Probability Distributions.- Linear Models for Regression.- Linear Models for Classification.- Neural Networks.- Kernel Methods.- Sparse Kernel Machines.- Graphical Models.- Mixture Models and EM.- Approximate Inference.- Sampling Methods.- Continuous Latent Variables.- Sequential Data.- Combining Models.

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

The ever increasing progress of high-voltage high-power fully controlled semiconductor technology continues to have a significant impact on the development of advanced power electronic apparatus used to support optimized operations and efficient management of electrical grids, which, in many cases, are fully or partially deregulated networks. Developments advance both the HVDC power transmission and the flexible ac transmission system technologies. In this paper, an overview of the recent advances in the area of voltage-source converter (VSC) HVdc technology is provided. Selected key multilevel converter topologies are presented. Control and modeling methods are discussed. A list of VSC-based HVdc installations worldwide is included. It is confirmed that the continuous development of power electronics presents cost-effective opportunities for the utilities to exploit, and HVdc remains a key technology. In particular, VSC-HVdc can address not only conventional network issues such as bulk power transmission, asynchronous network interconnections, back-to-back ac system linking, and voltage/stability support to mention a few, but also niche markets such as the integration of large-scale renewable energy sources with the grid and most recently large onshore/offshore wind farms.

VSC-Based HVDC Power Transmission Systems: An Overview

1. Introduction. 1.1 Background. 1.2 Electrical Transmission Networks. 1.3 Conventional Control Mechanisms. 1.4 Flexible ac Transmission Systems (FACTS). 1.5 Emerging Transmission Networks. 2. Reactor--Power Control in Electrical Power Transmission Systems. 2.1 Reacrive Power. 2.2 Uncompensated Transmission Lines. 2.3 Passive Compensation. 2.4 Summary. 3. Principles of Conventional Reactive--Power Compensators. 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Synchronous Condensers. 3.3 The Saturated Reactor (SR). 3.4 The Thyristor--Controlled Reactor (TCR). 3.5 The Thyristor--Controlled Transformer (TCT). 3.6 The Fixed Capacitor--Thyristor--Controlled Reactor (FC--TCR). 3.7 The Mechanically Switched Capacitor--Thristor--Controlled Reactor (MSC--TCR). 3.8 The Thyristor--Switched capacitor and Reactor. 3.9 The Thyristor--Switched capacitor--Thyristor--Controlled Reactor (TSC--TCR). 3.10 A Comparison of Different SVCs. 3.11 Summary. 4. SVC Control Components and Models. 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Measurement Systems. 4.3 The Voltage Regulator. 4.4 Gate--Pulse Generation. 4.5 The Synchronizing System. 4.6 Additional Control and Protection Functions. 4.7 Modeling of SVC for Power--System Studies. 4.8 Summary. 5. Conceepts of SVC Voltage Control. 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Voltage Control. 5.3 Effect of Network Resonances on the Controller Response. 5.4 The 2nd Harmonic Interaction Between the SVC and ac Network. 5.5 Application of the SVC to Series--Compensated ac Systems. 5.6 3rd Harmonic Distortion. 5.7 Voltage--Controlled Design Studies. 5.8 Summary. 6. Applications. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Increase in Steady--State Power--Transfer Capacity. 6.3 Enhancement of Transient Stability. 6.4 Augmentation of Power--System Damping. 6.5 SVC Mitigation of Subsychronous Resonance (SSR). 6.6 Prevention of Voltage Instability. 6.7 Improvement of HVDC Link Performance. 6.8 Summary. 7. The Thyristor--Controlled SeriesCapacitor (TCSC). 7.1 Series Compensation. 7.2 The TCSC Controller. 7.3 Operation of the TCSC. 7.4 The TSSC. 7.5 Analysis of the TCSC. 7.6 Capability Characteristics. 7.7 Harmonic Performance. 7.8 Losses. 7.9 Response of the TCSC. 7.10 Modeling of the TCSC. 7.11 Summary. 8. TCSC Applications. 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Open--Loop Control. 8.3 Closed--Loop Control. 8.4 Improvement of the System--Stability Limit. 8.5 Enhancement of System Damping. 8.6 Subsynchronous Resonanace (SSR) Mitigation. 8.7 Voltage--Collapse Prevention. 8.8 TCSC Installations. 8.9 Summary. 9. Coordination of FACTS Controllers. 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Controller Interactions. 9.3 SVC--SVC Interaction. 9.4 SVC--HVDC Interaction. 9.5 SVC--TCSC Interaction. 9.6 TCSC--TCSC Interaction. 9.7 Performance Criteria for Damping--Controller Design. 9.8 Coordination of Multiple Controllers Using Linear--Control Techniques. 9.9 Coordination of Multiple Controllers using Nonlinear--Control Techniques. 9.10 Summary. 10. Emerging FACTS Controllers. 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 The STATCOM. 10.3 THE SSSC. 10.4 The UPFC. 10.5 Comparative Evaluation of Different FACTS Controllers. 10.6 Future Direction of FACTS Technology. 10.7 Summary. Appendix A. Design of an SVC Voltage Regulator. A.1 Study System. A.2 Method of System Gain. A.3 Elgen Value Analysis. A.4 Simulator Studies. A.5 A Comparison of Physical Simulator results With Analytical and Digital Simulator Results Using Linearized Models. Appendix B. Transient--Stability Enhancement in a Midpoint SVC--Compensated SMIB System. Appendix C. Approximate Multimodal decomposition Method for the Design of FACTS Controllers. C.1 Introduction. C.2 Modal Analysis of the ith Swing Mode, C.3 Implications of Different Transfer Functions. C.4 Design of the Damping Controller. Appendix D. FACTS Terms and Definitions. Index.

Thyristor-Based Facts Controllers for Electrical Transmission Systems

In this paper, the principle of modularity is used to derive the different multilevel voltage and current source converter topologies. The paper is primarily focused on high-power applications and specifically on high-voltage dc systems. The derived converter cells are treated as building blocks and are contributing to the modularity of the system. By combining the different building blocks, i.e., the converter cells, a variety of voltage and current source modular multilevel converter topologies are derived and thoroughly discussed. Furthermore, by applying the modularity principle at the system level, various types of high-power converters are introduced. The modularity of the multilevel converters is studied in depth, and the challenges as well as the opportunities for high-power applications are illustrated.

Modular Multilevel Converters for HVDC Applications: Review on Converter Cells and Functionalities

Multilevel inverters are increasingly being used in high-power medium voltage applications due to their superior performance compared to two-level inverters. Among various modulation techniques for a multilevel inverter, the space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) is widely used. However, the implementation of the SVPWM for a multilevel inverter is complicated. The complexity is due to the difficulty in determining the location of the reference vector, the calculation of on-times, and the determination and selection of switching states. This paper proposes a general SVPWM algorithm for multilevel inverters based on standard two-level SVPWM. Since the proposed multilevel SVPWM method uses two-level modulation to calculate the on-times, the computation of on-times for an n-level inverter becomes easier. The proposed method uses a simple mapping to achieve the SVPWM for a multilevel inverter. A general n-level implementation is explained, and experimental results are given for three-level and five-level inverters

A Space Vector PWM Scheme for Multilevel Inverters Based on Two-Level Space Vector PWM

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) with half-bridge submodules (SMs) is the most promising technology for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grids, but it lacks dc fault clearance capability. There are two main methods to handle the dc-side short-circuit fault. One is to employ the SMs that have dc fault clearance capability, but the power losses are high and the converter has to be blocked during the clearance. The other is to employ the hybrid HVDC breakers. The breaker is capable of interrupting fault current within 5 ms, but this technology is not cost effective, especially in meshed HVDC grids. In this paper, an assembly HVDC breaker and the corresponding control strategy are proposed to overcome these drawbacks. The assembly HVDC breaker consists of an active short-circuit breaker (ASCB), a main mechanical disconnector, a main breaker, and an accessory discharging switch (ADS). When a dc-side short-circuit fault occurs, the ASCB and the ADS close immediately to shunt the fault current. The main breaker opens after a short delay to isolate the faulted line from the system and then the mechanical disconnector opens. With the disconnector in open position, the ASCB opens and breaks the current. The proposed breaker can handle the dc-side fault with competitively low cost, and the operating speed is fast enough. A model of a four-terminal monopolar HVDC grid is developed in Power Systems Computer Aided Design / Electromagnetic Transients including DC, and the simulation result proves the validity and the feasibility of the proposed solution.

Assembly HVDC Breaker for HVDC Grids With Modular Multilevel Converters

The authors examine how presently available gate-turn-off thyristors (GTOs), which are still relatively slow, can be used in force-commutated high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) and static VAR compensator (SVC) converters by employing multiconverter modules in conjunction with a phase-shifting principle which cancels the undesirable switching harmonics. They point out that incorporating the sinusoidal pulse-width modulation (SPWM) technique enables feedback control, active filtering and regulatory functions to be performed by the converters. This is because a reasonable bandwidth of the modulating signal is transmitted by the multiconverter station in spite of the low switching rates of the GTO valves. >

Force commutated HVDC and SVC based on phase-shifted multi-converter modules

For an LCC–MMC hybrid HVDC transmission system with reverse current blocking diodes, this paper presents a method for dc-side harmonic current calculation and dc-loop impedance calculation. First, in the calculation of dc-side harmonic currents, the line-commutated converter at the rectifier side is replaced by the three-pulse harmonic voltage sources; the modular multilevel converter is represented by an equivalent passive circuit based on the linearization theory; an improved calculating method for the coupled line model is introduced into calculating the admittance matrix of the dc transmission lines to improve the computational efficiency; and then this paper describes the complete procedures of the proposed method. Second, based on the dc-side equivalent models mentioned before and the nodal voltage analysis method, this paper presents an analytical method for the calculation of dc-loop impedance according to the definition of dc-loop impedance Finally, the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation verifications have been carried out based on a 1500 MW/ ${+} 500$ kV MMC-HVDC system, a 3000-MW/ ${\pm}$ 500-kV LCC–MMC hybrid HVDC system, and its dc network. The simulation results and the analytical results coincide with each other, and the effectiveness of the proposed methods is proved.

DC-Side Harmonic Currents Calculation and DC-Loop Resonance Analysis for an LCC–MMC Hybrid HVDC Transmission System

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) will be used in power systems more and more widely. The main circuit parameter design of the MMC impacts the initial investment and the operating performance of the system. In this study the parameter design problem of several important elements in the main circuit of the MMC, such as the link transformer, the arm reactor, the sub-module (SM) capacitor and the SM power electronic devices are analysed. Based on the fundamental equivalent circuit of the MMC, the design method for the rated valve side no-load voltage of the link transformer is proposed; and the variation range of the rated valve side no-load voltage is determined as (1.00-1.05)/2 times of the DC side voltage. By introducing the concept of the equivalent capacity discharging time constant H
, the nearly constant relationship between the fluctuation ratio of the SM capacitor voltage and the H
-value for different projects is discovered, which means the H
-value is independent of particular projects. In this study, the corresponding parameters of several practical projects are analysed and the recommended H
-value is given as 40 ms. The voltage and current stress of the SM power electronic devices is investigated for the four extreme operating conditions by the analytical formulae of the MMC; and it is discovered that the current stress of the SM power electronic devices changes greatly with the operating condition. By introducing the concepts of the phase unit series resonance frequency and the circulating current resonance frequency, the principle for designing the parameter of the arm inductor is established. Through analysing the corresponding parameters of several real projects, the recommended value of the phase unit series resonance frequency is given as the rated frequency of the connected AC system.

Selection methods of main circuit parameters for modular multilevel converters

This paper presents a new method based on piecewise analytical formulas to evaluate the valve losses of the modular multilevel converter based high-voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC) transmission systems. According to the generating mechanism, the total valve losses of the MMC are divided into three parts: 1) conduction losses; 2) essential switching losses; and 3) additional switching losses. Due to the large number of arm submodules in MMC–HVDC links, the harmonic components in the arm voltages and currents are omitted. Therefore, the conduction losses and the essential switching losses can be precisely represented by analytical formulas. The additional switching losses are described by an analytical upper limit. The case studies are performed on a 400-MW $\pm $ 200-kV MMC-HVDC system under 12 typical operating conditions. Both the relative errors of the conduction losses and the essential switching losses between the analytical and the simulated results are within $\pm$ 4%. The analytical upper limits cover almost all of the simulated results for additional switching losses. Finally, an acceptable number for the analytical method is described based on the simulation results, which proves the effectiveness of this method and clarifies the potential to take advantage of this method in engineering applications.

Zheren Zhang

Papers

Assembly HVDC Breaker for HVDC Grids With Modular Multilevel Converters

Force commutated HVDC and SVC based on phase-shifted multi-converter modules

DC-Side Harmonic Currents Calculation and DC-Loop Resonance Analysis for an LCC–MMC Hybrid HVDC Transmission System

Selection methods of main circuit parameters for modular multilevel converters

Valve Losses Evaluation Based on Piecewise Analytical Method for MMC–HVDC Links