Coordinated Control of HVDC Links in Transmission Systems

Abstract: Dynamic security limits the power transfer capacity between regions and therefore has an economic impact. The power modulation control of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links can improve the dynamic security of the power system. Having several HVDC links in a system creates the opportunity to coordinate such control, and coordination also ensures that negative interactions do not occur among the controllable devices.This thesis aims to increase dynamic security by coordinating HVDC links, as an alternative to decreasing the transfer capacity. This thesis contributes four control approaches for increasing the dynamic stability, based on feedforward control, adaptive control, optimal control, and exact-feedback linearization control. Depending on the available measurements, dynamic system model, and system topology, one of the developed methods can be applied. The wide-area measurement system provides the central controller with real-time data and sends control signals to the HVDC links.The feedforward controller applies rapid power dispatch, and the strategy used here is to link the N-1 criterion between two systems. The adaptive controller uses the modal analysis approach; based on forecasted load paths, the controller gains are adaptively adjusted to maximize the damping in the system. The optimal controller is designed based on an estimated reduced-order model; system identification develops the model based on the system response. The exact-feedback linearization approach uses a pre-feedback loop to cancel the nonlinearities; a stabilizing controller is designed for the remaining linear system.The conclusion is that coordinating the HVDC links improves the dynamic stability, which makes it possible to increase the transfer capacity. This conclusion is also supported by simulations of each control approach.