High-Voltage

dc Conversion
Boosting Transmission
Capacity in the Grid

By Tayeb Meridji,
Frida Ceja-Gomez,
Jose Restrepo,
and Ramy Azar

T
The electric grid is undergoing a techno­
logical transformation due to advances in a number of
fields, including power electronics, photovoltaic cells, wind
turbines, telecommunications, and many others. An increase
in environmental awareness and the need to meet emission
targets implemented throughout the world further drive
grid evolution. These social and technological changes are
leading to a transition in the composition of the power sup­
ply, with a reduction in the number of large conventional
thermal and nuclear plants and a proliferation of solar and
wind generation.
It is commonly recognized that, in the future, electrical
energy will come from a combination of distributed and
remote resources. Solar and wind resources needed for util­
ity-scale plants typically need to be located far away from
load centers, so it is necessary to transmit bulk renewable
power over large distances. However, rights-of-way for new
power transmission infrastructure are extremely challenging
to secure and permit, bringing the time required between

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2019.2896689

Date of publication: 17 April 2019

22 ieee power & energy magazine 1540-7977/19©2019IEEE may/june 2019

the identification of a project and its commercial operation provides an overview of the planning and technical
to more than five years, with a high degree of uncertainty. It implications of ac-to-dc conversion as well as a proposed
is, therefore, necessary to find alternatives to overcome this ranking methodology to select candidate lines for such
obstacle and build the needed transmission reinforcements a conversion.
within a faster timeframe. AC-to-dc conversion becomes an
attractive alternative for planning the future grid, along with When Should ac-to-dc Conversion
line reconductoring. Be Considered?
AC-to-dc conversion allows for a more efficient use of Given that the conversion process involves work on an exist­
the existing assets and rights-of-way and, under adequate ing operational ac transmission line, it must focus on solu­
work procedures, can be performed with relatively short tions that will not involve long line outage durations. This is
outages. In addition, there are added benefits provided especially important because the conversion process is gen­
by dc converter stations, such as power flow control and erally related to a need for an increase in transmission capac­
stability-enhancing functions. The possibility of convert­ ity. As such, it is expected that a majority of ac transmission
ing ac transmission lines to dc lines has been studied for lines considered for conversion would likely be critical and
the past 30 years, including several detailed feasibility constitute part of a network path that is highly used under
and case studies published in recent years. This article both normal and contingency conditions.
To the extent possible,
the conversion process
should be cost-effective and
limit the number of outages.
To achieve this, the follow­
ing key criteria need careful
consideration:
✔✔ Maintaining the exist-
ing tower structures:
Different dc pole
configurations can be
studied to make use
of the existing tower
structures with minor
or no modifications.
The changing struc­
tural loads and exist­
ing design margins
need to be evaluated
as part of the option
screening process.
✔✔ Maintaining the exist-
ing conductors: Con­
ductors for dc applica­
tions do not physically
differ from those used
for ac transmission
lines, although the
ampacity rating will
differ depending on
ac or dc application.
As such, it may be
possible to reuse the
©istockphoto.com/metamorworks

existing conductors if
they are in good con­
dition. In most cases,
however, it will be nec­
essary to change the
insulators because

may/june 2019 ieee power & energy magazine 23

 AC-to-dc conversion allows for a more efficient use of the existing
assets and rights-of-way and, under adequate work procedures,
can be performed with relatively short outages.

their performance for air pollution under dc voltages is
inferior compared to their performance under ac volt­
ages. To minimize outage times, insulator replacement
can be done before the conversion to dc, while the ac
line remains in operation.
✔✔ Locating the converter stations as close as possible to
the existing ac yards: With the widespread use of volt­
age source converter (VSC) high-voltage dc (HVdc)
technology, it is easier to find a location closer to the
existing ac yard given that VSC stations have a re­
duced footprint compared to their line commutated
converter (LCC) counterparts. However, this is not
always straightforward because standard half bridge
VSC configurations generally require that a dc fault be
tripped on the ac side, thereby yielding long recovery
times, which are not necessarily compatible with the ac
ac Phase ac Phase ac Phase
a b c the existing structures as much as possible.
network capabilities. Several experimental dc breakers
are under development, but LCC-HVdc is still widely
considered for ac-to-dc conversion applications.
Engineering Considerations
Although the conversion of an existing ac line to dc is an
attractive uprating solution, several technical aspects must
be evaluated to verify the feasibility of the conversion as
well as to select the most suitable implementation.
Pole Configuration
One of the challenges of ac-to-dc conversion of transmission
lines is that ac lines have three fully rated phases, which can
be composed of a bundle of conductors, whereas dc lines are
designed with two or three conductor configurations and, in
some cases, use a ground electrode for a neutral return path.
It follows that the mapping of the ac conductors to a dc sys­
tem must be studied on a case-by-case basis to determine the
optimal dc configuration, while avoiding modifications to

Single-Circuit ac Line to HVdc Monopole

Although an HVdc monopole could effectively use the three
existing phases in a single-circuit line, the return current
dc dc dc would have to flow into a grounding electrode and through
+ Pole + Pole + Pole the earth. Figure 1 illustrates this concept of converting the a,
Conductor Conductor Conductor b, and c phases shown at the top of the diagram to a common
positive dc voltage shown below the red arrow. Implementa­
tion of the ground return involves extensive site testing and
figure 1. The converting of an ac single-circuit line to an permitting, and the continuous operation of a ground elec­
HVdc monopole. trode may not be allowed due to potential adverse effects in
the surrounding area and infrastructure, such as corrosion in
nearby pipelines. This defeats the initial purpose of increas­
ac Phase ac Phase ac Phase
ing asset performance with minimal environmental impact.
a b c For this reason, in general, monopole configurations are not
suitable for ac-to-dc transmission line conversions.

Single-Circuit ac Line to Floating HVdc Monopole

Another alternative is the so-called floating monopole, which
would be set up as shown in Figure 2. In this case, each con­
0 verter station would consist of a single bridge, with a ground
dc + Pole Emergency Return dc – Pole
point at the center of the converter. In the event of a conduc­
tor fault, the third circuit may be used to keep the system in
operation. This is not, however, the optimal use of all avail­
figure 2. The converting of an ac single-circuit line to able conductors. Also, there is no redundancy in case of loss
either a floating monopole or a bipole. of one of the converters, as opposed to a bipole configuration.

24 ieee power & energy magazine may/june 2019

 Given that the conversion process involves work on an
existing operational ac transmission line, it must focus on
solutions that will not involve long line outage durations.

Single-Circuit ac line to HVdc Bipole

Bipole configurations can be implemented from a single-
ac Phase ac Phase ac Phase
circuit line in different ways. For example, the conductor a b c
arrangement shown in Figure 2 can be used. This setup will
have the added advantage of allowing monopole operation in
the event that one of the poles is lost. However, the downside
of this configuration remains that one set of bundled con­
ductors is underused. dc + Pole dc – Pole
It is, therefore, necessary to rearrange the conductors to
use them more effectively with a bipole configuration. In the
configuration shown in Figure 3, all of the conductors are
effectively used, but conductor or structural modifications
would most likely be needed given the change in bundle
figure 3. The converting of a single-circuit ac line to an
size. Furthermore, the addition of a ground return would HVdc bipole.
be required to have the capability of unbalanced operation.
Alternatively, the shield wires could be uprated to carry the
ground current, but this approach would require significant
transmission tower modifications. ac Phase ac Phase ac Phase
The option shown in Figure 4 consists of having one a b c
phase carry twice the current of the other two. To achieve
this, it would be necessary to add conductors or reconductor
this phase. This setup may also require a return path for the
unbalanced current, whether through the earth or an uprated
dc dc
shield wire. The reconfiguration of conductors needs to be
+ Pole + Pole
evaluated depending on the tower type and its design char­ Conductor 1 dc – Pole Conductor 2
acteristics and, in some cases, may not be possible. This
conductor rearrangement also increases the required out­
age time for the line’s ac-to-dc conversion. Changes in the
tower structure, the cost of the additional conductors, and
the effective cost of the outage time may not make this solu­
tion an economically viable option. figure 4. A second option for converting a single-circuit
ac line to an HVdc bipole.
Single-Circuit ac line to HVdc Tripole
Another alternative worth considering is the tripole con­
figuration, which consists of a bipole and a monopole, as
ac Phase ac Phase ac Phase
shown in Figure 5. The monopole would require antipar­
a b c
allel two-bridge converters capable of operation in both
polarities. At moderate power transfers, one pole carries
the positive current while the other two share the negative
current. As the power levels increase, the bidirectional
pole will alternate between sharing the current with dc + Pole dc ± Pole dc – Pole
pole 1 or pole 2, depending on the system needs. This
arrangement ensures that the thermal capacity of all three
poles is fully used. Furthermore, this arrangement does
not require any conductor rearrangement and/or any addi­ figure 5. The converting of a single-circuit ac line to an
tional return path. HVdc tripole.

may/june 2019 ieee power & energy magazine 25

 Converting a Double-Circuit ac Line to an HVdc Bipole
There are also different options available to convert a dou­
ble-circuit ac line to a dc line. In a hybrid configuration,
such as the one shown in Figure 6, one circuit can remain
in operation as an ac line while the other is converted into a
floating monopole or a bipole. Alternatively, Figure 7 shows
the possibility of converting a double-circuit ac line into two
independent bipoles.
A single bipole can be implemented as shown in Figure 8.
This uses all of the conductors to their maximum capacity.
However, with this configuration, the HVdc system would
only be able to operate as a rigid bipole unless an arrange­
ment for a return path is included in the conversion, either
through a ground electrode or additional neutral conductors.
Examining the available conversion options illustrates
the need for evaluating the configuration selection on a
case-by-case basis. The optimal solution will be a function
of many factors, including cost, conditions of existing con­
ductors and towers, environmental factors, availability of
land for the converter stations and ground electrodes, outage
duration requirements, and operating criteria.
Insulation Requirements
There are several differences between the insulation require­
ments of ac and dc systems, which must be taken into account
for converting an ac transmission line to a dc line. In particu­
lar, the required air clearances for dc systems are lower than
for ac systems, given that the switching overvoltages for dc

ac Phase a ac Phase a

ac Phase b ac Phase b

ac Phase c ac Phase c

ac Phase a dc + Pole ac Phase a

dc + Pole

ac Phase b Emergency or ac Phase b

Return
ac Phase c dc – Pole ac Phase c
dc – Pole

figure 6. The converting of a double-circuit ac line to a hybrid ac–dc line.

ac Phase a ac Phase a dc – Pole dc – Pole

Emergency Emergency
ac Phase b ac Phase b
Return Return

ac Phase c ac Phase c dc + Pole dc + Pole

figure 7. The converting of a double-circuit ac line to two independent HVdc bipoles.

ac Phase a ac Phase a dc + Pole dc – Pole

ac Phase b ac Phase b dc + Pole dc – Pole

ac Phase c ac Phase c dc + Pole dc – Pole

figure 8. The converting of an ac double-circuit line to a full HVdc bipole.

26 ieee power & energy magazine may/june 2019

 Examining the available conversion options
illustrates the need for evaluating the configuration
selection on a case-by-case basis.

systems are lower than those in ac systems. As such, the air Voltage Selection
clearances for dc are determined by examining the lightning As previously discussed, the requirements for dc line insula­
performance requirements. Additionally, the air clearances tion are more stringent than for ac lines, so the length of the
for dc systems require a higher margin for high altitudes. existing ac insulators is a defining parameter to select the
At 2,000 m above sea level, the air clearances for an HVdc voltage at which the dc line will operate. To illustrate this
system need to be increased by 25%, as compared to 15% point, this section presents typical calculations for the selec­
for a high-voltage ac system. tion of the dc voltage when considering existing ac transmis­
DC systems are also more susceptible to pollution because sion lines operating at various voltage levels.
the dc electric field surrounding the insulation attracts Table 1 shows the requirements for dc insulators from
more pollution particles. This issue can be overcome by CIGRE and the International Electrotechnical Commission
the use of composite insulators, which have better pollution (IEC). The last two columns show the selected design value
performance than glass or ceramic insulators for a given in millimeters per kilovolt and in inches per kilovolt.
string length. Table 2 shows the selected dc voltage for each conver­
sion, which was calculated based on the existing ac insula­
Corona Effect tors’ leakage distance and the light pollution requirements
The losses attributed to the corona effect are similar for both for dc insulators. It should be noted that, if the calculations
ac and dc systems in fair weather conditions. However, rain were done for a system under heavy or extreme pollution, the
and frost cause a large increase in corona losses for ac sys­ conversion to dc would not be as advantageous because the
tems, whereas the corona losses for dc systems are not as maximum allowed dc voltage would be too low compared to
impacted by these factors. Additionally, dc systems in monop­ the ac voltage.
olar operation can lead to a surface gradient on the earth wires
that exceeds their corona inception gradient. This can result
in high levels of corona between the pole conductor and earth table 1. The minimum creepage distances
wire, which will have a detrimental impact on the corona per­ for different pollution levels.
formance of the dc line. However, this effect does not occur in Selected Selected
bipolar operation. CIGRE Design Design
Zone IEC B4-105 Value Value
(Pollution) (mm/kV) (mm/kV) (mm/kV) (in/kV)
Audible Noise
DC lines produce less audible noise compared to ac lines, I Light 27 26–34 30 1.2
mainly because the negative pole’s contribution is practi­ II Medium 34 32–44 38 1.5
cally negligible, whereas for the ac lines, the contribution III Heavy 43 56 56 2.2
from all three phases must be considered. This means that a IV Extreme 53 70 70 2.8
lower conductor bundle size can be used for a dc line to meet
the same noise requirements when compared to an ac line.
Audible noise will be at its highest under dry conditions for table 2. The dc voltage selection.
dc lines, and it will be at its highest under rain conditions AC Selected
for ac lines due to the effect of space charges. DC corona Voltage Insulator Number of Leakage dc Voltage
discharge generates space charges that reduce the electric (kV) Length Insulators Distance (kV)
field intensity between raindrops and the conductor surface, 138 3 ft, 4.2 in Seven 10 ft, 2.6 in 100
so rain causes a slight reduction in audible noise produced (1.02 m) (3.1 m)
by dc lines. AC corona discharge does not cause constant 230 6 ft, 8.5 in 14 20 ft, 5.3 in 200
space charges around the conductor, and the presence of (2.05 m) (6.2 m)
raindrops in the ac electric field leads to more stream dis­ 345 10 ft, 6.5 in 22 32 ft, 1.4 in 320
charges, resulting in an increase of audible noise. This dif­ (3.2 m) (9.8 m)
ference must be taken into account when selecting the dc 500 13 ft, 4.9 in 28 40 ft, 10.5 in 400
(4.1 m) (12.5 m)
conductor bundle size.

may/june 2019 ieee power & energy magazine 27

 table 3. The loading limit following ac-to-dc line conversion.
Length Thermal Loading DC Voltage Loading Capacity
AC Voltage (kV) Conductor Type (mi/km) Rating (A) Limit (MW) (kV) Limit (MW) Increase (%)
138 1192 ACSR 16/25.8 1,500 150 100 300 100
(3 × SIL)
230 2-1351.5 ACSR 72/115.9 2,702 290 200 1,081 273
(2 × SIL)
345 2-2493 ACAR 177/284.9 3,480 560 320 2,227 298
(1.4 × SIL)
500 3-1351 ACSR 250/402.3 4,179 1,200 400 3,343 179
(1.2 × SIL)
SIL: surge impedance loading.

Table 3 shows the compari­

102 son between the maximum load­
Load 1 101 ing of the ac line and the potential
Send
loading of the converted dc line
38% based on the previous voltage
↓

(188 MW)
38% selection. For the purpose of this
↓

264 MW (188 MW) comparison, the ac line loading

880 MW
limit was calculated by multiply­
229.9 kV
Outaged Line ing the surge impedance load­
23%
(113 MW)↓ 101% ing by the appropriate factor
103 (502 MW)
↓

230 kV based on the line length. There

Load 2
is a significant capacity increase
when the line is converted to dc for
all voltage levels. Lines longer than
616 MW 50 mi (80.5 km) are generally lim­
Note:
229.4 kV Line flows are shown as follows: % loading (MW loading). ited by voltage or stability, but the
goal of this exercise is to illustrate
the increase in thermal capacity by
figure 9. Sample system 1. the ac-to-dc conversion.

Planning
102
Considerations
Load 1 101 This section examines system
Send planning considerations, with the
← 100% objective of identifying candidate
(500 MW) ac transmission lines that could
645 MW ← 100% benefit from an ac-to-dc conver­
(500 MW)
1,500 MW sion. The thermal limit of an in­­
230 kV dividual circuit is not the only
Outaged Line consideration when identifying
355 MW ← 100%
103 (500 MW) the power transfer capability of a
230 kV
Load 2 given corridor, flow gate, or path.
The transmission capacity must
be assessed under outage condi­
tions as well.
855 MW When considering the N-1 cri­
Note: teria, the power transfer increase
230 kV
Line flows are shown as follows: % loading (MW loading).
for a given path also depends on
the parallel paths. This is illus­
figure 10. Sample system 1 following ac-to-dc line conversion. trated in Figure  9, which shows

28 ieee power & energy magazine may/june 2019

that precontingency power transfers from a generation bus to
table 4. The capacity increase following
load buses would be restricted to a maximum of 880 MW ac-to-dc line conversion.
to prevent an unacceptable overload of a nearby circuit for a
Total Maximum
given outage. The figure demonstrates how respecting this Total Flow System Operation
limitation results in the capacity of ac lines being underused. Contribution (%) Limits (MW)
A generic system-planning solution would be to add AC-to-dc Capacity
another ac line from bus 101 to bus 103, which could be a Load 1 Load 2 All ac Conversion Increase (%)
costly solution requiring additional land acquisition and 30 70 880 1,500 70
permitting. However, increased capacity could, instead, be
50 50 1,040 1,500 44
achieved by rebalancing the power flow in the existing lines. If,
for example, the line from bus 102 to 103 is converted to dc, this 70 30 786 1,500 91
would enable the operator to set the
power flow, which would result in a
70% increase in the system oper­
ating limit (up to 1,500 MW) with­
235 MW
out the need to increase the thermal
capacity of the ac transmission line.
This is illustrated in Figure 10.
229.7 kV
Table 4 quantifies the increase
in system operating limit (SOL)
obtained for the ac-to-dc conver­
sion for different load distributions.
← 38% (188.2 MW)
A significant increase in SOL can
be achieved without the need to
← 28% (141.4 MW) ← 38% (188.2 MW)
increase the thermal capacity of
Outaged Line
the ac transmission line.
The preceding example dem­ 240 MW
← 99% (98.6 MW)
onstrates that ac-to-dc conversion
229 kV 230 kV
results in a more robust solution 137.4 kV 138 kV
when compared to an ac-only Note:
system. Other dc solutions (e.g., Line flows are indicated as follows: % loading (MW loading).
back-to-back converters) have
been considered for these types of figure 11. Sample system 2.
applications; however, the limiting
factor remains the thermal capac­
ity of the ac line. A phase-shifting
transformer could also be used, but
it would not give the same level of 235 MW
controllability as an HVdc line,
and it could cause stability issues
228.8 kV
because it increases the angle
between the two ac buses.
Figure 11 illustrates a second
example, where the limiting circuit
would be located on the 138-kV ← 74% (365 MW)
network, and the outage occurs at
← 100% (495 MW) ← 74% (365 MW)
a higher-voltage circuit nearby. In
Outaged Line
this scenario, if the 138-kV line is
converted to dc, as shown in Figure 570 MW
← 75 MW
12, a 50% thermal capacity increase
and a 137% SOL increase could be 230 kV
138 kV 138 kV
achieved on the circuit; this once Note: 230 kV
again demonstrates a scenario Line flows are indicated as follows: % loading (MW loading).
where ac-to-dc conversion could be
a very advantageous solution. figure 12. Sample system 2 following ac-to-dc line conversion.

may/june 2019 ieee power & energy magazine 29

 If we take this one step further,
a multiterminal HVdc solution,
235 MW
as in Figure 13, would allow the
103
Load 2 system planner to mitigate several
congestion modes, such as outages
229.1 kV
on the HV bulk system and the
resulting overload of underlying
elements. It would also allow the
101
102 ← 150.2 MW Send operator to balance the export and
Load 1 import power between 2 × 138-kV
← 65.5 MW ← 150.2 MW line feeders. VSC multiterminal
← 548.5 MW controls use a single terminal con­
570 MW 1,002 1,001 trolling the voltage while the oth­
819 MW
ers control power, which ensures
230 kV 134.4 kV 138 kV power balance at the generator
230 kV connected to the dc line.
138 kV

Proposed Ranking of
Conversion Options
figure 13. Sample system 3 with multiterminal solution. in a Large System
It is clear that an ac-to-dc line con­
version can provide a significant
increase in the system operating
limit, which makes it an attractive
Bus 17 solution for large systems experienc­
30 Bus 18 Bus 21 Bus 22 ing congestion. However, the system
32 33 38 planner will be faced with several
31
Bus 23 potential solutions and options.
28 29 34 36 The authors propose a meth­
35 37
odology to rank the candidate
Bus 16 transmission lines for conver­
Bus 19 Bus 20
22 sion based on their impact on
230 kV 24
25 23 Bus 14 21 Bus 13 the system power flow in steady
26
Bus 15 state. The proposed line-ranking
18 factor is calculated by consider­
ing the sensitivity of the power
27 20
19 flow through the overloaded ele­
Bus 24 Bus 11 Bus 12 ment to changes in the power flow
in any other given line, under
the most critical contingencies.
16 A high sensitivity indicates that
7 14 15 17
the changes in the power f low
Bus 10 Bus 6
Bus 3 6 Bus 9 Cable of a specific line would have the
10 highest impact on controlling the
8 Bus 5 power flow through an overloaded
9 13 Bus 8
138 kV Bus 4 line or path.
12
2 3 5
4
11
This ranking methodology is
Cable
explained in Figure 14 using the
1 Bus 7
Bus 1 Bus 2 IEEE 24-bus reliability test system.
For the outage of the 230-kV line
27, the limiting element is identi­
Candidate Lines for ac–dc Line Conversion fied to be line 19. Therefore, the
distribution factors for each of
figure 14. The candidate lines for ac-to-dc conversion in the IEEE 24-bus reliability the system lines with respect to
test system. line 19 must be calculated under

30 ieee power & energy magazine may/june 2019

outage conditions for line 27. For example, the calculation
of the distribution factor of line 23 with respect to line 19 pro­
ceeds as follows: the power flow on line 23 is increased by
1 MW, accomplished by absorbing 1 MW at the receiv­
ing end of the line and injecting 1 MW at the sending end
(assuming negligible losses), and the associated power
flow change in line 19, ΔPcongestion, is recorded for an
outage of line 27. The distribution factor associated with
line 23 would then be ΔPcongestion divided by 1 MW. Once
the distribution factors for all lines are calculated, the best
candidates for ac-to-dc conversion (the ones having the
largest distribution factors) are found to be lines 19, 23,
21, 22, 20, and 29. This procedure can be repeated for any
given contingency.
Following the candidate line preselection, the engineer­
ing considerations discussed here can then be evaluated
to select the most feasible option, taking into consideration
the line’s location, conditions of existing conductors and
towers, land available for the converters, and so forth.
Summary
AC-to-dc transmission line conversion presents itself as an
attractive solution to bring bulk energy to large load centers
and eliminate critical network congestion points through the
optimization of existing assets. This is further emphasized
in the present context where utilities and developers are
faced with stringent permitting and environmental require­
ments when looking to acquire new rights-of-way.
This article presented the technical challenges and consid­
erations facing ac-to-dc conversion, including configuration
options, insulation, audible noise, corona, voltage selection,
and planning considerations. A methodology for ranking
conversion options was also presented. AC-to-dc conversion
opens the door to many possibilities and has the potential
to render major development projects economically viable,
which would otherwise be stopped in their tracks. The opti­
mal ac-to-dc conversion solution needs to be considered on
a case-by-case basis and will be a function of many factors,
may/june 2019 ieee power & energy magazine 31
such as cost, conditions of existing conductor and towers,
environmental factors, availability of land for the converter
stations and ground electrodes, outage duration requirements,
and operating criteria.
For Further Reading
Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques Joint
Working Group B2.41, “Guide to the conversion of existing
ac lines to dc operation,” Conseil International des Grands
Réseaux Électriques, Paris, France, Brochure No. 583, 2014.
P. Xu, B. Zhang, S. Chen, and K. He, “Criterion of drip­
ping discharge of falling water droplet on a conductor-t–
ground electrode with AC voltage applied,” in Proc. Elec-
trostatics Joint Conf., 2018, pp. 1–10.
A. Edris, L. Barthold, D. A. Douglass, W. H. Litzen­
berger, and D. A. Woodford, “Upgrading ac transmission to
dc for maximum power transfer capacity,” in Proc. 12th Int.
Middle-East Power System Conf., 2008, pp. 44–49.
L. Barthold, R. Adapa, H. Clark, and D. Woodford, “Sys­
tem advantages in conversion of AC transmission lines to
DC,” in Proc. 9th IET Int. Conf. AC and DC Power Trans-
mission, 2010, pp. 1–5.
X. Zhang and L. Yao, “A vision of electricity network
congestion management with FACTS and HVDC,” in Proc.
Third Int. Conf. Electric Utility Deregulation and Restruc-
turing and Power Technologies, 2008, pp. 116–121.
X. Zhang, L. Yao, B. Chong, C. Sasse, and K. R. Ged­
frey, “FACTS and HVDC technologies for the development
of future power systems,” in Proc. Int. Conf. Future Power
Systems, 2005, p. 6.
Biographies
Tayeb Meridji is with SNC-Lavalin, Montréal, Canada.
Frida Ceja-Gomez is with SNC-Lavalin, Montréal, Canada.
Jose Restrepo is with SNC-Lavalin, Vancouver, Canada.
Ramy Azar is with SNC-Lavalin, Montréal, Canada.
p&e