This document gives an overview of the HVDC Master Control System.

The basic principles highlighted in this report are:

the Master control in an HVDC transmission the Modulations used to stabilise the AC network

Table of Contents
1. 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. 2. 2.1. 2.2. 2.3. 2.4. 2.5. 2.6. 2.7. 2.8. MASTER CONTROL ............................................................ 3 Power order setting ................................................................ 3 Current order calculation........................................................ 3 Overload control ..................................................................... 3 Current order synchronization................................................ 4 AC NETWORK FREQUENCY AND STABILIZATION CONTROL............................................................................. 4 Power/frequency control ........................................................ 4 Stabilization of an AC link by a parallel DC line (damping control) ................................................................... 5 Stabilization of a weak interconnection within one of the AC networks ........................................................................... 7 Reactive power control........................................................... 7 Telecommunication requirement and other practical considerations ........................................................................ 7 Power system damping and frequency control without the telecommunication link in operation ................................. 8 Pole control............................................................................. 8 Bipole and station control ....................................................... 9

HVDC master control

To inverter

Overload limiter

I order max

Po P mod

Pord

P ord Iorder Ud

Io

Current control amplifier

Converter unit firing control

Ud response

Id_response

Figure 1

1. MASTER CONTROL
The master control system functions are often specified in detail in the technical specification for the project. The master control generates the current order to the current control systems of both convertor stations, for instance from a power order set by the operator or a dispatch control office. The power order includes control functions for modulation of the transmitted power when the HVDC link is used for stabilization of a connected AC network. Figure 1 shows a basic form of master control unit, common which is both stations and active in one of them. The current order is generated in this unit and sent to the other station by a telecommunication unit.

from the frequency deviation in one or both networks, is added.

1.2. Current order calculation

The current order is obtained by dividing the total power order by the direct voltage response obtained from a voltage divider.

1.3. Overload control

If the temperature dependent overload capacity of the convertor is to be utilized, a current order limiter is needed in the master control unit. The current order limiter calculates a maximum continuos current limit, depending on: Ambient temperature Valve cooling water temperature Thyristor temperature The maximum possible current order is the lowest of the two stations current order limits. The limiter controller can be designed to take care of steady state overload as well as short time overload. The latter allows a higher current order than the continuos current limit, but only for a few seconds.

1.1. Power order setting

The power order and the power ramping speed order are set either locally by the operator or obtained from a remote place, for instance the other station, and are given to the power control. When a change of power is to be ordered an enter signal is given to the power control which starts to ramp the power order. To the power order obtained in this way different additional contributions can be added, for instance as shown in Figure 1 in which P mod , generated

1.4. Current order synchronization

After passing the limiter the current order is issued to a communication unit by which the current order setting is synchronized between the two stations. When the current order message has been received, checked and accepted the current order is sent back to the rectifier. The current order in the inverter is used to improve the stability on the link. The control system is designed to maintain the transmission of power during disturbances or outage of the telecommunication system. The restrictions without telecommunication are: the speed which the current order can be changed is limited. the current order can not be regulated on the basis of the other stations quantities, e.g. inverter station AC frequency.

generation stations to control the frequency of the network. It is often stated in such cases that a dead-band for the frequency deviation shall exist. The gain of the regulator as well as the dead-band are normally variable. Figure 2 shows an example of controller arrangement in which the power/frequency control unit generates an additional power order P mod to a manually set order Po .
Po P ord

P mod f K

Dead band setting

Gain setting

Figure 2

2. AC NETWORK FREQUENCY AND STABILIZATION CONTROL

The HVDC transmission has an inherent control property which is unique in electrical power transmission technique, i.e. the power transmitted on the DC line is easily controlled with a high speed of response. Further the interconnection of two or more AC systems or two or more buses in one AC system by a DC link is asynchronous and the transmission stability is not affected by pole angle differences. Thus the HVDC transmission can be used for stabilization of an AC system by modulating the transmitted DC power in accordance with the variations in some AC system quantities, usually the frequency. The link can also be used to directly control the frequency of an AC network connected to one of the substations. These applications will be discussed below with reference to some typical cases.

If required the regulator can be so designed that the property of it is similar to a turbine governor as illustrated in Figure 3.
f 1 sT y Pmod

bP

bP

Figure 3

The control function has a variable static feedback (speed droop) giving a resulting transfer function.

Po 1 1 = * F bp 1 + sTy / bp
with Ty = response of the pilot servo motor b p = permanent feedback (speed droop)

2.1. Power/frequency control

It is sometimes specified that the HVDC transmission shall assist the existing power

When b p is set to zero

Po 1 = F sTy
i.e. we have obtained constant frequency control according to the preceding paragraph.

retarded. If one AC link is lost, AC network no. 1 is accelerated and AC network no. 2 retarded. If in this case the power order for the DC line is to some part determined by a regulator which derives a power order from suitable AC system quantities in the two AC networks via a control amplifier with suitable dynamic properties, the interconnection may be stabilized. The most probable quantities to be measured are the frequency deviations f1 and f 2 .The regulator derives the power order from the difference between these two frequency deviation signals, i.e.

2.2. Stabilization of an AC link by a parallel DC line (damping control)

When two AC systems are interconnected by parallel AC and/or DC links the latter can easily be used to stabilize the interconnection to a degree which is not possible for an AC link. In Figure 4 two AC networks are interconnected by two AC and one DC link in parallel.
PL

Pmod = F(s) x G(s) = ( F1(s) - F 2 (s)) x G(s) where G(s) is the transfer function of the regulator.

AC network 1 U1 f 1 , 1

AC network 2 U2 f 2 , 2

A possible alternative to the frequency may be the measurement of the power transmitted on the AC line as this power is determined by the phase angle difference between the interconnected networks according to

Figure 4

P=

U 1 *U 2 * sin( 1 2 ) X

Here it is important that the phase angle difference In special cases one of the two networks is so large that its frequency is not affected by variations in the power transmitted on the DC line. The situation is accordingly here simplified and the power on the DC line can be modulated with regard only to the frequency of the smaller network. The control action from the stabilization regulator is normally made temporary, i.e. the static gain of the regulator is zero or near zero. Further, to optimize the stabilization ability of the DC link, the gain of the regulator is made as high as possible for an interesting frequency region in which the oscillation frequencies are found.

= 1 2

between the two AC networks does not exceed a critical limit for the interconnection to be stable. The critical limit may be reached e.g. when the load in one of the networks is suddenly changed or when one of the two AC links is lost. If P L corresponds to a load increase in the receiving AC network no. 2 this network is

The choice of transfer function is normally based on digital computer studies but final adjustments are supposed to take place on site.

2.3. Stabilization of a weak interconnection within one of the AC networks

If the AC network connected to one of the DC substations consists of two main areas with an AC interconnection this AC network can be stabilized by the DC link. In Figure 5 it is supposed that the receiving AC network can be subdivided into two main areas, networks 1 and 2, with a single and possibly weak AC interconnection.
AC network 2 f2 , 2

transmission is dependent on the control angle and the direct current level. Thus the DC link can also be used for control of reactive power or for voltage control of the voltage in the AC network. The modulating signal for the DC link is here derived from measured reactive power or AC voltage deviation and affects the commutation margin reference.

2.5. Telecommunication requirement and other practical considerations

For higher level control the capacity and speed of response of the telecommunication link are interesting. For constant frequency control and power/frequency control the capacity requirement on the telecommunication system is more moderate as such control can be made rather slow. To avoid unnecessary telecommunication delay the leading master control equipment, i.e. the unit presented in Figure 1, should be placed in the HVDC substation nearest to the controlled quantity or, if quantities in two AC networks are controlled, nearest to the most sensitive AC network. It should be noticed that a modulation of the DC link power, in order to control an AC system parameter, affects both the sending and receiving AC networks. This means e.g. that when oscillations in one AC network are damped by the DC link the other network must be able to stand the same degree of load modulation. Otherwise the control must be a compromise and the DC link cannot be modulated to such a degree that optimal damping control is obtained.

AC network 3

AC network 1 f1 , 1

Figure 5

By measuring the frequency deviations, f 1 and f 2 , in the two networks, or the AC power transmitted between the networks and modulating the transmitted DC power in accordance with either the frequency or the phase angle difference the receiving AC network can be stabilized. The situation is similar to that discussed in the preceding paragraph. It should be noted that a telecommunication channel from AC network no. 2 to the DC substation is needed for transmitting signal for measured quantities. In practice such a telecommunication is normally not available and a simpler solution modulating the HVDC with regard to the frequency deviation measured in the convertor station only must be applied. This is often an acceptable simplification, at least when AC network no. 2 is a large network.

2.4. Reactive power control

It is well known that the reactive power consumption of a convertor station in an HVDC

2.6. Power system damping and frequency control without the telecommunication link in operation
Even if the telecommunication link fails for one reason or the other for a short period, it is possible to continue the higher level control at least when a quantity of only one of the AC networks is to be controlled. One solution to that is to force that station in which the controlled quantity is measured to take over current control when the telecommunication system fails, if this is not the case already in the normal situation. This situation occurs if the AC network connected to the inverter is to be stabilized by damping control and the direct current, as in the normal case, is controlled by the rectifier. The power on the DC line is then determined by that station to which the AC network to be stabilized by frequency control is connected. The current order in the other station is determined by the measured current response and a margin which is added with suitable sign.

Thus we see that a major part of the master control system can be referred to the pole level making the poles highly independent. This is important for reliability reasons and makes the probability for a component failure in the master control system to affect both poles, very low. The described organization of the master control system means that the poles can be operated as separate transmissions and the control desk is also normally provided with separate setting devices for pole power order setting. Figure 6 illustrates the organization of the master control system which is discussed above.

2.7. Pole control

The current control amplifier and the voltage dependent current order limiter are found in both the rectifier and the inverter. Many of the power modulation tasks can be performed in the pole master control systems. For instance, stabilization of connected AC networks by modulating the transmitted power from measured frequency deviation can be performed by providing both pole master control systems with frequency discriminators. Balanced bipolar operation with zero ground current can be attained by defining a bipolar power order which in both pole master control systems are divided by the pole-to-pole voltage to obtain equal pole current orders. The pole-topole voltage is obtained by adding together the voltage measurement signals from the individual pole voltage divider. The pole master also includes some interstation sequence control functions such as those for control mode switching and for automatic start and stop of the pole.

2.8. Bipole and station control

The complexity of the control equipment should be kept at a minimum. A control desk with setting devices and reactive power control systems are normally found common for the poles. A frequency controller with integrating characteristic for constant frequency control of the voltage in a receiving island network must be common to all. Consideration of the two bipoles in a double bipole scheme can be arranged directly between the individual poles or by common control functions on the station. Coordination function of interest may be parallel connection of poles or compensation in one bipole of lost transmission capacity in the other.

+ PMC -CFC

Bipole power order

+ PMC

-CFC

Figure 6