Converters in power grid

Abstract

The electrical power system forms the essential backbone of the energy system that enables modern livelihood and supports a comfortable lifestyle for people who have access to it. It is commonly segmented into generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization systems. While electrical power converters have a role to play across all of these segments, their application in generation and utilization systems is rather specific in nature, as has been discussed in various other chapters in this book. The focus of discussion in this chapter is on their application in electrical transmission and distribution system, which are often referred together as the power grid. Since the power grid is largely operated as a three-phase ac system, the discussion in this chapter is mainly focused on three-phase power converters. An outline of different power converters that are used the power grid classified into different categories is presented in Section 16.2. In the discussion, the focus is mainly placed on the circuit configuration of the constituent components, and not on their control, modulation, switching strategy, or design aspects. Such a discussion is beyond the scope of this volume, and may be found in specialized texts, monographs, and references. Various specific applications of these converters in transmission and distribution systems are illustrated in Section 16.3. A brief description of application is restricted to the functional details. Again, detailed discussion of the operation and capabilities of the converters may be found in reference documents. The summary in the concluding section includes a brief discussion of the state of the technology and emerging trends, followed by a list of references.