Operation and control of a Current Source Converter series tapping of an LCC-HVDC link for integration of Offshore Wind Power Plants

• Published in: Electric power systems research Vol. 141; pp. 510 - 521
• Main Authors: Sau Bassols, Joan, Prieto Araujo, Eduardo, Galceran Arellano, Samuel, Gomis Bellmunt, Oriol
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2016
• Subjects: Convertidors de corrent elèctric; Current-Source Converter (CSC); Electric current converters; Energia eòlica; Energies; Enginyeria elèctrica; HVDC transmission; LCC-HVDC; Offshore Wind Power Plant; Parcs eòlics; Parcs eòlics marins; Tapping station; Wind power plants; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; Tapping station; Offshore Wind Power Plant; HVDC transmission; LCC-HVDC; Current-Source Converter (CSC)
• ISSN: 0378-7796; 1873-2046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2016.07.019

•A bidirectional series tapping station of a HVDC link for integration of Offshore Wind Power Plants (OWPP) based on Current Source Converters (CSC) is presented.•The CSC allows bidirectional operation of the HVDC corridor, but challenges arise when the DC current of the link is low due to the modulation limit.•A coordinated power reduction algorithm to reduce wind power from the OWPP is proposed.•The presented PRA guarantees stable operation during low DC current of the link and during loss of communications. This work presents a series tapping station for integrating Offshore Wind Power Plants (OWPP) into a (Line Commutated Converter High Voltage Direct Current) LCC-HVDC transmission system. The tapping station allows to integrate wind power resources without building a new HVDC link and it is based on a Current Source Converter (CSC). However, the CSC requires a minimum DC current to extract the power coming from the OWPP which may not be guaranteed depending on the power conditions of the HVDC corridor. For this reason, this paper proposes a coordinated operation and control of the CSC and the OWPP. A steady-state analysis is performed to determine the appropriate AC voltage level of the CSC. A power reduction algorithm is presented to limit power extraction during a reduction in the current of the HVDC transmission system and under loss of communications between the CSC and the OWPP. The proposed algorithm and the performance of the system are validated through simulation results.