Repotenciación, modelado e implementación de control digital en la planta de generación eléctrica FIEC-ESPOL

Abstract

This degree work addresses the functional reactivation and technological modernization of the electric power generation plant at the FIEC-ESPOL Control Laboratory, which lacked operability and updated documentation. The main objective of this project is to transform said asset into a robust experimental platform for teaching, based on the premise that a distributed control architecture facilitates the validation of complex algorithms; its justification lies in the need to provide students with practical tools for applied research. Methodologically, an exhaustive diagnosis was executed which led to the repair of the PROFIBUS network and the conditioning of the industrial hardware, including a Siemens S7-300 PLC and ET200S peripherals; likewise, the OPC communication standard was implemented to establish a real-time link with the MATLAB/Simulink environment, and PID controllers were designed based on an experimentally identified gray-box mathematical model. As a result, industrial communication was restored, and the system's ability to precisely regulate voltage and frequency against load disturbances was validated, evidencing stable and reliable dynamic performance. Finally, it is concluded that the developed platform constitutes a versatile academic tool that reduces the gap between simulation and industrial implementation, allowing the safe execution of advanced automatic control practices. Keywords: Power Generation Plant, Real-Time Control, System Identification, OPC, Siemens S7-300 PLC.