420 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. IA-1s, NO.
4, JULY/AUGUST 1979
131 N. Maki, H. Okuda, T. Tatsumi, J. Fujie, and T. Iwahana, "A
combined system of propulsion and guidance by linear synchro-
nous motors," IEEE Trans. Power App. Syst., p. 1 109, July/Aug.
1977.
[41 D. Schroder and K. Moll, "The cycloconverter at increased output
frequency," 1977 IEEE/IAS Int. Semiconductor Power Con-
verter Conf., 77CAl 183-3.
Susumu Tadakuma (M'78) was born in Kuma-
moto Prefecture, Japan, on February 5, 1939.
* He received the B.S.E.E. degree and the Dr.
Eng. degreeirom Waseda University, Tokyo,
Japan, in 1962 and 1978, respectively.
Since 1962 he has been employed at the Re-
search and Development Center, Toshiba
Corporation, Japan. From 1962-1973 he
worked on the research and development of
commutatorless motors for various uses. Since
1973 he has been engaged in the development
The High-Frequency Base Converter-A New Approach to
Static High-Power Conversion
LASZLO GYUGYI AND FRANK CIBULKA
Abstract-A new approach to high-power conversion in which two
naturally commutated converters (cycloconverters) are used in tandem,
each with its input connected to a (passive) high-frequency (HF) source
("base") is presented. The arrangement approximates an ideal converter;
its "input" and "output" frequency can be equal or different, and the
power factor at both external terminals can be maintained at unity or
any other value. Potential utility applications in which the HF base
converter functions as an asynchronous intertie between two ac power
systems and as a tie between a dc transmission line and a weak ac
system are discussed, and technical and economic comparisons with
conventional approaches are given.
INTRODUCTION
A S A RESULT of the continual improvements in thyristor
Arating and characteristics, solid-state power conversion
equipment has become a practical reality for high-power in-
dustrial and utility applications. Several large installations
exist, and others are planned for linking asynchronous ac sys-
tems converting dc to ac power (or vice versa), transmitting
power at high-voltage direct current (HVDC), and controlling
ac power and volt-ampere reactive (var). Due to the inherent
Paper SPCC77-19, approved by the Static Power Converter Com-
mittee of the IEEE Industry Applications Society for presentation at
the 1977 International Static Converter Conference, Orlando, FL,
March 27-31.
The authors are with the Power Electronics Laboratory, Research
and Development Center, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pitts-
burgh, PA 15235.
0093-9994/79/0700-0420$00.75 C 1979 IEEE
of magnetically levitated trains and power electronics application
systems.
Dr. Tadakuma is a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers
of Japan.
Yoshiaki Tamura was born in Tokyo, Japan, on
December 13, 1943. He received the B.S. and
M.S. degrees from Waseda University, Tokyo,
Japan, in 1966 and 1968, respectively.
In 1968 he joined the Research and Devel-
opment Center, Toshiba Corporation, Tokyo,
Japan. He has been engaged in the study of
magnetically levitated trains and power elec-
tronics application systems.
Mr. Tamura is a member of the Institute of
Electrical Engineers of Japan.
limitations of high-power thyristors (no gate-controlled turn-
off ability, relatively long turn-off time), however, these ap-
plications are predominantly limited to line (naturally) com-
mutated power circuits. Although line commutated power
converters are conceptually simple, and therefore attractive,
in practice they have some inherent characteristics that be-
come increasingly bothersome as the power level is increased.
They reflect their load with a lagging power factor, and they
may draw substantial amounts of relatively low-order har-
monic currents from their source. Their response time is a
function of the source frequency. Their operation is affected,
and indeed may be interrupted by line distrubances and
transients.
This paper deals with a new converter referred to as a. high-
frequency (HF) base or link converter that preserves the ad-
vantages of a line (naturally) commutated converter while
eliminating its disadvantages. In fact, the HF base converter
approximates an ideal power converter, there being in theory
no limitations to its attainable characteristics.
The high-frequency base (link) converter was conceived and
developed independently by two groups at two different com-
panies as manifested by [1], [6], [7] and [2], [3], [4], [5],
[8], [9], [10]. While the work described in the first group of
references was mostly oriented towards industrial applications
such as ac motor drives, the second group and the present
paper deal primarily with high-power utility applications such
as the intertying and compensation of ac power systems.
GYUGYI AND CIBULKA: HIGH-FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER
I '0
VI
Input Output
Excitation: vI = VI s n uIt Excitation; v0= V0 s
Response: iI =II sin(lIt+ OIl Response: =I sin (at
Given : V1, ai Given : Z0(lo)
Controllable: ZI, QI Controllable: Vo0 a0
Restriction:
1V=' sI
I == P -=V I ccos O
Fig. 1. Simplified functional representation of ideal power converter.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
An ideal power converter is characterized by complete
functional flexibility. Its input power may be supplied by a
(multiphase) ac source with any frequency (including zero-
i.e., a dc source), it can deliver the (multiphase) output power
with variable frequency (that includes zero) and voltage, its
input displacement angle presented to the source is variable,
and it allows the power to flow in either direction between its
input and output terminals. The process of ideal power con-
version is lossless, hence the real power at the input
terminals must be equal to the real power at the output termi-
nals. Such an ideal power converter could be considered as a
general transformer with the capability of both independently
transforming the frequency and amplitude of a given input
voltage and of transforming the phase angle of the load to
some different input phase angle.
A simplified representation of an ideal power converter is
shown in Fig. 1. A voltage source (which would in general have
multiple phases or would be a direct voltage source) having a
given amplitude VI and angular frequency wI = 2nrfI is con-
nected to the input terminal of the power converter. This
applied voltage is converted into an output voltage with ampli-
tude VO and angular frequency co0 = 2Trfo, which is applied
to the load. At the output terminal, therefore, the converter,
taken in conjunction with the input source may be viewed as
a simple "black box" voltage generator establishing output
voltage vo across the load. In response to this voltage, an
output current io flows through the load. The amplitude Io
and phase angle f0 of current io are determined by the im-
pendance characteristic of the load.
Looking at the power conversion process in the reverse
direction, that is, from the input terminal, the output current
of amplitude Io, angular frequency co0, and phase angle 00
is converted to input current of amplitude II, angular frequency
co,, and phase angle 4I. At the input terminal, therefore, the
ideal frequency converter with its output load can be viewed
as a "black box" impedance terminating the ac source with a
real power component equal to that of the output load and a
displacement angle that can be independently adjusted.
421
io Input Output
)( terminals terminalls
Naturally
commutated
V0 cycloconverter
Fig. 2. Representation of naturally commutated cycloconverter as
functional block.
At present, practical means available for high-power conver-
sion are the naturally commutated ac/ac cycloconverter (NCC)
n u0t
and the simpler two- or four-quadrant phase-controlled con-
I0 verter hereafter referred to as a dc/ac converter. Thus, before
01u0 proceeding further it may be helpful to review the basic oper-
ating principles of these elemental naturally commutated
circuits.
The principle of operation of the naturally commutated
cycloconverter is illustrated by the simple functional block
diagram and waveforms of Fig. 2. Selected segments of the
relatively high-frequency voltages applied at the input ter-
minals are pieced together by appropriate gating of the thy-
ristors within the cycloconverter to construct an output vol-
tage wave with a wanted (fundamental) frequency lower than
that of the input voltages. By suitable control of the switching
periods of the thyristors, the amplitude of the fundamental
component of output voltage relative to the input voltage
can be controlled, and by a similar process the output fre-
quency can be varied relative to the input frequency provided
that the output frequency is kept lower than the input fre-
quency. Because of the inherently bidirectional nature of the
cycloconverter power can flow in either direction through it.
The switching of current within the cycloconverter from
one thyristor to the next is accomplished by means of natural
commutation. The switching instants of the thyristors are in-
variably chosen in relation to the instantaneous polarity of the
input voltages so that firing of an incoming thyristor results in
the initial application of reverse voltage across the outgoing
thyristor. This natural commutation process imposes a lagging
reactive component of load on the input source regardless of
the phase angle of the current at the output of the cyclocon-
verter. In addition, the cycloconverter draws harmonic (extra-
basal) current components from the input source due to the
basic process of output waveform construction.
Since the cycloconverter can produce zero output fre-
quency it could itself be considered as an ac to dc converter.
Indeed, as is known, the cycloconverter comprises ac to dc
bidirectional (dual) converters so that each output (load)
phase is individually supplied by such a converter. In dc/ac
converter application a single direct output voltage is gene-
rated, and thus the multiple power circuits of a general multi-
phase cycloconverter are not needed. Furthermore, dc/ac
converters with unidirectional current carrying capability are
often satisfactory in practical applications. For these reasons,
the dc/ac converter will be considered rather than the theore-
tically equivalent cycloconverter whenever the conversion of
direct voltage is encountered. A conventional naturally com-
mutated dc to ac converter is represented by the simple func-
tional block diagram and waveforms of Fig. 3. It produces a
controllable direct output voltage with superimposed ripple
422 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. IA-15, NO. 4, JULY/AUGUST 1979

Input Output p1 p2
terminals terminal FT N~
Output Input Input Output 2
terminals / terminals terminals \ terminals

Natu ra ly rFiacetrr IRI 2 I Q2n rFilteor

commutated
ac /dc Cycloconverter I iIMH _ IH2 Cycl0ocnverter 2 (a)
converter
Fig. 3. Representation of ac/dc converter as functional block. 1I { High frequency base
J voltage generator

(hence the need for a dc smoothing reactor) from a multiphase

alternating input voltage set which commutates the thyristors.
By suitable control the average direct voltage can assume
either polarity, and thus power can flow in either direction.
The input characteristics of the dc/ac converter are of course
similar to those of the cycloconverter: it generally draws a
lagging quadrature current component as well as harmonic cur-
rent components from the ac input source.
It is evident from the brief descriptions above that neither
the naturally commutated cycloconverter nor the dc/ac con-
verter have the basic characteristics stipulated for an ideal
power converter. Whereas the ideal power converter has no re-
strictions on the attainable output frequency (O <fo <cxo), and
its input phase angle is adjustable (-OImax < OI < PImax), the
attainable maximum output frequency of the naturally com-
mutated cycloconverter is limited by the input frequency
(fo < f), and its invariably lagging input phase angle (b1 <0) is
a rigid function of the output (load) phase angle and the out-
put to input voltage ratio. (The input phase angle of the dc/ac
converter is, of course, similar to that of the cycloconverter:
it is also lagging, 0b < 0, and is a function of the output to in-
put voltage ratio.) However, an ideal power converter can be
approximated by a tandem arrangement of conventional
naturally commutated ac to ac cycloconverters and/or dc to ac
converters operated from a high-frequency voltage source
(high-frequency base). Considering first the general case of
converting ac input power to ac output power, the high-
(HF) base concept is explained by reference to the
frequenc'v functional diagrams of Fig. 4.
simplified
In Fig. 4 (a) two naturally commutated cycloconverters of
conventional type have their input terminals (i.e., the termi-
nals from which the commutation is effected) connected to a
common voltage generator. This voltage generator will be
hereafter referred to as the high-frequency base voltage
generator.
Let it first be assumed that the high-frequency base volt-
age generator delivers power to the input terminals of both
cycloconverters as illustrated in Fig. 4 (a). Let it be assumed
furthermore that cycloconverter 1 delivers real power P1 at
frequency f1 at its output terminals, and that cycloconverter
2 delivers real power P2 at frequency f2 at its output termi-
nals. Let it also be assumed that the base frequency is much
higher than fi or f2, so that the output current and voltage of
each cycloconverter (i.e., at the output side of the small filter
reactors) are sinusoids. Under these conditions the total in-
phase power component of current delivered from the high-
frequency base voltage generator is iIR 1 iIR 2 where 'IR 1 and
iIR 2 correspond to real powers P1 and P2, respectively. In
addition, each cycloconverter consumes a lagging quadrature
component of current from the high-frequency input source to
P1 p2=-
2==C p1
Input
uI Output U2
tb)
P2 =-P1
u2
lc)
P1+ P2 =0
Fig. 4. Simplified functional diagram explaining concept of high-
frequency base power converter.
which it is connected, regardless of the load power factor at its
output terminals. (As discussed, this is a fundamental property
of the naturally commutated cycloconverter). The high-
frequency base voltage generator therefore also carries two
lagging quadrature components, of course, iIQj and iIQ2,
associated with cycloconverters 1 and 2, respectively.
Finally, each cycloconverter also draws harmonic (extra-
basal) currents from the high-frequency base voltage gen-
erator (although with a balanced three-phase output, these
harmonic currents are relatively insignificant). These harmonic
currents are designated iIH, and aiH2 for converters 1 and 2,
respectively.
The state of affairs discussed so far is not unusual; the situa-
tion is simply that of two independent naturally commutated
cycloconverters connected to a common input supply, supply-
ing separate independent loads at output frequencies fi and
f2-
Now consider the situation if the power flow P1 through
converter 1 is reversed. This simply implies that ac system 1 is
now a source of power, and it delivers this power into the
output terminals of cycloconverter 1. So far as the operation
of the cycloconverter is concerned, this is a "natural" event
since the cycloconverter is inherently capable of accepting
"regenerative" power flow (indeed, it is capable of operating
at any power factor at its output terminals). Let it be assumed,
furthermore, that P1 = P2. In this event, as indicated in Fig. 4
(b), the real power handled by the high-frequency base voltage
GYUGYI AND CIBULKA: HIGH-FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER 423

generator is the difference between P1 and P2, and this is r n-- -

zero (i.e., iIR 1 + iIR 2 = 0). In other words, power is now
transmitted directly from ac system 1 (source) having fre- (I'1{ I(V k v 2,
I v1,1) V22) 2
(102
22
)
quency fl, through the two cycloconverters to ac system 2
(load), having frequency f2, and the function of the high-
frequency base voltage generator is simply to provide a voltage V I coso - V I coso
11 1 22 2
from which the two converters derive their commutating capa- High frequency base pover converter
bility and to carry the reactive and harmonic input currents of
the two cycloconverters. Fig. 5. Simplified equivalent circuit of high-frequency base ac to ac
Since the high-frequency base voltage generator theoreti- converter.
cally handles only reactive and harmonic (extrabasal) power,
it can be replaced by a muttiphase oscillating inductance- power flow into the other. If one side of the HF base conver-
capacitance (LC) tank circuit as shown in Fig. 4(c). The reactive ter is terminated by a source ("source side") and the other is
power demand of the cycloconverters on the high-frequency by a passive load ("load side"), the reactive power at the
base has the same effect as a variable inductance connected in source side can be controlled in either the lagging or leading
parallel with the passive LC tank circuit; that is, it causes direction independently of the reactive power at the load side.
variation in the natural operating frequency of the high- If both sides of the converter are terminated by an active ac
frequency base. Since the frequency of the base has no sub- system, that is, the converter is used for linking two ac sys-
stantial bearing on the external operation of the cyclocon- tems, then the reactive power at either side can be controlled
verters (as long as it is sufficiently high), it is quite permissible in both leading and lagging directions independently of the
from the external system viewpoint to allow the base fre- reactive power at the other side [8] .
quency to change with changing load conditions so as always The general high-frequency base converter described can of
to balance the reactive current demand of the cycloconverters. course be used for the more specific purpose of converting a
Alternatively, the total reactive demand of the cycloconver- direct voltage to multiphase alternating voltage. It can also be
ters can be kept practically constant with changing external used to convert direct voltage with a given magnitude to a
load (or load power factor) through control of their internal direct voltage of different (variable) magnitude. In the first
circulating currents [5], [9] thus keeping the base frequency case one of the cycloconverters can be reduced to a simple
also constant. line commutated dc/ac converter (or a dual converter if the
In substituting a passive LC tank circuit for the high- current flow is bidirectional) as shown schematically in Fig. 6,
frequency voltage generator, the tacit assumptions have been since on the dc side the multiple output phase capability of
made that this circuit is lossless and already in steady oscilla- the cycloconverter is not needed. In the second case both
tion. In practice, of course, the tank circuit is inherently cycloconverters are replaced by the simpler dc to ac conver-
somewhat lossy, and therefore some means of supplying just ter, as shown in Fig. 7. (A transformer may be added between
the right amount of energy to sustain this loss is necessary to the high-frequency base and the second converter if the direct
keep it in oscillation. In addition, some means must also be output voltage is to be substantially higher than the source
devised for starting the tank circuit into oscillation. voltage.) In both cases the direct voltage of the source is
In theory it would be possible both to start the tank circuit first converted to alternating voltage at the base frequency by
and to provide the right amount of energy to maintain it in the dc to ac converter (operated as a line commutated inver-
oscillation at the desired voltage level by the cycloconverters ter), then the alternating base voltage is converted to alterna-
themselves. In practice the control scheme required for the ting voltage of the desired output frequency (Fig. 6) or to
initial start-up might be intricate and delicate, but the voltage direct voltage (Fig. 7). In both cases the first dc to ac conver-
regulation of the tank circuit can be achieved quite readily ter delivers the same real power to the high-frequency base as
[6] ,[8]. the cycloconverter or second converter absorbs from it.
The initial start-up of the tank circuit can be accomplished The advantages of the high-frequency base schemes, which
simply by an auxiliary generator or a current-fed naturallv contain two stages of power conversion over conventional
commutated rectifier/inverter scheme of conventional design single stage converters, are admittedly not immediately ap-
(e.g., the type widely used in induction heating applications). parent. These advantages are listed below for the three general
Since this auxiliary excitation equipment has to supply only power conversion arrangements (ac to ac, dc to ac, and dc to
relatively small amounts of power for start-up to overcome the dc) considered; they will be further examined in connection
losses of the tank circuit, its rating is only a few percent of the with other competing schemes in the following sections in
rating of the main converters. Thus, this item, if used, is rela- which the potential applications of the high-frequency base
tively insignificant both in terms of size and cost. converter are discussed.
A simplified idealized equivalent circuit of a complete high-
frequency base converter is shown in Fig. 5. The frequency A. AC to AC Power (Frequencv) Conversion
and amplitude of the voltages v1 and v2-that is the wanted The high-frequency base ac to ac power converter has the
(fundamental) components of output voltage of the cyclo- following advantages over the conventional single naturally
converters-can be adjusted independently of one another as commutated cycloconverter.
long as the real power flow out of one side is equal to the real 1) A single cycloconverter has a definite restriction on the
424 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. IA-15, NO. 4, JULY/AUGUST 1979
Power flow Power flow B. DC to AC Power Conversion
Since the operating characteristics of the single naturally
DC commutated dc to ac converter are similar to those of the
Smoothing
reactor
cycloconverter, the high-frequency base dc to ac converter
scheme (Fig. 6), has similar advantages to those enumerated
DC to ac converter
LC tank
previously. These may be listed as follows.
circuit 1) The single dc to ac converter generally requires power
HF base
factor correction and filtering at the ac input terminal side.
The size (and possibly the cost) of these components is higher
Fig. 6. Simplified functional diagram of a high-frequency base dc to than that of the tank circuit in the high-frequency base
ac power converter. scheme.
2) The required size of the dc smoothing reactor in the
high-frequency base scheme is considerably smaller because of
D
Smoothing
Output
t rAnalsimnas\ Ilpa
ete
te
~Input

L
ala3i,
.JI%
Input
terminals
Ouitput
terminal D~. C

reactor
DC to ac converter Transformer
LC tank
circuit
(HF base)
Fig. 7. Simplified functional diagram of high-frequency dc to ac power
converter (with voltage transformation).
maximum attainable output to input frequency ratio. The
high-frequency base frequency changer, on the other hand, has
no such restriction. The frequency at one side can be either
higher than, or equal to, or lower than the frequency at the
other, and the ratio of the two frequencies can be continuously
controlled. The only condition that must be adhered to is that
the base frequency is higher than the frequency at either side.
2) The power factor of the single cycloconverter at the in-
put terminals is always lagging; the actual lagging reactive
input power demand is dependent on the conditions at the
output terminals. Thus, additional equipment is generally
needed to provide power factor correction at the input termi-
nals. By contrast, the power factor at either side of the high-
frequency base scheme can be varied at will, independent of
the real power flow.
3) Assuming that the single cycloconverter is fitted with a
power factor correcting capacitor bank at the input terminals
(which should be adjustable), this bank would be considerably
larger in size than that required for the high-frequency base
tank circuit. By the same token, the size of the ripple filter
reactors required for the high-frequency base scheme is con-
siderably smaller than that of those required for the single
cycloconverter.
4) The high-frequency base scheme can respond within sub-
cycle periods to sudden changes of voltages and load at either
side (because the converters are operated from a relatively
high-frequency source), and thus, for example, can provide
very rapid limitation of fault currents.
5) Sudden changes of voltage at the input terminals of the
single cycloconverter can give rise to internal commutation
failures. Since the thyristors in the high-frequency base con-
verter are commutated from the internal base voltage, sudden
changes of external voltage would not, in general, result in
internal malfunctions.
Smoothing
the much increased ripple frequency at the dc terminals, than
in the single converter.
Ireactor
3) The high-frequency base scheme is less susceptible to
DC to ac converter sudden load changes because, first, changes in load can be
supplied much more rapidly from the dc source due to the
smaller dc smoothing reactor, and second, the cycloconverter
can, with suitable control, be made to buffer the effects of
sudden load changes.
4) If the output is connected to an existing ac system,
sudden changes of system voltage in the single converter can
give rise to internal commutation failures. Since the thyristors
in the high-frequency base scheme are commutated from the
internal base voltage, sudden changes of external voltage
would not, in general, provoke internal malfunctions.
5) In contrast to the single dc to ac converter, the high-
frequency base scheme can supply unbalanced loads with
minimal penalty in the required component ratings.
C. DC to DC Power Conversion
The high-frequency base scheme is the only presently
known approach capable of converting fixed direct voltage
into controllable direct voltage with a naturally commutated
thyristor circuit. The high-frequency base approach thus ap-
pears to be the best potential candidate for applications where
high-power conversion from one direct voltage level to another
one is needed. For example, the energy of a high-power low-
voltage dc source could be transmitted by an HVDC line using
the high-frequency base dc to dc converter as a direct voltage
transformer.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE HIGH-
FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER SCHEMES
Since the high-frequency base scheme represents a practical
realization of the ideal power converter, its application poten-
tial is almost limitless. The major applications considered are
as follows.
1) Asynchronous intertie between power systems, providing
control of both real and reactive power.
2) Tie between dc transmission line and weak or passive ac
system where conventional line commutation of the receiving
end inverter can, presumably, be accomplished only by using a
relatively large synchronous condenser (or another type of
controllable var source).
3) Intertie between a dc source (e.g., fuel cells) and an ac
power system.
GYUGYI AND CIBULKA: HIGH-FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER 425

4) Controllable var supplies for voltage support and power 230 kV 1230 kV
factor correction. 60 Hz
h
| 60Hz

5) DC or fixed ac to variable frequency ac power converter

for speed and torque control of ac machines.
In order to exemplify the use and advantages of the high-
frequency base scheme, the first two applications with both
the high-frequency base and more conventional static ap- (a)
proaches will be considered and technically and economically
evaluated in the following sections. Other applications are 230 kV |
60 Hz
discussed and evaluated elsewhere [1], [4], [61, [81, [9],
[10].

ASYNCHRONOUS POWER SYSTEM INTERTIE

The use of solid-state rectifier-dc link-inverter scheme as a (b)
means for linking asynchronous power systems and providing Fig. 8. Basic schematics for rectifier/inverter and HF base synchronous
ties. (a) Rectifier/inverter scheme. (b) HF base scheme.
controlled (bidirectional) power flow between them is now
established, as evidenced by the 320 MW intertie between the
Hydro Quebec and New, Brunswick power systems at Eel The HF base scheme is inherently capable of supplying a weak
River. Technically, the same function could be provided by an or passive receiving system.
HF base ac to ac converter of the type shown in Fig. 4 (c). 3) With the rectifier/inverter scheme, sudden dips of voltage
The following brief examination is aimed at establishing the on the receiving system can provoke inverter commutation
relative technical and economic merits of the conventional failures. This problem does not exist with the HF base scheme
rectifier/inverter and HF base approaches for this type of ap- since the cycloconverters are commutated from the internal
plication. The comparison will be based on a specific 100-MW base voltage.
230-kV ac intertie with an assumed full load power factor of 4) With the rectifier/inverter scheme, a reduction of voltage
1.0 at each side. The basic circuit schematics are shown in Fig. on the receiving system must be accompanied by pro rata re-
8. A brief description of the individual elements for both duction of current transmitted in order to preserve the neces-
schemes is given in the Appendix. sary inverter commutation margin. This in itself could tend to
contribute further to the collapse of system voltage. With the
A. Technical Comparison Between Conventional HF base scheme, full rated current can be transmitted irrespec-
Rectifier/Inverter and HF Base Schemes tive of the voltage of the receiving system.
The following are the main points of technical comparison 5) The response time of the HF base scheme is almost an
between the two approaches. order of magnitude faster than that of the rectifier/inverter
(1) With the rectifier/inverter scheme shown in Fig. 8 (a), the scheme. This means that extremely rapid (subcycle) control of
reactive power at each side is a function of the real power real and reactive power and of fault currents is possible.
transmitted. At full power the reactive power at either side is 6) The rectifier/inverter scheme cannot operate from or
substantially zero; as the power flow decreases, so each side of into an unbalanced system without considerable added cost.
the intertie consumes progressively more leading vars from the The HF base scheme can operate with unbalanced loading at
connected systems (due to the presence of the ac filters, which each side with a relatively small cost increase.
are capacitive at the system frequency). At no load the vars 7) Preliminary estimates indicate that the physical size of
consumed by the filters are approximately 40 percent of the the complete terminal using the HF base scheme is substan-
real power rating. Of course, this situation can be modified at tially less than that of the conventional rectifier/inverter.
additional cost by incorporating some form of controllable
var source-either mechanically or statically switched reactive B. Economic Comparison
elements, synchronous condensers, or combinations thereof- The estimated relative costs for the main components of
at either side of the interite. (The concept of controlling the the rectifier/inverter scheme are listed in Table I. The costs for
vars at reduced load through the appropriate control of the the main components of the HF base scheme, using six-pulse
converters themselves is not considered to be practical.) cycloconverters shown in Fig. 9, expressed as percentages of
The HF base approach shown in Fig. 8 (b), on the other the total rectifier/inverter scheme cost, are given in Table II.
hand, does not have this problem. The reactive power at either It can be seen that the estimated relative cost of the HF base
side can be controlled completely independently of the real scheme for this particular 100 MW example is about 79.4
power flow, and either lagging or leading vars can be consumed percent of that of the conventional rectifier/inverter scheme.
from either or both systems. Since the cost of the dc smoothing reactors is roughly equal to
2) The rectifier/inverter scheme shown in Fig. 8 (a) cannot that of the HF tank circuit, the main saving is due to the size
maintain normal operation into a weak or passive receiving reduction of the ac filters and reduced surge voltage rating of
system as it stands. (It could be made to do so by addition of a the cycloconverters. These have their outputs effectively
controllable var source, e.g., of a synchronous condenser.) isolated from the ac power line transients by the ac filter
 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY
426
TABLE I
ESTIMATED COST BREAKDOWN FOR A 100 MW CONVENTIONAL
RECTIFIER/INVERTER ASYNCHRONOUS TIE
Item
Two ac filter sets
Two converter transformers
Two 12-pulse bridge converters
DC smoothing reactor
Miscellaneous terminal equipment
Total
Clrculating current
/ reactor
J -'- 60 Hz transformer
I chronous condenser would be a naturally commutated inverter
Output (230 kV, 60 Hz)
Fig. 9. Basic circuit diagram of six-pulse cycloconverter.
TABLE II
ESTIMATED COST BREAKDOWN FOR A 100 MW HF BASE ASYN-
CHRONOUS TIE, USING SIX-PULSE CYCLOCONVERTERS,
IN PERCENT COST OF THE CONVENTIONAL
ASYNCHRONOUS TIE
Item
Two 60 Hz transformers
Two sets of filter reactors and ac high-
pass filters
Two 6-pulse cycloconverters
HF tank circuit
Excitation inverter
Miscellaneous terminal equipment
Total
reactors. Their inputs are connected to the tank circuit, which
provides inherent protection against voltage transients. It is of
interest that if the application should require the use of syn-
chronous condensers with the rectifier/inverter scheme, as is
the case with the Eel River system, for example, the relative
cost of the HF base scheme would decrease to approximately
53 percent of that of the rectifier/inverter scheme.
TIE BETWEEN DC TRANSMISSION LINE AND
WEAK AC SYSTEM
Some dc transmission schemes may be required to deliver
power into a weak or temporarily completely passive receiving
ac system. In this event the conventional naturally commu-
tated inverter needs a synchronous condenser at its output to
meet the requirements for voltage and frequency stability in
the ac system and to maintain operation during ac system
faults or dc disturbances.
APPLICATIONS, VOL. IA-15, NO. 4, JULY/AUGUST 1979
100 kV
Cost, % DC
13.7
20.5
37.5
10.2
18.1
(a)
100.0
HF tank
circuit
I Input
,(to HF base (b)
tank circuit)
Fig. 10. Basic schematics for inverter/synchronous condenser and HF
base schemes, for tying dc transmission line to weak or passive ac
system. (a) Inverter/synchronous condenser scheme. (b) HF base
scheme.
An alternative approach which does not require a syn-
operating into an HF base, followed by a naturally commu-
tated cycloconverter, as illustrated in basic form in Fig. 6.
The following comparison of the technical and economic
merits of the inverter/synchronous condenser and HF base
approaches will be based on a specific 100-MW, 100-kV dc
230-kV ac terminal with an assumed full load power factor of
unity at the receiving end. (A power factor less than unity
would penalize the conventional approach more than the HF
base scheme.) The basic circuit schematics are shown in Fig.
10. The synchronous condenser is rated for 40 MVA at 15 kV
Cost, %
line to line (1-1). The HF base cycloconverter is identical
18.4
5.3 with that described in the previous section.
27.3
8.2 A. Technical Comparison Between Inverter/S$ynchronous
2.1
18.1 Condenser and HF Base Schemes
79.4
The following are the main points of technical comparison
between the two approaches.
1) With the inverter/synchronous condenser scheme,
sudden faults on the receiving system can provoke inverter
commutation failures. This problem should not exist with the
HF base scheme since the cycloconverters are commutated
from the internal base voltage.
2) Transient overload and prospective fault currents de-
livered by the inverter/synchronous capacitor scheme are re-
latively large and cannot be rapidly limited. Fault current
delivered by the HF base scheme, on the other hand, can be
limited rapidly.
3) With the inverter/synchronous condenser scheme, a re-
duction of ac voltage must be accompanied by a pro rata
reduction of current in order to preserve the necessary inverter
commutation margin. With the HF base scheme, full rated
current can be transmitted irrespective of the voltage of the
receiving system.
4) The inverter/synchronous condenser scheme cannot op-
erate into an unbalanced system without considerable added
GYUGYI AND CIBULKA: HIGH-FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER
TABLE III
ESTIMATED COSTS FOR A 100 MW CONVENTIONAL HVDC
INVERTER TERMINAL AS SHOWN IN FIG. 10(a)
AC filter set
Item Cost, %
7.7
Converter transformer 13.8
Synchronous condenser 26.9
12-pulse bridge inverter 21.2
DC smoothing reactors and dc harmonic 12.7
filters
Miscellaneous terminal equipment 17.7
Total 100.0
TABLE IV
ESTIMATED COSTS FOR A 100 MW HF BASE HVDC INVERTER
TERMINAL, AS SHOWN IN FIG. 10(b), IN PERCENT COST
OF THE CONVENTIONAL INVERTER TERMINAL
Item Cost, %
60 Hz transformer 10.4
Filter reactors and ac high-pass filter 3.0
6-pulse cycloconverter 15.4
HF tank circuit 8.2
Excitation inverter 2.3
400 Hz transformer 8.6
6-pulse bridge inverter 17.3
DC smoothing reactor and dc high-pass filter 3.0
Miscellaneous terminal equipment 15.0
Total 83.2
cost. The HF base scheme can operate into an unbalanced
-system with relatively small cost increase.
5) On the basis of preliminary estimates, the physical size
of the HF base scheme is expected to be less than that of the
inverter/synchronous condenser scheme.
6) The synchronous condenser of the inverter/synchronous
condenser scheme requires elaborate foundations. No such
foundations are required for the HF base scheme.
B. Economic Comparison
Tables III and IV list the costs for the major components of
the conventional and the HF base approaches, respectively. All
costs are expressed as percentages of the total conventional
inverter/synchronous condenser scheme cost.
It is seen that the estimated cost of the HF base scheme for
this particular 100 MW unity power factor example is about
83 percent of that of the conventional inverter/synchronous
condenser scheme. If the power factor of the receiving system
is less than unity (as would normally be the case in practice),
an increase in this cost differential can be expected. Thus, for
a 0.8 power factor (PF) receiving system, the estimated cost
of the HF base scheme would be about 81 percent of that of
the conventional scheme.
RESULTS OBTAINED IN A LABORATORY MODEL
A model of the high-frequency base ac to ac power con-
verter was constructed to verify theoretical predictions and
demonstrate the capability of such a system, primarily in asyn-
chronous intertie applications. In order to keep the power
circuitry as simple as possible for this initial feasibility model,
elementary three-pulse cycloconverter circuits were used at
each side of the intertie. The throughput rating of the overall
system was 15 kVA.
The high-frequency base voltage source was provided by a
passive LC tank circuit oscillating at around 400 Hz. The
initial start-up of the tank circuit was accomplished by a small
427
AC system 1 AC system 2
60 Hz 60 Hz
iIA i2A
vSIA voIAI-- tvo2A tVS2A
, IT,
60 Hz
power
source
Excitation inverter
for Initial start-up
LC tank circuit (HF base)
Fig. 11. Simplified power circuit for high-frequency base ac system
intertie model.
current-fed inverter. A simplified circuit diagram for the com-
plete model is shown in Fig. 11.
The operation of the high-frequency base intertie model is
illustrated by the oscillograms shown in Figs. 12-15. These
show the ac system voltage vs, the cycloconverter output
voltage vo, and current i at both "sending" and "receiving"
sides with different power factor settings. The voltage VB
across one phase of the tank circuit and the corresponding
total base current iB drawn by the cycloconverters are also
shown in these figures.
CONCLUSIONS
The high-frequency base scheme presented approximates
an ideal power converter with complete functional flexibility.
It uses naturally commutated power circuits. This approach
thus appears to be uniquely suited for high-power industrial
and utility applications where the conventional line com-
mutated converter and its variants are penalized by their poor
input power factor and distortion characteristics and where
force commutated converters are not yet practical.
In addition to technical advantages, the economic evalua-
tion of the high-frequency base converter (used either as an
asynchronous intertie or a tie between dc transmission line and
weak ac system) indicates that its cost is lower than that of
its more conventional line commutated counterpart. However,
substantial effort would be required for the development of
such a system for an actual high-power application.
APPENDIX
SPECIFICATION OF COMPONENTS OF THE
ASYNCHRONOUS TIES COMPARED
A. Conventional Rectifier/Inverter Scheme
A basic circuit schematic is shown in Fig. 8(a). The main
components are as follows.
428 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. IA-15, NO. 4, JULY/AUGUST 1979

Slde ] Phase A Side 1, Phaee A

Cvcloconverter output System voltage vSIA'
voltage vOIA, 200 V/div. 200 V/div.
*.System voltage SIA ..._Cycloconverter output
voltage 0]A, 200 V/div.
v
200 V/div.

System current i1A' !

System
60
current
A/div.
i,,,
Time scale: 2 ms/div. Time scale: 2 ms/div.

Side 2, Phase A Side 2, Phase A

Cycloconverter output P_- _lllrlamllilll 1 1System voltage vS2A'
_volage 02A' 200 V/div.
v
,7e9200 V/div.
'-,-System voltage S2A Cycloconverter output
200 V div. voltage vO2A, 200 V/div.

ms/div.
,*-_System current i2A' Time scale: 2

60 A/div.
System current i2A'
Time scale: 2 ms/div. 60 A/div.

High Frequency Base

High Frequency Base

Voltage v5, 200 V/div.

-Voltage v B 200 V/div.

Time scale: 1 ms/div.

Time scale: 1 ms/div.

_Current
_--_Current iBo 200 A/div.
i B9 200 A/div.

Fig. 12. Oscillograms when all phases of intertie at each side draw full Fig. 14. Oscillograms when all phases at side 1 of intertie draw full
leading current from the respective system. (No real power transfer.) current at O0 from system 1, and all phases at side 2 of intertie
deliver full current at 0 to system 2.

Side 1, Phase A Side 1, Phase A

System voltage VSl
System voltage vSIA ..'200 V/div.
..'200 V/div.
Cycloconverter output
.....Cycloconverter output voltage v A200 V/div.

voltage
vOIA,
-,System current i
'
System current iA 60 A/div. 1A
60 A/div.
Time scale: 2 ms/div.
Time scale: 2 ms/div.
Side 2, Phase A
Side 2, Phase A
Cycloconverter output
Cycloconverter output ..'-voltage 02A' 200 V/div.
_voltage vO2A, 200 V/div.
---System voltage vS2A
_ *System voltage vS2A9 200 V/div. A

200 V/div.
System current i2A'
Time scale: 2 ms/div. .m-60 A/div.

Time scale: 2 ms/div.

System current i2A'
-60 A/div.

High Frequency Base

High Frequency Base

-Voltage v , 200 V/div.

| -Voltage vB V/div.

Time scale: 1 ms/div.

Time scale: 1 ms/div.

,Current isB 200 A/div.

._-Current i s 200 A/div.

Fig. 13. Oscillograms when all phases at side 1 of intertie draw full Fig. 15. Oscillograms when all phases of intertie at side 1 draw full
leading current from system 1, and all phases at side 2 of intertie current at 45 leading from system 1, and all phases of intertie at
draw full lagging current from system 2. (No real power transfer.) side 2 deliver full current at 45 lagging to system 2.
GYUGYI AND CIBULKA: HIGH-FREQUENCY BASE CONVERTER
1) AC Filter Set: Comprises tuned filters for the 1 th and
13th harmonics, and a high-pass filter. Total rating of the ac
filter set is 38 Mvar.
2) Converter Transformer: Primary 230 kV. Converter
secondaries 43.5 kVI-1, 62.5 MVA each, 15 percent impedance,
10 load tap-changing (LTC), 750 kV basic impulse insulation
level (BIL), 55C,FOA (forced oil air).
3) DC Smoothing Reactor: Two reactors in series, each
0.2 H, 1000 A, 450 kV BIL.
4) 12-Pulse Bridge Converter: 100 MW, 100 kV dc, 1000 A,
air cooled. 450 kV BIL. Double-side cooled thyristors, 3000 V,
1000 A average. Total of 12 valves, each with 48 devices
in series. (Total of 576 devices.)
5) Miscellaneous Terminal Equipment: AC switchyards,
auxiliary power supplies, control, protection, and measuring
equipment.
B. HF Base Scheme:
A basic circuit schematic is shown in Fig. 8(b). The
six-pulse cycloconverter circuit is shown in Fig. 9. The main
components are as follows.
1) AC High-Pass Filter: Second-order filter for the 2400
and 4800 Hz ripple families.
2) 60-Hz Transformer: 125 MVA, 750 kV BIL, low voltage
winding is 5.08 kV, 20 percent impedance, 15 percent
LTC.
3) Filter Reactors: Filter reactors are incorporated into the
circulating current reactors of the cycloconverters. (See Fig.
9.) Each reactor has equivalent 60-Hz rating of 3.8 Mvar.
4) Cvcloconverters: Base frequency is substantially con-
stant 400 Hz, system frequency 60 Hz. Double-side cooled
thyristors, 1400 V, 800 A average, turn-off time 40 Ms. Water
cooled heat sinks, 0.01C/W. Cycloconverter output voltage
5080 V rms, output current 6580 A rms. Input voltage 6000 V
approximately. Each valve contains two paralleled paths of
12 devices in series. (See Fig. 9.) Total number of devices is
864.
5) Tank Circuit: Total of 218 Mvar capacitors at 400 Hz.
Three reactors, equivalent 60 Hz rating of each 1.8 Mvar.
6) Excitation Inverter. Three phase current-fed type rated
at 1.5 MW.
7) Miscellaneous Terminal Equipment: AC switchyards,
auxiliary power supplies, control, protection, and measuring
equipment.
REFERENCES
[1] B. D. Bedford, "Versatile cycloinverter power converter circuits,"
US Patent 3 742 336, June 26, 1973.
[21 B. R. Pelly, "Static conversion system employing high frequency
link," US Patent Application 349 884, April 10, 1973.
429
[31 L. Gyugyi, "Static power conversion arrangement and method,"
US Patent 3 858 105, December 31, 1974.
[41 -, "Static power conversion arrangement for converting direct
current power to alternating current power," US Patent
3 875 494, April 1, 1975.
[5] B. R. Pelly and L. Gyugyi, "Naturally commutated cyclocon-
verter with controlled input displacement factor," US Patent
4 013 937, March 22, 1977.
[61 P. M. Espelage and B. K. Bose, "High-frequency link power con-
version," in Conf R ec. 1975 IEEE Industry Applications Society
AnnualMeeting, pp. 802-808.
[71 W. McMurray, "A constant turn-off time control for variable
frequency thyristor inverters," IEEE-IAS, pp. 798-801, 1975.
[8] L. Gyugyi and B. R. Pelly, Static Power Frequency Changers.
New York: Wiley, 1976, pp. 406-412, 423-431.
[9] P. Wood and B. R. Pelly, "AC/DC conditioning and control
equipment for advanced conversion and storage technology,"
EPRI Key Phase Rep. 390-1-1, 1975.
[101 L. Gyugyi, "Reactive power generation and control by thyristor
circuits," in IEEE Power Electronics Specialist Conf., 1976,
pp. 174-184.
Laszlo Gyugyi was born in Tamasi, Hungary, on
January 16, 1933. He received his basic tech-
nical education at the University of Technology,
Budapest. He studied mathematics at the Uni-
versity of London. He studied electrical engi-
neering at the University of Pittsburgh, Pitts-
burgh, PA, where he received the M.S.E.E.
degree in 1967, and the Ph.D. degree from the
University of Salford, England, in 1970.
He began his career at the Epsylon Research
and Development Co., Ltd., England, in 1958,
then joined the Westinghouse Research Laboratories in 1963, where he
is now Manager of the Solid-State Power Controls Section. In his posi-
tion he has been responsible for the research and development of a
variety of solid-state power control and conversion equipment.
Dr. Gyugyi is co-author of the book StaticPower Frequency Changers
(New York: Wiley, 1976) and author of the section "Power Frequency
Changers" in the Electronics Engineer's Handbook (New York:
McGraw Hill, 1975). He has written several technical papers, holds 35
patents, and is a Fellow in the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
Frank Cibulka was born in Prague, Czecho-
slovakia, on May 27, 1923. He received the
M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the
Czech Technological University, Prague, in
1949 and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engi-
neering from the Czechoslovak Academy of
Sciences in 1966.
From 1952 to 1968, he worked asaResearch
Engineer and subsequently Head of Rectifier
Department with the Czechoslovak Research
Institute of Electrical Engineering, where he
was engaged in research and development of high-current contact recti-
fiers, ignitrons and solid-state power converters, inverters, and frequency
changers. He joined the Westinghouse Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh,
PA in 1969. He is currently a Fellow Engineer in the Power Electronics
Laboratory where he has been involved with the design of controlled
impedance fault current limiter and high-power high-voltage static
converters.