Voltage source converter high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) technology has become increasingly cost-effective and technically feasible in recent years. It is likely to play a vital role in integrating remotely-located renewable generation and reinforcing existing power systems. Multi-terminal VSC-HVDC (MTDC) systems, with superior reliability, redundancy and flexibility over the conventional point-to-point HVDC, have attracted a great deal of attention globally. MTDC however remains an area where little standardisation has taken place, and a series of challenges need to be fully understood and tackled before moving towards more complex DC grids. This thesis investigates modelling, control and stability of MTDC systems. DC voltage, which indicates power balance and stability of DC systems, is of paramount importance in MTDC control. Further investigation is required to understand the dynamic and steady-state behaviours of various DC voltage and active power control schemes in previous literature. This work provides a detailed comparative study of modelling and control methodologies of MTDC systems, with a key focus on the control of grid side converters and DC voltage coordination. A generalised algorithm is proposed to enable MTDC power flow calculations when complex DC voltage control characteristics are employed. Analysis based upon linearised power flow equations and equivalent circuit of droop control is performed to provide further intuitive understanding of the steady-state behaviours of MTDC systems. Information of key constraints on the stability and robustness of MTDC control systems has been limited. A main focus of this thesis is to examine these potential stability limitations and to increase the understanding of MTDC dynamics. In order to perform comprehensive open-loop and closed-loop stability studies, a systematic procedure is developed for mathematical modelling of MTDC systems. The resulting analytical models and frequency domain tools are employed in this thesis to assess the stability, dynamic performance and robustness of active power and DC voltage control of VSC-HVDC. Limitations imposed by weak AC systems, DC system parameters, converter operating point, controller structure, and controller bandwidth on the closed-loop MTDC stability are identified and investigated in detail. Large DC reactors, which are required by DC breaker systems, are identified in this research to have detrimental effects on the controllability, stability and robustness of MTDC voltage control. This could impose a serious challenge for existing control designs. A DC voltage damping controller is proposed to cope with the transient performance issues caused by the DC reactors. Furthermore, two active stabilising controllers are developed to enhance the controllability and robust stability of DC voltage control in a DC grid.

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Cette thèse de doctorat porte sur les fluctuations temporelles du flux lumineux des lampes LED, ce phénomène portant le nom de papilottement (flicker). Le papillotement est habituellement considéré comme une perturbation en raison de son impact négatif sur la santé. Pour les systèmes d'éclairage à base de diodes électroluminescentes (LED), sa définition vient d'être formalisée dans la norme IEEE 1789:2015 et a été décrite pour les appareils alimentés en courant alternatif (CA). Ce papillotement alternatif résulte des interactions entre l'impédance du réseau, l'onde de tension, les courants harmoniques et le convertisseur de courant alternatif en courant continu (CA - CC). L'alimentation en courant continu est généralement obtenue via des convertisseurs à découpage. Par conséquent, les mêmes facteurs perturbateurs sont également présents sur les réseaux à courant continu. Cette thèse résume les diférences entre les propriétés caractéristiques du papillotement sous alimentation en CA et en CC. Il a été montré dans la littérature et aussi dans cette thèse qu'avec les LED, le facteur clé qui affecte le papillotement réside dans la conception du driver de LED - une partie indispensable des systèmes d'éclairage à LED. Cette thèse décrit une méthodologie d'évaluation de la sensibilité au papillotement des lampes LED sous alimentation en CC et analyse la façon dont cette sensibilité se modifie lorsque les drivers de LED sont simplifiés et adaptés à des alimentations CC. La thèse présente un ensemble d'expériences de mesure visant à déterminer la réaction typique du papillotement des lampes LED à la fois sous alimentation CA et CC. D'autres expériences ont été efectuées pour révéler l'impact de l'adaptation du driver à l'alimentation CC (en enlevant le pont redresseur à diodes). On constate que certaines lampes présentent une meilleure résistance au papillotement, tandis que d'autres lampes présentent une moindre résistance. Ces expériences sont accompagnées de simulations de drivers pour les lampes LED visant à reproduire et à expliquer les résultats des mesures. La thèse décrit en outre une expérience de mesure visant à montrer la sévérité typique de la variation de tension dans un réseau CC à basse tension couplé au CA domestique et son impact sur le papillotement. On conclut qu'un tel système est suisamment robuste pour filtrer les perturbations provenant du CA, mais une interaction indésirable entre la lampe et l'alimentation peut se produire. / This dissertation thesis is concerned with temporal fluctuations of the luminous flux of LED lamps, a phenomenon referred to as flicker. Flicker is usually regarded as a disturbance due to its negative impact on human health. For lighting systems based on light emitting diodes (LED), its definition has recently been formalised in norm IEEE 1789-2015 and has been documented on devices supplied with AC voltage. AC flicker results from interactions between network impedance, voltage and current harmonics, and the AC to DC converter. DC supplies are generally obtained by switching converters. Consequently, the same perturbing factors are present on DC networks. The thesis summarises the differences between the characteristic properties of flicker under AC and DC supplies. It has been shown in the literature and also in this thesis that the key factor affecting flicker with LEDs is the design of the LED driver-a necessary part of the LED lighting systems. This thesis describes a methodology for the evaluation of the flicker sensitivity of DC supplied LED lamps and analyses how the sensitivity changes when the LED drivers are simplified and accustomed to DC supply. The thesis presents a set of measurement experiments aimed to determine the typical flicker response of LED lamps both under AC and DC supply. Further experiments were performed to reveal the impact of accustomising the driver to the DC supply (removing the diode rectifier). It was found that some lamps show better flicker immunity while other lamps show worse flicker immunity. These experiments are accompanied by LED driver simulations aiming to reproduce and explain the measurement results. The thesis further describes a measurement experiment aimed to show the typical severity of the voltage fluctuation in a low voltage DC network coupled to AC mains and its impact on the flicker. It is concluded that such a system is robust enough to filter out any perturbations coming from the AC supply, but an undesired interaction between the lamp and the supply may occur.