Travelling wave based fault location techniques work well for line commutated converter (LCC) based high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines, but the large capacitors at the DC line terminals makes application of the same techniques for voltage source converter (VSC) based HVDC schemes challenging. A range of possible signals for detecting the fault generated travelling wave arrival times was investigated. Considering a typical VSC HVDC system topology and based on the study, an efficient detection scheme was proposed. In this scheme, the rate of change of the current through the surge capacitor located at each line terminal is measured by using a Rogowski coil and compared with a threshold to detect the wave fronts. Simulation studies in PSCAD showed that fault location accuracy of ±100 m is achievable for a 300 km long cable and 1000 km long overhead line. Experimental measurements in a practical HVDC converter station confirmed the viability of the proposed measurement scheme.

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology has never before been used to connect a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) directly to the National Electricity Transmission System (NETS). There are both technical and economic factors which need to be considered and understood before such a technology is adopted for an NPP connection. In this thesis, both technical and economic factors surrounding the suitability of Current Source Converter (CSC) and Voltage Source Converter (VSC) HVDC technology for NPP connections are investigated. Power system models of both HVDC technologies, connected to an NPP, are studied in Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD) software. The studies highlight the susceptibility of CSC-HVDC technology to commutation failure during a three-phase fault condition at the inverter, and simulations demonstrate some key benefits of adopting VSC-HVDC technology for NPP connections: provision of independent reactive power support to both the NPP and AC system; black-start capability; fast current reversal for dynamic conditions; and the ability to connect to a weak High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) system. The simulations show the vulnerability of VSC-HVDC vector current control when the short circuit ratio of the AC system is very low (<1); in such cases, the Phase Locked Loop (PLL) is affected and power transfer through the VSC-HVDC link may drop to 50% of nominal rating. An economic analysis of HVDC technology development, cost and converter station size is presented. The size of a CSC-HVDC converter station can be much larger than an equivalent-rated VSC due to the additional filters required for reactive power compensation and harmonic mitigation. With the fast evolution of VSC-HVDC technology, the ratings required for an NPP connection are now available. The cost difference between the two technologies can vary from project to project and hence neither one can be ruled out for an NPP connection based only on price.

Power electronics is a diverse and multi-disciplinary field with constant opportunities to grow, change, and try new techniques to push the envelope. Immediately following the importance of hardware improvement is working on the algorithms controlling the switches. There are many controllers used in the field, all with their own unique benefits and drawbacks. This document will study the feasibility of adding the "Take-Back-Half" algorithm to the ranks of controllers utilized. This algorithm is a non-linear modification to the PI controller with potential benefits in speed and stability.

A new power conditioning system (PCS) for superconductive magnetic energy storage (SMES) is developed and its prototype test system is built and tested. The PCS uses IGBTs for high-speed PWM operation and has a multi-level chopper-VSC structure. The prototype test system has three-level that can handle up to 250-kVA with a 1800-V DC link, a 200-A maximum load current , and a switching frequency reaching 20-kHz with the help of zero-current-transition (ZCT) soft-switching. This PCS has a great number of advantages over conventional ones in terms of size, speed, and cost. Conventional PCSs use thyristors, due to the power capacity of the SMES system. The speed limit of the thyristor uses a six-pulse operation that generates a high harmonic. To reduce the harmonic, multiple PCSs are connected together with phase-matching transformers that need to be precise to be effective in reducing the harmonics. So, the system becomes large and expensive. In addition, the dynamic range of the PCSs are also limited by the six-pulse operation, because it limits the useful area of the PCS applications. By employing a high-speed PWM, the new PCS can reduce the harmonics without using the transformers reducing size and cost, and has wide dynamic range. However, the speed of a switching device is generally inversely proportional to its power handling capacity. Therefore, employing a multi-level structure is one method of extending the power-handling capability of the high-speed device. Switching loss is another factor that limits the speed of the switch, but it can be reduced by soft-switching techniques. The 20-kHz switching frequency can be obtained with the help of the ZCT soft-switching technique, which can reduce about 90% of switching losses from the IGBT during both turn-on and turn-off transients. There are two different topologies of the PCS; the current source converter (CSC) type and the chopper and voltage source converter (VSC) type. In terms of the SMES system efficiency, the chopper-VSC type shows a less volt-ampere requirement of the power device. Therefore, the new PCS system has a chopper-VSC structure. Since the chopper-VSC structure consists of multiple legs that can be modularized, a power electronics building block (PEBB) leg is a good choice; all of the system problems caused by the high frequency can be solved within the PEBB leg. The VSC is built with three of the PEBB legs. Three-phase AC is implemented with a three-level space vector modulation (SVM) that can reduce the number of switching and harmonic contents from the output current. A closed-loop control system is also implemented for the VSC, and shows 600-Hz control bandwidth. The multi-level structure used requires too many high-speed switches. However, not all of them are used at the same time during normal multi-level operation. A new multi-level topology is suggested that requires only two high-speed switches, regardless of the number of levels. Other switches can be replaced with slow-speed switches that can allow additional cost savings. / Ph. D.

Detta examensarbete är gjort på uppdrag av ABB i Ludvika. ABB har fått en beställning på en uppgradering av en högspänd likströmstation, på engelska High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). Det finns huvudsakligen två olika tekniker gällande HVDC. Det är HVDC med Line Commutated Converters (LCC) och HVDC med Voltage Source Converters (VSC). LCC-tekniken är den äldsta och mest använda tekniken och är den teknik som stationen som uppgraderas använder. VSC-HVDC är en något nyare teknik som har fördelen att den inte kräver ett genererande nät på båda sidor av HVDC-länken men nackdelen att den inte klarar av lika höga effekter som LCC gör. Den har med dessa egenskaper blivit en populär teknik att använda för att till exempel överföra energi från vindkraftsparker ute till havs in till fastlandet eller för att förse oljeplattformar med energi. VSC-tekniken introducerades för första gången 1997 av ABB där den går under namnet HVDC-Light. Den aktuella HVDC-länken är en förbindelse mellan två länder och har en överföringskapacitet på totalt 600 MW. Uppgraderingen innefattar även uppdatering av befintliga scheman för att de skall finnas tillgängliga i den nya programvaran Engineering Base. Ritningarna har ritats i Microsoft Visio. Den utrustning som har ritats om och behandlas i denna rapport gäller utrustningen på likströmssidan av HVDC-stationen. Det innefattar jordknivar, frånskiljare, strömtransformatorer, spänningsdelare, överströmsskydd och genomföringar. / This thesis was conducted on behalf of ABB in Ludvika. ABB has received an order for an upgrade of a high voltage direct current (HVDC) station. There are two main technologies that HVDC is based on; line commutated converters (LCC) and voltage source converters (VSC). The LCC technology is the oldest and most widely used. It's also the technology that the upgraded station is based on. VSC HVDC is a newer technology that has the advantage of not requiring a generating power grid on both sides of the HVDC link but has the disadvantage that it cannot handle as high power as LCC can. With these qualities it has become a popular technology to use to transfer energy from offshore wind farms to the mainland or to provide oil platforms with energy. VSC technology was first introduced in 1997 by ABB where it is called HVDC Light. The revised HVDC link is a connection between two countries and has a total power transmission of 600 MW. The upgrade also includes updating existing circuit diagrams for the HVDC station to be available in the new software Engineering Base. The circuit diagrams have been drawn in Microsoft Visio. The equipment which have been designed and examined in this report applies to equipment on the DC side of the HVDC station. This includes grounding knives, disconnectors, power transformers, voltage dividers, current protection units and wall bushings.

A problem of interest in the power industry is the mitigation of severe torsional oscillations induced in turbine-generator shaft systems due to Subsynchronous Resonance (SSR). SSR occurs when a natural frequency of a series compensated transmission system coincides with the complement of one of the torsional modes of the turbine-generator shaft system. Under such circumstances, the turbine-generator shaft system oscillates at a frequency corresponding to the torsional mode frequency and unless corrective action is taken, the torsional oscillations can grow and may result in shaft damage in a few seconds. <p> This thesis reports the use of a supplementary controller along with the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) HVDC back-to-back active power controller to damp all SSR torsional oscillations. In this context, investigations are conducted on a typical HVAC/DC system incorporating a large turbine-generator and a VSC HVDC back-to-back system. The generator speed deviation is used as the stabilizing signal for the supplementary controller. <p>The results of the investigations conducted in this thesis show that the achieved control design is effective in damping all the shaft torsional torques over a wide range of compensation levels. The results and discussion presented in this thesis should provide valuable information to electric power utilities engaged in planning and operating series capacitor compensated transmission lines and VSC HVDC back-to-back systems.

A problem of interest in the power industry is the mitigation of severe torsional oscillations induced in turbine-generator shaft systems due to Subsynchronous Resonance (SSR). SSR occurs when a natural frequency of a series compensated transmission system coincides with the complement of one of the torsional modes of the turbine-generator shaft system. Under such circumstances, the turbine-generator shaft system oscillates at a frequency corresponding to the torsional mode frequency and unless corrective action is taken, the torsional oscillations can grow and may result in shaft damage in a few seconds. <p> This thesis reports the use of a supplementary controller along with the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) HVDC back-to-back active power controller to damp all SSR torsional oscillations. In this context, investigations are conducted on a typical HVAC/DC system incorporating a large turbine-generator and a VSC HVDC back-to-back system. The generator speed deviation is used as the stabilizing signal for the supplementary controller. <p>The results of the investigations conducted in this thesis show that the achieved control design is effective in damping all the shaft torsional torques over a wide range of compensation levels. The results and discussion presented in this thesis should provide valuable information to electric power utilities engaged in planning and operating series capacitor compensated transmission lines and VSC HVDC back-to-back systems.

The objective of this dissertation is to carry out dynamic modeling, analysis and control for Voltage-Source Converters (VSC). Two major applications of VSC will be investigated in this dissertation: microgrid application and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) application. In microgrid applications, VSC is used to integrate distributed energy sources such as battery and provide system functions: such as real and reactive power regulation, voltage and frequency support during islanding condition, and abnormal system condition mitigation. In HVDC applications, VSC is used to interconnect dc systems with ac systems. The functions supplied by VSC are similar to that in microgrids. However, the transfer capability and stability in such kind of system are of major interests. Therefore, Part I of this dissertation focuses on VSC's applications in microgrids. A battery's inverter can be operated in both grid-connected PQ regulation mode and voltage and frequency support mode during islanding condition. Transition scheme between these two control modes is firstly investigated to guarantee a smooth dynamic performance. Secondly, a coordinated control strategy between battery's and PV station's VSCs is developed to improve microgrid's power flow. Thirdly, power quality improvement through the battery's inverter is investigated. VSC's control and capability for microgrid operation at normal, transient, and abnormal conditions will be modeled and analyzed. Part II of this dissertation focuses on VSC's applications in HVDC. The following topics are investigated in this dissertation: (i) how to design VSC-HVDC's controller using system identification method? (ii) How to coordinate VSCs in multi-terminal HVDC scenarios? And (iii) how to determine VSC-HVDC system's transfer capability based on stability limits? High-fidelity simulation technology is employed to tackle control validation while frequency domain impedance modeling technique is employed to develop analytical models for the systems. With linear system analysis tools such as Nyquist plots and Bode plots, stability limits and impacting factors of VSC-HVDC systems can be identified. This dissertation led to four journal papers (two accepted, one request of revision, one to submit) and five conference papers. The major contributions of this dissertation include: 1) Developed VSC and microgrid models in high-fidelity simulation environment. Developed and validated VSC control schemes for variety of microgrid operations: normal, abnormal, and transient. The developed technologies can facilitate a battery to make up solar power, improve system dynamic performance during transients, and improve power quality. 2) Developed VSC-HVDC simulation models, including two-terminal HVDC and multi-terminal HVDC. Developed VSC-HVDC control schemes for two-terminal and multi-terminal systems. Developed analytical impedance models for VSC-HVDC systems and successfully carried out stability limit identification.

With the increased complexity of modern power systems, it may be required more than one platform to do an intended study efficiently and accurately. This research was carried out to investigate the use of co-simulation in an application of power system. A back-to-back Voltage Source Converter (VSC) transmission system was modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC which is an Electro-Magnetic Type (EMT) software. Results were analyzed for some operating points of the system. Then the control system of the above system was modelled in MATLAB/SIMULINK while the rest of the system was modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC. Both of these systems were interfaced to obtain the complete system and results were analyzed under same operating points as the original PSCAD case.

This thesis deals with modeling, simulation and operating limits of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission systems that employ voltage-source converters (VSCs) as their building blocks. This scheme is commonly known as the VSC-HVDC transmission. A simulation-based study is undertaken in which detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) models are developed for a back-to-back VSC-HVDC transmission system. Different control strategies are implemented and their dynamic performances are investigated in the PSCAD/EMTDC EMT simulator. The research presented in this thesis firstly specifies the factors that limit the operating points of a VSC-HVDC system with particular emphasis on the strength of the terminating ac system. Although the EMT model shows these limits it provides little analytical reason for their presence and extent. A phasor-based quasi-steady state model of the system including the phase-locked loop firing control mechanism is proposed to determine and characterize the factors contributing to these operating limits. Stability margins and limits on the maximum available power are calculated, taking into consideration the maximum voltage rating of the VSC. The variations of ac system short-circuit ratio (SCR) and transformer impedance are proven to significantly impact the operating limits of the VSC-HVDC system. The results show how the power transfer capability reduces as the SCR decreases. The analysis shows that VSC-HVDC converters can operate into much weaker networks, and with less sensitivity, than the conventional line commutated converters (LCC-HVDC). Also for a given SCR the VSC-HVDC system has a significantly larger maximum available power in comparison with LCC-HVDC. A second research thrust of the thesis is introduction of a simplified converter model to reduce the computational intensity of its simulation. This is associated with the admittance matrix inversions required to simulate high-frequency switching of the converter valves. This simplified model is based on the concept of dynamic average-value modelling and provides the ability to generate either the full spectrum or the fundamental-frequency component of the VSC voltage. The model is validated against the detailed VSC-HVDC circuit and shows accurate matching during steady state and transient operation. Major reductions of 50-70% in CPU-time in repetitive simulation studies such as multiple runs and optimization-based controller tuning are achieved.