Interoperable Protection and control of multi-terminal HVDC systems

Abstract

The MMC-based MTDC systems are considered a promising solution for long-distance power transmission, integration of renewable energy sources, and interconnection of power grids. Nowadays, MMC-based MTDC systems have been successfully developed in various projects worldwide and are expected to play a significant role in future electrical power transmission systems.

Despite the benefits provided by the MMC-based MTDC system, various technical problems emerge. For example, in case of a DC fault on HVDC transmission lines, the DC voltage suffers a deep sag, and the fault current increases to the peak value after several milliseconds, the system stability is seriously affected. The fault currents will easily damage the power electronics and may lead to a collapse of the entire system if the faults are not cleared promptly. Thus, it is crucial to implement a fast, selective, and reliableDC fault protection technology in the system for fault detection. Once the fault is cleared, it is important to know the exact fault location to repair the faulty sections and to restore the system. Hence, an accurate DC fault location technique is of utmost importance for the MTDC system, which would significantly minimize electricity loss and expedite the system restoration process in the event of power outages. In addition, there is a lack of standardization in MMC control, and the majority of HVDC projects are constructed in a vendor-specific manner. As of today, it is unclear how MMC converters from different manufacturers will interoperate with each other. These pose new challenges to the performance of HVDC protection and MMC control and need to be addressed to manage, safeguard, and accelerate the practical feasibility of this system.

The research in this thesis aims to address the shortcomings that have not been addressed in the state of the art, mainly related to the challenges arising when DC faults occur in the MMC MTDC systems and, as such, could provide promising solutions for future practicalMTDCapplications. The main topics areMMC control&interoperability, Protection, and Fault location for the MMC-based MTDC system. The thesis deals with designing a robust protection scheme, a fault location method, and an investigation of the interoperableMMC controllers...