator voltage Va,

excitation voltage Vf

Fig.9 Output mechanical power of the turbine Pm,

Speed per unit.

VI.

Fig.7 per unit speed, output mechanical power of the

turbine Pm
Fig.8 and Fig.9 show the system response
for three phase fault at the generator terminals in
time 2 to 2.2, where Fig.8 shows stator volages and
currents before, during and after the fault, while
Fig.9 shows the mechanical power and speed
changes becuase of the fualt.

CONCLUSION

SIMULINK is a powerful software

package for the study of dynamic and nonlinear
systems. Using SIMULINK, the simulation model
can be built up systematically starting from simple
sub-models. The hydro power plant model
developed may be used alone, as in the direct-online starting example presented, or it can be
incorporated in an advanced drive system. Several
tests and operating conditions can be applied on the
model. In this paper a three phase fault case was
shown, many other faults or operating conditions as
over load conditions can be applied and examined
by this model. The author believe that SIMULINK
will soon become an indispensable tool for the
teaching and research of electrical machine drives.
REFERENCES
[1]
C.M. Ong, Dynamic Simulation of Electric
Machinery Using Matlab/Simulink (A
Simon & Schuster Company, NJ: PrenticHall, 1998)

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 1( Version 2), January 2014, pp.295-301
[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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A.A. ANSARI, D.M. DESHPANDE,

Mathematical Model of Asynchronous
Machine
in
MATLAB
Simulink,
International Journal of Engineering
Science and Technology, 2(5), 2010, 12601267.
T. Kano, T. Ara, and T. Matsumura, A
method for calculating equivalent circuit
constants of a synchronous generator with
damper using a dc decay test with open and
shorted field windings, Proceedings of the
2008 International Conf. on Electrical
Machines, IEEE, 2008, 978-1-4244-17360.
Y. C. choo, K. M. Muttaqi, and M.
Negnevitsky, Modeling of hydraulic
povernor-turbine for control stabilization,
Anzima Journal, 49(EMAC2007), 2008,
681-698.
W.li,
L.
Vanfretti,
and
Y.
Chompoobutrgool,
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and
implementation of hydro turbine and
governor models in a free and open source
software package, Simulation Modeling
Practice and Theory, 24, 2012, 84-102.
IEEE
Standards
Board,
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Recommended Practice for Excitation
System Models for Power System Stability
Studies, IEEE Std 421.5-1992.

BIBLOGRAPHY
Ing. Mousa Sattouf, PhD student in
power
electrical
engineering
department, Faculty of electrical
engineering and communications,
Brno university of technology, Brno,
Czech republic..He graduated from
Power
Electrical
Department,
Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering,
Damascus University, Damascus, Syria in 2006. He
worked a Lecturer and teacher in laboratories of the
department, from which he graduated in 2007, and
worked as assistant teacher in Electrical Drive
Department, Faculty of Electrical Engineering,
Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria in 2008.

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