Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission: 2010-1-6 Resources:Internet Author: Browse:14194

Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission
2010-1-6Resources:InternetAuthor:Browse:14194
The advantage of HVDC is the ability to transmit large amounts of power over long distances with lower capital
costs and with lower losses than AC. Depending on voltage level and construction details, losses are quoted as
about 3% per 1,000 km.[citation needed] High-voltage direct current transmission allows efficient use of energy
sources remote from load centers.
In a number of applications HVDC is more effective than AC transmission. Examples include:
Undersea cables, where high capacitance causes additional AC losses. (e.g., 250 km Baltic Cable between
Sweden and Germany and the 600 km NorNed cable between Norway and the Netherlands)
Endpoint-to-endpoint long-haul bulk power transmission without intermediate 'taps', for example, in remote
areas
Increasing the capacity of an existing power grid in situations where additional wires are difficult or expensive to
install
Power transmission and stabilization between unsynchronised AC distribution systems
Connecting a remote generating plant to the distribution grid, for example Nelson River Bipole
Stabilizing a predominantly AC power-grid, without increasing prospective short circuit current
Reducing line cost. HVDC needs fewer conductors as there is no need to support multiple phases. Also, thinner
conductors can be used since HVDC does not suffer from the skin effect
Facilitate power transmission between different countries that use AC at differing voltages and/or frequencies
Synchronize AC produced by renewable energy sources
Long undersea high voltage cables have a high electrical capacitance, since the conductors are surrounded by
a relatively thin layer of insulation and a metal sheath. The geometry is that of a long co-axial capacitor. Where
alternating current is used for cable transmission, this capacitance appears in parallel with load. Additional
current must flow in the cable to charge the cable capacitance, which generates additional losses in the
conductors of the cable. Additionally, there is a dielectric loss component in the material of the cable insulation,
which consumes power.
When, however, direct current is used, the cable capacitance is only charged when the cable is first energized
or when the voltage is changed; there is no steady-state additional current required. For a long AC undersea
cable, the entire current-carrying capacity of the conductor could be used to supply the charging current alone.
This limits the length of AC cables. DC cables have no such limitation. Although some DC leakage current
continues to flow through the dielectric, this is very small compared to the cable rating.
HVDC can carry more power per conductor because, for a given power rating, the constant voltage in a DC line
is lower than the peak voltage in an AC line. In AC power, the root mean square (RMS) voltage measurement is
considered the standard, but RMS is only about 71% of the peak voltage. The peak voltage of AC determines
the actual insulation thickness and conductor spacing. Because DC operates at a constant maximum voltage,
this allows existing transmission line corridors with equally sized conductors and insulation to carry 100% more
power into an area of high power consumption than AC, which can lower costs.
Because HVDC allows power transmission between unsynchronized AC distribution systems, it can help
increase system stability, by preventing cascading failures from propagating from one part of a wider power
transmission grid to another. Changes in load that would cause portions of an AC network to become
unsynchronized and separate would not similarly affect a DC link, and the power flow through the DC link would
tend to stabilize the AC network. The magnitude and direction of power flow through a DC link can be directly
commanded, and changed as needed to support the AC networks at either end of the DC link. This has caused
many power system operators to contemplate wider use of HVDC technology for its stability benefits alone.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of HVDC are in conversion, switching, control, availability and maintenance.
The required static inverters are expensive and have limited overload capacity. At smaller transmission
distances the losses in the static inverters may be bigger than in an AC transmission line. The cost of the
inverters may not be offset by reductions in line construction cost and lower line loss. With two exceptions, all
former mercury rectifiers worldwide have been dismantled or replaced by thyristor units. Pole 1 of the HVDC
scheme between the North and South Islands of New Zealand still uses mercury arc rectifiers, as does Pole 1
of the Vancouver Island link in Canada.
In contrast to AC systems[citation needed], realizing multiterminal systems is complex, as is expanding existing
schemes to multiterminal systems. Controlling power flow in a multiterminal DC system requires good
communication between all the terminals; power flow must be actively regulated by the inverter control system
instead of the inherent properties of the transmission line. Multi-terminal lines are rare. One is in operation at
the Hydro Qubec - New England transmission from Radisson to Sandy Pond.Another example is the Sardiniamainland Italy link which was modified in 1989 to also provide power to the island of Corsica.
HVDC is less reliable and has lower availability than AC systems, mainly due to the extra conversion
equipment. Single pole systems have availability of about 98.5%, with about a third of the downtime
unscheduled due to faults. Fault redundant bipole systems provide high availability for 50% of the link capacity,
but availability of the full capacity is about 97% to 98%.
High voltage DC circuit breakers are difficult to build because some mechanism must be included in the circuit
breaker to force current to zero, otherwise arcing and contact wear would be too great to allow reliable
switching.
Operating a HVDC scheme requires many spare parts to be kept, often exclusively for one system as HVDC
systems are less standardized than AC systems and technology changes faster.

Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission: 2010-1-6 Resources:Internet Author: Browse:14194

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission: 2010-1-6 Resources:Internet Author: Browse:14194

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission: 2010-1-6 Resources:Internet Author: Browse:14194

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Advantages and Disadvantages of HVDC Over AC Transmission

You might also like