High-power voltage-source converter topologies, modeling, and analysis framework for future AC-DC supergrids

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The development of sustainable energy from renewable resources such as wind, solar, tidal, and biomass energy has been identified as a key strategic area in Canada. The large-scale integration of renewable energy sources into power grids has been challenging due to the often remote locations of the renewables and high fluctuations in energy production. Voltage-source-converter (VSC) high voltage DC (HVDC) transmission is the key enabling technology for the integration of renewables into power grids due to its efficient energy transmission and excellent energy flow control. However, for the VSC HVDC transmission to have broader applications, research is critically required to overcome current technological barriers to improve transmission efficiency, reduce converter costs, and increase the transmission fault-resilience. This Discovery research program will focus on the development of new high-power VSC HVDC technologies and associated analysis platforms to improve the performance of HVDC transmission for renewable energy integration. Ultimately these studies will lead to improved design, control, and protection of future AC-DC interconnected grids. The short-term objectives of the proposed research are to investigate new modular multilevel converter topologies which can reduce point-to-point HVDC converter loss by ~0.1-0.2%, increase converter compactness by ~50%, and provide strong support to AC grids during faults. Another short-term objective is to develop advanced converter models and simulation algorithms for the proposed AC-DC power systems. To achieve these short-term objectives, new modular multilevel converter technologies will be investigated, including (1) hybrid converter architectures that integrate two-level and multilevel converter topologies, (2) new modular multilevel converter submodules that overcome shortcomings of conventional designs, e.g. half-bridge, full-bridge, or clamped-double submodules, (3) accurate average-value models for the proposed converters, and (4) new parallel hybrid simulation algorithms for power system transient stability and electromagnetic transient analysis. The proposed research program will contribute to the development of next-generation VSC HVDC technologies with high efficiency, improved reliability, and reduced costs. It will have significant beneficial impacts on reducing Canada's carbon footprint by integrating large-scale renewable energy sources into power grids. The technology advances developed in this Discovery program will be transferable to Canadian and international power industries. HQP will have unique opportunities to gain skills in renewable energy integration research and to participate in collaborations with various industrial partners, including Canadian power utility companies, power system simulation companies, and global power equipment companies.