HVDC SYSTEM CONTROL

Principle of HVDC link control

Constant current Vs. Constant voltage
Desired features of control
Control Characteristics
Control Methods
14-Feb-14 1
Principle of HVDC Link Control
14-Feb-14 2
cr
R
o cos
0r d
V
d
I
dr
V
ci
R
( ) | cos
0i d
V
di
V
d
R
( )
ci d cr
i d r d
d
R R R
V V
I
+

=
| o cos cos
0 0
Power and voltage could be
controlled by the two internal
voltages.
Internal voltages can be controlled by:
Grid control (o and |) (fast (1 to 10 ms))
Control of the AC voltage (tap changing
is slow (5 to 6 seconds per step))
Rectifier Inverter
Transmission
For maintaining safe commutation
margin, is used as control variable
instead of

|
HVDC Link Control
14-Feb-14 3
( ) 2
cos
0
d ci
d ci d di
R R is Slop
I R V V
+ +
+ = |
( ) 2
cos
0
d cr
d cr d dr
R R is Slop
I R V V
+
= o
d
V
|

dn d
I I
dn
V
D
C
N
A
B
-
-
-
-
-
1 5 . 0 5 . 1 2
Inverter

ctifier Re

voltage AC
Lower
Low
Normal

Rectifier
Inverter
A dip in AC voltage produces a
%age change in direct current of 4
times the % age change of voltage
Constant Current Vs. Constant Voltage
14-Feb-14 4
Constant Voltage Constant Current
AC System:
SC currents can be very great although
limited by system impedance.
DC System:
SC currents could conceivably be much
greater, being limited by circuit
resistance.
SC currents are ideally limited to the
rated current and in practice to about
twice rated current.
Open circuit could give rise to high
voltage, but in practice such faults are
much rarer than SC.
I
2
R losses in the conductors is
proportional to the square of the power
transmitted.
(Voltage dependent losses are always
much less then current dependent losses)
I
2
R losses always has full-load value.
Consideration of losses favors the constant voltage system,
but limitation of current favors the constant current system.
Desired Features of Control
Control should not be sensitive to normal variation in voltage
and frequency of the AC supply system
Control should be fast, reliable and simple
Control should have continuous operating range from full
rectification to full inversion
Under steady-state condition, the valve must be fired
symmetrically
Control should limit the fluctuation of current due to the
fluctuation of AC voltage
Control should be such that it should require less reactive
power
Control should be such that it can be used for protection of
line and converter


14-Feb-14 5
Control Characteristics
14-Feb-14 6
( )
d ci d i d di
I R R V V + = cos
0
First step of explanation :
Characteristic of control scheme
at sending end of the DC link
Slow changes of AC system voltage
DC current can be controlled quickly
only by current regulator, which
increases/decreases cos
For further action, Tap changer
control can be done at rectifier end
o
Increase of AC voltage at
rectifier end
Increase of AC voltage at
inverter end
Effect of AC voltage on the DC link
Control Characteristics
Effect of rapid decrease of AC voltage (due to SC) on
the DC link
14-Feb-14 7
Actual characteristic of control scheme
Reduction of AC voltage at
inverter end




Decrease of AC voltage at
rectifier end
Line operates at reduced voltage
but at substantially the same
current as before; power is reduced
in proportion to the voltage.
Power is reduced not only in proportion to voltage but also because of
the reduction in current.
Station having the lower value of

controls the voltage and other station
the current
( ) ( )( ) ( )
d d d ci i d d cr r d
I I R R V or I R V A o cos cos
0 0
Combined Characteristics
14-Feb-14 8
Power reversal
HVDC System Control Hierarchy
14-Feb-14 9
Other information like V
AC
at the
converter bus, Dc voltage, etc.
Includes the bypass pair selection logic,
commutation failure protection, tap
changer control, converter start/stop
sequences, valve protection circuits, etc
Pole protection, DC line protection
and optional converter paralleling
and deparalleling sequences
Firing Angle Control
14-Feb-14 10
Two basic firing scheme:
Individual phase control (IPC)
Equidistance pulse control (EPC)
Pulse frequency control (PFC)
Pulse period control
Pulse phase control (PPC)
The firing instant for all valves are determined at ground potential
and the firing signals sent to individual Thyristors by light signals
through fiber-optic cable.
Light triggered Thyristors (LTT)
electrically triggered Thyristors (ETT)

While the single pulse is adequate to turn on Thyristor, a gate
pulse generator must send a pulse whenever required, if the
particular valve is to be kept in a conduction state.
Individual phase control (IPC)
Constant control
14-Feb-14 11
o
Major drawback:
Harmonic instability problem (when SCR <4) characterized by
magnification of non-characteristic harmonics ( ) in
steady-state
1 = np h
power DC Rated
bus converter the at level SC
SCR =
Equidistance pulse control (EPC)
14-Feb-14 12
Problem of harmonic instability can be overcome by use of firing angle
control independent of the zero crossings of the AC voltages. This
solution leads to the equidistance pulse firing scheme.
Pulse frequency control (PFC)
Pulse period control
Pulse phase control (PPC)
Pulse frequency control
(PFC)
( )
3 1 1
1
by determine is
pulse firing of instant The
V dt V V K
n
n
t
t
c
= +
}

pf / 1
Firing pulses are generated in steady
state at equal interval of
Equidistance pulse control (EPC)
14-Feb-14 13
Pulse period control
Similar to PFC except for the way in which the control voltage V
c
is
handled.
Pulse phase control (PPC)
c
t
t
V V dt V K
n
n
+ =
}

3 1 1
1
by determine is pulse firing of instant The
3 1 1 1
1
V V V dt V K
cn cn
t
t
n
n
+ =
}

by determine is pulse firing of instant The

Signal derived from frequency error (to compensate for variation in
frequency) is used to control the voltage V
1
Example
A HVDC bipolar link (6-pulse operation), having three
bridges per pole, is rated at 1.8 kA, 400 kV, 1440 MW.
The resistance of line is 18.95 per pole. The sending
end voltage is kept at rated voltage. The equivalent
commutation resistance per bridge is 7.65 . If the
rectifier controller is operating at a delay angle of 15
and the inverter CEA of = 16. Find
a. Sending end line voltage and overlap angle
b. Receiving end line voltage and overlap angle
c. If sending end line voltage is increased by 10%, what are
the new values of overlap angles
14-Feb-14 14