Search

To effectively mitigate the commutation failure (CF) of the line-commutated converter high-voltage direct current (LCC-HVDC) transmission system, a dynamic series voltage compensator (DSVC) scheme is proposed. The DSVC consists of three integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT)-based full-bridge submodule (FBSM) chains to match the bulk power transmission of the LCC-HVDC. Inserted between the transformer and the AC port of the inverter, the DSVC assists the commutation process by superposing the transient voltage to the AC line voltage and increasing the commutation margin of the inverter valve. Operation and control strategies, which are two critical techniques for the DSVC, are designed based on the working states of the FBSMs, assisting the commutation process and balancing the DSVC capacitor dynamic voltages. The CF detection method is another critical technique of the DSVC control and is improved considering the reverse time of the LCC-HVDC thyristors. Compared with the topologies proposed in existing literature, the DSVC has better performances in safe and stable operation due to the urgent control strategy considering situations beyond its ability. A detailed EMT simulation shows that the DSVC can respond quickly to mitigate CFs and validate the effectiveness of the overall design and key techniques. Furthermore, the operation and control strategy can limit the current stress once it is beyond the capability of the DSVC, which guarantees its feasibility and practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel hybrid-arm modular multilevel converters (HA-MMCs) topology with DC low voltage operation and fault ride-through capability is proposed for unidirectional HVDC bulk power transmission. The HA-MMCs topology is a combination of two types of converter arms: the half-bridge sub-module based arm (HBSM-arm) and the diagonal bridge sub-module based arm (DBSM-arm). Replacing the traditional HBSM-MMC, the HA-MMCs are operated in current and reactive power control modes during normal conditions and can work as the rectifier or the inverter. Since the DBSM can provide bipolar voltages with unipolar currents, the HA-MMCs need not change its control strategy under DC low voltage conditions caused by the high-impedance faults. Under DC pole-to-pole or pole-to-ground faults, the HA-MMCs can both clear the DC fault current and work as the static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) to provide reactive power to support the AC grid. Compared with other MMC topologies with DC fault ride-through capability, the HA-MMCs topology is more economical for significantly decreasing the number of power devices. The operation states, control strategy and DC low voltage operation capability of the HA-MMCs are presented and simulation results of the LCC-HA-MMC hybrid system using PSCAD/EMTDC validate the characteristics and advantages of the HA-MMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing integration of power electronic converters into the power system, the interactions between converters and their adjacent transmissions bring emerging oscillation issues. A new type of sub- and super-synchronous interactions (S $^2$ SI) between STATCOMs and the weak AC/DC grid were detected in China Southern Grid. As an oscillation incident never reported before, as far as the authors know, its characteristics were quite different from the previous ones. Field measurements as well as simulation studies have revealed that the various factors contributing to the S $^2$ SI include the number of online STATCOMs, the strength of the AC system (in terms of effective short-circuit ratio), the status of series compensation, and the loading level of the HVDC. The mechanism of such oscillation has been clarified and it is caused by the S $^2$ SI between STATCOMs and weak AC grids, where sub- and super-synchronous components are involved in a coupled way. To fully represent such a coupling effect, the concept of sub- and super-synchronous coupled impedance model (IM), or S $^2$ SC-IM, is proposed and developed in order to establish a stability criterion for the S $^2$ SI. Based on the IM-based method as well as the time-domain simulations, the impacts on S $^2$ SI from the various factors are quantitatively analyzed. The results show good consistence among theoretical analysis, electromagnetic simulations, and field measurements. Therefore, the effectiveness of the developed models and the stability criterion has been well verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic transient (EMT) and transient stability hybrid simulations are predominantly used to analyze the interactions between HVDC systems and the ac grids. However, the dynamics of the converters will be greatly affected by the waveforms of adjacent ac systems. Waveform distortion as well as time delay caused by interfacing can significantly increase interface errors, resulting in the decrease of the overall accuracy of the simulations. To solve such problems, a dynamic phasor based interface model (DPIM) is proposed in this paper to improve the accuracy of interfaces, especially when the fault occurs near the converters. In doing so, the whole system is partitioned into three parts: the transient stability (TS) subsystem, the EMT subsystem, and the DPIM. During each iteration, the interfaces between the TS subsystem and DPIM are represented by their Norton equivalents at the fundamental frequency and Thevenin equivalents in the dynamic phasor form. Similarly, the interfaces between DPIM and EMT subsystems are represented by their three-phase Norton equivalents and Thevenin equivalents in dynamic phasors, respectively. The effectiveness concerning the accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed method is validated by simulating a practical HVDC Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]