FINAL REPORT

HVDC TECHNOLOGY

DONE BY:
BIKORIMANA Sefu

Beijing, 2017
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Basic Problems
1）Draw the main circuit of traditional HVDC and name the main equipment in the
HVDC converter station.
Solution:

Figure 1. Traditional HVDC converter station equipment.

The main equipment in the HVDC converter station

1. Converter Unit
2. Thyristor Valves
3. Converter Transformer
4. Filters: AC Filters, DC filters and High Frequency (RF/PLC) Filters
5. Reactive Power Source
6. DC Smoothing Reactor
7. DC Switchgear
8. DC Cables

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2）List the order of characteristic harmonics both for 6-pulse rectifier and 12-pulse
rectifier. Are there difference of the characteristic harmonics for a converter
operating in rectifier mode or inverter mode?
Solution
The order of characteristic harmonics for 6-pulse rectifier
• Characteristic harmonic of AC side of converter
The 6-pulsation converter: h=pk±1 where k∈N, h=6k±1
h= 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25, …
• Characteristic harmonic of DC side of converter
The 6-pulsation converter: h=pk where k∈N
h=6k
h= 6, 12,18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48…
The order of characteristic harmonics for 12-pulse rectifier
• Characteristic harmonic of AC side of converter
The 12-pulsation converter: h=pk±1 where k∈N
h=12k±1
h= 11, 13, 23, 25, …
• Characteristic harmonic of DC side of converter
The 12-pulsation converter: h=pk where k∈N
h=12k
h= 12, 24, 36, 48, …
• Are there difference of the characteristic harmonics for a converter operating in
rectifier mode or inverter mode?
Solution
The inverter and rectifier characteristics are similar, however the operation as an
inverter requires a minimum commutation margin angle which the voltage across the
values is negative.

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3）A 3000MW HVDC feeds to a 500kV AC system where the short circuit current
for the connected bus is 25kA.
a) Calculate the SCR;
b) Analyze the strength of the receiving AC system.
Solution
a) Given:
I= 25kA, Pdc = 3000MW and V = 500kv
Unknown:
SCR and analysis of the strength of the receiving AC system.
S
As SCR=short circuit ratio; SCR=P
dc

So, S=√3𝑉𝐼 = √3 × 500 × 25 × 106 =21650.63× 106 VA=21650.63MVA

21650.63
Therefore, the SCR= = 7.2168
3000

Since, the SCR is greater than 5, then strength of the receiving AC system is strong.

4）Study the HVDC example in the available software (PSCAD, MATLAB, PSIM).
Analysis the behavior of HVDC with different SCR level of receiving end.
Solution
A simple model of a complete monopolar HVDC link interconnecting two AC systems with

different nominal frequency is available at the library of SIMULINK‐ Simscape Power Systems

Figure 2. HVDC 12-pulse transmission system 1000 MW (500kv-2kA) 50/60Hz

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The AC systems are represented by damped L‐R equivalents with an angle of 80
degrees at fundamental frequency (60 Hz or 50 Hz) and at the third harmonic. The
rectifier and the inverter are 12‐pulse converters using two 6‐pulse thyristor bridges
connected in series. Reactive power compensation required by the converters is
provided by a set of capacitor banks plus 11th, 13th and high pass filters for a total of
600 MVAR on each side. The HVDC link rated power is 1000 MW at 500 kV.

The response of this simple system is shown in the Figure 4. There, it is shown how
after the system is started, the rated values for voltage and current are reached. The
upper graph, labelled VdL, depicts the DC voltage at the rectifier side. The central
graph, labelled Id, shows the DC current circulating in the link. And the lower
one(alpha_ord(deg) represents the behavior of the firing angle in the rectifier. When
the steady‐state is settled this angle remains close to 17 degrees. These types of curves
are typical for HVDC links. Responses of the HVDC monopolar link are given in
figure3. below

Figure 3. Rectifier output

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Figure 4. Inverter output

After the occurrence of the fault at 0.7s and the fault is cleared at 0.8 s the current
returns to its steady state.

5）Can VSC-HVDC feed electric power to AC system without generation? What

kind of semiconductor device is employed for VSC-HVDC? The frequency of
harmonics for VSC-HVDC.
Solution
• Yes, the VSC-HVDC can feed electric power to AC system without generation.
By means of black-start capability.
• Kind of semiconductor device employed for VSC-HVDC is IGBT.
• The frequency of harmonics for VSC-HVDC
When the switching frequency is increased, then the harmonics shift to higher
frequencies. And the switching frequency is substantially higher than the
fundamental supply current frequency.

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Research topic:
A 3-phase full-bridge inverter with source inductance of Ls=1.5mH, AC voltage
rms Vs=380kV, fs=50Hz, the rated power of 500MW as a current sink source.
When thyristors are employed and the firing angle α=150°. Find:
a. The commutating duration angle μ.
b. The output DC voltage;
c. Build a simulation circuit to study the behavior of the inverter;
d. Study the harmonic characteristics of the waveforms of DC voltage and AC
current.
e. Control design to keep the output DC voltage as a constant with a change of
power.

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Solution

 2Lr I d 
a.  = cos−1  cos −  −  ,  = 150 

 E 

 = 2f = 2    50 = 314 , Lr = 0.0015 H

Pd
E = 380 103V , Pd = Vd I d , I d =
Vd

3 2 3 2
Vd = E cos , Vd =  380 10 3  cos(150  )
 

500 10 6
Vd = 444427 .18V , I d = = 1125 A
444427 .18

 2  314  0.0015 1125 

 = cos−1  cos(150  ) − 
 − 150 

 380 10 
The commutating duration angle (μ) is 0.2250

3 2
b. U d = U d 0 cos − d x I d , U d 0 = U1  1.35 E


3Lr 3  314  0.0015

dx = , dx = = 0.4498
 

U d 0 = 1.35  380 103 = 513 103V , I d = 1125 A

 =  −  ,  = 180  −  = 180  − 150  = 30 

 = 30  − 0.225  = 29.775 

U d = 513 103  cos(29.775 ) − 0.4498 1125 = 444768 .85V

The output DC voltage is 444768.85V

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c. Build a simulation circuit to study the behavior of the inverter; The simulation
circuit was built in SIMULINK/MATLAB. The inverter circuit is as shown below.

Figure 5. The inverter circuit

The firing circuit of the above figure 5. is as shown below :

Figure 6.The output AC voltage waveform of the inverter

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Figure 7.Triggering pulses for the above circuit

The following two models illustrated below are used to study the characteristic
harmonics for both 6-pulse and 12-pulse inverters.

Figure 8. Three phase two-level single bridge

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Figure 9. Three phase two-level PWM converter

Output voltage at inverter terminal and at the load terminal

Figure 10. Output for 6-pulse inverter

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d) The harmonic characteristics of the waveforms of DC voltage and AC current.

Harmonics for AC side 6-pulse inverter

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Characteristic Harmonics at load terminal

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DC side Harmonics 6-pulse inverter

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OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND LOAD TERMINALS FOR 12-PULSE INVERTER

Figure 11.Output voltage and load terminals

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Harmonics for ac side of 12-pulse inverter

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Characteristic Harmonics at the load terminal

Harmonics for DC side

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HARMONIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WAVEFORMS OF DC VOLTAGE AND AC

CURRENT

• For 6-pulse converter AC characteristic harmonics

5th =0.13%, 7th= 0.20%, 11th = 0.18%, 13th = 0.57%, 17th =0.6%, 19th = 0.05%, …
• For 6-pulse converter DC characteristic harmonics
6th =0.88%, 12th = 0.96 %, 18th = 0.08%, ...
▪ For 12-pulse converter AC characteristic harmonics
11th = 0.18 %, 13th = 0.57 %, 23th = 0.17%, …
▪ For 12-pulse converter DC characteristic harmonics
12th = 6.85 %, 24th = 0.35%, …
Since the harmonic order (h) for AC and dc side characteristic harmonics increases,
the value of each harmonic declines.

CHARACTERISTIC HARMONIC OF AC SIDE OF CONVERTER

Factors that affect the harmonic current value

• Commutation angle  : with the increase of  , each harmonic has multiple

extreme points, but the general trend is declining.

• Firing angle  : when  increases, the value of each harmonic declines, but the
influence is small.
• Harmonic order h: when h increases, the value of each harmonic declines.

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CHARACTERISTIC HARMONIC OF DC SIDE OF CONVERTER
Factors that affect the harmonic voltage value

• Commutation angle  : with the increase of  , each harmonic has multiple

extreme points, but the general trend is increasing.

• Firing angle  : when  increases, the value of each harmonic increases.
• Harmonic order h: when h increases, the value of each harmonic declines.

e) Control design to keep the output DC voltage as a constant with a change of power.
CONTROL OF OUTPUT DC VOLTAGE
The control circuit for keeping a constant DC voltage with a change of power is as
shown below.

The inputs to the controller are the measured DC voltage on the DC link and the
reference DC voltage for the DC bus specified in the m-file.

Figure 12.The control circuit for keeping a constant DC voltage (Inside the controller)

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• The reference DC current is the output of the controller,
• The output of the current controller are the direct and quadrature axes voltages
which are then scaled with the measured DC voltage,
• The new reference voltage which are eventually used to compensate the DC
voltage appropriately. The entire controller is as shown in figure 14 and the output
is the modulation index.

Figure 13.The entire controller

Figure 14.The controlled dc voltage profile

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Figure 15.The reference current and the modulation index profiles which are used in voltage control

References
[1] C. Du, VSC-HVDC for Industrial Power Systems. 2007.

[2] M. Khatir, S. Z. Samir, and M. F. O. Dahou, “Effect of the dc control on recovery

from commutation failures in an hvdc inverter feeding a weak ac network,” vol. 58,
no. 4, pp. 200–206, 2007.

[3] Muhammad H. Rashid "Power Electronics HandBook " pp.1-829

[4]H. A. A. R, “Study of supplementary controls for embedded hvdc links in ac power

study of supplementary controls for embedded hvdc links in ac power systems,”
2008.

[5] Alstom HVDC, “for beginners and beyond,” pp. 1–92, 2010.

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