MTVN: Multi-Terminal VSC-HVDC Networks - Grid Control

可靠的电力供应是21世纪现代生活的基本要求之一。维持这种可靠的供应是未来几十年的主要挑战之一。解决方案不是直截了当的，它将包含许多部分。将海上风能发电整合到尽可能低的成本是其中一部分。将我们的输电网络与其他欧洲国家的发电和服务连接起来是另一部分。加强陆上电力网络以应对新的电力流动是进一步的措施。解决这些挑战需要一个海上电力网络，它被控制以支持我们现有的基础设施。与传统的陆上解决方案相比，这种海上网络对陆上农村和生活环境的破坏要小得多。实现这一必要的海上网络是本提案的目标。实现这种解决方案所需的技术是所谓的电压源高压直流传输（VSC-HVDC）：使用具有最新技术的高压半导体电源处理技术的换流站进行直流连接。只有这样的电站才具备所需的灵活性、紧凑性以及通过海底电缆传输电力的能力。然而，我们对这种技术的经验仅限于点对点系统。没有建立小型网络（所谓的多终端系统）。没有大型电网（所谓的直流电网）建成。关于如何控制这种系统的研究很少发表。关于如何使大型离岸网络“工作”的信息缺乏。然而，许多工业和学术组织强调，在降低成本、提高可靠性和增强功能方面，这种直流海上网络可以为我们现有的电力基础设施提供巨大的潜在好处。这个项目将进行迫切需要的研究，以评估控制和管理这种网络的最佳方式。由于电信、控制器结构和控制密切相关，因此还将纳入评估和包括这些制约因素影响的研究。候选网络将使用最先进的模型进行制定、分析和模拟。这些模型将得到改进，以包括分布式控制和电信影响/服务质量的影响。新技术将被开发出来，使“完美的”（理想的主）控制与更现实的分布式硬件系统实现类似的好处。这个项目的变革目标是：1。建立主控制器和分布式主控制器如何提高vcs - hvdc电网的性能，并为交流陆上网络提供强大可靠的服务。研究先进的控制方法，以及有效利用最新和发展中的电讯技术，将这种控制方法与本地电台控制相结合，并克服传统的操作速度限制。更好的系统理解、模型和改进的控制将会产生。反过来，这将有助于建立一个更便宜、更有效的离岸网络。

Reliable electricity supply forms a one of the basic requirements of modern 21st Century life. Sustaining this reliable supply is one of the key challenges for the coming decades. A solution is not straight-forward and will have many parts. Integrating offshore wind energy generation as cheaply as possible is one part. Linking our electricity transmission network to the generation and services of other European countries is another part. Reinforcing the onshore electricity network to cope with new power flows, is a further part. Addressing these challenges requires an offshore electricity network, which is controlled to support our existing infrastructure. Such an offshore network disrupts far less of the onshore countryside and living environment than conventional onshore solutions. Enabling this necessary offshore network is the goal of this proposal. The technology needed to achieve such a solution is so-called Voltage-Source High-Voltage DC Transmission (VSC-HVDC): DC connections using converter stations with the latest state-of-the-art, high-voltage semiconductor power processing technology. Only such stations have the required flexibility, compactness offshore and ability to transmit power over long sub-sea cables. However our experience with such technology is limited to point-to-point systems. No small networks (so-called multi-terminal systems) have been built. No large networks (so-called DC grids) have been constructed. Very little research has been published into how to control such systems. There is a dearth of information on how to make large offshore networks 'work'. However many industrial and academic organizations have highlighted the substantial potential benefits in terms of reduced cost, improved reliability and greater functionality which could be offered by such DC offshore networks to our existing electricity infrastructure. This project will undertake the research urgently required to assess the best way to control and mange such networks. Since telecommunications, controller architecture and control are intimately linked, research to assess and include the impact of these constraints will also be incorporated. Candidate networks will be formulated, analyzed and simulated using state-of-the-art models. These models will be improved to include the effects of distributed control and telecommunications effects/Quality of Service. New techniques will be developed that allow similar benefits to 'perfect' (idealized Master) control to be achieved with more realistic distributed hardware systems.The transformative goals of this project are thus:1. To establish how Master and Distributed Master controllers can improve VSC-HVDC-grid performance and offer robust and reliable services to AC onshore networks.2. To investigate advanced controls, and effective exploitation of state-of-the-art and developing telecommunication technologies, to integrate this control with local station control and to overcome conventional operational speed limitations.Better system understanding, models, and improved control will result. This in turn should allow the creation of a cheaper, more effective offshore network.