PROJECT
Industry: Oil and gasProject overview
Challenge
Ensure reliable and uninterrupted operation of process units under all types of disturbances in both external and internal electrical networks.
The project was executed under a major change in the power supply configuration:
- decommissioning of on-site generation
- transition to power supply from the external grid (110 kV transmission network)
An additional challenge was the presence of a large number of electric motors with different starting characteristics, highly sensitive to power quality and system stability.
Risks
Under the existing configuration, the following risks were identified:
- process shutdowns under fault conditions
- loss of motor stability
- incorrect operation of protection systems and emergency controls
- cascading failure scenarios
Approach
A digital model of the facility power system was developed to enable comprehensive analysis and reliability improvement.
The following activities were performed:
- collection and validation of input data, including site surveys
- development of a detailed power system model
- load flow analysis
- short circuit analysis with equipment duty verification
- protection coordination and automatic transfer scheme analysis
- transient stability analysis
- motor reacceleration studies
System Analysis
The most critical operating scenarios were analyzed, including:
- disturbances in the external grid
- internal faults and equipment outages
- severe motor starting and reacceleration conditions
Special focus was placed on scenarios leading to instability and process interruptions.
The calculated parameters were verified against applicable standards, including:
- Russian Ministry of Energy Order No. 630 (2018) – power system stability guidelines
- Russian Ministry of Energy Order No. 380 (2015) – active/reactive power ratio requirements
- GOST 32144-2013 – power quality standards
Results
As a result of the project:
- a validated digital model of the power system was developed
- critical operating conditions and system vulnerabilities were identified
- root causes of potential failures and instability were determined
- a comprehensive set of reliability improvement measures was developed
- stable operation of equipment under fault conditions was ensured
- risks of process shutdowns were significantly reduced
All proposed solutions were validated through calculations and comply with applicable regulatory requirements.