Paralleling Generator
Systems for Emergency Standby
Applications
Basic Guideline
and Design Concepts
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Company Background/About Me
• BPS
- Family owned and operated since 1947
- 9 locations throughout Ohio and Indiana
- Longest running Kohler distributor in the country
- Total power system package support
- Systems design and application
- Sales, rental and equipment delivery
- Service, planned maintenance, parts and repair
• Josh Matthias
- Applications Engineer, Power Systems
- BSME – Purdue School of Engineering & Technology
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Topics and learning objectives:
• Introduction and concepts for generator paralleling
• Paralleling generators for redundancy and capacity
• On-board vs. Traditional Paralleling
• Best practices and considerations
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Paralleling Concepts
Paralleling
• Synchronous operation of two or
more generator sets connected
together on a common bus
• Typically done to meet large load
demands, provide reliability or both
• Also possible to parallel to utility
• Peak shaving
• Base loading
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Benefits and Considerations
Redundancy
• Increases reliability and availability
• N+1 generator scheme – 99.96% reliability
• Removes a single point of failure
Operational Flexibility
• Multiple gensets provide easier maintenance scheduling. One unit can be available to supply
power to critical loads, while the others are offline for servicing.
• Utilization of all available resources. Some facilities have multiple gensets without them being
paralleled. Should one genset fail, it would not be possible to utilize the other gensets on campus.
• Gensets can share load or run on intervals. This can improve fuel efficiency, prolong equipment life
and reduce maintenance costs.
Expandability
• Paralleling generator systems inherently provides protection against facility growth and/or an
increase in electrical demand. With a paralleled generator system in place, additional generator
capacity or redundancy can be added as needed.
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Redundancy vs. Capacity
Redundancy (N+1): Each generator can support entire load
1 MW Load
1 MW 1 MW
Capacity: Multiple units paralleled together to meet load demand
Note: Redundancy
(N+1) can be also
1 MW Load achieved by adding
another 500kW unit.
500 kW 500 kW
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Redundancy Requirements
Consider whether redundancy is needed for the entire facility or critical loads only.
It’s possible to have one large generator that can support the entire facility and
utilize a smaller generator for only critical loads.
• Cost savings
Facility Load
900 kW • Spatial savings
• Redundancy for
1 MW
Critical Load critical systems
100kW • Still provides ease
of serviceability
100 kW
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Paralleling Operation
Typical Sequence of Operation (Emergency)
• Generator Start
• Load Management: Load Shed
• First-On Logic
• Synchronization
• Load Share (kW and kVAR)
• Load management: Add Load
• Generator Management
• Load Management: Failure/Overload
Load Shed
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Generator Start
In the event of a loss of utility service, one or more of the
automatic transfer switches sends a start signal. All available
generators start.
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Load Management: Load Shed
If one generator cannot support the entire system load, lower priority
loads are shed. This prevents the first-on generator from being
overloaded.
• ATS inhibit transfer
• Feeder breakers open
• Dry contact to signal downstream loads
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First-On Logic
First-on logic, also known as
random access paralleling,
allows the first generator to
reach rated speed and voltage
to close to the dead bus.
• Prevents multiple generators
from simultaneously closing
to the bus
• Used to get power to critical
loads as soon as possible
• Low priority loads may
remain shed
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Synchronization
Voltage Match
• Synchronizer adjusts the
incoming generator’s voltage
to match running bus
Frequency Match
• Synchronizer adjusts the
incoming generator’s speed
to match frequency of running
bus
Phase Match
• Synchronizer adjusts the
incoming generator’s speed
to match phase of running
bus
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Load Share (kW and kVAR)
As additional generator power is available, the system’s load
sharing controls actively control the kW and kVAR output of
each generator. Each unit proportionally share the load so that
percent load on each generator is the same.
• Ensures that one generator doesn’t work harder than
the other
• Especially important on generators with varying
capacity
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Load Management: Load Add
Lower priority loads added by:
• Generator Bus Capacity
• Based on the kW capacity of the bus and a preset kW demand of the load
• Number of Generators Online
• Based on how many generators are connected to the bus
• Most effective in systems with same size generators
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Generator Management
Optimizes the number of online
generators based on load’s kW
demand, starting and stopping as
required
• User sets all parameters
associated with generator
management and can enable
or disable this mode of
operation
• Right side of screen
graphically displays settings
and current state of the
system
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Load Management: Failure/Overload Load Shed
Load shed event triggered by:
• Generator Failure
• Loads are shed based on the number of failed gensets
• kW Overload
• When the generators reach their overload setpoints, low-priority loads are
sequentially shed until load falls below setpoint
• Underfrequency
• Often an indication the generators are fully loaded, when bus frequency
reaches its underfrequency setpoint, preset loads are shed
Note: It is important to specify what loads can be shed and how they should
be shed.
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Traditional Paralleling
Paralleling Switchgear
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Traditional Paralleling Layout
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Traditional Paralleling Concepts
BENEFITS
• Customizable configurations and solutions
• Complex sequence of operations
• Everything located in one place, genset controls, breakers,
utilities, protections
• Able to parallel more than one utility source
DRAWBACKS
• Large equipment footprint
• Control sections needed for each generator
• Higher cost
• Engineer to order product – longer lead times
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On-board Paralleling Concepts
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On-board Paralleling Concepts
• Paralleling takes place in the generator
controllers
• First-on logic
• Automatic synchronizer
• kW load and kVAR load sharing
• Protective relays
• Generator set control and protection
• Paralleling and distribution breakers can be
mounted on the gensets or in
switchboard/switchgear
• Electrically operated breakers used when
mounted on genset
• Fixed mounted breakers and electrically or
manual operated breakers can be used in
switchboards
• Master control panel handles generator and
load management, monitoring and metering
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On-board Paralleling Concepts
BENEFITS
• Smaller equipment footprint
• No control sections for genset
• Lower cost
• Many paralleling applications simple enough on-board
paralleling system can utilized
• Simple design with fewer points of failure
• Assembly to order product – shorter lead times
DRAWBACKS
• Limited on customization
• Not suitable for more complex system designs
• May be difficult to integrate components
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Paralleling Best Practices
Smallest genset should be large enough to power all life safety and critical loads
• Ensures that smallest genset to first close on the bus can take on these loads within
10 seconds
Diesel preferred fuel source
• Better transient performance
• Wider range of generator sizes
• All units available to take load within 10 seconds at whereas larger natural gas units
require more time to get up to speed
• On site fuel supply, which may be required by code
Match new paralleled system generators with the same manufacturer
• Provides continuity and compatibility
• Enhances maintenance and simplifies operations
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Josh Matthias
Applications Engineer
Questions? Buckeye Power Sales
O: (317) 273-6715
M: (317) 671-0544
[email protected] Thank you! Joe Downs II
Switchgear Specialist/Operations Manager
Buckeye Power Sales
O: (513) 785-5550
M: (937) 604-1561
[email protected]8/7/2018 WWW.BUCKEYEPOWERSALES.COM 24
