Department of Electrical Engineering

HVDC System Components: Description and

Analysis

Presented By:
 Priyanshu Saini
Roll no.- 16EE8016

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HVDC Introduction
High Voltage Direct Current(HVDC) power systems use D.C. for transmission of bulk
power over long distances. For long-distance power transmission, HVDC lines are less
expensive, and losses are less as compared to AC transmission. It interconnects the
networks that have different frequencies and characteristics.

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Economical Advantages of HVDC
1. LOWER INVESTMENT COST
 HVDC terminal stations are more costly than AC.
 Over a certain distance The HVDC alternative will
always provide the lowest cost.
2. LOWER LOSSES
 The fig. shows the comparison of the losses in a
200MW overhead line Transmission using AC and
Fig. 1 HVDC.
3. DC line and Cable are cheaper.
4. Towers are shorter and cheaper.
5. Line losses are less.

P= V*I*cosϴ
P is nearly constant
So, I 1/V
R=( *l)/A
Fig.2

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Components of HVDC System
The main components of
HVDC SYSTEM
Converter Station
Electrodes
AC Circuit breakers

HVDC Components

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Converter Station Equipment
Converter

Converter Transformer

Smoothing reactor

Filters

Reactive power source

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Converter
The conversion from AC to DC and vice versa is
done in HVDC converter stations by using
three-phase bridge converters.
This bridge circuit is also called Graetz circuit.
In HVDC transmission a 12-pulse bridge
converter is used.
The converter obtains by connecting two or 6-
pulse bridge in series.

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Converter Transformer
The Converter Transformer converts the AC
networks to DC networks or vice versa.
 They have two sets of three phase windings.
The AC side winding is connected to the AC
bus bar, and the valve side winding is
connected to valve bridge.
These windings are connected in star for one
transformer and delta to another.
HVDC classic converter transformers up to 12
GW and 80 kV -1,100 kV direct current (DC)
and 1,200 kV alternating current (AC)
HVDC Light converter transformers up
to 1,500 MW and 500 kV
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Smoothing Reactor
These Reactors are used for smoothing the DC
current output in the DC line.

It Limits the rate of rise of fault current in case

of DC line Short circuit.

Partial or total air cored magnetically shielded

reactors Or disc type windings are used and
braced to withstand high short circuit current.

The saturation inductance should not be too

low

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 Filters
The AC and DC harmonics are generated in HVDC DC Filters:
converters.
The DC filter is connected between the pole
Disadvantages: bus and neutral bus.
•Interference AC Filters:
•Power loss The AC filters are RLC circuit connected
•Over voltage due to Resonance between phase and earth.

•Instability High-Frequency Filters:

Solution: filters are placed between the converter
transformer and the station AC bus.
The harmonics are minimised by using the DC, AC
and high-frequency filters.

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Reactive Power Supplies
Reactive power is required for the operations of the converters.

The AC harmonic filters provide reactive power partly.

The additional supply may also be obtained from shunt capacitors synchronous phase modifiers
and static VAR systems.

The choice depends on the speed of control desired.

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Earth Electrodes
HVDC system requires a properly designed
earth electrodes at each station.
The electrode is situated at a safe distance (5
to 30km) from the station.
The earth electrode at one of the station acts
as a anode and at the other end as a cathode.
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AC Circuit Breaker
The HVDC circuit breaker is a switching device
that interrupts the high voltage direct current
flows in the circuit.
When the fault occurs in the system, the
mechanical contacts of the circuit breaker are
pulled apart and thus their circuit is open.
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Disadvantages
Disadvantages of HVDC are in conversion, switching, control, availability and maintenance.
HVDC is less reliable and has lower availability then AC system, mainly due to extra conversion
equipment.
The required converter stations are expensive and have limited overload capacity.
For the same distance, at smaller transmission distances, the losses in the convers stations may
be bigger than AC transmission line.
Operating a HVDC scheme require many spare parts to be kept, often exclusively for one system,
as HVDC system are less standardized than AC system and technology changes faster.

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Conclusion
With HVDC power flow can be controlled rapidly and accurately as both
power level and direction. By which HVDC offers powerful alternative to
increase stability of a power system as well as to improve system
operating flexibility and losses reduction.

Using HVDC to inter connected two points in power grid, in many cases is
the best economic alternative, and further more it has excellent
environmental benefits.

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Reference
HVDC Transmission System circuitglobe.com
Economic and Environmental advantages of HVDC new.abb.com
HVDC Converter station en.Wikipedia.org
High voltage DC Transmission nptel.ac.in

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