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Commutation in HVDC-Ahmad

Commutation failure occurs in HVDC systems when a thyristor valve fails to turn off during the commutation process, interrupting power transmission. Commutation failure prevention functions aim to detect disturbances on the AC network to reduce the risk. This is done by providing earlier firing commands to increase the commutation margin. The commutation process in line-commutated HVDC converters relies on alternating line voltages to reverse bias and turn off outgoing thyristor valves. For successful commutation, the commutating voltage must be positive for long enough to drive the commutation current from the outgoing to incoming valve. Disturbances can reduce this commutation area and cause failure.

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74 views13 pages

Commutation in HVDC-Ahmad

Commutation failure occurs in HVDC systems when a thyristor valve fails to turn off during the commutation process, interrupting power transmission. Commutation failure prevention functions aim to detect disturbances on the AC network to reduce the risk. This is done by providing earlier firing commands to increase the commutation margin. The commutation process in line-commutated HVDC converters relies on alternating line voltages to reverse bias and turn off outgoing thyristor valves. For successful commutation, the commutating voltage must be positive for long enough to drive the commutation current from the outgoing to incoming valve. Disturbances can reduce this commutation area and cause failure.

Uploaded by

Usama Zafar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Commutation in

HVDC
Ahmad Usman
Master name : Mr. Chen Kanging
Introduction

Commutation failure can be defined as an adverse dynamic event that occurs


when a converter valve that is supposed to turn off, continues to conduct
without transferring its current to the next valve in the firing sequence. Its
occurrence causes temporary interruption of transmitted power and stresses
the converter equipment. Furthermore, it can result in significant direct
current increase and thus lead to additional heating of converter valves,
consequently shortening their lifespan.
Background
System faults on the AC networks connected to a line-commutated HVDC
system with thyristor based technology result in voltage disturbances in the
form of voltage magnitude reduction and/or phase shift. If the disturbance is
severe enough, the power transmission is interrupted by a so called
commutation failure. When commutation failure occurs, the normal
sequence of rectifying and/or inverting is disturbed.
Commutation Failure prevention (CFPrev)

This function detects disturbances in the AC network and feeds into other parts of the
control system so that the probability of a commutation failure occurring is reduced.
Currently, the CFPrev function consists of two different parts: The predictor (CFPred) that
is always active and outputs a signal when the risk of commutation failure is increased and
the detector (CFDet) that acts when a commutation failure has already occurred. On
detection of AC faults, CFPrev will give an angle contribution to one of the control blocks
resulting in earlier firing, consequently increasing the commutation margin and mitigating
commutation failure or further commutation failures. CFPrev also sends the angle
contribution to another control block to get a reduction in the maximum limit of the firing
angle. This is done to allow for earlier firing of the next valve in the firing sequence
Line Commutated Converters
Various HVDC schemes employ line commutated thyristor valve converters.
In a line commutated converter, the process of current commutation is
facilitated by the connected AC system voltage. The Graetz bridge is the
basic unit for HVDC line commutated converters. It consists of six thyristors
assembled in form of three phase legs. Each phase leg contains two
thyristors, the center points are connected to a three phase power supply.
This three phase full-wave bridge circuit is shown in Fig.
Graetz Bridge
Continue…...

Consider that valve 1 is fired during an interval when it is forward biased (its
anode voltage is positive with respect to the cathode) such that it is
conducting current. An alternating line voltage Uba appears across valve 3.
When Uba is in its negative cycle, valve 3 experiences a negative voltage
across it (reverse biased) and cannot conduct current even when a firing
pulse is provided. Once the line voltage switches to its positive cycle, valve
3 is forward biased. If valve 3 is fired during this interval, it will conduct
current and consequently, valve 1 experiences a negative voltage across its
terminals.
Continue…..
Through the consecutive firing of incoming thyristor valves while the line
voltage across their terminals are of appropriate polarity, each thyristor can
be successfully commutated. The incoming thyristor valves causes the
application of a line voltage to the outgoing valve which reverse biases the
outgoing valve. The term line commutated converter arises because an
alternating line voltage is required to serve as the commutating voltage, and
should have a polarity that will reverse bias the outgoing thyristor valve.
Commutation Process
The switching of current conduction from one of the thyristor valves to another in the same row of a
converter bridge is referred to as commutation.
Consider a case when valves 1 and 2 are conducting and the direct current is to be commutated from
valve 1 to valve 3 in the top row. The commutation can take place as long as the voltage difference
Ub - Ua is positive, this voltage difference is referred to as commutating voltage. The commutating
voltage is the voltage, which at constant direct current would have occurred across the thyristor
valve, if the valve had not been fired. The commutating voltage can also be described as the reverse
voltage across the thyristor terminals that serves to turn off the thyristor. During the commutation
process, the converter bridge can be represented with an equivalent circuit. Valves 1 and 3 are both
conducting in the top row while valve 2 in the bottom row continues to conduct as before. The
commutating voltage drives a commutating current i through valve 1 and 3, this commutation current
will increase thereby increasing the current flowing through valve 3 while decreasing the current
through valve 1.
The commutation process is complete when the commutation current has increased and is equal to the direct
current Id. This is illustrated in figure, where Vba is the commutation voltage, i is the commutation current, i1 and
i3 are the currents flowing through valve 1 and valve 3 respectively and area A is the inverter commutation margin.
In the rectifier, valve 3 is fired at α1 and the commutation of current from valve 1
to valve 3 takes µ1. The remaining area, γ1, is more than sufficient for successful
commutation therefore commutation failures rarely occur in the rectifier. In the
inverter, valve 3 is fired at α and the commutation of current from valve 1 to
valve 3 takes µ. The remaining voltage-time area A (commutation area) can be
greatly reduced in the event of disturbances in the AC network.
Continue….
Fig. shows the delay angle (α), which corresponds to the time when valve 3 is fired after the
commutation voltage has turned positive. Mu (µ) is the overlap angle, the angle corresponding to the
time when both valves 1 and 3 are conducting. Gamma (γ) is extinction angle or commutation margin,
the angle corresponding to the time between when valve 1 is extinguished and when the commutation
voltage goes through its zero crossing. During steady state operation, the relationship between these
angles is expressed as follows:
α + µ + γ = 180’
A reverse voltage needs to be applied across a thyristor valve for a certain duration. This is required
to remove the charges stored during the conduction process such that the valve can withstand a
voltage in the forward direction. This negative voltage is applied during the time corresponding to γ,
the commutation margin. Moreover, the extinction angle also provides an additional margin to ensure
successful commutation when small disturbances occur during normal operation
Thank You

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