HVDC

Manoj Barsaiyan
1

HISTORY OF HVDC
HVDC technology first made its mark in the
early under-sea cable interconnections of
Gotland (1954) and Sardinia (1967), and then in
long distance transmission with the Pacific
Intertie (1970) and Nelson River (1973)
schemes using mercury-arc valves.
A significant milestone occurred in 1972 with the
first
Back
to
Back
(BB)
asynchronous
interconnection at Eel River between Quebec
and New Brunswick; this installation also
marked the introduction of thyristor valves
technology and replaced the earlier mercury-arc
valves.

HISTORY OF HVDC
The first 25 years of HVDC transmission were
sustained by converters having mercury arc
valves till the mid-1970s.
The next 25 years till the year 2000 were
sustained by line-commutated converters using
thyristor valves.
It is predicted that the next 25 years will be
dominated by force-commutated converters.
Initially, this new force-commutated era has
commenced
with
Capacitor
Commutated
Converters (CCC) eventually to be replaced by
self-commutated
converters
due
to
the
economic availability of high power switching
devices with their superior characteristics.

RECENTLY

COMPLETED

HVDC

PROJECTS

Year Project

MW Remarks

2004 Square Butte , USA

500

2004 Three Gorges - Guangdong, China

2004 CU Project, USA
2003 Rapid City, USA
2003 Three Gorges - Changzhou, China
2002 CrossSound, USA
2002 Murraylink, Australia
2002 Garabi 2, Brazil
2001 Italy-Greece
2000 Swepol, Sweden - Poland
2000 Terranora interconnector, Australia
2000 Tjaereborg, Denmark
2000 Eagle Pass, USA
1999 Gotland HVDC Light, Sweden
1999 Garabi 1, Brazil
1998 Chandrapur - Padghe, India
1997 Leyte - Luzon, Philippines
1997 Hllsjn, Sweden

3000
1000 Control system upgrade
200 CCC
3000
330
220 Land cable
1100 CCC
500
600
180 Land cable
7
Land cable
36
50 Land cable
1100 CCC
1500
440
3
First HVDC Light

(Built by GE.) Control system upgrade by

ABB.

RECENTLY

COMPLETED

Year Project

HVDC

PROJECTS

MW Remarks

2011
2010
2010
2010
2010
2009
2009
2009

Valhall offshore, Norway

78
Lingbao II (Extension project), China 750
Hulunbeir-Liaoning , China
3000
Caprivi Link Interconnector, Namibia 300
Xiangjiaba - Shanghai, China
6400
Outaouais, Canada
1250
Chteauguay, Qubec, Canada
1000
Blackwater, USA
200

2008
2007
2007
2006
2006
2005
2005

NorNed, Norway - Netherlands

Skagerrak 1&2, Norway - Denmark
Sharyland Asynchronous Tie,USA
Three Gorges - Shanghai, China
Estlink, Estonia - Finland
Vizag II, India
Troll offshore, Norway

HVDC Light with overhead line

800 kV UHVDC

Control system upgrade

Valve cooling and control systems
upgrade.
2008 Cahora Bassa, Apollo upgrade, South 1920 Upgrade of: valves, filters and control
Africa
system

700
500 Control system upgrade
150
3000
350
500
84

UPCOMING HVDC

PROJECTS

Year Project
2015 DolWin2
2015 NordBalt

MW Remarks
900 The world's largest offshore HVDC system
700 The longest HVDC Light cable connection

2015 North East - Agra, India

2014 Skagerrak 4

2013 DolWin1 HVDC Light, Germany

6 000 Multi-terminal 800 kV UHVDC

700 500 kV, first HVDC Light to run in bipolar
configuration with an HVDC Classic link
7 200 UHVDC. The most powerful trasmission in the
world!
800 320 kV HVDC Light cables

2013 Inga-Kolwezi Upgrade, DR Congo

560

Upgrade

2012 Highgate Refurbishment

200

Valve cooling and control systems upgrade.

2012 Rio Madeira, Brazil

3150 World's longest transmission

2012 Rio Madeira back-to-back, Brazil

800

2012 Fenno-Skan 1 Upgrade

500

2012 East West Interconnector, Ireland - UK

500

2011 Fenno-Skan 2, Sweden - Finland

2011 SAPEI, Italy

800
1000

2011 BorWin1, Germany

400

2011 IPP Upgrade, USA

2400

2013 Jinping - Sunan, China

200 kV HVDC Light cables

10

Offshore wind power

HVDC

AROUND THE WORLD

11

EXISTING HVDC

IN

INDIA

RIHAND- DADRI (DELHI) 1500 MW BIPOLE

(1991)
TALCHER - KOLAR 2500 MW BIPOLE
(2001)
BALIA - BHIWADI 2500 MW BIPOLE (Under
Construction )
NER AGRA 6000MW AT +/- 800KV DC
( Proposed)
VINDHYACHAL 2 X 250 MW BACK TO
BACK(1989)

CHANDRAPUR 2 X 500 MW BACK TO

BACK(1997)
VIZAG 2 X 500 MW BACK TO BACK(1999)
SASARAM 1 X 500 MW BACK TO
BACK(2002)

ADVANTAGES
Why

OF

HVDC

HVDC rather than HVAC?

Long distances make HVDC cheaper

Improved link stability
Fault isolation
Asynchronous link

COMPARISON OF
AC-DC
TRANSMISSION
14

EVALUATION OF TRANSMISSION COSTS

The cost of a transmission line comprises of the

capital investment required for the

1.

2.

3.

actual infrastructure (i.e. Right of Way

(RoW),
towers, conductors, insulators and terminal
equipment)
and costs incurred for operational
requirements (i.e. losses).

15

16

AC, DC COMPARISION
With the dc option, since there are only two
conductors (with the same current capacity of 3
ac conductors), the power transmission losses
are also reduced to about two-thirds of the
comparable ac system.
The absence of skin effect with dc is also
beneficial in reducing power losses marginally.
Corona effects tend to be less significant on dc
than for ac conductors.
The other factors that influence line costs are
the costs of compensation and terminal
equipment. dc lines do not require reactive
power
compensation
but
the
terminal
equipment costs are increased due to the 18
presence of converters and filters.

COST

COMPARISON OF AC AND DC

TRANSMISSION

19

VOLTAGE CONTROL
Voltage control in ac lines is complicated by line
charging and voltage drops. The voltage profile in
an ac line is relatively flat only for a fixed level of
power transfer The voltage profile varies with the
line loading.
The maintenance of constant voltage at the two
ends requires reactive power control as the line
loading is increased.
Although dc converter stations require reactive
power related to the power transmitted, the dc
line itself does not require any reactive power.

LINE COMPENSATION

Line compensation is necessary for long distance

ac transmission to overcome the problems of line
charging and stability limitations. The increase in
power transfer and voltage control is possible
through the use of line compensation.

In the case of dc lines, such compensation is not

needed.

PROBLEMS OF DC TRANSMISSION

1.
2.

3.
4.

The application of dc transmission is limited

by factors such as:
High cost of conversion equipment,
Inability to use transformers to alter
voltage levels,
Generation of harmonics,
Complexity of controls.

23

ADVANCES IN DC TECHNOLOGY
Increase in the ratings of a thyristor cell that
makes up a valve,
Modular construction of thyristor valves,
Twelve-pulse (and higher) operation of
converters,
Use of forced-commutation , and
Application of digital electronics and fiber
optics in the control of converters.

24

APPLICATIONS OF DC TRANSMISSION
Underground or underwater cables
In the case of long cable connections over the
breakeven distance of about 40-50 km, dc
cable transmission system has a marked
advantage over ac cable connections.
The recent development of Voltage Source
Converters (VSC) and the use of rugged
polymer dc cables, with the so-called HVDC
Light option, is being increasingly considered.

25

UNDERWATER CABLES

LONG DISTANCE BULK POWER

TRANSMISSION

Bulk power transmission over long distances is

an application ideally suited for dc transmission
and is more economical than ac transmission
whenever the breakeven distance is exceeded.
The breakeven distance is being effectively
decreased with the reduced costs of new
compact converter stations possible due to the
recent advances in power electronics

27

ASYNCHRONOUS INTERCONNECTION OF AC
SYSTEMS

In terms of an asynchronous interconnection

between two ac systems, the dc option reigns
supreme. There are many instances of BB
connections where two ac networks have been
tied together for the overall advantage to both
ac systems.
In the future, it is anticipated that these BB
connections will also be made with VSCs
offering the possibility of full four-quadrant
operation and the total control of active/reactive
power coupled with the minimal generation of
harmonics.

28

BACK-TO-BACK STATION
It is a plant in which both static inverters and
rectifiers are in the same area, usually in the
same building. The length of the direct current
line is kept as short as possible. HVDC backto-back stations are used for coupling of
electricity mains of different frequency (as in
Japan; and the GCC interconnection between
UAE [50 Hz] and Saudi Arabia [60 Hz] under
construction in 20092011)
coupling two networks of the same nominal
frequency but no fixed phase relationship (as
until 1995/96 in Etzenricht, Drnrohr, Vienna,
and the Vyborg HVDC scheme).

29

STABILIZATION OF POWER FLOWS

IN INTEGRATED POWER SYSTEM
In large interconnected systems, power flow in
ac
ties
(particularly
under
disturbance
conditions) can be uncontrolled and lead to
overloads
and
stability
problems
thus
endangering system security.
Strategically placed dc lines can overcome this
problem due to the fast controllability of dc
power and provide much needed damping and
timely overload capability.

30

RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY
SUPERHIGHWAYS

A number of studies have highlighted the potential

benefits of very wide area super grids based on
HVDC. A study concludes that a grid covering the
fringes of Europe could bring 100% renewable
power (70% wind, 30% biomass) at close to today's
prices. There has been debate over the technical
feasibility of this proposal[28] and the political risks
involved in energy transmission across a large
number of international borders.[29]
In January 2009, the European Commission
proposed 300 million to subsidize the development
of HVDC links between Ireland, Britain, the
Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, as
part of a wider 1.2 billion package supporting links
to
offshore
wind
farms
and
cross-border
31
interconnectors throughout Europe.

HVDC

PRESENT STATUS

Presently the number of dc lines in a power grid is

very small compared to the number of ac lines. This
indicates that dc transmission is justified only for
specific applications.
Although advances in technology and introduction
of Multi-Terminal DC (MTDC) systems are expected
to increase the scope of application of dc
transmission, it is not anticipated that the ac grid
will be replaced by a dc power grid in the future.
There are two major reasons for this:
First, the control and protection of MTDC systems is
complex and the inability of voltage transformation
in dc networks imposes economic penalties.
Second, the advances in power electronics
technology have resulted in the improvement of the
performance of ac transmissions using FACTS
devices.

32

HVDC PRESENT &

FUTURE

The longest HVDC link in the world is currently

the Xiangjiaba-Shanghai 2,071 km (1,287 mi)
6400 MW link connecting the Xiangjiaba Dam to
Shanghai, in the People's Republic of China.
In 2013, the longest HVDC link will be the Rio
Madeira link connecting the Amazonas to the
So Paulo area where the length of the DC line
is over 2,500 km (1,600 mi). ABB will provide
two 3,150 megawatt HVDC converter stations,
and at 600 KV.
33

TRANSMISSION LINE SYSTEMS

AC

DC

Maximum voltage
in operation

kV 800

+/- 600

Maximum voltage
under development

kV 1200

+/- 800

MW 2000

3150

MW 4000

6400

Maximum power
per line in
operation
Maximum power
per line under
development

Advantages of HVDC

No (capacitive) charging currents

Grid coupling (without rise of short-circuit current)
No stability problems (frequency)
Higher power transfer
No inductive voltage drop
No Skin-Effect
High flexibility and controllability

Disadvantages of HVDC

Additional costs for converter station and filters

Harmonics
requires reactive power
Expensive circuit breakers
Low overload capability

TYPES OF HVDC
SYSTEMS
36

MONOPOLAR LINK

In a common configuration, called monopole,

one of the terminals of the rectifier is
connected to earth ground. The other If no
metallic conductor is installed, current flows
in the earth between the earth electrodes at
the two stations. Therefore it is a type of
single wire earth return.
A metallic return can also be used where
concerns for harmonic interference and/or
corrosion exist.
37

Hvdc monopolar schematic

38

BIPOLAR LINK
A bipolar link has two conductors, one positive
and the other negative. Each terminal has two
sets of converters of equal rating, in series on
the dc side. The junction between the two sets
of converters is grounded at one or both ends
by the use of a short electrode line. Since both
poles operate with equal currents under
normal operation, there is zero ground current
flowing under these conditions.
Monopolar operation can also be used in the
first stages of the development of a bipolar
link. Alternatively, under faulty converter
conditions, one dc line may be temporarily
used as a metallic return with the use of
suitable switching.

39

Hvdc bipolar schematic

40

HOMOPOLAR LINK
In this type of link two conductors having the
same polarity (usually negative) can be
operated with ground or metallic return.
Due to the undesirability of operating a dc link
with ground return, bipolar links are mostly
used.
A homopolar link has the advantage of reduced
insulation costs, but the disadvantages of
earth return outweigh the advantages.

41

Homopolar Link

42

MAIN COMPONENTS
OF HVDC
SYSTEM

43

CONVERTER

44

CONVERTER

45

CONVERTER
During the period (about) 1950-1990s, HVDC
systems used the CSC configuration almost
exclusively.
From about 1990 onwards, the alternative VSC
became economically viable due to the
availability of new self-commutating highpower switches (such as GTOs and IGBTs) and
the computing power of DSPs to generate the
appropriate firing patterns.
However, at present VSC are still limited to
below 250 MW capacity due to commercial and
practical limitations of the electronic switches.

46

COMPARISIONN

OF CONVERTERS

47

COMPARISIONN

OF CONVERTERS

48

PULSE CSC

49

PULSE CSC

50

12-PULSE CONVERTOR BRIDGE

VOLTAGE

SOURCE CONVERTER

VSC

52

VOLTAGE

SOURCE CONVERTER

VSC

Different kinds of Pulse Width Modulation

(PWM) techniques can be employed to
operate the VSC in inverter mode to provide
a sinusoidal output to the ac system. The
advantages of the VSC are:
Rapid control of active as well as reactive
power,
It provides a high level of power quality,

The technology lends itself to the following

types of applications:
Low power (less than 250 MW) HVDC
transmission (commercially referred to as
HVDC Light),

53

VOLTAGE SOURCED CONVERTERS (VSC)

The development of insulated gate bipolar

transistors (IGBT) and gate turn-off thyristors
(GTO) has made smaller HVDC systems
economical.
These may be installed in existing AC grids for
their role in stabilizing power flow without the
additional short-circuit current that would be
produced by an additional AC transmission line.
The manufacturer ABB calls this concept "HVDC
Light
Siemens calls a similar concept "HVDC PLUS"
(Power Link Universal System).

54

VOLTAGE SOURCED CONVERTERS (VSC)

They have extended the use of HVDC down to

blocks as small as a few tens of megawatts and
lines as short as a few score kilometres of
overhead line.
There are several different variants of VoltageSourced Converter (VSC) technology: most
"HVDC Light" installations use pulse width
modulation but the most recent installations,
along with "HVDC PLUS", are based on
multilevel switching. The latter is a promising
concept as it allows reducing the filtering efforts
to a minimum. At the moment, the line filters of
typical converter stations cover nearly half of
the area of the whole station.
55

Worldwide VSC HVDC PROJECTS

POSSIBILITIES FOR TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR HIGH

POWER
Alternating Current (AC)
Direct Current (DC)
Hybrid AC / DC - Connection

Hybrid
Connection

Source: SIEMENS

CONVERTER TRANSFORMERS
The converter transformers adjust the supplied
ac voltage to the valve bridges to suit the rated
dc voltage.
The transformer for a 12-pulse bridge has a
star-star-delta three-winding configuration, or a
combination of transformers in star-star and
star-delta connections.

58

HARMONIC FILTERS
Converter
operation
generates
harmonic
currents and voltages on the ac and dc sides,
respectively. On the ac side, a converter with a
pulse number of p generates characteristic
harmonics
having
the
order
of
np1
(n=1,2,3,).
AC filters are installed to absorb those harmonic
components and to reduce voltage distortion
below a required threshold. Tuned filters and
high pass filters are used as ac filters.
On the dc side, the order of harmonics is np. DC
filters, along with dc reactors, reduce the
harmonics flowing out into the dc line. DC filters
are not required in cable transmission or backto-back schemes.
59

AC FILTERS
AC filters are passive circuits used to provide
low impedance shunt paths for ac harmonic
currents. Both tuned and damped filter
arrangements are used. In a typical 12-pulse
station, filters at the 11th and 13th harmonics
are required as tuned filters.
Damped filters (normally tuned to the 23rd
harmonic) are required for the higher
harmonics.
The availability of cost-effective active ac filters
will change the scenario in the future..

60

DC FILTERS

These are similar to ac filters and are used for

the filtering of dc harmonics. Usually a damped
filter at the 24th harmonic is utilized.
Active dc filters are increasingly being used for
efficiency and space-saving purposes.

61

DC SMOOTHING REACTOR
A sufficiently large series reactor is used on the
dc side of the converter to smooth the dc
current and for converter protection from line
surges.
The reactor is usually designed as a linear
reactor and may be connected on the line side,
on the neutral side, or at an intermediate
location.
Typical values of the smoothing reactor are in
the 300600mH range for long-distance
transmission and about 30mH for a BB
connection.

62

DC SMOOTHING REACTOR

63

SHUNT CAPACITORS
A line commutated converter in steady-state
operation consumes reactive power of about
60% of the active, or dc, power transferred.
The shunt capacitors installed at the converter
ac bus supply the reactive power required to
maintain the converter ac bus voltage. To
achieve satisfactory power factor the shunt
capacitors are normally subdivided and
switched by circuit breakers as the dc power
varies. Some or all of the shunt capacitors are
normally configured as ac harmonic filters

64

DC SWITCHGEAR
This is usually modified ac equipment and used
to interrupt only small dc currents (i.e.,
employed as disconnecting switches).
Dc breakers or metallic return transfer breakers
(MRTB) are used, if required, for the
interruption of rated load currents.
In addition to the equipment described above,
ac switchgear and associated equipment for
protection and measurement are also part of
the converter station.

65

HVDC CONTROLS

In a typical two-terminal dc link connecting

two ac systems the primary functions of the
dc controls are to:

Control power flow between the terminals,

Protect the equipment against the
current/voltage stresses caused by faults,
and
Stabilize the attached ac systems against
any operational mode of the dc link.

66

HVDC CONTROLS

67

HVDC CONTROLS
Limit the maximum dc current.
Due to a limited thermal inertia of the thyristor
valves to sustain overcurrents, the maximum dc
current is usually limited to less than 1.2 pu for a
limited period of time.
Maintain
a
maximum
dc
voltage
for
transmission.
This
reduces the transmission losses, and
permits optimization of the valve rating and
insulation.
Minimize reactive power consumption.
This implies that the converters must operate at
a low firing angle. A typical converter will
consume reactive power between 50-60% of its
MW rating. This amount of reactive power supply
can cost about 15% of the station cost, and
consume about 10% of the power loss.

68

HVDC CONVERTER STATION DESIGN

76

HVDC CONVERTER STATION DESIGN

77

THE HVDC CLASSIC CONVERTER STATION

78

THE CCC* CONVERTER STATION

79

MTDC OPERATION
Most HVDC transmission systems are twoterminal systems.
A multi terminal dc system (MTDC) has more
than two terminals.
There are two possible ways of tapping
power from an HVDC link, i.e., with series or
parallel taps.

80

MTDC

81

THANK YOU

82