OPERATION OF HVDC TRANSMISSION

SUBMITTED TO PREPARED BY
PROF S K CHAUHAN ADITYA TIWARI
 CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• WORKING OF HVDC
• ADVANTAGES OF HVDC
• COMPONENTS OF HVDC
• TYPES OF HVDC LINKS
• TYPES OF HVDC CONVERTERS
• ADVANTAGES OF VSC
 INTRODUCTION

• High voltage direct current (HVDC) power systems use D.C.

for transmission of bulk power over long distances.
• HVDC lines are less expensive and losses are less as
compared to AC transmission.
• It interconnects the networks that have different frequencies
and characteristics.
• HVDC is used to interconnect separate power systems where
AC system cannot be used.
 WORKING OF HVDC

AC power is generated in the generating station. This should be

converted into DC. The conversion is done with the help of
rectifier. The DC power will flow through the overhead lines. At
the user end DC is converted into AC through inverter.
There will be a rectifier terminal in one end of HVDC substation
and an inverter terminal in the other end. When there are two
converter stations at both ends and a single transmission line is
termed as two terminal DC systems. When there are two or more
converter stations and DC transmission lines is termed as multi-
terminal DC substation.
Fig.1 HVDC Substation Layout
 ADVANTAGES OF HVDC

• Control of DC quantities ( Voltage, Current and Power)

• No Stability problem (frequency)
• Higher Power transfer
• No Inductive voltage drop
• Grid coupling
• No Skin effect
• High Flexibility and Controllability
• Low cost of Transmission
 COMPONENTS OF HVDC

• Converters
• Smoothing Reactors
• Electrodes
• Harmonic filters
• Reactive power supplies
• AC Circuit Breakers
• DC Lines
Fig. 2 Schematic of Bipolar HVDC system
 Converters -
The AC to DC and DC to AC conversion are done by
the converters. It includes transformers and valve
bridges.

Smoothing Reactors -
Each pole consist of smoothing reactors which are
inductors connected in series with pole. It is used to
avoid commutation failures occurring in inverters.

Electrodes -
They are actually conductors which are used to connect
the system to the earth.
 Harmonic Filters -
It is used to minimize the harmonics in voltage and current
of the converters.

Reactive Power Supplies -

The reactive power used by the converters could be more
than 50% of the total transferred active power. So the shunt
capacitors provide this reactive power.

AC Circuit Breakers -
The fault in the transformer is cleared by the circuit
breakers. It is also used to disconnect the DC link.

DC Lines -
It can be cables or overhead lines.
 TYPES OF HVDC LINKS

• Monopolar Link
• Bipolar Link
• Homopolar Link
 Monopolar DC link
• It uses one conductor.
• The return path is provided by ground or water.
• Use of this system is mainly due to cost considerations.
• This configuration type is the first step towards a bipolar link.
 Bipolar DC Link
• It uses two conductors, one positive and the other negative.
• Each terminal has two converters of equal rated voltage
connected in series on the DC side.
• The junction between the converters is grounded.
• If one pole is isolated due to fault, the other pole can operate
with ground and carry half the rated load.
 Homopolar DC Link
• It has 2 or more conductors all having the same polarity.
• Since the corona effect in DC transmission lines is less for
negative polarity , this link is operated with negative polarity.
• The return path for such a system is through ground.
 TYPES OF HVDC CONVERTERS

1 Line commutated / Current source Converters (LCC)

• 6 pulse Converter
• 12 pulse Converter
2 Voltage source Converters (VSC)
• 2 Level Converter
• 3 Level Converter
 Line commutated Converter
• Most of the HVDC systems in operation today are based on
line-commutated converters.
• Line-commutated converters use switching devices that are
either uncontrolled like Diode or that can only be turned on
by control action, such as thyristors.
• In a line-commutated converter, the DC current does not
change direction; it flows through a large inductance .
• On AC side, the converter behaves approximately as a
current source injecting both grid-frequency and harmonic
currents into the AC network.
• Line-commutated converter for HVDC is also considered as
a current-source converter because the direction of current
cannot be varied.
 6 Pulse Converter
The basic module for HVDC converter is the three phase full
bridge circuit. The bridge converter is represented by the
equivalent circuit in fig with transformer and source
impedance with a loss less inductance. Direct current is to be
ripple free and valves as ideal switches with zero resistance
when conducting and infinite resistance when not
conducting.

Fig.3 6 Pulse Converter

 12 Pulse Converter
Two bridges are connected in series so as to result in a 12-
pulsearrangement to obtain as high a direct voltage as
required. The bridges are in series on the DC side and parallel
on the AC side. Two banks of transformers one connected Y-
Y and the other Y-D are used to supply each pair of bridges.
The three phases voltages supplied at one bridge are
displaced by 30 º from those supplied at the other bridge. In
this arrangement fifth and seventh harmonics are effectively
eliminated on the AC side. In addition, the DC voltage
ripple reduces and sixth and eighteenth harmonics are
eliminated.
Fig.4 12 Pulse Converter
 Voltage Source Converter

• In this converter the polarity of DC voltage is usually fixed

and the DC voltage, being smoothed by a large capacitance
can be considered constant. 
• HVDC converter using IGBTs is usually referred to as
a voltage-source converter.
• In contrast to line-commutated HVDC converters, voltage-
source converters maintain a constant polarity of DC voltage.
• Voltage-source converters are also considerably more
compact than line-commutated converters.
• HVDC systems based on voltage-source converters normally
use the six-pulse connection .
 Two Level Converter
The two-level converter is the simplest type of three-phase
voltage-source converter . In this converters thyristors are
replaced by IGBTs with inverse-parallel diodes, and the DC
smoothing reactors replaced by DC smoothing capacitors.
When the upper of the two valves in a phase is turned on, the
AC output terminal is connected to the positive DC terminal,
resulting in an output voltage of +½ Ud with respect to the
midpoint potential of the converter.
Conversely when the lower valve in a phase is turned on, the
AC output terminal is connected to the negative DC terminal,
resulting in an output voltage of -½ Ud. 
Fig.5 3 phase two-level voltage source converter
 Three Level Converter
Some HVDC systems have been built with three level
converters to improve on poor harmonic performance of two
level converter. Three-level converters can synthesize three
discrete voltage levels at the AC terminal of each phase: +½
Ud, 0 and -½ Ud. 
A common type of three-level converter is the diode-clamped
converter, where each phase contains four IGBT valves, each
rated at half of the DC line to line voltage, along with two
clamping diode valves .
To obtain a positive output voltage (+½ U d) the top two IGBT
valves are turned on, to obtain a negative output voltage (-½
Ud) the bottom two IGBT valves are turned on and to obtain
zero output voltage the middle two IGBT valves are turned on.
Fig.6 3 phase three level diode clamped voltage source converter
 ADVANTAGES OF VSC

• Unlike in LCC, VSC does not require voltage source for

satisfactory operation i.e. it is used to supply passive loads.
• There are no problems of commutation failures in VSC.
• The power reversal in the link does not require voltage
reversal.
• A VSC permits independent control over both active and
reactive power output.
• Harmonic filtering required is much simpler in VSC.
THANK YOU