Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'High-voltage DC transmission'

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission has to date mostly been used for point-to-point projects, with only a few select projects being designed from the outset to incorporate multiple terminals. Any future HVDC network is therefore likely to evolve out of this pool of HVDC connections. As technology improves, the voltage rating, at the point of commission, of the these connections increases. Interconnection therefore requires the DC equivalent of the transformer, to bridge the voltage levels and create a multi-terminal network. This thesis investigates new potential DC/DC converter topologies, which may be used for a range of HVDC applications. Simple interconnections of new and legacy HVDC links is unlikely to require a large voltage-step, but will be required to transfer a large amount of power. As the HVDC network develops it may become feasible for wind-farms and load-centres to directly connect to the DC network, rather than requiring new and dedicated links. Such a connection is called an HVDC tap and is typically rated at only a small fraction of the link's peak capacity (around 10\%). Such taps would connect a distribution voltage level to the HVDC network. DC/DC converters suitable for large-step ratios (>5:1) may find their application here. In this work DC/DC converters for both small and large step-ratios are investigated. Two approaches are taken to design such converters: first, an approach utilising existing converter topologies is investigated. As each project comes with a huge price-tag, their reliability is paramount. Naturally, technology that has already proven itself in the field can be modified more readily and quickly for deployment. Using two modular multilevel converters in a front-to-front arrangement has been found to work efficiently for large power transfers and low step-ratios. Such a system can be operated at higher than 50 Hz frequencies to reduce the volume of a number of passive components, making the set-up suitable for compact off-shore applications. This does however incur a significant penalty in losses reducing the overall converter efficiency. In the second approach DC/DC converter designs are presented, that are more experimental and would require significantly more development work before deployment. Such designs do not look to adapt existing converter topologies but rather are designed from scratch, purely for DC/DC applications. An evolution of the front-to-front arrangement is investigated in further detail. This circuit utilises medium frequency (>50 Hz) square current and voltage waveforms. The DC/DC step-ratio is achieved through a combination of the stacks of cells and a transformer. This split approach allows for high-step ratios to be achieved at similar system efficiencies as for the front-to-front arrangement. The topology has been found to be much more suitable for higher than 50 Hz operation from a losses perspective, allowing for a compact and efficient design.

The projected global energy shortage and concerns about greenhouse emissions have led to the significant developments in offshore wind farm projects around the globe. It is also envisaged that in the near future, a number of existing onshore converter stations and offshore stations will be interconnected to form a Multi-terminal (MT) HVDC systems, whereas protection issues remains a major challenge. This is largely due to the low inductance in DC network compared to AC interconnection which usually results in a sudden collapse in the DC voltage and rapid rise in the fault current thus reaching damaging levels in few milliseconds. Therefore faults in MT-HVDC system must be detected and cleared quickly before it reaches a damaging level; typically 4 – 6ms (including circuit breaker opening time) following the inception of the fault. For this reason, transient based protection techniques are ideal candidates if the protection scheme must be reliable and dependable. Transient based protection algorithms utilises the higher frequency components of the fault generated signal to detect a fault, therefore making it possible to detect the fault while the fault current is still rising and well before the steady state. The traditional protection algorithms developed for conventional high voltage AC (HVAC) systems such as distance protection are steady state based and as such not suitable for the protection of MT-HVDC systems. Another major issue is selectivity as only the faulty section must be isolated in the event of a fault. This constitutes a major challenge considering the anticipated lengths of the cables. Traditional protection techniques developed for two-terminal HVDC systems are also not suitable for MT-HVDC since it will de-energise the entire network and other sub-grids connected to the main network. DC line protection devices which will operate at a sufficient speed and which will isolate only the faulty section in the event of a fault are therefore required to avoid a total system failure during short circuit. It is anticipated that it will be achieved by the use of HVDC breakers, whereas the implementation and realisation of such circuit breakers still remain a major issue considering speed, complexity, losses and cost. However, two major vendors have proposed prototypes and hopefully these will be commercially available in the near future. The key issue still remains the development of a fast DC line fault detection algorithm; and it is on these premise that this research was undertaken. The work reported in this thesis is a novel time domain protection technique for application to HVDC grids. The protection principle developed utilises the “power” and “energy” accompanying the associated travelling wave following the occurrence of a fault to distinguish between internal and external fault. Generally, either the “power” or “energy” can provide full discrimination between internal and external faults. For an internal fault, the associated forward and backward travelling wave power; or the forward and backward wave energy must exceed a pre-determined setting otherwise the fault is regarded as external. This characteristic differences is largely due to the DC inductor located at the boundaries which provides attenuation for the high frequency transient resulting from an external fault, hence making the power and energy for an internal fault to be significantly larger than that for external fault. The ratio between the forward and backward travelling wave power; or between the forward and backward travelling wave energy provides directional discrimination. For a forward directional fault (FDF) with respect to a local relay, this ratio must be less than unity. However, the ratio is greater than unity for reverse directional faults (RDF). The resulting wave shape of the “travelling wave power” (TWP) components also led to the formulation of a novel protection algorithm utilising the wave shape concavity. For an internal fault, the second derivative of the resulting polynomial formed by the TWP must be negative, thereby indicating a “concave-upwards” parabola. However, for an external fault, the second derivative of the resulting polynomial formed by the TWP components must be positive indicating a “concave-downwards” parabola. The developed and proposed protection techniques and principles were validated against a full scale Modular Multi-level Converter (MMC) – based HVDC grid, and thereafter the protection algorithm was implemented in MATLAB. Wider cases of fault scenarios were considered including long distance remote internal fault and a 500Ω high resistance remote internal fault. In all cases, both the pole-pole (P-P) and pole-ground (P-G) faults were investigated. The simulation results presented shows the suitability of the protection technique as the discrimination between internal and external faults was made within 1ms following the application of the fault. Following this, the protection algorithm was implemented on both a low-cost experimental platform utilising an Arduino UNO ATmega328 Microcontroller and on a Compact RIO FPGA-based experimental platform utilising LAB-View. The experimental results obtained were consistent with those obtained by simulations. An advantage of the proposed technique is that it is non-unit based and as such no communication delays are incurred. Furthermore, as it is time domain - based, it does not require complex mathematical computation and burden / DSP techniques; hence can easily be implemented since it will require less hardware resources which ultimately will result in minimal cost.

Les nouvelles politiques adoptées par les autorités nationales ont encouragé pendant les dernières années l'intégration à grande échelle des systèmes d'énergie renouvelable (RES). L'intégration à grande échelle des RES aura inévitablement des conséquences sur le réseau de transport d'électricité tel qu'il est conçu aujourd'hui, car le transport de l'électricité massif sur de longues distances pourrait amener les réseaux de transport à fonctionner près de leurs limites, réduisant ainsi leurs marges de sécurité. Des systèmes de transport d’électricité plus complexes seront donc nécessaires.Dans ce scénario, les systèmes de transmission à Courant Continu Haute Tension (HVDC) constituent la solution la plus intéressante pour le renforcement et l'amélioration des réseaux à Courant Alternatif (AC) existants, non seulement en utilisant des configurations point à point, mais aussi dans des configurations multi-terminales. L'introduction des systèmes HVDC aboutira à terme à un réseau électrique hybride haute tension AC/DC, qui doit être analysé comme un système unique afin de mieux comprendre les interactions entre le réseau AC et le réseau DC.Cette thèse porte sur l'analyse de la stabilité transitoire des systèmes de transmission électrique hybrides AC/DC. Plus particulièrement, deux questions ont été abordées: Quel est l'impact d'un défaut du réseau DC sur la stabilité transitoire du réseau AC? Comment est-il possible de se servir des systèmes de transmission DC en tant qu'actionneurs afin d'améliorer la stabilité transitoire AC ?Dans la première partie de ce travail, les modèles mathématiques du réseau hybride AC/DC sont décrits ainsi que les outils nécessaires à l'analyse du système en tenant compte de sa nature non linéaire. Ensuite, une analyse approfondie de la stabilité transitoire du réseau électrique dans le cas particulier d'un court-circuit dans le réseau DC et l'exécution des stratégies de protection correspondantes sont effectuées. En complément, des indicateurs de stabilité et des outils pour dimensionner les futurs réseaux de la MTDC afin de respecter les contraintes des stratégies de protection existantes sont proposés.La deuxième partie de la thèse porte sur les propositions de commande pour la modulation des références de puissance des systèmes de transmission HVDC dans le but d'améliorer la stabilité transitoire du système AC connecté à ce réseau DC. Tout d'abord, nous axons notre étude sur le contrôle non linéaire des liaisons HVDC point à point dans des liaisons hybrides AC/DC. La compensation rapide des perturbations de puissance, l'injection de puissance d'amortissement et l'injection de puissance de synchronisation sont identifiées comme des mécanismes par lesquels les systèmes HVDC peuvent améliorer les marges de stabilité des réseaux AC.Enfin, une stratégie de contrôle pour l'amélioration de la stabilité transitoire par injection de puissance active dans par un réseau MTDC est proposée. Grâce à la communication entre les stations, la commande décentralisée proposée injecte la puissance d'amortissement et de synchronisation entre chaque paire de convertisseurs en utilisant uniquement des mesures au niveau des convertisseurs. L'implémentation proposée permet d'utiliser au maximum la capacité disponible des convertisseurs en gérant les limites de puissance d'une manière décentralisée
The new policy frameworks adopted by national authorities has encouraged the large scale-integration of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) into bulk power systems. The large-scale integration of RES will have consequences on the electricity transmission system as it is conceived today, since the transmission of bulk power over long distances could lead the existing transmission systems to work close to their limits, thus decreasing their dynamic security margins. Therefore more complex transmissions systems are needed.Under this scenario, HVDC transmission systems raise as the most attractive solution for the reinforcement and improvement of existing AC networks, not only using point-to-point configurations, but also in a Multi-Terminal configuration. The introduction of HVDC transmission systems will eventually result in a hybrid high voltage AC/DC power system, which requires to be analyzed as a unique system in order to understand the interactions between the AC network and the DC grid.This thesis addresses the transient stability analysis of hybrid AC/DC electric transmission systems. More in particular, two questions sought to be investigated: What is the impact of a DC contingency on AC transient stability? How can we take advantage of the of DC transmission systems as control inputs in order to enhance AC transient stability?In the first part of this work, the mathematical models of the hybrid AC/DC grid are described as well as the necessary tools for the analysis of the system taking into account its nonlinear nature. Then, a thorough analysis of transient stability of the power system in the particular case of a DC fault and the execution of the corresponding protection strategies is done. As a complement, stability indicators and tools for sizing future MTDC grids in order to respect the constraints of existing protection strategies are proposed.The second part of the thesis addresses the control proposals for the modulation of power references of the HVDC transmission systems with the purpose of transient stability enhancement of the surrounding AC system. Firstly, we focus our study in the nonlinear control of point-to-point HVDC links in hybrid corridors. Fast power compensation, injection of damping power and injection of synchronizing power are identified as the mechanisms through which HVDC systems can improve stability margins.Finally, a control strategy for transient stability enhancement via active power injections of an MTDC grid is proposed. Using communication between the stations, the proposed decentralized control injects damping and synchronizing power between each pair of converters using only measurements at the converters level. The proposed implementation allows to fully use the available headroom of the converters by dealing with power limits in a decentralized way

A trans-Canadian grid could lead to increased ability to integrate wind energy by increasing capacity, improving reliability, and reducing effects of non-dispatchable generation by integrating renewable energy sources over a wide geographical area. Use of HVDC technology in the trans-Canadian grid would result in lower losses for the long transmission lines required and also would provide other benefits, such as lower right-of-way requirements, high reliability, and fault isolation. However, there are no current installations connecting a tapped connection to an HVDC line; all HVDC lines are operated using two terminals. This thesis proposes two methods of connecting a wind farm to an HVDC line. Techniques using an AC grid based wind farm and a DC grid based wind farm are analyzed based on their efficiency and component requirements, as well as their ability to operate during normal and fault conditions. The advantages and disadvantages of both solutions are compared, and while the best overall efficiency can be obtained using an AC system, high efficiencies can also be obtained for the DC system when combined with wind turbines with a MV output voltage. Preliminary simulation analysis shows that the DC grid design provides superior isolation of the HVDC line from faults on the wind farm grid, but both the AC and DC grids have potential issues implementing fault ride through, depending on the location of the fault.
Un réseau trans-canadien peut aider à intégrer l'énergie éolienne, qui s'étend sur une vaste zone géographique, en augmentant la capacité de transfert de puissance des lignes de transport et en réduisant les effets non-contrôlables des sources d'énergie renouvelable. L'utilisation de la technologie 'HVDC' peut réduire les coûts des longues lignes de transmission et aussi offrir d'autres avantages comme la réduction de l'empreinte géographique, une meilleure fiabilité, et la localisation des défauts. Toutefois, il n'y a pas de raccordements multi-terminaux HVDC en opération. Cette thèse propose deux méthodes de connexion d'un parc éolien à une ligne HVDC, utilisant des réseaux c.a. et c.c. Le rendement, les composantes requises et la performance transitoire des deux méthodes de connexion sont présentés. Une meilleure efficacité peut être obtenue avec le réseau c.a., mais en intégrant les éoliennes MT, l'efficacité du réseau c.c. est améliorée. Des études préliminaires démontrent que le réseau c.c. aide à une meilleure isolation d'un court-circuit dans le parc éolien qui pourrait se transmettre aux lignes HVDC. Les deux réseaux sont capables de réduire les effets d'un court-circuit, mais peuvent avoir des problèmes à demeurer en service sans déclenchement pour un défaut transitoire.

Powerlines are important in the process of electricity transmission and distribution (T & D) and their essential role in transmitting electricity from the large generating stations to the final consumers cannot be over emphasized. Over the years, an increase in the demand for electrical energy (electricity) has led to the construction and inevitable use of high transmission voltage, sub-transmission voltage and distribution voltage power conducting lines, for the electricity T & D process. Along with this essential role, electricity conductors can also give rise to some electrically related effects such as interference with telecommunication circuits, electric shocks, electromagnetic fields, audible noise, corona ion discharges, etc. The presence of powerline generated corona ions in any ambient air environment can be associated with the local modification of the earth’s natural dc electric field (e-field), while the interactions between these ions and other airborne aerosol particles can be associated with the presence of charged aerosol particles in the environment of the corona ion emitting lines. When considering all the studies conducted to date on the possible direct and indirect effects of high voltage powerlines (HVPLs), of significant interest are those suggesting links between powerlines and some adverse human health effects – with such health effects alleged to be strongest amongst populations directly exposed to HVPLs. However, despite the numerous studies conducted on HVPLs, to date a lack of proper scientific understanding still exist in terms of the physical characterization of the electrical environment surrounding real-world HVPLs - mostly in terms of the entire dynamics of ions and charged particles, as well as the possible links/associations between the different parameters that characterize these electrical environments. Yet, gaining a sound understanding about the electrical environment surrounding energized real-world HVPLs is imperative for the accurate assessment of any possible human exposure or health effects that may be associated with powerlines. The research work presented in this thesis was motivated by the existing gaps in scientific understanding of the possible association between corona ions generated by real-world HVPLs and the production of ambient charged aerosol particles. The aim of this study was to supply some much needed scientific knowledge about the characteristics of the electrical environment surrounding real-world energized HVPLs. This was achieved by investigating the possible effects of corona ions generated by real-world overhead HVPLs on ambient aerosol particle number concentration level, ambient aerosol particle charge concentration level, ambient ion concentration level and the magnitude of the local vertical dc e-field; while also taking into consideration the possible effect of complex meteorological factors (such as temperature, pressure, wind speed wind direction, solar radiation and humidity) on the instantaneous value of these measured parameters, at different powerline sites. The existence of possible associations or links between these various parameters measured in the proximity of the powerlines was statistically investigated using simple linear regression, correlation and multivariate (principal component, factor, classification and regression tree-CART) analysis. The strength of the regression was tested with coefficient of determinations R2, while statistical significance was asserted at the 95 % confidence level. For the powerline sites investigated in this study, both positive and negative polarities of ions were found to be present in the ambient air environment. The presence of these ions was associated with perturbations in the local vertical dc e-field, increased net ambient ion concentrations and net particle charge concentration levels. The mean net ion concentration levels (with a range of 4922 ions cm-3 to -300 ions cm-3) in the ambient environment of these powerlines, were in excess of what was measured in a typical outdoor air (i.e -400 ions cm-3). The mean net particle charge concentration levels (1469 ions cm-3 to -1100 ions cm-3) near the powerlines were also found to be statistically significantly higher than what was obtained for a mechanically ventilated indoor room (-84 ± 49 ions cm-3) and a typical urban outdoor air (-486 ± 34 ions cm-3). In spite of all these measured differences however, the study also indicated that ambient ion concentration as well as its associated effects on ambient particle charge concentration and e-field perturbations gradually decreased with increase in distance from the powerlines. This observed trend provided the physical evidence of the localized effect of real-world HVPL generated corona ions. Particle number concentration levels remained constant (in the order of 103 particles cm-3) irrespective of the powerline site or the sampling distance from the lines. A close observation of the output signals of the sampling instruments used in this study consistently revealed large fluctuations in the instantaneous value of all the measured electrical parameters (i.e. non-periodic extremely high and low negative and positive polarities of ions/charged particles and e-field perturbations was recorded). Although the reason for these observed fluctuations is not particularly known at this stage, and hence in need of further investigations, it is however being hypothesized that, since these fluctuations appear to be characteristic of the highly charged environment surrounding corona ion emitting electrical infrastructures, they may be suggestive of the possibility that the release of corona ions by ac lines are not necessarily in the form of a continuous flow of ions. The results also showed that statistically significant correlations (R2 = 74 %, P < 0.05) exists between the instantaneous values of the ground-level ambient ion and the ground-level ambient particle charge concentration. This correlation is an indication of the strong relationship/association that exists between these two parameters. Lower correlations (R2 = 3.4 % to 9 %, P < 0.05) were however found to exist between the instantaneous values of the vertical dc e-field and the ground-level ambient particle charge concentration. These suggest that e-field measurements alone may not necessarily be a true indication of the ground-level ambient ion and particle charge concentration levels. Similarly, low statistical correlations (R2 = 0.2 % to 1.0 %, P < 0.05) were also found to exist between the instantaneous values of ambient aerosol particle charge concentration and ambient ultrafine (0.02 to 1 μm sized) aerosol particle number concentration. This low level of correlations suggests that the source contribution of aerosol particle charge and aerosol particle number concentration into the ambient air environment of the HVPLs were different. In terms of the implication of human exposure to charged aerosol particles, the results obtained from this study suggests that amongst other factors, exposure to the dynamic mixture of ions and charged particles is a function of : (a) distance from the powerlines; (b) concentration of ions generated by the powerlines; and (c) meteorology - wind turbulence and dispersal rate. In addition to all its significant findings, during this research, a novel measurement approach that can be used in future studies for the simultaneous monitoring of the various parameters characterizing the physical environment of different ion/charged particle emission sources (such as high voltage powerlines, electricity substations, industrial chimney stack, motor vehicle exhaust, etc.) was developed and validated. However, in spite of these significant findings, there is still a need for other future and more comprehensive studies to be carried out on this topic in order to extend the scientific contributions of in this research work.

Powerlines are important in the process of electricity transmission and distribution (T & D) and their essential role in transmitting electricity from the large generating stations to the final consumers cannot be over emphasized. Over the years, an increase in the demand for electrical energy (electricity) has led to the construction and inevitable use of high transmission voltage, sub-transmission voltage and distribution voltage power conducting lines, for the electricity T & D process. Along with this essential role, electricity conductors can also give rise to some electrically related effects such as interference with telecommunication circuits, electric shocks, electromagnetic fields, audible noise, corona ion discharges, etc. The presence of powerline generated corona ions in any ambient air environment can be associated with the local modification of the earth’s natural dc electric field (e-field), while the interactions between these ions and other airborne aerosol particles can be associated with the presence of charged aerosol particles in the environment of the corona ion emitting lines. When considering all the studies conducted to date on the possible direct and indirect effects of high voltage powerlines (HVPLs), of significant interest are those suggesting links between powerlines and some adverse human health effects – with such health effects alleged to be strongest amongst populations directly exposed to HVPLs. However, despite the numerous studies conducted on HVPLs, to date a lack of proper scientific understanding still exist in terms of the physical characterization of the electrical environment surrounding real-world HVPLs - mostly in terms of the entire dynamics of ions and charged particles, as well as the possible links/associations between the different parameters that characterize these electrical environments. Yet, gaining a sound understanding about the electrical environment surrounding energized real-world HVPLs is imperative for the accurate assessment of any possible human exposure or health effects that may be associated with powerlines. The research work presented in this thesis was motivated by the existing gaps in scientific understanding of the possible association between corona ions generated by real-world HVPLs and the production of ambient charged aerosol particles. The aim of this study was to supply some much needed scientific knowledge about the characteristics of the electrical environment surrounding real-world energized HVPLs. This was achieved by investigating the possible effects of corona ions generated by real-world overhead HVPLs on ambient aerosol particle number concentration level, ambient aerosol particle charge concentration level, ambient ion concentration level and the magnitude of the local vertical dc e-field; while also taking into consideration the possible effect of complex meteorological factors (such as temperature, pressure, wind speed wind direction, solar radiation and humidity) on the instantaneous value of these measured parameters, at different powerline sites. The existence of possible associations or links between these various parameters measured in the proximity of the powerlines was statistically investigated using simple linear regression, correlation and multivariate (principal component, factor, classification and regression tree-CART) analysis. The strength of the regression was tested with coefficient of determinations R2, while statistical significance was asserted at the 95 % confidence level. For the powerline sites investigated in this study, both positive and negative polarities of ions were found to be present in the ambient air environment. The presence of these ions was associated with perturbations in the local vertical dc e-field, increased net ambient ion concentrations and net particle charge concentration levels. The mean net ion concentration levels (with a range of 4922 ions cm-3 to -300 ions cm-3) in the ambient environment of these powerlines, were in excess of what was measured in a typical outdoor air (i.e -400 ions cm-3). The mean net particle charge concentration levels (1469 ions cm-3 to -1100 ions cm-3) near the powerlines were also found to be statistically significantly higher than what was obtained for a mechanically ventilated indoor room (-84 ± 49 ions cm-3) and a typical urban outdoor air (-486 ± 34 ions cm-3). In spite of all these measured differences however, the study also indicated that ambient ion concentration as well as its associated effects on ambient particle charge concentration and e-field perturbations gradually decreased with increase in distance from the powerlines. This observed trend provided the physical evidence of the localized effect of real-world HVPL generated corona ions. Particle number concentration levels remained constant (in the order of 103 particles cm-3) irrespective of the powerline site or the sampling distance from the lines. A close observation of the output signals of the sampling instruments used in this study consistently revealed large fluctuations in the instantaneous value of all the measured electrical parameters (i.e. non-periodic extremely high and low negative and positive polarities of ions/charged particles and e-field perturbations was recorded). Although the reason for these observed fluctuations is not particularly known at this stage, and hence in need of further investigations, it is however being hypothesized that, since these fluctuations appear to be characteristic of the highly charged environment surrounding corona ion emitting electrical infrastructures, they may be suggestive of the possibility that the release of corona ions by ac lines are not necessarily in the form of a continuous flow of ions. The results also showed that statistically significant correlations (R2 = 74 %, P < 0.05) exists between the instantaneous values of the ground-level ambient ion and the ground-level ambient particle charge concentration. This correlation is an indication of the strong relationship/association that exists between these two parameters. Lower correlations (R2 = 3.4 % to 9 %, P < 0.05) were however found to exist between the instantaneous values of the vertical dc e-field and the ground-level ambient particle charge concentration. These suggest that e-field measurements alone may not necessarily be a true indication of the ground-level ambient ion and particle charge concentration levels. Similarly, low statistical correlations (R2 = 0.2 % to 1.0 %, P < 0.05) were also found to exist between the instantaneous values of ambient aerosol particle charge concentration and ambient ultrafine (0.02 to 1 μm sized) aerosol particle number concentration. This low level of correlations suggests that the source contribution of aerosol particle charge and aerosol particle number concentration into the ambient air environment of the HVPLs were different. In terms of the implication of human exposure to charged aerosol particles, the results obtained from this study suggests that amongst other factors, exposure to the dynamic mixture of ions and charged particles is a function of : (a) distance from the powerlines; (b) concentration of ions generated by the powerlines; and (c) meteorology - wind turbulence and dispersal rate. In addition to all its significant findings, during this research, a novel measurement approach that can be used in future studies for the simultaneous monitoring of the various parameters characterizing the physical environment of different ion/charged particle emission sources (such as high voltage powerlines, electricity substations, industrial chimney stack, motor vehicle exhaust, etc.) was developed and validated. However, in spite of these significant findings, there is still a need for other future and more comprehensive studies to be carried out on this topic in order to extend the scientific contributions of in this research work.

The present thesis is concerned with the development of an expert system for the preliminary design of point-to-point HVDC transmission systems, TRANSEPT-DC. This expert system module complements other expert system modules concerned with AC design, insulation coordination, and reliability, all of which form the TRANSEPT family of expert systems for the preliminary design of point-to-point power transmission systems.
The domain knowledge of the design of HVDC transmission systems is first discussed. This includes possible HVDC system configurations, cost of terminals, cost of transmission lines, cost of losses, and design expertise.
The details of converting the HVDC design domain knowledge into a structured knowledge base is demonstrated. Objects, properties, classes, and object-oriented programming techniques are introduced. Then, the implementation of rules and the architecture of a complete expert system including man-machine interface, external interface and data storage is presented.
A sample run from TRANSEPT-DC on an Intel 80386-based personal computer is provided to demonstrate the performance and the basic features of the HVDC expert system.

The goal of the Master Thesis is estimating the life of HVDC XLPE-insulated cables subjected to the Qualification Tests conditions according to CIGRÉ Technical Brochure 496 and for different values of the coefficients (a) and (b). During the Electrical Type Test (TT), a series of load cycles (LC) with DC voltage UT=1.85 U0 (rated voltage) are applied in three stages, i.e.: • 12 cycles lasting 24 hours each with a negative polarity of the applied voltage (12 days). • 12 cycles lasting 24 hours each with a positive polarity of the applied voltage (12 days). • 3 cycles lasting 48 hours each with a positive polarity of the applied voltage (6 days). according to CIGRÉ technical brochure 496, Load Cycles are of two types: 1. A 24-hour Load Cycle consists of 8 hours heating (with steady conductor temperature equal to the rated one during at least the last 2 hours), followed by 16 hours of natural cooling. 2. A 48-hour Load Cycle consists of 24 hours heating (with steady conductor temperature equal to the rated one during at least the last 18 hours), followed by 24 hours of natural cooling. Results: -The phenomenon called “Field Inversion” takes place only in the case of high values of “a” and “b” coefficients where the outer part of the insulation is stressed more than the inner part. -In case of low “a” and “b” that the lower those values are, the more the inner part of the insulation is stressed. -The life of the cable under the Type Test condition (around 90 days) is three times longer than the Type Test duration (30 days), considering the worst-case which corresponds to low values of “a” and “b”. -The loss of life in one 48-hour Load Cycle (LC) is twice that in two 24-hour LC (equivalent to the same duration of 48 hours). -For the same values of a and b, the inversion of the life curve over the insulation thickness in the Pre-Qualification Test is greater than that in the Type Test because of the High Load period in PQ test.

Cette thèse porte sur la commande de réseaux multi-terminaux à courant continu (MTDC) basés sur des convertisseurs multiniveaux modulaires (MMCs).Tout d’abord, notre attention se focalise sur l'énergie stockée en interne dans le MMC qui constitue un degré de liberté additionnel apporté par sa topologie complexe. Afin d’en tirer le meilleur parti, les limites de l’énergie interne sont formulées mathématiquement.Afin de maîtriser la dynamique de la tension DC, l’utilisation de ce nouveau degré de liberté s’avère d’une grande importance. Par conséquent, une nouvelle de stratégie de commande, nommée «Virtual Capacitor Control», est proposée. Cette nouvelle méthode de contrôle permet au MMC de se comporter comme s’il possédait un condensateur de taille réglable aux bornes, contribuant ainsi à l’atténuation des fluctuations de la tension DC.Enfin, la portée de l’étude est étendue au réseau MTDC. L'un des défis majeurs pour un tel système est de faire face à une perte soudaine d'une station de convertisseur qui peut entraîner une grande variation de la tension du système. A cet effet, la méthode de statisme de tension est la plus couramment utilisée. Cependant, l'analyse montre que l'action de contrôle souhaitée risque de ne pas être réalisée lorsque la marge disponible de réserve de puissance du convertisseur est insuffisante. Nous proposons donc une nouvelle structure de contrôle de la tension qui permet de fournir différentes actions en fonction du signe de l'écart de la tension suite à une perturbation, associée à un algorithme qui détermine les paramètres de statisme en tenant compte du point de fonctionnement et de la réserve disponible à chaque station
The scope of this thesis includes control and management of the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC)-based Multi-Terminal Direct Current (MTDC).At first, our focus is paid on the internally stored energy, which is the important additional degree of freedom brought by the complex topology of MMC. In order to draw out the utmost of this additional degree of freedom, an in-depth analysis of the limits of this internally stored energy is carried out, and they are mathematically formulated.Then, this degree of freedom of the MMC is used to provide a completely new solution to improve the DC voltage dynamics. A novel control strategy, named Virtual Capacitor Control, is proposed. Under this control, the MMC behaves as if there were a physical capacitor whose size is adjustable. Thus, it is possible to virtually increase the equivalent capacitance of the DC grid to mitigate the DC voltage fluctuations in MTDC systems.Finally, the scope is extended to MMC-based MTDC grid. One of the crucial challenges for such system is to cope with a sudden loss of a converter station which may lead to a great variation of the system voltage. The voltage droop method is commonly used for this purpose. The analysis shows that the desired control action may not be exerted when the available headroom of the converter stations are insufficient. We thus propose a novel voltage droop control structure which permits to provide different actions depending on the sign of DC voltage deviation caused by the disturbance of system voltage as well as an algorithm that determines the droop parameters taking into account the operating point and the available headroom of each station

Thesis (PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Prospects of up-rating existing high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission schemes, as well as the conversion of existing alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) lines and the development of new HVDC schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, have led to renewed interest in DC research. The radio interference (RI), audible noise (AN) and corona loss (CL) performance of HVDC transmission lines are critical factors when assessing the reliability of the line design. The RI performance is especially important when considering the successful transmission of the carrier signal of the power line carrier (PLC) system. The PLC system is the main form of communication between teleprotection devices on the Cahora Bassa HVDC scheme. The aim of the dissertation is to devise modelling as well as metrological techniques to characterise DC conductor corona. A particle-in-cell (PIC) computational code is developed to gain a better understanding of the physical processes that occur during corona events. The numerical code makes use of the charge simulation method (CSM) and nite element method (FEM) to solve for the Laplace and Poisson eld equations. Higher-order basis functions are implemented to obtain a more accurate solution to the Poisson equation. The computational tool yields insight into the mathematical models for the various ionization, attachment and electron avalanche processes that give rise to corona currents. Together with a designed and developed electrometer-type circuit, the numerical code assists the visualisation of the space charge particle dynamics that form in the electrode gap during corona events. The metrological techniques consider the wideband time domain (TD) as well as the frequency domain (FD) information of the measured corona pulses in the presence of noise. These are then compared to the narrowband CISPR standard measurements centred around 500kHz. The importance of impedance matching when attempting to derive a wideband excitation function is investigated. The TD measurements are quite distinct from the well-published FD measurements, and consider the pulse shape, pulse spectrum and pulse repetition rates. The use of three possible conductor corona test methods to study direct current conductor RI performance under both positive and negative polarities is investigated at high altitude in this dissertation. These include a small corona cage, a short test line and the Eskom Megawatt Park large outdoor corona cage. Derived wideband and narrowband monopolar DC RI excitation functions at 500kHz are consolidated with existing radio noise (RN) measurement protocols and prediction methods. The use of a corona cage to derive excitation functions for monopolar RI predictions is explored and it is shown that a small corona cage, due to the build-up of space charge in the small distance between the electrodes, cannot be used to predict the RI levels on HVDC transmission lines accurately. As a consequence of the physics, computational modelling and both frequency and time domain measurements, it is now possible to explain why a small cage system prevents the accurate RI prediction on transmission lines. The large outdoor corona cage and short test line RI performance predictions agree with existing empirical prediction formulas.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vooruitsigte van die opgradering van bestaande hoogspanningsgelykstroom transmissielyn skemas, asook die omkering van bestaande wisselstroom na gelykstroom lyne en die ontwikkeling van nuwe hoogspanningsgelykstroom skemas in sub-Sahara Afrika, het gelei to hernude belangstelling in gelykstroomnavorsing. Die korona-werkverrigting van hoogspanningsgelykstroom oorshoofselyne in terme van radiosteuring, hoorbare-geraas en koronaverliese is kritiese faktore om in aanmerking te neem wanneer die betroubaarheid van die lynontwerp geëvalueer word. Die radiosteuring-werkverrigting is veral van belang tot die suksesvolle oordrag van die kraglyndragolf draersein wat die hoof kommunikasievorm tussen beskermingstoerusting op die Cahora Bassa transmissielyn skema is. Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om modellering- sowel as meettegnieke te ontwerp om gelykstroomgeleierkorona te karakteriseer. 'n Partikel-in-sel numeriese kode is ontwikkel om 'n beter begrip te verkry van die siese prosesse gedurende koronagebeure. Die numeriese kode maak gebruik van die lading-simulasiemetode, sowel as die eindige element metode om die Laplace en Poisson veldvergelykings op te los. Hoër-orde basisfunksies is geimplimenteer om 'n meer akkurate oplossing vir die Poisson vergelyking te verkry. Die numeriese kode bied insig tot die wiskundige modelle vir die verskeie ionisasie-, aanhegtings- en lawineprosesse wat lei tot koronastrome in die area om die hoogspanningsgeleier. Die numeriese kode, saam met 'n elektro-meter wat ontwerp en ontwikkel is, dra by tot die begrip van die ruimtelading partikeldinamika wat onstaan in die elektrodegaping gedurende koronagebeure. Die meettegnieke neem die wyeband tydgebied- en frekwensiegebiedinformasie van die koronapulse in ag in die teenwoordigheid van geraas. Dit word dan vergelyk met die nouband CISPR meetstandaard vir 'n frekwensie van 500kHz. Die belangrikheid van impedansie-aanpassing vir wyeband metings met die doel om opwekkingsfunksies af te lei, word ondersoek. Die tydgebiedmetings verskil van die algemene frekwensiegebiedmetings, en ondersoek die pulsvorm, -spektrum en -herhalingskoers. Die gebruik van drie moontlike koronageleier-toetsmetodes om gelykstroom radiosteurings-werkverrigting vir positiewe en negatiewe polariteite te bestudeer by hoë vlakke bo seespieël word ondersoek in die proefskrif. Dit sluit in 'n klein koronakou, 'n kort toetslyn en die Eskom Megawatt Park groot buitelug-koronakou. Afgeleide wye- en nouband monopolêre gelykstroom radiosteuring opwekkingsfunksies by 500kHz word gekonsolideer met bestaande radioruis metingsprotokolle en voorspellingsmetodes. Die gebruik van 'n koronakou om opwekkingsfunksies af te lei vir monopolêre radiosteuringvoorspellings is ondersoek en daar is gevind dat 'n klein koronakou nie gebruik kan word om radiosteuringvlakke op hoogspanningsgelykstroom transmissielyne akkuraat te voorspel nie. Dit is as gevolg van die opbou van ruimtelading in die klein elektrodegaping. Met behulp van die sika, numeriese modellering en beide die frekwensie- en tydgebiedmetings, is dit nou moontlik om te verklaar waarom die klein koronakou die akkurate radiosteuringvoorspellings op transmissielyne onmoontlik maak. Die groot buitelug-koronakou en kort toetslyn radiosteuringvoorspellings stem ooreen met bestaande empiriese voorspellings formules.

Le transport d’énergie par des lignes HVDC constitue le principal réseau de transmission d’énergie électrique du futur. Les convertisseurs de puissance (par exemple de type MMC) qui constitueront ce réseau devront être capables de gérer des tensions de l’ordre de centaines de kilovolts ce qui rend critique l’alimentation des dispositifs de contrôle (gate-drive) de ces convertisseurs. Il est nécessaire de concevoir des solutions qui garantissent l’alimentation de ces gate-drives avec une isolation.Pour ce faire, un circuit basé sur le principe du flyback et utilisant un JFET normalement passant a été développé. Il est placé en parallèle d’un condensateur typiquement connecté aux bornes d’un bras d’onduleur. Il permet d’alimenter le dispositif de puissance dès qu’une faible tension est appliquée à son entrée. Cette fonction est assurée grâce au caractère normalement passant du JFET. Pour le prototype développé, la tension du bras est de 2 kV. La tension de sortie est régulée à 24 V. De nos jours, des JFET normalement passants avec une tenue en tension supérieure à 2 kV n’existent pas sur le marché. Donc, pour supporter les tensions mises en jeu dans le circuit, une mise en série de JFET SiC normalement passants commandés par un MOSFET Si a été réalisée (montage « super-cascode »). Le circuit développé est capable de fournir 20 W pour alimenter des gate-drives à des potentiels flottants. Le rendement obtenu est proche de 60 %. Aussi, le problème d’isolation est résolu par cette solution d’auto-alimentation
HVDC power transmission is the future of the electrical energy transmission network. The power converters (e.g. MMC) used in this network will be able to cope with voltages of hundreds of kV, making the power supply of the gate-drive devices in these converters challenging. It is then necessary to design solutions that guarantee the power supply of these gate-drives, while providing high voltage isolation. To do this, a circuit, based on the flyback principle, was developed. It is placed in parallel with a capacitor typically connected to a half-bridge circuit. It has an auto-start feature. This allows to supply the gate-drive as soon as a low voltage is applied to the input of the self-supply system. This is obtained by taking advantage of the normally-ON character of the JFET. In our prototype, the input voltage is 2 kV. High voltage JFETs of 2 kV and higher breakdown voltages are not yet available on the market. So, to achieve this high voltage capacity, a series of Normally-ON SiC JFETs controlled by a low voltage Si MOSFET (Super-cascode circuit) is used in the circuit. The developed circuit is able to supply 20 W at different floating potentials with output voltage regulated at 24 V and an efficiency close to 60%. The isolation problem is then solved using this solution

В дипломній роботі виконано дослідження можливих варіантів об’єднання несинхронних електроенергетичних систем та систем з різними стандартами регулювання частоти. Метою роботи є розробка лінії електропередачі «Ковель – Хелм» з вставкою постійного струму для продажу електроенергії з України у Польщу. Об’єкти, аналогічні спроектованому у даному проекті, можна впровад¬жувати і в інших елек-тричних мережах, що дозволить значно зменшити розміри синхронних мереж змінного струму, запобігти або обмежити каскадні відключення, підвищити коефіцієнт корисної дії електромереж і надійність електроенергетичних систем.
In the diploma paper deals with the possibility of combining non-synchronous power systems and systems with different frequency control standards. The purpose of the work is to develop a Kovel-Helm transmission line with a DC insert for the sale of electricity from Ukraine to Poland. Objects similar to those projected in this project can be implemented in other power grids, which will significantly reduce the size of AC synchronous networks, prevent or limit cascade outages, increase the efficiency of grids and the reliability of power systems.
ПЕРЕЛІК УМОВНИХ СКОРОЧЕНЬ.................................................................... 7 ВСТУП .................................................................................................................…8 1 АНАЛІТИЧНА ЧАСТИНА ...............................................................................13 1.1 Призначення вставок постійного струму......................................................13 1.2 ВВППС – основні характеристики системи .................................................15 1.3 Варіанти застосування ВВППС .....................................................................16 1.4 Керування потужністю ...................................................................................17 1.5 Поведінка ВВППС в умовах виходу з ладу системи змінного струму......18 1.6 Вплив підключеної мережі змінного струму на ВПС .................................19 1.7 Споживання реактивної потужності .............................................................21 1.8 Висновки до розділу .......................................................................................23 2 НАУКОВО-ДОСЛІДНА ЧАСТИНА................................................................24 2.1 Пріоритетні напрями діяльності магістрального електромережевого комплексу.........................................................................................................24 2.2 Заходи шодо зниження комерційних втрат електроенергії ........................28 2.3 Перспективи передачі електроенергії за допомогою постійного струму .30 2.4 Основні причини використання ППС в ОЕС України ................................32 2.5 Висновки до розділу .......................................................................................35 3 ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНА ЧАСТИНА ..........................................................................36 3.1 Вибір напруги ліній електропередач постійного струму............................36 3.2 Вибір схеми вставки постійного струму.......................................................40 3.3 Перетворення й регулювання струму конверторами ..................................41 3.4 Вибір тиристорів .............................................................................................44 3.5 Система захисту тиристорів від перенапруг та перевантажень .................48 3.6 Система охолодження тиристорних модулів ...............................................50 3.7 Визначення кількості тиристорів у вентильних групах перетворювача ...52 3.8 Висновки до розділу .......................................................................................54 4 ПРОЕКТНО-КОНСТРУКТОРСЬКА ЧАСТИНА ...........................................55 4.1 Вибір раціонального січення проводів .........................................................55 6 4.2 Розрахунок споживання реактивної енергії перетворювачами..................56 4.3 Усунення впливу вищих гармонік напруги й струму у схемі ВПС...........60 4.4 Розрахунок фільтрокомпенсуючого пристрою............................................65 4.5 Активні фільтри...............................................................................................71 4.6 Висновки до розділу .......................................................................................74 5 СПЕЦІАЛЬНА ЧАСТИНА................................................................................75 5.1 Вибір трансформатора ....................................................................................75 5.2 Компенсація реактивної потужності.............................................................78 5.3 Вибір місця під’єднання компенсаційних пристроїв ..................................81 5.4 Розрахунок потужності компенсаційних пристроїв ....................................81 5.5 Зменшення струму несиметрії у вставках постійного струму ...................84 5.6 Струм к.з. на шинах високої напруги трансформаторів .............................86 5.7 Вибір обладнання ............................................................................................87 5.8 Висновки до розділу .......................................................................................92 6 ОБГРУНТУВАННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ..............................93 6.1 Критерії економічної ефективності енергетичного виробництва..............93 6.2 Визначення капітальних затрат .....................................................................94 6.3 Вартість електроенергії ..................................................................................95 6.4 Розрахунок економічної ефективності..........................................................98 7 ОХОРОНА ПРАЦІ ТА БЕЗПЕКА В НАДЗВИЧАЙНИХ СИТУАЦІЯХ ...100 7.1 Заходи безпеки при обслуговуванні електроустановок ............................100 7.2 Захист персоналу від впливу електричних і електромагнітних полів .....103 7.3 Захист персоналу підстанції від наведених напруг ...................................106 8 ЕКОЛОГІЯ........................................................................................................108 8.1 Актуальність охорони навколишнього середовища..................................108 8.2 Вплив на людину електромагнітного забруднення довкілля ...................108 8.3 Вплив магнітного поля повітряних ліній постійного струму високої і надвисокої напруги на навколишнє середовище.......................................110 ЗАГАЛЬНІ ВИСНОВКИ ДО ДИПЛОМНОЇ РОБОТИ ...................................112 ПЕРЕЛІК ПОСИЛАНЬ .......................................................................................113

Analytical modeling of HVDC systems has been a difficult task without a to-date reported model convenient for serious analysis of practically reported HVDC stability problems. In order to cover the frequency range f<100Hz, and to cater for different model requirements, three different HVDC-HVAC models are developed in this Thesis: Detailed linear-continuous model, simplified linear continuous model and linear discrete model. Detailed HVDC-HVAC system model is intended for small signal analysis of HVDC-HVAC interactions and resulting stability problems. It demonstrates good response matching against PSCAD/EMTDC simulation, where the CIGRE HVDC Benchmark model is used as the test system. All model variables (states) and parameters have physical meaning, and the model consists of modules, which reflect actual physical subsystems. Simplified HVDC-HVAC system dynamic model is developed as a fourth order dynamic model, which is less accurate but more convenient for the analysis, than the detailed model. The model proves to be reliable for controller design for mitigation of composite resonance and for the study of non-linear effects in HVDC systems. The developed linear discrete model is primarily intended for the system analysis at frequencies close to 100Hz on DC side of HVDC system. A new approach in modeling of TCR/TCSC, based on the same principles for HVDC modeling, is presented in this Thesis. The model development is far less difficult than the similar models presented in literature. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation confirms the model validity. The simplified, linear-continuous model is used for the analysis of dominant non-linear effects in HVDC systems. The analysis of non-linear mode transformation between constant beta and constant gamma operation, shows that limit-cycle oscillations are not expected to develop, for normal operating conditions. The analysis of converter firing angle modulation shows that converter behaves as a non-linear element only for some unlikely operating conditions. In this Thesis, it is attempted to counteract the composite resonance phenomenon by modifying the resonant condition on DC system impedance profile. This is accomplished by designing a supplementary HVDC controller that acts on HVDC firing angle on both line ends. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation results show that significant reduction in DC side first harmonic component (in some cases to 1/4 of the original value) is possible with the newly designed controller. Chapter 5 studies 100Hz oscillations on DC side of HVDC system. A methodology for designing a new controller to counteract negative affects of these oscillations is presented. Linear simulation of the detailed controller design confirms noticeable reduction in second harmonic on DC side. The eigenvalue decomposition and singular value decomposition is used for small-signal analysis of HVDC-HVAC interactions. The analysis of sensitivity of the dominant system eigenvalues with respect to the AC system parameters, shows the frequency range for the possible oscillatory instabilities at rectifier and at inverter side. The rectifier side of the system is most likely to experience instability at higher frequencies, whereas at inverter side the instabilities can be expected at lower frequencies. Further analysis shows that reduction in the AC system strength i will predominantly affect the eigenvalues at lower frequencies, where the SCR reduction at inverter side much more affects the system stability. The analysis of interactions between AC and DC systems through the influence of inherent feedback loops gives recommendations for the possible control of interaction variables with the aim of system stability improvement. The root locus technique is used for the stability analysis of HVDC control loops, where all conventional and some alternative control methods suggested in the literature are investigated. It is found that DC feedback, at rectifier side, significantly improves the system stability at lower frequencies, however, at frequencies close to the first harmonic this feedback control degrades the system stability, actually accelerating the development of composite resonance. At inverter side, most of the feedback loops improve the system stability in a certain frequency range, whereas at other frequencies they noticeably deteriorate stability. Among all reported inverter control methods, reactive current feedback is found to be the best option. The last Chapter develops a new controller for HVDC system operation with very weak inverter AC systems. The selection of feedback signal for this controller, is based on the analysis of positioning of zeros for candidate feedback signals. It is found that AC current angle is the best inverter feedback signal. This feedback signal can move the unstable complex eigenvalues left, into the stable region, without significantly affecting remaining eigenvalues. For the additional improvement in the system performance, a second order filter, designed using control theory, is placed into the feedback loop. The main design objective is the system robustness with respect to the AC system parameters changes. The controller designed in this Thesis, tolerates very wide changes in system strength, 1.7