BLACK START UNIT

POWER PLANT ELECTRIFICATION

HERA BETANO POWER PLANT

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Table of contents
General
Specification
Standard engine equipment
Principle diagram
Daily operation
Maintenance
Operation instruction
Push-buttons, LEDs and display
Black start sequence
Blackout situations

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General
To enable startup of the power plant when all engines are stopped and the grid is
not energized, the plant includes a black start unit

The black start unit is a small generating set used to provide power for the auxiliaries
needed when starting one of the main engines

The black start unit includes a diesel engine and a generator. The four-stroke
engine is equipped with a turbocharger and an intercooler

In addition to the engine and the generator, the black start unit contains the
necessary auxiliary equipment, such as pumps and filters for fuel, lubricating oil and
cooling water. The unit is cooled by a radiator with an engine-driven fan. A fuel tank is
integrated in the unit

The black start unit is equipped with an electric starting motor and a charging dynamo

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Specification

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Specification
Switchboard
Equipment
• 1 no alternator circuit breaker with thermal and electromagnetic protection
• 1 no automatic “Deif” battery charging rectifier
• 1 no switch: ”Blocked/local/remote”
• 1 no switch: ”Speed up/down”
• 1 no switch: ”Voltage up/down”
• 1 no emergency stop push button
• 1 set indication lamps
• 1 set alarm lamps
• 1 no reverse power relay
• 1 no excitation loss relay
• LED panel and push button menu showing: Battery charge voltage, voltage, current,
frequency, kW, kWh, kVar, pf, number of start

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Specification
Switchboard ...
Remote controls
• Start/Stop
• Speed up/down
• Voltage up/down

Remote signals
• Stand by – ready
• Common alarm
• Genset in operation
• Start genset
• Stop genset
• Emergency stop

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Specification
Standard engine equipment
Diesel engine, basic engine with
• Heavy fly-wheel for generating set
• Fuel pump with hand pre-pump
• Fuel filters
• Fuel pipes, flexible connections
• Fuel connection pipes
• Electronic governor – EMS2
• Unit injectors
• Injection nozzles
• Pressure lubrication with gear wheel pump
• Lube oil filter
• Lube oil change pump
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• Inlet air manifold
• Inlet air filter
• Exhaust manifold, shielded
• Turbocharger, shielded
• Intercooler
• Electric starting motor, 24 V D.C.
• Charging dynamo 28V, 35 Amps
• Cooling water thermostat
• Engine oil cooler
• Cooling water pump, engine driven
• Electric jacket water heater
Black Start Unit

Specification
Standard engine equipment ...
Engine instrumentation: in “Deif” LED panel in switchboard showing,
Engine speed
Operation hours
Cooling-water temperature
Lube oil pressure
Fuel consumption
Start/stop push buttons
1 No. emergency stop

Alarm + shut-down: Automatic, shut-down and alarm for,

too high cooling-water temperature
too low lube oil pressure
overspeed

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Specification
Standard engine equipment
Alarm indications:
• Low fuel level in day tank
• Low water level in radiator
• Start failure
• Frequency abnormal
• Low battery voltage
• High battery voltage
• Battery charger failure
• Abnormal voltage
• Overcurrent
• Overload
• Reverse power
• Loss of excitation

Starting batteries: 2 Nos starting battery in box, with cables and battery switch

Fuel tank: integrated with approx. 600 l (for 6-7 hours) with filler cap, breather pipe, strainer, level
gauge and connections to the engine

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Principle diagram

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Daily operation
Check daily the following:
Visual (leaks, loose wires etc)
Level of cooling water, lube oil, fuel oil
Cooling water pre-heater (must be switched on)
Battery voltage level (battery switch must be on)
Alternator circuit breaker is in position ”ON” (for stand-by operation)
Deif GC1F mode is in position ”AUT”
There is no alarm indication at the Deif GC1F
Operation selector switch is in position ”REMOTE” (for stand-by operation)
Emergency stop push button is not activated

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Maintenance
For the ordinary maintenance and other work on the unit you must refer to the instruction
manual and before work on the unit you must ensure that the generating set will not start
automatically:
The operation selector switch in position ”OFF”
Alternator circuit breaker must be in position ”OFF”
Deif GC1F must be in position ”OFF”
Activate (push) the emergency stop push button

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Operation instruction
Selector switch no. S44

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Operation instruction
Chart for mode selection Alarm

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Push-buttons, LEDs and display

Push-button functions

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Push-buttons, LEDs and display

LED functions

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Black start sequence

Pre-requisites
Before starting the black start unit, disconnect all unnecessary loads from the LV power
distribution system
In case of a total power failure, the black start unit can be used to provide power for the auxiliary
equipment needed when starting one of the main engines

Procedure
Open all MV breakers:
• Main breakers to the step-up transformers
• Outgoing breakers to the station service transformers
• Bustie breakers

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Black start sequence

Procedure ...
Select which engine will be started first and prepare the power distribution system
accordingly. The breaker positions and the switches to be operated during the start
sequence partly depend on which engine is started.
• Activate the soft start of the step-up transformer with the corresponding key switch on
the common control panel
• Close the main breaker to the step-up transformer
• Set the breakers in the LV switchgear in the correct positions
Open the breaker between the station service transformer and the LV busbar
Close the breaker to the common LV bus

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Black start sequence

Procedure ...
Put the black start unit in operation. Activate the soft start of the step-up transformer with
the corresponding key switch on the common control panel
• Start the black start unit
• Adjust the speed and the voltage of the black start generator
• Close the black start breaker to energize the LV bus

Start the auxiliary units required for starting the main engine
• Before proceeding with the start of the engine, wait until sufficient preheating and
prelubrication has been established

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Black start sequence

Procedure ...
Start the main engine
• Switch the generating set to manual control, and activate the speed droop and voltage
droop control modes
• Give a start order to the engine
• Push the generator breaker close button immediately after giving the start order, and keep it
pushed down until the breaker closes
The generator breaker closes when the engine speed has reached the set limit. The
transformer is softly energized by slowly increasing the generator voltage

Once MV power is restored, synchronize the circuit breaker between the station service
transformer and the LV bus and close it

Shut down the black start unit

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Black start sequence

Procedure ...
When operating at nominal frequency and voltage, load the engine gradually (Start up auxiliary
units as required

Deactivate the soft start with the key switch on the common control panel (The soft start must be
deactivated before other generating sets can be connected to the MV busbar)

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Blackout situations
The startup of a power plant after a total power failure is usually referred to as a black start

The normal startup procedures cannot be followed when the main switchgear is not
energized and the auxiliaries are shut down

It is important that the plant operators make their own plan regarding what actions to take
after a general power failure, taking the needs of the entire plant into consideration

A black start generator is normally used to provide power for the auxiliary units
needed when starting the engine. When the generating set has been started and
all readings are normal, the black start generator may be stopped and more auxiliaries
started as required

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