A fuzzy based load frequency control for distribution network connected with mini hydro power plant

Mini hydro power plants (MHPP) are gaining attraction as a cost effective source for rural electrification in developing countries due to its environmental friendly operation. These MHPP plants suffer from the speed control problem due to continuous load variation. PID controllers fail to provide optimum speed control due to its limitation of parameter tuning. Alternatively, Fuzzy logic control is commonly used for implementing intelligent control for the nonlinear system. This paper presents a new fuzzy logic based governor for frequency/speed regulation of MHPP for implementation in distribution network. For verification, the response of load frequency control using fuzzy based governor and PID based governor is compared. The simulation results show that fuzzy based governor ensures robust control by improving the frequency response as well as dynamic response in comparison to PID based governor. Furthermore, fuzzy based governor enables the generator to continuously supply power even at 25% load variation whereas generator with PID based governor fails to supply power even at 20% load variation.