UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA PULAU PINANG

FACULTY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IN SOCIETY (EEE 653)

ASSIGMENT 2

AMIRUL ASHRAF BIN SAMAD

2014439348

PEE2008A1

HVDC Vs. HVAC Transmission

 Electrical power needs to be transmitted over longer distances from generating
stations to electrical substations to be distributed to the consumers. Though DC transmission
system was the first to born, soon it was replaced by AC transmission system. Earlier DC
systems developed by the Edison's company could not transmit the power more than a couple
of kilometers. Thus, only the customers within that much short range of the dc power plants
could get the power supply.
As the transmission distance increases, voltage drops significantly due to the I 2R loss.
A solution for this is to increase the transmission line voltage. But, there was no convenient
way to change the voltage level of DC power. With the development of AC, it became very
easy to change the voltage levels of AC power using transformers. Power could now be
transferred over longer distances using AC, by stepping up the voltage level for transmission
and stepping down again for utilization. A vast majority of transmission systems today use
three phase High Voltage AC (HVAC) power

Comparison Of HVAC and HVDC Transmission

1. Investment cost
DC transmission requires fewer conductors than AC transmission:
2 conductors per DC circuit
3 conductors per 3 phase AC circuit
HVDC allows line supporting towers to be smaller and, hence, requires lesser right-
of-way. Thus, clearly HVDC transmission line would cost lesser than an HVAC line.
However, the terminal converter stations in HVDC are much more expensive which
are not required for HVAC transmission. Over a specific distance, called as break-
even distance, HVDC line becomes cheaper than HVAC. The break-even distance for
overhead lines is around 600 km and for submarine lines it is around 50 km.

2. Losses
Skin effect is absent in DC. Also, corona losses are significantly lower in the case of
DC. An HVDC line has considerably lower losses compared to HVAC over longer
distances.
 3. Controllability
Due to the absence of inductance in DC, an HVDC line offers better voltage
regulation. Also, HVDC offers greater controllability compared to HVAC.

4. Asynchronous interconnection
AC power grids are standardized for 50 Hz in some countries and 60 Hz in other. It is
impossible to interconnect two power grids working at different frequencies with the
help of an AC interconnection. An HVDC link makes this possible.

5. Interference with nearby communication lines

Interference with nearby communication lines is lesser in the case of HVDC overhead
line than that for an HVAC line.

6. Short circuit current

In longer distance HVAC transmission, short circuit current level in the receiving
system is high. An HVDC system does not contribute to the short circuit current of the
interconnected AC system.

Advantage and Disadvantage

HVDC HVAC
Advantage Stable transmission Peace and quiet
and control Longer operating life
capability Comfort control
Able to send vast Flexible options
amounts of
electricity over very
long distances with
low electrical losses
Lower total
investment

Disadvantage High cost of terminal expensive to install

equipment. and operate
Blocking of power. potential leakage
Point to point problems.
transmission is not
possible.
Introduction of
harmonics.