Distributed Energy Communications & Controls, Lab Activities - Synopsis
- ORNL
Electric power distribution systems are experiencing outages due to a phenomenon known as fault induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) due to air conditioning (A/C) compressor motor stall. Local voltage collapse from FIDVR is occurring in part because modern air-conditioner and heat pump compressor motors are much more susceptible to stalling during a voltage sag or dip than older motors. These motors can stall in less than three cycles (0.05 s) when a fault, for example, on the sub-transmission system, causes voltage on the distribution system to sag to 70% or less of nominal. We completed a new test system for A/C compressor motor stall testing at the DECC Lab. The A/C Stall test system is being used to characterize when and how compressor motors stall under low voltage and high compressor pressure conditions. However, instead of using air conditioners, we are using high efficiency heat pumps. We have gathered A/C stall characterization data for both sustained and momentary voltage sags of the test heat pump. At low enough voltage, the heat pump stalls (compressor motor stops and draws 5-6 times normal current in trying to restart) due to low inertia and low torque of the motor. For the momentary sag, we are using a fast acting contactor/switch to quickly switch from nominal to the sagged voltage in cycles.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Cooling, Heating and Power Integration Laboratory
- Sponsoring Organization:
- OE USDOE - Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 993791
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Smart Grid Peer Review, Golden, CO, USA, 20101102, 20101104
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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