The Development of the +/- 80kV 60MW HVDC System in Korea

Abstract

HVDC transmission systems can be configured in many ways to take into account cost, flexibility and operational requirements. [1] For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses. For underwater power cables, HVDC avoids the heavy currents required to charge and discharge the cable capacitance of each cycle. For shorter distances, the higher cost of DC conversion equipment compared to an AC system may still be warranted, due to other benefits of direct current links. HVDC allows power transmission between unsynchronized AC transmission systems. Since the power flow through an HVDC link can be controlled independently of the phase angle between the source and the load, it can stabilize a network against disturbances due to rapid changes in power. HVDC also allows the transfer of power between grid systems running at different frequencies, such as 50 Hz and 60 Hz. This improves the stability and economy of each grid, by allowing the exchange of power between incompatible networks. This paper proposed to establish Korean HVDC technology through a cooperative agreement between KEPCO and LSIS in 2010. During the first stage (2012), a design of the +/- 80kV 60MW HVDC bipole system was created by both KEPCO and LSIS. The HVDC system was constructed and an operation test was completed in December 2012. During the second stage, the pole#2 system was fully replaced with components that LSIS had recently developed. LSIS also successfully completed the operation test. 2014.3)