ADVANTAGES OF INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM

In this article, the advantages of the interconnected system are explained briefly. Before this, you must have to know about the concept of interconnected system and problems associated with interconnected system.

Advantages of interconnected power system

1) Use of older plants

2) Economical operation

3) Increase reliability of power supply

4) Exchange of peak load

5) Increase diversity factor

6) Reduce plant reserve capacity

7) Reduce capital and operating cost:

Advantages:

1) Use of older plants: In power system network, there are some old and insufficient generating stations are available which has capacity to carry short peaks of load but these generating stations are not sufficient to run on continuous basis. If system is interconnected than these plants is also connected in system with transmission line and we can use these plants to meet peak load demand and use this with modern plants. By this way, we can meet peak load demand without give extra burden on modern plants with the help of old and insufficient generating station.

2) Economical operation: All the generating stations are working on same frequency and same voltage level. Because of sharing of load among the power plants are done in such a way that all generating stations can work continuously with high efficiency and high power factor. The less efficient and old generating stations are not used continuously and these plants are used only at peak hours. Therefor, in interconnected system makes the economical operation of the power stations.

3) Increase reliability of power supply: In interconnected power system, all the load has more than one supply. If one supply is failed or in maintenance, in this condition load is supplied by another source. So, if a major breakdown occurred in the power station, then load is transferred to other healthy power station. So, always load is connected with uninterrupted power supply and increase reliability of the system.

4) Exchange of peak load: In summer season, use of inductive load like air-conditioner is increase. Therefor, in this season, the load curve of the power station shows a peak demand. This peak demand is more than the capacity of that power system. In this condition, extra load must be shared by other power station, otherwise overload relay may operate and load shedding will be done to reduce the burden on power station. In interconnected system, peak load is transferred to the old generating station.

5) Increase diversity factor: It is a ratio of the sum of individual maximum load of various plants of the system to the maximum demand of entire system. The load curve is not same for all generating stations connected in interconnected power system. By this way, maximum demand of system is reduced as compared to the sum of individual maximum demands on various power stations and the diversity factor of the system is improved. Therefor, the effective capacity of plants is increased.

6) Reduce plant reserve capacity: Every power plant has a standby unit for emergencies. In interconnected system, all plants are connected in parallel. So, the reserve capacity of the system is reduced and it increase the efficiency of the system.

7) Reduce capital and operating cost: In interconnected system, the efficiency of plants is increased and cost of power generation is reduced. In this system, capital cost and operating cost is reduced. So, per kW price is also reduce.

Disadvantages of interconnected system

1) Expensive tie line

2) Expensive circuit breaker

3) Synchronizing problem

4) Metering and instrumentation

Related articles:

1) The concept of the interconnected power system

2) Problems associated with the interconnected power system