This paper deals with the dynamic behavior of the electric power system of a Venezuelan oil refinery (El Palito Refinery), which includes a 6000 hp asynchronous motor-generator (M/G) coupled to the power recovery unit (PRU) shaft at the fluidized catalytic cracking plant (FCC). Problems associated with inappropriate maintenance at the external power utility, whose system is linked with the national interconnected grid (NIG), have decreased the electric power system reliability at the refinery. Critical failure events, up to third order contingency events, have been occurring at the refinery frequently over the past few years. Once these kind of events take place, the 6000 hp motor tends to balance the system generating or consuming electric power, but due to the large equivalent inertia in the external utility, the 6000 hp motor trips before the refinery normal operating conditions have been restored. Then, both FCC and PRU shutdowns, being the FCC plant a vital process unit within an oil refinery. This work involves a dynamic study of those critical failure events in order to properly set protective relaying schemes and thus ensuring a safe and reliable operation of the Refinery electric power system, while establishing dynamic stability limits for the M/G.
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