Integration of LC DC Circuit Breakers into DC transmission grids

About the Project

These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission has seen rapid development with the introduction of MMC (Modular Multilevel Converters) around 2010, and in the last 5 years there has been significant on developing DC Transmission Grids [1]. DC Circuit Breakers are the key components that will facilitate grid development but they are technology bottleneck at present [1].

Many new DC CB topologies have been investigated recently. The LC DC CB technology was developed in the EU project PROMOTioN (2016-2020) and a small scale prototype was demonstrated [2]. These initial studies have confirmed feasibility and illustrated benefits of this topology like faster opening, lower cost and absence of arcing. Further studies have demonstrated capabilities on 5 kV, 2 kA prototype [3].

This project will investigate LC DC CB integration in DC transmission grids. Since LC DC is substantially different from Conventional DC CBs, it is not clear how it will interact with various components like MMC (Modular Multilevel Converters) converters, and DC cables. Especially there have been concerns related to series insertion of capacitor in DC current path, which my cause wide DC voltage variations and negative current flow. Also, of particular significance are some system-level performance aspects like interaction with protection system and relays. The reclosing capability, interaction with other DC CB and back-up protection will be further evaluated.

The project will be based on simulation using professional simulation platforms like PSCAD/EMTDC or EMTP. This platform will be used to firstly develop suitable detailed LC DC CB model for a test system of around 525 kV, 20 kA, together with a simple DC grid. Next, the DC CB controller and protection algorithm will be developed, and their performance will be evaluated. Lastly, a range of applications, operating topologies, and scenarios will be developed and analysed comparatively with the conventional DC CB technologies.

Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in Electrical or Electronics engineering.

Application Procedure:

Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php.

You should apply for PhD in Engineering to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.

Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project titleon the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the studentship.

Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.

Please note: you do not need to provide a research proposal with this application.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Professor D Jovcic at d.jovcic@abdn.ac.uk. If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at researchadmissions@abdn.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This is a self-funding project open to students worldwide. Our typical start dates for this programme are February or October.

Fees for this programme can be found here Finance and Funding | Study Here | The University of Aberdeen

References

[1] D Jovcic "High Voltage Direct Current Transmission: Converters Systems and DC Grids", 2nd edition Wiley, 2019
[2] D.Jovcic “Fast Commutation of DC Current into a Capacitor Using Moving Contacts” IEEE transactions on power delivery, V35, Iss 2, April 2020, pp 639-646, DOI: 10.1109/TPWRD.2019.2919725
[3] D. Jovcic and S. Kovacevic, "Development and Experimental Evaluation of 2 -10 Kv LC DC Circuit Breaker Module," in IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 4945-4955, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1109/TPWRD.2022.3163426.