Patent ID: 8754615

Claim:
A synchronous condenser, comprising: a synchronous generator decoupled from a turbine, the generator having a rotor and a rotor shaft mounted within a stator; a movement assembly disposed at one end of the rotor shaft to rotate the rotor at a predetermined initial rotational speed; a rotor position sensor to indicate a rotor position of the rotor; a variable frequency drive that provides electrical energy to the stator that turns the rotor at a rotational speed that is proportional to a frequency of operation of the variable frequency drive; a transformer coupled to the variable frequency drive and the synchronous generator that transfers electrical energy from the variable frequency drive to the stator; an exciter that facilitates injection of excitation current into the rotor at any speed of rotation including standstill; and a controller, operatively coupled to the movement assembly, the rotor position sensor, the variable frequency drive and the exciter, that controls acceleration of the rotor from standstill to an operational speed, wherein the controller coordinates control of an initial acceleration of the rotor as a function of the rotor position of the rotor detected by the rotor position sensor, wherein the controller directs the variable frequency drive to inject very low frequency currents through the transformer to the stator in response to the rotor position sensor detecting a predetermined rotor angular position.