24-pulse HVDC conversion

Prof. J. Arrillaga, DSc, FlEE M. Villablanca, BE

Indexing terms: Energy Conversion, DC ripple reinjection

Abstract: A technique known as D C ripple reinjection, which has already been shown capable of operating a six-pulse rectifier effectively as a twelve-pulse convertor, is extended in the paper to convert the standard twelve-pulse HVDC convertor group into a 24-pulse configuration. Theoretical and experimental results are provided to demonstrate that the modified convertor configuration eliminates the 12-pulse related harmonics on both sides of the convertor.

Introduction

Waveform distortion is normally expressed in terms of Fourier components or harmonics. However the quasisquare phase currents produced by HVDC convertors are not particularly suited to conventional filtering arrangements based on tuned passive components. More appropriate shaping of the current waveform can be achieved by phase-shifting the convertor transformer's connections. For practical reasons however, phase-shifting in HVDC convertors is restricted to the 'natural' 30" shift provided by the star and delta connections. An alternative pulse-doubling technique for the Graetz bridge has already been described [l], based on the principle of DC ripple reinjection. However, there is little incentive to use such a technique to go from six to 12pulse operation because the power rating of most HVDC schemes requires two or more transformers, which permit the use of phase-shifting to derive 12-pulse operation without the need for further components. An attempt has also been made [2] to achieve 24pulse convertor operation using, as a basis, the six-pulse bridge configuration by developing a pulse-quadrupling technique. However such a transformation required the use of forced commutated switching devices. In an attempt to derive 24-pulse operation without the need for forced commutation, the investigation described in this paper extends the principle of D C ripple reinjection to the two-bridge series-connected convertor group, which has become the building block of modern HVDC schemes.
2
Modified H V D C convertor group

permit ripple reinjection. The reinjection circuit includes two capacitors C needed to block the D C component of voltages u1 and u 2 , two transformers TA(operating at the ripple frequency which is six times the fundamental frequency) and a single phase convertor bridge. The commutating voltage of the ripple reinjection bridge is the common-mode ripple frequency voltage of the 12-pulse convertor group. The output of this (single-phase) bridge is itself a 12pulse voltage waveform. Its level is adjusted by the transformer turns ratio (NJN,,) and its phase is shifted by firing angle control to double the number of pulses of the combined (output) voltage waveform. Similarly the ripple reinjection bridge injects a squarewave current (six times the fundamental frequency) on the primary side of the transformers TA,which modifies all the original current waveforms. It was shown in an earlier paper [lJ that twoquadrant thyristor control of the D C ripple reinjection bridge permits extending the pulse doubling technique from rectification to inversion. Moreover, the power conversion efficiency increases, as the rectified harmonic power is fed back to the DC system (when the main bridge is rectifying) or to the AC system (when inverting). Finally, the reinjected D C voltage and AC current waveforms are locked to the AC system voltage and D C current, respectively, and are thus unaffected by frequency and D C current variations. The above concepts will become clearer in the following Sections, where it will be shown that when u y is added to the conventional output voltage u x , the number of pulses of the modified output uz is doubled. Similarly, a corresponding increase of current steps modifies the AC current on the AC system side of the convertor transformers and eliminates the conventional 12-pulse related characteristic harmonic currents.
3
Derivation of the D C voltage waveforms

As a first approximation, let us assume that the blocking capacitors in Fig. 1 are large enough to present a short circuit to the AC components of u1 and u2 (UlAc and u2!?). The voltage derived on the secondary side of the reinjection transformers can then be expressed as

The circuit diagram of Fig. 1 shows a conventional HVDC convertor group with additional components to
Paper 7691C (P9), first received 27th February and in revised form 20th July 1990 The authors are with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
I E E PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, No. 1, J A N U A R Y 1991

and Fig. 2 explains the derivation of u r , uT and U; when either T or T conduct. The waveforms associated with the pulse-doubling process are shown in Fig. 3 for any pulse number p of the main convertors. Clearly an appropriate selection of firing delay for the reinjection bridge valves T , T' and a suitable turns ratio of the feedback transformer TA produce a voltage waveform u r , which added to ox pro57

r
\

'"lDC

"'r

S
primary

Fig. 1
NI, = N z 2

DC ripple reinjection technique for 24-pulse configuration

1 i --i +i"

"-J3"

b
b Thyristor T ' conducting
uy

Fig. 2
U

Voltages derived in the feedback circuit

N

Thyristor T conducting

N = A v = L u
No

=(-)AV

= (-)

2 U,
NO

u; = (-)Au = ( - 1 ) A u, NO UT = 0

uT -

Av=A

No

u;

=0

58

I E E PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, NO. I , J A N U A R Y 1991

duces an exact duplication of the pulses of the output voltage U , , for any value of the main convertor firing angle a.
window
U

From the phasor diagram, the following relationships can be written for uy and U , (V,, VI and V, being maximum values):
V, = 2 5
COS

(8/2) tan (8/4)

V,
and

=2

5 sin (8/2)

2V1 cos (8/2) tan (8/4) Vy _ -

V,

2 5 sin (8/2)

Thus, with reference to Fig. 2 and replacing 8 by n/p, the turns ratio can be expressed as

where p is the pulse number per convertor. As shown in Fig. 2b, the transfer of conducting state from T' to T is achieved by turning on T , a process achieved by natural commutation if at that moment U , is positive. Similarly the transfer from T to T' will take place by natural communication if uM is negative. Therefore the process illustrated in Fig. 3 takes place under natural commutation. 3.1 Mean rectified voltage Let us consider the evaluation of the mean rectified voltage for the conventional ( VXK) and the proposed configuration ( VzDc). Fig. 5 shows one of the windows from Fig. 3, with more details of waveforms u M , U , and U , ; uM lags ux by n/2 radians and point X defines the location, along the respective sinusoids, of U , , ux and uz . Considering that waveform ux is at a maximum when X = 0 (which correit is concluded that X = a. sponds to the case of a =
OO),

Fig. 3

Voltage waveforms on the DC side ofmodijed convertor group

Regarding the firing instants of valves T and T , the following general rule can be stated with reference to Fig. 3. Every new circuit condition created by a change of conducting state in one of the main convertors must be followed by a corresponding turn-on of a pair of valves in the feedback convertor (i.e. pairs T for convertor 1 and T' for convertor 2), with a delay of n/2p. To derive the appropriate turns ratio of the feedback transformers TA, a phasor diagram has been drawn in Fig. 4, for the waveforms contained in the 'window' of Fig. 3 with voltage u1 used as a reference.

window

Fig. 5

vM, ox and uz waveforms

Fig. 4 0 = "P

Phasor diagram of the window in Fig. 3

,

-4~ V, sin (n/4p) cos a

uy = U , - u2

(4)
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I E E PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, NO. I , J A N U A R Y 1991

The increase of mean rectified voltage (AV',) is

Equalising ampere-turns
Nli* = Noijl = N0ij2

A VDc(YO) = VZDC -

VXDC VXDC

xloo=

[;E

--

l]X loo

and

and considering eqns. 3 and 4

- V, sin
VZDC - -

4P

(7-44~) cos a
-

vXDC

2P Vx sin (n/2p) cos a

7l

V Z Vx cos ( 4 4 P )

Also from Fig. 4

Vz _ Vx

1 cos (44P)

Therefore

A VDc(%) =
= tan2 (n/4p) .

Currents i j l and i j , have a rectangular shape with a frequency p times the fundamental. The circulating path is through the main convertor valves and transformer phase windings. Current i j , flows in anticlockwise and i j , in the clockwise direction, respectively. Thus, currents ijl and i j 2 modify the waveform of the current in all the windings, including the primary, and as a result the distortion of the AC input current waveform reduces. Fig. 7 shows the AC current waveforms associated with the circuit of Fig. 1. For comparison, the 12-pulse related primary current ,i (in the absence of the feedback circuit) is also shown.
IT1-T;jT1-T;IT2-TjlT,-T;I
T3-TyIT3-T;]Tl Tg-T&-T( -Til
convertor 1 convertor 2

100

(5)

T6-T5]T4-T$-T6]Ts-T61TfTi]

which for p yields

=6

(the three-phase bridge configuration)

AVDc(%) = 1.7332
4
Derivation of the current waveforms

t
'Z

With reference to Figs. 1 and 6, let us discuss the behaviour of the two equal currents ijl and ij2 under the assumption that I , is perfectly smooth.

".-I

h
4
I

n'ln n n n n r un ununun u uuuuuu

5
Fig. 7

Current waveforms on the AC side

Effect of the blocking capacitors on the circuit behaviour

Fig. 6

Currentflows in thefeedhack circuit

a Feedback configuration b Equivalent circuit c Associated current waveforms

The voltages across the capacitors illustrated in Fig. 8, ignored in the preceding analysis, will increase and distort the voltage across the feedback transformers, which will in turn cause some distortion in the commutation voltage of the feedback bridge valves and on
IEE PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, NO. 1. J A N U A R Y 1991

60

the ripple voltage reinjected into the DC output (Av and vr , respectively, in Fig. 2).

Experimental verification

112

v C

Fig. 8

b % ;

1_ ! L I Z

Voltage and current wavejorms of blocking capacitors

To verify the theoretical waveforms described in previous Sections, a physical model was constructed for the circuit of Fig. 1. Comprehensive tests were carried out for various loading conditions and firing angles under rectification and inversion. The results proved conclusively the general applicability of the reinjection technique for 24pulse operation and verified all the theoretical predictions discussed in earlier sections of the paper. By way of example, Fig. 9 shows the DC voltage waveforms of the conventional and modified configurations for a case of a = 15". The corresponding frequency spectra of the D C voltage waveform taken from a harmonic analyser are shown in Fig. 10.

Voltage AV must permit a transfer of conducting state between T and T' by natural commutation and ur , when added to o x , must produce a duplication of the pulse on the DC output. Therefore the capacitor value must be chosen to control the distortion level. The magnetising current of the feedback transformers and the maximum voltage across the feedback bridge valves are also affected by the voltage across the blocking capacitors. The peak voltage across the capacitor shown in Fig. 8 is

5006
> E

CI

log frequency kHz

A detailed analysis of the effect of the blocking capacitors

on the DC output voltage and the reinjection-bridge commutations is given in Appendices.

log frequency, kHz

Fig. 10

Harmonic spectra ofthe waveforms ofFig. Y

n Conventional valve group

0
a

time,ms

20

(i) V = 2 3 5 . 1 m V ; f = 6 0 0 H z (ii) V = 107.8 mV; f = 1.2 kHz (iii) V = 38.39 mV; f = 2.4 kHz h Modified valve group (i) V = 101.9 mV; f = 1.2 kHz (ii) V = 48.45 mV; f = 2.4 kHz (iii) V = 37.22 mV; f = 3.6 kHz

Similarly, Fig. 11 displays the phase current waveform on the AC side of the convertor for the conventional (a) and modified (b) configurations for a = 15". Their respective frequency spectra, shown in Figs. 12a and b, clearly illustrate the 24-pulse behaviour in spite of the imperfections of the physical scaled down model.
7
Conclusions

20
time,ms

Fig. 9

Experimental DC voltage waveforms

n Conventional valve group

h Modified valve group

A novel convertor group has been described, based on the principle of DC ripple reinjection, to permit HVDC transmission on 24-pulse operation by natural commutation. It has been shown that under symmetrical system conditions the proposed circuit eliminates completely the 12pulse related harmonics on both sides of the convertor similarly to the transformer phase-shifting technique, but
61

IEE PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, No. I , J A N U A R Y 1991

without the need for extra convertors and transformers of large rating. The theoretical predictions have been verified by rigorous experimental tests in a specially designed lowpower convertor.
'Or

The components of the commutating voltage are shown in Fig. 13. It is clear that the voltage across the capacitors helps the transfer of conducting state between T and T' and this applies for any value of the angle N. Thus the capacitors choice can be purely decided by the acceptability of the D C output waveform.

> E
c

8 0 >

a;

>> E

I
I

1
(11)

-801 a 0

20
time,ms

0
a

A A

, .

log frequency, kHz

25

>

E a-

>

-801
b

Y
References Appendices
= ' l A C - 'C = v2AC

>

>E

8 0
m

*=II
a

20
time,ms
b Modified valve group

Fig. 11

Experimental AC current waveforms

a Conventional valve group

0
0
b

Further work needs to be carried out to assess the reliability and dynamic response of the scheme to AC and DC system disturbances before attempting realistic economic comparisons with present systems.
8

log frequency, kHz

25

Fig. 12

Harmonic spectra of the waveforms of Fig. I1

1 BAIRD, J.F., and ARRILLAGA, J.: 'Harmonic reduction in d.c.ripple reinjection', 1EE Proc. C , 1980, 127, (5), pp. 296303

a Conventional valve group (i) V = 26.84 m V ;f = 50 Hz (ii) V = 2.131 m V ;f = 550 Hz h Modified valve group (i) V = 27.67 V ; f = 50 Hz (ii) V = 868.5 p V ; f = I150 Hz

2 JOOSTEN, A.P.B., ARRILLAGA, J., and BAIRD, J.F.: 'Increasing the pulse number of a.c.-d.c. convertors by current reinjection techniques', I E E E Trans., 1983, PAS-102, @),pp. 2649-2655

9.1 Commutating voltage of the reinjection bridge Owing to the blocking capacitors, only AC voltage will appear on the primary side of the feedback transformers. From Fig. 1, these can be expressed as
O;AC &AC

9.2 DC output voltage The rectification process performed by T and T', illustrated in Fig. 2, can be applied separately to the two waveforms of Fig. 13 as they both use natural commutation for any value of the angle N. Let us now consider the effect of the capacitor voltage u y c on the D C output waveform U;
V; = Vy

+ Vyc
(9)

+ 'C

(7)

Therefore the commutation voltage is given by

and from eqns. 1 and 7

A graphical illustration of this effect is shown in Fig. 14 with reference to Figs. 3 and 13. Although the modified AC side current waveform is unaffected by the blocking capacitors, Fig. 14 clearly shows that on the D C side, part of the harmonic reduction must be sacrificed for a reasonable rating of the capacitors.
9.3 Minimum load current Although the two magnetising currents i,, and i,,, shown in Fig. 15, were not taken into consideration in
1EE PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, N O . I , J A N U A R Y 1991

= - (vy - 2vc)

NI

NO
62

the previous current analysis, they play an important part in the design of the transformers T A .

Eqns. 10 and 1 1 show that the upper and lower loops are electrically the same, although displaced by an angle n/p; it is therefore sufficient to consider one of them.
12

Fig. 15

Diagram showing the magnetising currents

1u
N I

In the upper loop, i; must be sufficiently positive to compensate for the negative peak of i,, because of the unidirectional behaviour of te convertors. Below a certain , current ,,i cannot circulate freely, minimum load I,,, the primary no longer continues providing the voltage u i A C , the circuit reverts to a more complex intermittent conduction and in the limit (I, = 0),,,i and viAc become zero.
9.4 Magnetising current calculation Let us assume that the capacitors are large enough to neglect the effect of uc and that I , is sufficient to enable the magnetising current iM1 to circulate freely; moreover let us assume that full symmetry exists, so that transformer TAis not saturated and its inductance L, remains constant With reference to Fig. 16, V,,, is given by

Fig. 13

Composition ofAv

.e

SN

Fig. 14

Efect of blocking capacitors on the output waveform

In Fig. 15, i; and i; include the output current I , and the superimposed AC currents ijl and ij, , respectively, i.e.
i; = I,

+ jjl
Fig. 16
Current waveforms on the DC side oJthe convertor

i; = I, - ij,

and from Fig. 6

i;(e) = I, + i,(O) ?,(e) = I, + i,(O - n/p)

Also considering eqn. 7 and Fig. 8
u;Ac(e) u;Ac(e)

(10)

Then iM1must satisfy the following relationship:

L , -d = i ,U 1 dt
1C

VI cos wt -

v,,,
63

= UIAC(4

= UlAC(@ - X/P) - uc(e - 4 P )

(1 1)

where a - n/p < wt < a

+ n/p.

IEE PROCEEDINGS-C, Vol. 138, NO. I , J A N U A R Y 1991

Therefore

With reference to Fig. 16, the negative peak of ,,i

is

Vl . Vl DC i,, = -sin ut - -wt + K , w L, OLB Two conditions are applicable (a) The mean value of ,,i must be zero (b),i must be continuous for di,,/dt and then ulAC to be finite. Considering condition (a):
Vl sin . 8 d8 - wLB

s"nipO
a-nip

9.5 Relationship between lz,,, and L, From Fig. 16 the limiting condition for the load current is

I, 1-

Then

Considering eqns. 2 and 15:

= -a - - -sin a WL, ZWL,
'IDC

a
01,

I,,(NEG)

K,

1 '

sin (n/p) considering eqns. 12 and

I , +[ 1

+ tan'

(n/4p)]

and the final expression for ,,i 13 is

I,,=1 '

Therefore

1
FO)
(16)
Of

[sin wt

P sin . ( n / p ) sin a ;
L,
=

WLB

2V1 sin a
~

P - - (wt - a) sin (n/p)cos

n
a
-

n/p < wt < a

1 +
a

where F(p) = cos2 (n/4p)

and the
L, =

n/p (14)

Condition (b)can be verified considering that the value of ,i at the start of one cycle must be equal to its value at the end of that cycle, i.e.
iMl(a -

L , is given by
(17)

2V1 sin aMAX

= iMl(a

~IZMIN

FWCHI

9.6 Comparison of components ratings

no rejection

reinjection

A(%)

main thyristors

IMAX

IZ

1.49131, 0.3331, 0.643281,

49.13

I,,,, I,,,
VMAX

0.3331, 0.577351,
-

0
11.42
~

0.25V1 + o.021ZM.4X
fC
1,

feedback thyristors

IMAX IMEAN IRMS

0.51, 0.70711,

blocking capacitors
VD, output
IRMS

VMAX

IRMS

0.49131, 1.943V1 cos 0.909731, 0.525221, 0.918541,

o!

1.91 V, cos a

1.73 11.42 11.42 0.863

star secondary delta secondary delta primary

VRM,

0.8 1651,
0.47 141, 0.910681, 10-2J[8S5V: 0.4913 I,

I,,, I,,,

feedback transformers (Drimarv side)

64

+ 52.7V,IzMAX/

(fc)+ 1.41gMAX/CfC)21

I , , ,

I E E P R O C E E D I N G S - C , Vol. 138, N O . I , J A N U A R Y 1991