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Fundamental Concepts in High-Voltage DirectCurrent Power Transmission

W.F. Long, Fellow, IEEE, and W. Litzenberger, Fellow, IEEE

Abstract--High-Voltage Direct-Current (HVDC) power

transmission is an increasingly important adjunct to conventional
alternating current (ac) transmission of electric energy. The
modern era dates from the middle 1950s when a 20 MW, 100 kV
undersea cable system fed power to Gotland Island in the Baltic
Sea off the coast of Sweden. Currently in China there are
systems approaching 7,000 MW operating at +/- 800 kV. This
presentation addresses the historic applications of HVDC
transmission and leads to the modern era where significant
growth in North America is being realized. This paper is a brief
summary for a panel on HVDC transmission fundamentals.
More detail will be available in the presentation.
Index TermsHigh
Electronic Equipment

voltage

DC

transmission,

Power

I. INTRODUCTION

NTEREST in HVDC transmission has increased in the

United States with the rapid development of large wind
farms.
Maps of available wind energy show huge
concentrations in the upper Midwest, along with areas where
offshore wind energy looks to be significant. Additionally,
large solar energy farms are piquing interest in the Southwest.
Ironically, as would be expected, these regions typically do
not have concentrations of load areas and so transmission is an
essential element of any implementation plan. The attributes
of HVDC match well with the variability of energy
availability from these resources. But there is of course the
problem of moving that energy from source to load. In this
presentation we discuss the characteristics of HVDC
transmission, give examples of present applications, and
discuss the direction that the technology is heading. We will
conclude with an overview of the stages for implementing a
HVDC transmission project.
II. CHARACTERISTICS AND APPLICATIONS

HVDC transmission characteristics can be categorized as

follows:
Controllability in normal operation the current/power
order is set and observed. They can be quickly
changed in response to a major disturbance.

Willis F. Long is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

USA (e-mail: willis@epd.engr.wisc.edu).
Wayne Litzenberger is with POWER Engineers, Portland, OR USA (email: wayne.litzenberger@powereng.com).

978-1-4673-1935-5/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

Routing - current follows the transmission line/cable

rather than wandering about the parallel or
underlying circuits.
Congested circuits can be
bypassed, there is no inadvertent flow.
Integration of remote diverse resources for example
wind turbines in the North Sea or along the Eastern
coast of the US.
Higher power with fewer lines, and no intermediate
substations needed consider the Itaipu system in
southern Brazil with two sets of dc towers and three
sets of ac towers.
In the same vein, narrower rights-of-way are possible
compared with equivalent ac transmission.
The argument has been made that bipolar dc
transmission is equivalent to a double circuit ac
system.
In a long-distance dc system the losses are less than
with an equivalent ac system.
There is no stability distance limitation.
Reactive power demand is needed at the terminals but
not along the line.
DC can be used to interconnect asynchronous ac
systems, or even ac systems of different frequencies.
DC has been proposed to interconnect islanded ac
systems to limit cascading outages.
There is no length limit with underground or
submarine cables.
III. AC/DC AND DC/AC CONVERSION
There are two fundamental conversion principles. Linecommutated converters (LCC) have incorporated the
traditional Graetz bridge for the interface. Earlier systems
used mercury arc valves for the switching elements in the
bridge; since the mid-1970s arrays of solid-state thyristors
perform this function. The very large systems mentioned
earlier use this technology. The bridges are sometimes
referred to as current source converters. Both the rectifier (acdc converter) and the opposite-end inverter (dc-ac converter)
have identical equipment installed in the switchyard. They are
controlled somewhat differently.
The alternative converter arrangement is called a voltagesourced converter (VSC). This is a relatively new arrival on
the scene and uses turn-off power semiconductors (e.g.,
insulated-gate bipolar transistors or IGBTs). The VSC has
enhanced capabilities compared to the LCC (e.g., four
quadrant real and reactive power control) but lower voltage

and power ratings. The converter losses are a bit higher. The
VSC characteristics make it an ideal companion for off-shore
wind farms.
IV. WHERE IS THE TECHNOLOGY HEADING?
As the ratings of conventional LCC systems increase it is clear
that this mature technology is looked at favorably for very
large and/or remote renewable resources (including hydro in
that definition). As ratings of VSC systems increase and as
losses continue to reduce, applications for multi-terminal and
even grid systems in Northern Europe will become a reality.
The debate over the need for very fast dc circuit breakers will
heat up. The search for improved power semiconductor
materials (silicon carbide? diamond?) will continue. And
some of our professional colleagues will continue to state that
Edison was wrong and Westinghouse was right, alternating
current is the only way to deliver electrical energy.
V. HVDC PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
The process of purchasing, installing and commissioning an
HVDC system is an activity that will extend over several
years. Obtaining permits can easily occupy 2 years by itself.
Once a contract is signed with a supplier, manufacturing and
installation can take an additional 2 to 3 years. This panel
session will assist a utility and its project manager in
organizing the staff needed to complete the project. Although
most of the design work, manufacturing and construction will
likely be carried out by suppliers or contractors, the purchaser
will still need dedicated staff to develop the specification,
analyze bids, execute the contract(s), monitor equipment
testing, inspect construction, work with the supplier on
commissioning, and ultimately to operate the system.
Design and construction of an HVDC system will necessarily
rely heavily on one of only a few world-wide suppliers of
such systems. As a utility begins the lengthy and expensive
process of purchasing an HVDC system, this presentation will
assist in developing plans for the execution of the project from
development of the specification to the completion of
commissioning.
A. Pre-Award Activities
Planning Studies
Cost Estimates
Permitting
Converter Station Specification
Bidding and Bid Analysis
B. Post-Award Activities
Manufacturing
Testing
Construction and Installation

Commissioning