Preparing for a Direct Current Distribution Network

chrismb · Post by **chrismb** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:04 pm

HVDC has been around for years. I think the first actual installation was in the 50's (between a remote island and mainland Italy, if I recall correctly).

Areva have been installing such systems for renewables for many years now. 500kV and 800kV DC has settled out as the main standards. The technology used to be mercury switches but now they have ~5kV silicon that are stacked in enormous serial lengths and parallel sets.

http://www.areva-td.com/solutions/liblo ... 0137-V3-EN 2009 version.pdf

http://www.areva-td.com/solutions/US_13 ... Guide.html

BenTC · Post by **BenTC** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 5:04 pm

chrismb wrote:HVDC has been around for years. I think the first actual installation was in the 50's (between a remote island and mainland Italy, if I recall correctly).

ABB claim first HVDC in Gotland, Sweeden. I've seen that widely noted beyond ABB's site. It was underwater transmission sine that is one of the key applications of HVDC. Uncerwater AC has to deal with large capacitance to water(earth) and consequent voltage regulation and power loss issues. Since HVDC equipment is more expensive than AC, the economic breakeven point for underwater transmission is about 50km.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:05 pm

ABB says its the first commercial use- 1954. Wiki has the Russians using HVDC in WW2. Regarless the huge difference in transmission loss, 2 conductor instead of 3, both solar and wind generate in DC- makes HVDC first choice in bulk transmission.

BenTC · Post by **BenTC** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:40 pm

Roger wrote:ABB says its the first commercial use- 1954. Wiki has the Russians using HVDC in WW2. Regarless the huge difference in transmission loss, 2 conductor instead of 3, both solar and wind generate in DC- makes HVDC first choice in bulk transmission.

Thanks, I hadn't heard about the Russian reference. I went hunting for more info and found 100 years of high voltage DC links which seems fairly definitive. The Gotland Link could probably still be considered the first successful modern HVDC system.

The ‘liberated’ Elbe-Berlin HVDC system was re-installed as the Moscow – Kashira transmission line which served both as industrial power transmission and as an experimental installation for of HVDC research [and] suffered from many breakdowns, possibly because the cable brought from Germany was damaged during recovery and transport.