Overview
Challenges
- SSTI and potential instability for island grid with large VSDS application (typically LNG plant)
- Commissioning and reliability issues
- Early risk identification during design phase
Results
- Network stability assessment
- Sub-synchronous harmonic analysis
- Mitigation actions and plans
Modern oil and gas plants, especially in LNG, commonly have an island network with large variable-speed drive systems for compression.
This increases the attention paid to the network's electrical quality in terms of harmonic and sub-harmonic current circulation. The latter can reach the gas turbine generator terminals and excite the natural frequency of the rotating train–causing a sub-synchronous torsional interaction that could cause instability, unit trips, or equipment damage.
Baker Hughes has developed a structured and detailed approach to SSTI analysis, available to customer through a comprehensive power system study. And we’ve delivered it for several customer LNG projects around the world.