Power System Transmission

HVDC
Is DC better than AC?

Source: balticcable.com
HVDC=High Voltage Direct Current
 Outline
• HVDC projects
• Pros and cons
• The diode and the thyristor
• Six-pulse diode bridge
• Six-pulse thyristor bridge
• Harmonics
• The converter station
 Sample HVDC projects
– 1954 Gotland, Sweden, First commercial!
• 90 km, 20MW, 100kV
– 1987 Itaipu, Brazil, Largest!
• 6300 MW
– 1994 Baltic Cable, SE-GE, longest cable
• 600 MW, 400 kV, 250 km
– 2000 SwePol Link, SE-PL
– 2000+ Three Gorges, China
• 6000 MW, 890 km overhead line
 Nordic HVDC links
Kontiskan SE-DK
FennoSkan SE-FI

Skagerrack NO-DK FI-RU

NorNed NO-NL
Viking NO-DE Gotland, SE

Baltic Cable SE-DE SwePol, SE-PL

Kontek DK-DE
All except Gotland and Fennoskan are
between Nordel and other systems
 Advantages of HVDC
– No reactive line/cable losses
• Long cables possible, lines cheaper
– No synchronizing power
• Easy to connect AC systems
– Controllability
• Perfect for power transactions
– SSC does not increase
• Upgrading of AC breakers not necessary
 Disadvantages of HVDC

– Expensive terminals
• (DC) converter compared to (AC) transformer
– Harmonics
• Interference with telephone lines
– Susceptible to SSR and other interaction
• High bandwidth and powerful actuator
– Compass deviations
• Submarine cable with ground return
 The diode and the thyristor

• Diode
V
– Conducts when V>0
• Thyristor
V Vgate – Conducts when V>0 and Vgate>0
– Conduction can be delayed
Three-phase diode bridge

– Upper diodes select Vp=max(e)

– Lower diodes select Vm= min(e)
– DC voltage VD=Vp-Vm
Voltages and currents

DC voltage ripple
Six pulses per cycle

DC current constant
AC current pulses
Three-phase thyristor bridge

Thyristor firing delayed firing angle 

 Influence of 

– Average DC voltage ~cos

=0-90°: VD>0 Rectifier operation
=90-180°: VD<0 Inverter operation
– AC current pulses shifted 
– Reactive power ~sin
Harmonics on AC and DC side

– Two bridges in series

• Y-y transformer
• Y-Transformer
• Less harmonics in VD and Iline
 Converter station

Two six-pulse
bridges

Filters short-
circuit AC and
DC side
harmonics

AC DC
 Baltic Cable converter station
AC line AC switchyard
Valve
Q comp hall

AC filter DC line

Transformer
building

Active
DC filter
Smoothing reactor