VSC-based HVDC System Research Articles

Performance assessment of VSC-based HVDC system in asynchronous grid interconnection: Offline and real-time validation of control design with symmetric optimum PI tuning

Asynchronous interconnection is essential for integrating AC networks operating at different frequencies, typically 50 Hz and 60 Hz. This need arises from distributed power generation methods, including offshore renewable sources and diverse regional grid configurations. Advanced strategies are required to overcome these frequency differences and ensure uninterrupted power transfer.High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems facilitate efficient power exchange, enhancing grid reliability and stability. This study focuses on optimizing the Proportional-plus-Integral (PI) controller parameters within a 20 MVA Voltage Source Converters (VSC)-based HVDC system to enable asynchronous interconnection between offshore and onshore AC networks. The offshore VSC regulates active and reactive power, while the onshore VSC controls DC voltage and reactive power. A vector control approach with symmetric optimum PI tuning is proposed for a comprehensive performance assessment of the VSC-based HVDC transmission system.The effectiveness of the tuned PI controller parameters is evaluated through four test cases using MATLAB/Simulink for offline simulation and Typhoon HIL604 for real-time validation. These cases involve abrupt changes in reference active and reactive power for the offshore VSC; and in reference reactive power and DC voltage for the onshore VSC. Results demonstrate rapid and satisfactory dynamic performance across all test cases, as evidenced by offline simulations and real-time validation.The validation highlights the effectiveness of the proposed control design with symmetric optimum PI tuning, confirming its ability to enhance the overall performance of the HVDC transmission system for efficient asynchronous interconnection.

Fast Low Frequency Fault Location and Section Identification Scheme for VSC-Based Multi-Terminal HVDC Systems

Penetration of DC networks is rapidly increasing in modern power systems. As transient behavior of DC grids is different from that of AC ones, AC grid protection schemes might not be applicable to protect DC networks. Exact fault location is vital for protection of DC networks to reduce repair cost and achieve fast power recovery. This paper proposes a novel topology independent multi-terminal DC scheme to identify fault section and location for DC transmission systems. Voltage and current signals measured at the terminals are analyzed by the least squares error (LSE) algorithm. Then, the proposed scheme uses low frequency components of the signals to locate DC faults offline. Unlike some other methods, it does not require sophisticated sensors and hardware to capture very high frequency content of the signals. Hence, the proposed scheme can be implemented in practice without additional measuring infrastructure. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated under various fault conditions for different topologies of DC networks in both overhead lines and cables. Numerous simulations carried out demonstrate that the proposed scheme is quite accurate and provides excellent performance under different fault resistances, sections, and locations.

Robust Decoupled Outer-Control Design for Single VSC and HVDC Grid With Controller Weak AC System Interconnection

With the increase in number of VSC based HVDC systems, it is inevitable that there would be interconnections with weak ac grids. The paper presents the analytical basis for identifying coupling in the power loops which is dependent on grid inductance and operating point by utilizing the impedance based modeling technique. The formulation is used to define an inverse-based decoupling outer-loop controller for VSC-HVDC system. The concept is extended to HVDC grids and it is shown that the gains obtained using simple inverse may lead to instability. Robust controller tuning with pole-placement and minimization of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_\infty$</tex-math></inline-formula> norm is presented for HVDC grids, which form a restricted feedback system. The results show that the proposed method of decoupling results in effective decoupling of the power loops over a large range of grid inductance values as compared to that with traditional vector control. The system stability is also maintained over a large range of grid inductance values and PLL gains when a sudden variation of parameters is considered. The stability margins can be enhanced by pole-placement. The observations from the small-signal models are confirmed using detailed time-domain simulations. The proposal is expected to be useful in controller design for single VSC as well as HVDC grids, especially, during planing stage.

Simulation framework for automatic load frequency control studies of VSC-based AC/DC power grids

This paper introduces an efficient simulation framework for automatic load frequency control (ALFC) studies of VSC-based AC/DC power grids. It is aimed at slow transients caused by large megawatt imbalances occurring either in the AC systems or DC grid. These studies involve the coordinated action of the primary and secondary control loops of power plants, ones requiring long simulation times ranging from various tens of seconds to minutes. To address these overly challenging AC/DC power system simulations, the developed modelling framework resorts to suitable linear models, i.e., VSC dynamic controls are devised to conform to the slow dynamics featuring the ALFC. The most fundamental dynamics of AC systems, DC grid and VSC stations are compiled with reasonable precision. This is demonstrated using a three-terminal, multilevel VSC-based HVDC system implemented in the PSCAD simulation package for comparative purposes; both solutions are shown to concur very well because root mean squared errors inferior to 3% are obtained. The practicality of this effective simulation framework is also demonstrated by studying a five-terminal VSC-based transmission grid facing large power imbalances imposed by load disconnections and VSC outages.

Real-Time Implementation of Robust Loop-Shaping Controller for a VSC HVDC System

Voltage source converter (VSC) based HVDC systems are one of the most promising technologies for high voltage bulk power transmission. The reliability and stability of a VSC-based HVDC system greatly depends on the design of a proper controller for the inner decoupled d-q current loop. One of the major causes of instability in a properly tuned controller is due to system parameter variation. This paper presents the design of a fixed parameter robust controller for the inner decoupled d-q current loop for a VSC-based HVDC system to deal with the uncertainties due to system parameter variations. The method of multiplicative uncertainty is employed in the robust design to model the variations in the system parameters. The robust control design was realized through a graphical procedure known as the loop-shaping technique. The graphical loop shaping technique is a much simpler and more straightforward method compared to the traditional H∞-based algorithms for robust controller design. The designed robust controller was experimentally verified using a real-time hardware in loop (HIL) system and was tested on a VSC HVDC system. The performance of the designed robust controller is compared to that of a traditional PI controller. It has been observed that a classical PI controller is effective for a given operating point, and its performance deteriorates when the operating point changes or when the system parameters change. The studies conducted using real-time hardware in the loop (HIL) system prove that the designed loop-shaping-based robust controller provides very good performance and stability for a wide range of system parameter variations, such as changes in resistance and the inductance of the VSC HVDC system compared to the PI controller tuned using conventional methods.

Analysis of potential low frequency resonance between a 1GW MMC HVDC and a nearby nuclear generator

This paper presents a comprehensive analytical eigenvalue stability study of subsynchronous torsional interactions between the 1 GW Eleclink MMC HVDC and the 1.12 GW Gravelines turbine-generator in north France. It revalidates the conclusions of previous studies on VSC-based HVDC systems by showing that the risk of SSTI may be of significance when the HVDC is based on the MMC and not the two level VSC technology. The study demonstrates that in the case of the weak French grid and the rated HVDC power flow from France to England, the HVDC can destabilize the dominant low frequency, 6.3 Hz, torsional mode. The analysis also expands the work of previous studies on MMC and reveals that the case of the HVDC power flow from the English to the French grid may also introduce the risk of destabilizing the lower frequency mode. Furthermore, it also reveals a noticeable impact of the PLL and that increasing the gains has an opposite effect on the two HVDC power flow directions. Moreover, participation factors are analyzed for the 6.3 Hz mode indicating that the main cause of the torsional interactions is the HVDC power control loop. The main findings are verified on the detailed EMTP model.

Small-Signal Stability Assessment of Power Electronics Based Power Systems: A Discussion of Impedance- and Eigenvalue-Based Methods

This paper investigates the small-signal stability of power electronics-based power systems in frequency domain. A comparison between the impedance-based and the eigenvalue-based stability analysis methods is presented. A relation between the characteristics equation of the eigenvalues and poles and zeros of the minor-loop gain from the impedance-based analysis have been derived analytically. It is shown that both stability analysis methods can effectively determine the stability of the system. In the case of the impedance-based method, a low phase-margin in the Nyquist plot of the minor-loop gain indicates that the system can exhibit harmonic oscillations. A weakness of the impedance method is the limited observability of certain states given its dependence on the definition of local source-load subsystems, which makes it necessary to investigate the stability at different subsystems. To address this limitation, the paper discusses critical locations where the application of the method can reveal the impact of a passive component or a controller gain on the stability. On the other hand, the eigenvalue-based method, being global, can determine the stability of the entire system; however, it cannot unambiguously predict sustained harmonic oscillations in voltage source converter (VSC) based high voltage dc (HVdc) systems caused by pulse-width modulation (PWM) switching. To generalize the observations, the two methods have been applied to dc-dc converters. To illustrate the difference and the relation between the two-methods, the two stability analysis methods are then applied to a two-terminal VSC-based HVdc system as an example of power electronics-based power systems, and the theoretical analysis has been further validated by simulation and experiments.

Modeling and Analysis of VSC-Based HVDC Systems for DC Network Stability Studies

A modeling approach is presented in this paper in order to investigate instabilities originating from dc-network resonances in voltage-source converter HVDC (VSC-HVDC) systems. Through frequency-domain modeling, it is shown that the VSC-HVDC system can be represented as a feedback interconnection of two subsystems. These subsystems are defined in this paper as a dc network impedance connected to a VSC dc-side power-dependent admittance. The conditions in which this admittance has a negative conductance are investigated since they can amplify dc network resonances. It is found that when the VSC that controls the direct voltage injects power into the dc network, the mentioned conductance becomes negative above certain frequencies. In addition, the impact of weak ac grids, control system delays, and other direct voltage controllers on the studied conductance is investigated. The theoretical findings are verified through time-domain simulations.

The Investigation of Equivalent Harmonic Impedances of VSC-Based HVDC Systems

The Investigation of Equivalent Harmonic Impedances of VSC-Based HVDC Systems

A sensorless and simple controller for VSC based HVDC systems

Voltage source converter high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) is a new power transmission technology preferable in small or medium power transmission. In this paper we discuss a new control system based on space vector modulation (SVM) without any voltage line sensors. Using direct power control (DPC) SVM and a new double synchronous reference frame phase-locked loop (DSRF-PLL) approach, the control system is resistant to the majority of line voltage disturbances. Also, the system response has accelerated by using a feed forward power decoupled loop. The operation of this control strategy was verified in a SIMULINK/MATLAB simulation environment. To validate this control system, a 5 kV·A prototype system was constructed. Compared to the original controllers, the current total harmonic distortion (THD), the active and reactive deviations and the DC voltage overshoot were lowered by 2.5%, 6.2% and 8%, respectively. The rectifier power factor in the worst condition was 0.93 and the DC voltage settling time was 0.2 s.

Investigation of Subsynchronous Resonance With VSC-Based HVDC Transmission Systems

The HVDC converter control can destabilize torsional modes of nearby turbogenerators. The first experience of HVDC-turbine generator torsional interaction was observed in 1977 during field tests at Square Butte. The development of power semiconductors, specially insulated-gate bipolar transistors and gate turnoff thyristors (GTOs) has led to the small power HVDC transmission based on voltage-source converters (VSCs). The self-commutated VSC-based HVDC installations have several advantages compared to conventional HVDC-based online-commutated current source converter. The main objective of this paper is to investigate and present the detailed analysis of subsynchronous resonance (SSR), arising from a VSC-based HVDC system connected close to generating units. The analysis considers different operating modes of the converters. Based on a case study, it is shown that the dc voltage control mode of VSC operation (rectifier/inverter) close to the generator units can contribute positive damping in the torsional-mode frequency range of interest. The investigations of SSR with VSC-based HVDC is carried out based on linear (damping torque and eigenvalue) analysis and nonlinear transient simulation. While the damping torque, eigenvalue analysis, and controller design are based on the D-Q model, the transient simulation considers the D-Q model and the three-phase detailed model of VSC using switching functions. The influence of the operating modes of the converters and effects of some important parameters, such as effective short circuit ratio and generator rating are investigated.

Modeling of VSC-Based HVDC Systems for a Newton-Raphson OPF Algorithm

The paper presents the model of a voltage source converter -high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) suitable for optimal power flow (OPF) solutions using Newton's algorithm. The VSC-HVDC's ability to provide independent control of the converters ac voltage magnitudes and phase angles relative to the system voltage, which allows the use of separate active and reactive power control loops for system regulation, is well represented by the model. In this new development in Newton OPF, the VSC-HVDC system equations are incorporated directly into the matrix W for a unified optimal solution in a single frame-of-reference. The multipliers method is used to handle all inequality constraints of variables, leading to highly efficient OPF solutions of constrained power networks. The solution approach does not require structural changes in the linearised system of equations during the iterative process using Newton's method. The effectiveness of the VSC-HVDC model and its proposed implementation in Newton OPF is demonstrated by means of two sample systems.