Hvdc Transmission Using Voltage Source Converters (Vsc)

ABSTRACT
Rapid developments in the field of power electronic devices with turn off capability like insulated
gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) and gate turn off transistors (GTO), makes the voltage source converters
(VSC) getting more and more attractive for Hig voltage direct current transmission (HV!C)"This new
innovative technology provides substantial technical and economical advantages for direct applications
compared to conventional HVDC transmission systems based on thyristor technology. VSC Application for
HVDC systems of high power rating up to !""#$% which are currently in discussion for several pro&ects
are mentioned. The underlying technology of VSC based HVDC systems' its Characteristics and the
working principle of VSC based HVDC system are also presented. This paper concludes with a brief set of
guidelines for choosing VSC based HVDC systems in today(s electricity system development.
I#TRO!UCTIO#
The development of power semiconductors' especially IGBT$s has led to the small power HV!C
transmission based on Voltage Source Converters (VSCs)" The VSC %ased HV!C installations has several
advantages compared to conventional HV!C such as' independent control of active and reactive power'
dynamic voltage support at the converter bus for enhancing stability possibility to feed to weak AC
s&stems or even passive loads' reversal of power without changing the polarity of dc voltage advantageous
in multi terminal dc systems% and no re)uirement of fast communication between the two converter stations
.*ach converter station is composed of a VSC" The amplitude and phase angle of the converter AC output
voltage can be controlled simultaneously to achieve rapid' independent control of active and reactive power
in all four )uadrants. The control of both active and reactive power is bi+directional and continuous across
the operating range. ,or active power balance' one of the converters operates on dc voltage control and
other converter on active power control. $hen dc line power is -ero' the t'o converters can function as
independent STATCO(s" *ach VSC has a minimum of three controllers for regulating active and reactive
power outputs of individual VSC"
VO)TAG* SOURC* CO#V*RT*RS +OR HV!C
The world of converters may be divided in to two groups that are to be distinguished by their
operational principle.
.ne group needs an AC system to operate and called as line commutated coverters.Conventional
HV!C systems employ line commutated converters.
The second group of converters does not need an AC system to operate and is therefore called as
self commutated converters. Depending on the design of the !C circuits this group can be further divided
in to current source converters and voltage source converters. A current source converter operates with a
smooth DC current provided by a reactor' while a VSC operates with a smooth DC voltage provided by
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storage capacitor. Among the self commutated converters it is especially the VSC that has big history in
the lower power range for industrial drive applications.
!iagrammatic Re,resentation o- VSC.HV!C
BASIC /OR0I#G 1RI#CI1)*
The %asic -unction o- a VSC is to convert the DC voltage of the capacitor into AC voltages. ,ig !
illustrates the basic operating principle. The polarity of the DC
voltage of the converter is defined by the polarity of the diode rectifier. The /01T can be switched on at
any time by appropriate gate voltages. However if one /01T of a branch is switched on' the other /01T
must have been switched off before to prevent a short circuit of storage capacitor. 2eliable storage
converter inter lock function will preclude unwanted switching /01T. Alternating switching the /01T(s of
one phase module as shown successively connects the AC terminals of the VSC to the positive tapping and
negative tapping of the DC capacitor. This results in a stair stepped AC voltage comprising two voltage
levels 3Vdc4! and +Vdc4!. A VSC as shown is there fore called a ! level converter.
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Te VSC %ased HV!C transmission s&stem mainl&
consists o- t'o converter stations connected %& a dc ca%le"
Usuall& te magnitude o- AC out,ut voltage o- converter
is controlled %& 5ulse width modulation 5$#) 'itout
canging te magnitude o- !C voltage"
Due to switching fre)uency' that is considerably higher than the AC system power fre)uency the wave
shape of the converter AC current will be controlled to vary sinusoidal. This is achieved by special 1ulse
/idt (odulation" 1esides the ! level converters' so called 6 level converters have been used for high
power applications.
A three level VSC provides significant better performance regarding the total armonic
voltage distortion THD%.However' the more comple7 converter layout resulting in the larger footprint and
higher investment costs makes ! level technology the preferred solution for HV!C from today(s point of
view.
1U)S* /I!TH (O!U)ATIO#
A converter for interconnecting two electric networks to transmit electric power from one network to the
other' each network being coupled to a respective power generator station. The converter' having an AC
side and a DC side' includes a bridge of semiconductor switches with gate turn+off capability coupled to a
control system to produce a bridge voltage waveform having a fundamental ,ourier component at the
fre)uency of the electric network coupled to the AC side of the converter. The control system includes three
inputs for receiving reference signals allowing to control the fre)uency' the amplitude and the phase angle
of the fundamental ,ourier component with respect to the alternating voltage of the network coupled to the
AC side of the converter. Through appropriate feedback loops' the converter may be used to maintain at a
predetermined level the power flowing therethrough or to keep at a preset value the voltage across the DC
terminals of the converter and' in both cases' to maintain the fre)uency synchronism between the
fundamental ,ourier component and the alternating voltage of the network coupled to the DC side of the
converter.
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CHARACT*RISTICS O+ VSC.HV!C
The principal characteristic of VSC.HV!C transmission is its ability to independently control
the reactive and real power flow at each of the AC systems to which it is connected' at the 1oint o-
Common Cou,ling (1CC)" /n contrast to line+commutated HV!C transmission' the polarity of the DC
link voltage remains the same with the DC current being reversed to change the direction of power flow.
VSC.HV!C Transmission S&stem (odel
The !6" kV' !""" #VA AC systems AC system8 and AC system! subsystems% are modeled by
damped 9+2 e)uivalents with an angle of :" degrees at fundamental fre)uency ;" H-% and at the third
harmonic. The VSC converters are three+level bridge blocks using close to ideal switching device model of
/01T4diodes. The relative ease with which the /01T can be controlled and its suitability for high+
fre)uency switching has made this device the better choice over 0T. and thyristors. .pen the Station 8
and Station ! subsystems to see how they are built.
HAR(O#ICS I# VO)TAG* SOURC* CO#V*RT*RS (VSC)
9ike all power electronic converters' VSC(s generate harmonic voltages and currents in the AC
and !C systems connected. /n a simplified manner' from the AC system' a VSC can be considered a
harmonic current source connected in parallel to the storage capacitor .This behavior is &ust opposite to
those of conventional line commutated converters.
Harmonics generated depends on
the station topology e.g. < pulse or 8! pulse%
switching fre)uency of /01T(S
pulse pattern applied
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=sing 8! pulse configuration instead of < pulse will improve harmonic conditions both on AC and DC
side. Characteristic AC side harmonics will have the ordinal numbers
Vac >8!n38? n>8' !@@@
Characteristic DC harmonics will have the ordinal numbers
Vdc>8!n? n>8' !@@@..
All harmonics will be cancelled out under ideal conditions.
Due to its inherent harmonic elimination capability' the harmonic interface of VSC converter is rather
small in comparison to the conventional line commutated converters.However' harmonic filters might
be necessary on the AC and DC sides depending on the harmonic performance re)uirements both for
AC and DC sides' AC system harmonic impedance' DC line4cable impedance and loss evaluation.
VSC HV!C as te -ollo'ing advantages
Ao need for short circuit power for commutation. Can even operate against black Aetworks.
Can operate without communication between stations.
Can operate to control the power continuously in one direction.
Ao change of Voltage polarity when the power direction is changed. This makes easier to make
multi+terminal schemes.
5ossibility to use robust and economically e7truded cables for both land and sea.
Small converters that reduce the re)uirement for space.
VSC based HVDC does not add short circuit power' so there is a great freedom in choice of
topology and interconnection points.
A substantial reduction in system losses' mainly due to the elimination of the transformer and
related e)uipment. 9osses could be reduced by up to !;B.
.ther environmental benefit' e.g. the new motor is epo7y+free and therefore easy to recycle.
A11)ICATIO#2S O+ HV!C TRA#S(ISSIO# USI#G VSC
HV!C )igt is a recent technology that utili-es Voltage Source Converters (VSC) rather than
line commutated converters. HVDC 9ight offers advantages due to the possibility to independently control
both active and reactive power HVDC 9ight employs /nsulated 0ate 1ipolar transistors /01Ts%' plus other
important technological developmentsC
DHigh voltage valves with series+connected /01Ts
DCompact' dry' high+voltage dc capacitors
DHigh capacity control system
DSolid dielectric DC cable
/n the HV!C )igt transmission schemes' the switching of the /01T valves follows a ,ulse
'idt modulation (1/(% pattern. This switching control allows simultaneous ad&ustment of the
amplitude and phase angle of the converter AC output voltage with constant dc' 5$# pattern and the
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fundamental fre)uency voltage in a Voltage Source Converter. $ith these two independent control
variables' separate active and reactive power control loops can be used for regulation. $ith these two
independent control variables' separate active and reactive power control loops can be used for regulation.
(AI# !I++*R*#C*S B*T/**# HV!C )IGHT A#! CO#V*#TIO#A)
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(AI# !I++*R*#C*S B*T/**# HV!C )IGHT A#! CO#V*#TIO#A)
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CO#C)USIO#S
/n this paper' we have presented the analysis of Hig voltage !C transmission using VSC' the
number of advantages associated with implementing VSC+based designs for HVDC applications that result
in systems with high reliability and superior operating performance? these benefits including economic'
environmental or technical aspects. .f particular note today is the ability to control power flow and prevent
propagation of severe disturbances' thus limiting blackout e7tension. This ability to maintain in dependence
of interconnected networks can be of prime importance when the two systems have different regulatory
procedures' notably if two counties' and also technically if the load fre)uency control regimes are not
compatible .These properties are further enhanced by using HV!C )igt which gives independent control
of reactive power at both stations' in addition to active ,o'er -lo' control"
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