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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2022

Integration of power flow controllers in HVDC grids

Florent Morel
Joan Sau-Bassols
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1104760
Selle Toure
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1104761
Serge Poullain
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1103093
Frank Jacquier
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1104762

Résumé

High voltage direct current (HVDC) grids are seen as a key technology to integrate renewable power sources across long distances. They provide flexibility and redundancy to the system, but they also bring many challenges. Among them, the power flow control becomes a concern since the converter stations at each terminal can control the current at node level but not the currents circulating inside the mesh. The current distribution through the different DC conductors depends on the resistance relation between conductors. The installation of new converter stations, modifications of the grid configuration, N-1 contingencies, etc. can modify the current distribution leading to overloads in some conductors, while others are underused. Consequently, power curtailments or the installation of new conductors may be necessary. An alternative solution is to install medium voltage converters inserting voltages in series with the DC conductors, known as power flow controllers (PFC) or current flow controllers (CFC). Those devices allow to control the current distribution in the HVDC grid and they can be understood as the equivalent of flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) for HVDC grids. In the literature, several converter topologies are suggested, which are validated via simulations or experimental testing of scaled-down prototypes. However, less attention is being put on how to integrate such a device into the HVDC grid: the type of busbar arrangement, the type of required switches, such as disconnectors, bypass switches, DC breakers, etc. Additionally, the busbar arrangement must allow the insertion, bypass and grounding of the PFC converter without interrupting the HVDC grid power transmission and ensuring minimal disturbances. This work discusses different DC busbar arrangements with PFC and selects a circuit providing good availability, moderate cost and allowing insertion, bypass and grounding of the PFC. Then, the sequence of switches to insert, bypass and ground the PFC is presented and validated using simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed circuit and sequences allow to smoothly insert, bypass and ground the PFC while the HVDC grid is in operation. The device does not cause any major disturbance to the HVDC grid and can smoothly control the current distribution between the different conductors. Finally, the requirements of the external switches of the PFC are also assessed by means of the simulations, identifying the opening voltage, current and time. This work outlines that the bypass switches of the PFC have requirements in between busbar transfer switches and line transfer switches, but much lower than DC breakers and also lower than other already implemented switches, such as the metallic return transfer breaker (MRTB). The other switches of the PFC busbar arrangement are expected to be in the range of DC disconnectors (excluding the necessary DC breakers according to the protection strategy of the HVDC grid). Thus, the realization of the busbar arrangement becomes technically feasible.
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Dates et versions

hal-03748974 , version 1 (10-08-2022)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03748974 , version 1

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Florent Morel, Joan Sau-Bassols, Selle Toure, Serge Poullain, Frank Jacquier. Integration of power flow controllers in HVDC grids. CIGRE Session, Aug 2022, Paris, France. ⟨hal-03748974⟩
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