Possible ways to improve the energy efficiency of hydroelectric generating sets of pumped-storage power plants (PSPPs) are studied. The Kiev PSPP is used as an example to show how its generating sets can be upgraded. It is concluded based on studies conducted that synchronous motor-generators should be replaced with asynchronized motor-generators. The feasibility of changing over the turbine to variable-speed operation is shown.National and international experience suggests that reversible hydroelectric generating sets of pumped-storage power plants (PSPPs) built in the 1980s are equipped with synchronous motor-generators (SMG) usually integrated with radial-axial turbines.Since the 1990s, a number of countries have conducted studies related to the improvement of the efficiency of hydroelectric generating sets operating over wide pressure head ranges [1 -3]. These studies show that the efficiency of hydroelectric generating sets can be improved substantially by changing over their turbines to variable-speed operation.This conclusion was successfully validated at a number of Japanese and European PSPPs [4]. Changing over hydroelectric generating sets to variable-speed operation improves their efficiency by 3 to 5%, the range of variation in pressure head being wide (from H r to 0.5H r ).To change over a water turbine to variable-speed operation and to generate electric power of prescribed quality (U = U r , f = f r ), designers had to develop special converting devices. Depending on the amount of change in the turbine speed, the role of such converters may be played by reduction gears, oil clutches, pole-changing generators, thyristor power converters (TPC) in the stator circuit of synchronous machines, and asynchronized generators (AG). An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of such converting devices reveals that TPCs and AGs are only practicable at real PSPPs.Over the last 10 years, some world's leading companies (Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Andritz) have manufactured and put into operation more than 20 asynchronized motor-generators (AMGs) at a number of 60 to 400 MW PSPPs of Japan, Germany, and Slovakia. In Russia, studies on the use of AMGs at Russian power plants were initiated by the RusHydro Company and have been conducted for five years now.The use of thyristor power converters involves a number of problems [5] such as their high cost for high-power hydroelectric generating sets and need for additional space at the PSPP to accommodate them.The studies conducted by the VNIIE (currently the R&D Center of FGC UES) made it possible to create, in cooperation with the Élektrotyazhmash (Kharkov) and Élektrosila (St. Petersburg) plants, asynchronized turbogenerators and condensers [6,7]. After manufacturing and commissioning the first-ever asynchronized generator at the Iova HPP in the 1960s [8], there were no further developments of asynchronized generators.The use of AMGs at PSPPs allows generating electric power of required quality in both voltage and f r equency, irre-
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