Electric power transmission

DC power transmission

Topics
principles of DC links
main components
control methods
protections
network impacts
pros and cons
key applications

J.Partanen
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Different DC links

monopolar / bipolar links

in a monopolar link, sea is used as the
current return path (ground cannot be used
because of corrosion problems) FennoSkan 500 MW, 400 kV
by a bipolar link, a double transmission
power and redundancy against line and
converter failures are reached

transmission link / back-to-back link

by a back-to-back link, two networks are

interconnected at one point, and thus the

transmission losses are not significant (only the
busbar system as transmission path)
a lower voltage and a higher current can
be used than on the transmission links
Vyborg 3355 MW, 385 kV
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Different DC links

Increasing the transmission capacity between Russia and Finland

Border

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Alternatives for the implementation of a DC power transmission

system

monopolar
(Vd)
(a)

Vd

monopolar
(Vd)

(b)

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Alternatives for the implementation of a DC power transmission

system

Vd

bipolar
( Vd)

-Vd

(c)

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Monopolar DC link Fenno-Skan

400 kV

1250 A

200 km
3 km
SUBMARINE
CABLE

500 MW

RAUMA
400 kV A400

26 km

B400

F1

3 km
3 km

25 km

ELECTRODE LINE

6 km

2 km

ELECTRODE LINE

C400

400 kV

5 km

D400

DANNEBO

2 km

FORSMARK

F1
F2
F3

Shunt

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

point-to-point / multiterminal HVDC schemes

in practice, all the connections are implemented as twoterminal systems
globally, there are only two three-terminal systems, in which
the third terminal only receives power (Italy-CorsicaSardinia, Quebec-New England)
the development of multiterminal HVDC is hampered by:
lack of application targets
requirements set for the control system
lack of a reliable DC circuit breaker
in the present implementations, the DC circuit breaker is
replaced by a control and protection system a disturbance
can be seen in the entire system
7

J.Partanen
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Inverter
Line with parallel tap
HVDC ring system
Rectifier

Series-connected system

Inverter
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Main components of a DC link

converter stations connected to the AC bus via
transformers
two- or three-winding transformers, in which a 30 phase shift
is required between the converter units because of the 12pulse connection selection of vector groups
the on-load tap changer of the transformer is an essential part
of the DC link control system large voltage control range
and repeated stepping

in addition to transformers, a converter station

includes:

filters and capacitor batteries

converter bridges
usually two six-pulse bridges in series, equipped with
controls of their own enables independent operation
cooling system
ignition pulses of the thyristors are usually passed via
optical fibres
9

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Main components of a DC link

control system
smoothing inductor
filters harmonics in DC and limits the rate of current
change
DC filters (on overhead lines)

DC link

telephone interference

a cable or an overhead line as a transmission path

for the current passing through sea or earth, also electrodes
are required

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Main components of a DC link

DC line

Smooth. inductor
Transformers
6-pulse
bridge

AC bus

DC filter

6-pulse
bridge

AC filters

To the electrode station or

other 12-pulse unit

Control system

Compensation
capacitors
11

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Six-pulse bridge

Id
V1

~
~
~

UR

US

UT

XC

XC

XC

IR

V3

V5

IS

IT

Ud
T

V4

V6

V2

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Schematic for a 12-pulse DC link

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

1. Power control
current as control signal

current reference formed by dividing the power

reference with the actual value of the DC voltage
ignition angles are set based on the current reference,
and the ignition impulses for thyristors are formed
the lower limit of the power range is determined by the
direct current discontinuity (power control range of FennoSkan is 0.05 1.0 pu)
includes voltage-dependent current limiting that prevents
too large current references

2. Additional controls
emergency power control

control activated based on the criteria obtained from the

AC network
reference power adjusted according to pre-set
parameters
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

1000 A

10
300 MW

300 kV

2000 A

290 kV

The power transmitted

through the DC link
determined from the
voltages of converters

10

(the current direction

cannot change, since the
thyristors conduct only in
one direction)

600 MW
310 kV

1000 A

290 kV

10

290 kV

300 kV
300 MW

15

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

f
50 Hz

Emergency power control

Id
Pd, Id

Ud
Ud
t

Pd
t
1s
in theory, even up to
10 ms

Fenno-Skan
1000 MW/s

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

damping of electromechanical oscillations

modulation of DC power and damping of slow

oscillations on the network (Finland 0.3 Hz)
manual control of reactive power
during a light load, extra reactive power can be taken
from the network to the converter
frequency control
during asynchronous operation of the DC networks, the
DC link can be used for frequency control
subharmonic oscillations
a DC link inherently weakens the networks ability to
dampen axial oscillations
positive damping by modulating DC power

17

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

DC link in parallel with AC links

Pac1

AC network 1
U1
1

AC network 2
Pac2
U2

f1

f2
2

Pdc

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

HVDC control and protection system (Fenno-Skan)

3. Protections
protection in the AC side
transformer protections
filter protections
protection of capacitor batteries
protection in the DC side
the target is to remove the short-circuits on the DC line
by driving the rectifier momentarily to AC range the
supply of fault current is switched off
thyristor protection
control pulses are removed for a moment (blocking the
valves) faults are usually cleared

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19

Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Network effects of a DC link

thyristor bridges and reactances of the commutation

circuit lead to consumption of reactive power,
amounting in normal operation to about 50 % of the
transmitted active power

harmonic filters
capacitor batteries
static compensators
synchronous machines

thyristor bridges produce harmonics in the AC-side

current (n = kp 1) and characteristic harmonics (n =

kp) in the DC-side voltage (kp = characteristic pulse number)
harmonic filters
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Benefits of DC power transmission

interconnected operation of AC networks of different frequencies
asynchronous interconnected operation of AC networks of the

same frequency
the transmission power between AC networks is independent of
the network frequency and phase shift
fast control of power possible
power reserve can be taken into use
stabilization of fluctuations
frequency control

stability is not a limiting factor in power transmission the lines

can be loaded more economically; usually up to the thermal limit

there does not occur capacitive charging current on DC lines
a DC link does not increase the short-circuit currents of the AC
network (constant current control)
ground or sea can be used as a return conductor
lower corona losses smaller disturbances (no skin effect)
21

J.Partanen
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Benefits of DC power transmission

DC is a beneficial (lower-cost) solution at long transmission
distances
(the dependence of line costs on the transmission distance is not
as significant as in AC transmission):
Investment
costs

AC total costs
DC total costs

Limit distance
DC line

AC line
DC stations
AC stations
Transmission
distance

Investments as a function of transmission distance

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Example

Let us compare a three-phase AC link with a bipolar DC link (two

lines with voltages U).
a) What is the ratio of power transmission capacities, when the
losses and conductor cross-sections are equal?
b) How does the power transmission capacity change, when the
existing double AC link is changed over to three DC links?

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23

Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Example

Solution
a) Equal losses (when R is equal in both cases):

ac losses = 3 R I L2
dc losses = 2 R I d2

3RI L2 = 2 RI d2

Id =

3
IL
2

(1)

ac power = 3 U ac I L (when cos = 1)

dc power = 2 U d I d
sij.(1)

ac power
=
dc power

U
3U ac I L
3 U ac
=

= 1.22 ac
Ud
3
2 Ud
2U d
IL
2

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Example

Typical specific conditions are as follows:

insulation dist. / ac phase
insulation ratio =
=
insulation dist. / dc terminal

U ac
Ud
U
2.49 ac
Ud

1.44

overhead line
cable

Thus, if the insulation distances are equal in AC and DC solutions

(insulation ratio = 1), we obtain

overhead line :
cable :

ac power 1.22
=
= 0.83
dc power 1.44

ac power 1.22
=
= 0.48
dc power 2.49

DC preferable

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Example

b) AC power: Pac = 6UacIL (cos = 1)

DC power: Pdc = 6UdId
Current and insulation distance remain unchanged:
IL = Id
Ud = 1.44 Uac overhead line
Ud = 2.49 Uac cable

Pdc
= 1.44
Pac
2.94

overhead line
cable

Losses remain the same (R and I are the same), and thus the
proportional losses decrease:

Ph Pdc
=
Ph Pac

1
= 0.68 overhead line
1.44
1
= 0.34 cable
2.94
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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Losses
[MW]
A.C. 2400 kV

150

1200 mm2
100

HVDC 400 kV

1620 mm2
50

Transmission
distance

Station
500

1000

Comparison of the losses on DC

(400 kV) and AC links (2400
kV) when transmitting a power
of 1200 MW; given as a
function of transmission
distance.

Km
27

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

USD/ MW,km,a
USD/ MW,km,a

HVDC
50
HVAC
40

40

30

30

20

20

10

10

0
0

500

1000

km

Transmission costs as a function of

distance with a 500 MW power transfer.

0
0

500

1000

km

Transmission costs as a function of

distance with a 1000 MW power
transfer.

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Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

USD/
MW,km,year
MW

40
2000
30

AC
20

DC

1000

10

500

1000

km

Transmission costs a function of distance

with a power transfer of 2000 MW.

0
0

500

1000

km

Selection guide for an AC and DC

system

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29

Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Disadvantages of DC power transmission

converter stations are expensive and complex

arrangements compared with the stations in an AC

system
converters require plenty of reactive power, which
usually has to be generated at the converter station
converters produce harmonics both in the AC
network and in the DC side
in monopolar links, the return current passing through
ground causes corrosion in metal objects
the magnetic field caused by the current of the DC
sea cable may cause compass interference
current cutoff (switching off) difficult (no natural zero
points)
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30

Electric power transmission, DC power transmission

Key application areas of DC transmission

long-distance power transmission

growth potential in Russia, South America, Africa and Asia

long and high-power cable links

the use of DC is more profitable at notably shorter distances
than with AC overhead lines
the charging reactive power of cables is high restricts the
active power transmission
if frequency f = 5060 Hz, the charging current of a 4080
km long cable is of the magnitude of the rated current of the
cable the cable cannot transmit active power at all (in
theory, compensation is possible)
in long sea cables, DC the only alternative

asynchronous interconnected operation of AC

networks
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