HVDC Control

CIA, CC, CEA

Firing Angle Control

Requirements for the firing pulse generation
1) The firing instant for all valves are determined at
ground potential.
2) Pulse generator must send a pulse whenever
required.

There are two basic types of firing schemes

1) Individual Phase Control (IPC)
2) Equidistant Pulse Control (EPC)

Individual Phase Control

Features:
1) Firing pulse generation for each phase.
2) Firing pulses rigidly synchronized with the
commutation voltages.
Two types:
1) Constant Control
2) Inverse Cosine Control

Individual Phase Control

Constant Control

Individual Phase Control

Inverse Cosine Control

Individual Phase Control

Problems
Any distortion in the ac voltage leads to change in
the zero crossings affects firing results in
generating firing pulses which are non-equidistant.
Non-equidistant firing results in generating noncharacteristic harmonics (h np1) harmonic
instability.
Harmonic instability causes problems in the ac side.
The problem in aggravated at frequencies in which
system impedance and filter impedance are in
parallel resonance.

Individual Phase Control

How to overcome harmonic instability?
1) Include additional filters for filtering noncharacteristic harmonics.
2) Use of filters in control circuits to filter out noncharacteristic harmonics in commutation voltages
causes further delay (control delay).
3) To employ a control method which is independent of
the zero crossing of the ac voltages.

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulses are generated at equal intervals
1
Interval
fp

Types
1) Pulse Frequency Control (PFC)
2) Pulse Period Control
3) Pulse Phase Control (PPC)

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulse Frequency Control (PFC)

V1 bias voltage
Vc control voltage
V3 voltage proportional to the system period

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulse Frequency Control (PFC)
Firing pulse is generated when

tn

t n1

K1 Vc V1 dt V3

In steady-state, Vc=0

K1V1 tn tn 1 V3
pf0V3
K1
V1
f0 is the nominal frequency of the ac system.

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulse Frequency Control (PFC)

Figure: Frequency correction for PFC

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulse Period Control

tn

t n1

K1V1dt V3 Vc

Figure: Generation of pulses

Equidistant Pulse Control

Pulse Phase Control
Firing pulse is generated when

tn

t n1

K1V1dt V3 Vcn Vc ( n1)

Slow control a recommended method to reduce the steady-state

error.
Major advantages of PPC over PFC
Easy inclusion of limits by limiting Vc
linear control characteristics
.

Equidistant Pulse Control

Drawbacks
Under unbalanced voltage conditions, EPC results in
less DC voltage compared to IPC.
High negative damping contribution to torsional
oscillations when the HVDC link is the major
transmission link from a thermal power station.

Advantages
Less complex than IPC
Does not generate non-characteristic harmonics

Current Control
Ie

Feedback controller.
PI controller
Non-zero value of Ie vary Vc Slow down or
speed up VCO.

Current & CEA Control

Measured is passed through a non-linear block.

If > ref - control action is slowed down
If < ref - control action is made faster
Selector picks Vci corresponding to smaller .

What is the frequency of the VCO (Voltage

Controlled Oscillator)?
Hint : It is related to the frequency of ac supply.

Harmonic instability is the drawback of which

scheme?
IPC

EPC