HVDC Converter Comprising Fullbridge Cells For Handling A DC Side Short Circuit

• US 20130128636A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Trainer, David Reginald, Crookes, William, Green, Timothy Charles, Merlin, Michael Marc Claude
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1857 wherein such bridge converter is a multilevel converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/36 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks via a high-tension dc link
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0095 Hybrid converter topologies, e.g. NPC mixed with flying capacitor, thyristor converter mixed with MMC or charge pump mixed with buck
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4835 comprising two or more cells, each including a switchable capacitor, the capacitors having a nominal charge voltage which corresponds to a given fraction of the input voltage, and the capacitors being selectively connected in series to determine the instantaneous output voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/10 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/20 Active power filtering [APF]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/60 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between AC networks or generators via a high voltage DC link [HVCD]

Abstract

A power electronic converter for use in high voltage direct current power transmission and reactive power compensation comprises three converter limbs, each converter limb including first and second DC terminals for connection in use to a DC network and an AC terminal for connection in use to a respective phase of a three-phase AC network, each converter limb defining first and second limb portions being connected in series between the respective AC terminal and a respective one of the first and second DC terminals, each limb portion including at least one switching element being controllable in use to facilitate power conversion between the AC and DC networks, the power electronic converter further including a plurality of auxiliary units, each auxiliary unit being operably associated with the respective phase of the AC network, each auxiliary unit including at least one module including a voltage source, the limb portions being controllable in use to define at least one three-phase static synchronous compensator including at least one of the plurality of auxiliary units in each branch of a star configuration, each of the first and/or second DC terminals defining the neutral point of the respective star configuration.

Claims

1. A power electronic converter for use in high voltage direct current power transmission and reactive power compensation comprising three converter limbs, each converter limb including first and second DC terminals for connection in use to a DC network and an AC terminal for connection in use to a respective phase of a three-phase AC network, each converter limb defining first and second limb portions being connected in series between the respective AC terminal and a respective one of the first and second DC terminals, each limb portion including at least one switching element and at least one auxiliary unit (44) controlled in use to facilitate power conversion between the AC and DC networks each auxiliary unit including at least one chain-link module (60) capable of generating a bidirectional voltage and conducting a bidirectional current, the first and second limb portions (56, 58) being separately controlled in use to form two independent three-phase voltage sources of variable magnitude and phase angle, to define at least one three-phase static synchronous compensator including at least one of the plurality of the auxiliary units (44) in each branch of a star configuration, each of the first and/or second DC terminals (46, 48) defining the neutral point of the respective star configuration.

2. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second limb portions (56, 58) are controllable in use to simultaneously define first and second three-phase static synchronous compensators.

3. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 2, wherein each auxiliary unit (44) of the first and second three-phase static synchronous compensators is controllable in use to synchronise the operation of the first and second static synchronous compensators.

4. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second limb portions (56, 58) are controlled in use to alternately define the first and second three-phase static synchronous compensators.

5. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 4, wherein the first and second three-phase static synchronous compensators are defined in a 50:

50 duty cycle.

6. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each auxiliary unit (44) of the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator is controlled in use to generate a voltage waveform in the respective branch of the star configuration having a phase angle displacement of 120 electrical degrees with respect to the voltage waveforms generated by the other auxiliary units of the respective three-phase static synchronous compensator.

7. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 6 wherein each generated voltage waveform is a near approximation of a sinusoid waveform.

8. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each module (60) includes:

a voltage source in the form of at least one energy storage device; and

at least one primary switching element to switch the or each energy storage device in and out of circuit.

9. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 8, wherein each module (60) includes two pairs of primary switching elements connected in parallel with an energy storage device to define a 4-quadrant bipolar module that provides negative, zero or positive voltage and can conduct current in two directions.

10. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each auxiliary unit includes a plurality of modules connected in series to define a chain-link converter.

11. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 8, wherein the or each primary switching element of each module of each chain-link converter is controlled in use to switch the respective energy storage device in and out of circuit so that the chain-link converter provides a stepped variable voltage source.

12. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each limb portion (56, 58) includes at least one secondary switching element connected in series between the respective AC terminal and the DC terminal connected to the respective limb portion.

13. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of auxiliary units is connected to the AC terminal of the respective converter limb for connection in use between the respective converter limb and the AC network.

14. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each limb portion 56, 58 includes one of the plurality of auxiliary units (44).

15. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 12 wherein each limb portion (56, 58) includes at least one secondary switching element connected in series with the respective auxiliary unit of the limb portion.

16. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 15 wherein the auxiliary unit of each limb portion is controlled in use to provide a voltage so as to minimise the voltage across the or each secondary switching element of the respective limb portion.

17. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein the or each switching element of each limb portion is controllable in use to switch the respective limb portion into or out of circuit so as to define the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator.

18. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 12, wherein the or each secondary switching element of each limb portion is controlled in use to turn on or turn off so as to define the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator.

19. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein each switching element includes at least one semiconductor device.

20. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 19, wherein the or each semiconductor device is an insulated gate bipolar transistor, a field effect transistor, a gate turn-off thyristor, a gate commutated thyristor, an insulated gate commutated thyristor or an integrated gate commutated thyristor.

21. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 19, wherein the or each semiconductor device is connected in parallel with an anti-parallel diode.

22. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 8 wherein, each energy storage device includes a capacitor, a fuel cell, a battery, a photovoltaic cell or an auxiliary AC generator with an associated rectifier.

23. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 8 wherein each energy storage device is controllable in use to adjust its voltage output.

24. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 8 wherein, the or each switching element of each module is controlled in use to regulate the voltage of the respective energy storage devices.

25. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 1, wherein the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator is controlled in use to exchange reactive power with the AC network.

26. A power electronic converter (40) according to claim 25 wherein the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator is controllable in use to provide lagging or leading reactive power to the AC network.

27. A power electronic converter according to claim 1 wherein the or each three-phase static synchronous compensator is controllable in use to provide power to the DC network in the event of a fault, in use, in the DC network.

28. A power electronic converter according to claim 1 further including a three-phase transformer including a plurality of windings in a star configuration operably connected to each AC terminal for connection in use between the respective converter limb and the AC network.