The role of motor inertial energy storage

What is inertia in power plants?

Inertia from rotating electrical generators in fossil, nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants represents a source of stored energy that can be tapped for a few seconds to provide the grid time to respond to power plant or other system failures.

Is inertia important in power system optimization models?

Findings of this study reveal the following: (1) adequate system inertia in the grid is important to mitigate frequency instability in the modern grid. (2) Disregarding inertia in power system operational and expansion planning optimization models could lead to sub-optimal optimization model.

How does inertial response affect electricity generation?

To accommodate the imbalance between supply and demand due to the drop in generation, the remaining online generators convert their rotational kinetic energy (inertia) into real power generation—referred to as inertial response. This process slows the generators and results in a drop in grid frequency.

What are energy storage systems?

Energy storage systems (ESS) play an essential role in providing continuous and high-quality power. ESSs store intermittent renewable energy to create reliable micro-grids that run continuously and efficiently distribute electricity by balancing the supply and the load .

How does inertia affect a generator?

That is where inertia comes in. Stored energy is extracted from the inertia of the spinning generators and can temporarily make up for the lost generator. This action will slow down the generators.

What is the inertia constant of a generator?

This means the inertia constant represents how long the generator could generate at its rated power using only its stored rotational kinetic energy, so the inertia constant is measured in units of seconds. 1-GW generator with an inertia constant of 4 seconds could deliver 1 GW of power for 4 seconds (or has 4 GW•s of stored energy).