HVDC TRANSMISSION AND SHORT CIRCUIT CURRENT CONTRIBUTION OF HVDC LIGHT

INTRODUCTION:
The HVDC Light provides the most promising solution to power transmission and distribution. The first dc link was set up in 1954 in between Swedish main land and the island of Gotland. The use of an HVDC link in an ac system requires converter stations at each end of the line.

DESCRIPTION: The development of HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) transmission system dates back to the 1930s when mercury arc rectifiers were invented. Since the 1960s, HVDC transmission system is now a mature technology and has played a vital part in both long distance transmission and in the interconnection of systems. Transmitting power at high voltage and in DC form instead of AC is a new technology proven to be economic and simple in operation which is HVDC transmission. HVDC transmission systems, when installed, often form the backbone of an electric power system. They combine high reliability with a long useful life. An HVDC link avoids some of the disadvantages and limitations of AC transmission. HVDC transmission refers to that the AC power generated at a power plant is transformed into DC power before its transmission. At the inverter (receiving side), it is then transformed back into its original AC power and then supplied to each household. Such power transmission method makes it possible to transmit electric power in an economic way. HVDC Light is the newly developed HVDC transmission technology, which is based on extruded DC cables and voltage source converters consisting of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) with high switching frequency. It is a high voltage, direct current transmission Technology i.e., Transmission up to 330MW and for DC voltage in the 150kV range. Under more strict environmental and economical constraints due to the deregulation, the HVDC Light provides the most promising solution to power transmission and distribution. The new system results in many application opportunities and new applications in turn bring up new issues of concern. One of the most concerned issues from customers is the contribution of HVDC Light to short circuit currents. The main reason for being interested in this issue is that the contribution of the HVDC Light to short circuit currents may have some significant impact on the ratings for the circuit breakers in the existing AC systems. A high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system uses direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses. For underwater power cables, HVDC avoids the heavy currents required by the cable capacitance. For shorter

distances, the higher cost of DC conversion equipment compared to an AC system may still be warranted, due to other benefits of direct current links. HVDC allows power transmission between unsynchronized AC distribution systems, and can increase system stability by preventing cascading failures from propagating from one part of a wider power transmission grid to another.