4 ms·

The grid-nerd term for rapid-response capacity delivery is "frequency control ancillary services." It's a real problem in times of heavy load. If a local grid's

The grid-nerd term for rapid-response capacity delivery is "frequency control ancillary services." It's a real problem in times of heavy load. If a local grid's frequency drops below nominal (60Hz US, 50Hz elsewhere) the regional grid has to disconnect. So without rapid-release stored energy a power generating org has to fire up extra capacity and keep it running to cover transients. Old missile silos might be interesting. But most of them are far from population centers. Pumped storage is still great given the right geography. Northfield Mountain has been running flawlessly for almost half a century, storing about 9 GwH. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northfield_Mountain_(hydroelectricity_facility) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northfield_Mountain_(hydroelec... But it takes about ten minutes to spool up. And the fish and boaters in the nearby Connecticut River definitely notice it.

Florin_Andrei 6y ago
When the frequency of the generator is not tied to a mechanical property of it (like the spin of a turbine) - e.g. when the source is solar panels and the AC is produced via an inverter circuit, what are the remaining frequency-related issues? I imagine with solar the generator can pretty much pick any frequency it wants, it should not be influenced by load, it could simply stay in sync with the grid no matter what, is that right?
- bob1029 6y ago
  The problem with inverters is that they have no inertia to impart on the grid. When you have a gigantic spinning turbine, the amount of power it takes to change its speed is immense. This has huge implications for grid stability when we are talking about renewables. The resolution for this is something called a synchronverter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronverter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronverter
- beckingz 6y ago
  Most cheaper solar panel inverters are synced to the grid and require the external 60hz wave to output power, resulting in solar panels that will not provide energy without being connected to the grid.
- pjc50 6y ago
  Frequency is really the "adaptation parameter" of the grid, rather than voltage. For fast frequency response, the requirement is to "push" the frequency faster by outputting more energy. Imagine being in a team of people pushing a car along a road at a steady speed (frequency). One of your colleagues trips over and stops pushing. You then can't maintain the speed without putting in more effort.

Florin_Andrei 6y ago

When the frequency of the generator is not tied to a mechanical property of it (like the spin of a turbine) - e.g. when the source is solar panels and the AC is produced via an inverter circuit, what are the remaining frequency-related issues? I imagine with solar the generator can pretty much pick any frequency it wants, it should not be influenced by load, it could simply stay in sync with the grid no matter what, is that right?

bob1029 6y ago
The problem with inverters is that they have no inertia to impart on the grid. When you have a gigantic spinning turbine, the amount of power it takes to change its speed is immense. This has huge implications for grid stability when we are talking about renewables. The resolution for this is something called a synchronverter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronverter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronverter
beckingz 6y ago
Most cheaper solar panel inverters are synced to the grid and require the external 60hz wave to output power, resulting in solar panels that will not provide energy without being connected to the grid.
pjc50 6y ago
Frequency is really the "adaptation parameter" of the grid, rather than voltage. For fast frequency response, the requirement is to "push" the frequency faster by outputting more energy. Imagine being in a team of people pushing a car along a road at a steady speed (frequency). One of your colleagues trips over and stops pushing. You then can't maintain the speed without putting in more effort.